In his book, Innocents Lost: When Child Soldiers Go to War, Jimmie Briggs book provides a vitally important perspective on the global tragedy of child soldiers. More than 250,000 children have fought in three dozen conflicts around the world. From the “little bees"" of Colombia to the “baby brigades” of Sri Lanka, the subject of child soldiers is changing the face of terrorism.

Jimmie Briggs is a New York-based writer, teacher, and freelance journalist. Briggs was awarded the John Bartlow Martin Award from Northwestern University for a story about the Gulf War’s impact on children, which became a finalist for a National Magazine Award. He has written for the Washington Post, The Village Voice, El Pais, Emerge, Vibe, LIFE, and The New York Times Magazine. He served as an advisor to the movie Blood Diamond, and is currently completing a book on rape as a weapon of war. Briggs is the first African American to be appointed as Goodwill Ambassador and Special Envoy for Children and Armed Conflict by WAFUNIF at the UN.

(c) 2008 - Unversity of Chicago.  The World Beyond the Headlines series is a collaborative project of the Center for International Studies, the International House Global Voices Program, the Seminary Co-op Bookstores and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Its aim is to bring scholars and journalists together to consider major international issues and how they are covered in the media.

Recorded Thursday, May 15, 2008 at International House.