World Vision reports two million children are trapped in the commercial sex trade. An estimated 300,000 child soldiers, some under 10 years, are forced to participate in armed conflicts. According to UNICEF, there are nearly 150 million child laborers, many of them engaged in hazardous work.

Many of these children are either sold into prostitution to pay off family debts or forcibly recruited on the street. World Vision reports that U.S. citizens account for an estimated 25% of child sex tourists worldwide.

Globalization links us to these children more directly than ever. In the past, we saw our obligation to these children in terms of charity, but the world is growing smaller. Now we must accept our role not only as benefactors but also as part of the problem. These suffering children, who are usually located in the poorer countries, are a global tragedy to which we must bend our best efforts. We can try to purchase more “fair trade” products particularly cocoa, chocolate and coffee, as so many children are exploited in working for these industries. Some resources for being better informed: www.coopamerica.org; www.hrw.org/children/ (human rights watch); www.unicef.org/action (UNICEF handbook to combat trafficking in children.)