Former U.S. Administrator for Children, Speaks out on Nigeria's 300 Kidnapped Girls

Jake Terpstra has been a friend and brother in the fight for children for over 3o years. I first met Jake when he was on the U.S. President's cabinet for  children's services in the United States. While in this cabinet position, Jake was  all over the nation  encouraging policies to protect and advance the rights of children. Then as our national political winds changed Jake's office slowly diminished, with successive presidents determining that children would have less status and things like big business, or bigger armies would have more status. Economic development, military spending, corporate tax breaks and lower tax rates essentially replaced children's priorities and his department funding was cut year after year.  Finally down to one secretary, not even a private office, no travel allowance and nothing but a title Jake Terpstra continued on  often paying expenses out of his own savings as he jetted across the nation to stimulate and encourage protection and support for children in the USA.

When Jake retired government service he left  Washington DC and went back to Montana, it was the beginning of a new  life. But children lost a strong and educated advocate in our nation's capital. He continues to write and carries on a dialogue  for kids with a broad audience.  When I joined the Board of Governors of the Shrine Hospitals for Children Jake wrote a one line email. "Ben you have not changed in your work for kids."  Neither has Jake Terpstra and this article honors him and reflects that. 

Therefore when an issue regarding children is of such importance, Jake Terpstra may be one of the world's two most credible authorities on kid's and children's rights.  (The other is Dr. Richard Estes of the University of Pennsylvania. Recently I visited with 4 people in New Mexico, all  VIP's from African nations. They expressed outrage about the plight of kids in Africa, as political/religious radicals kidnap girls for political and religious blackmail. They were disturbed,  as is the entire world about yet another Islamic militant using  violence to promote Islam or gain political power by kidnapping children, making them slaves, sexually abusing them and holding them for hostage.  One very affluent and influential African woman told me : "Even if we get them back they will ever have emotional scars or be stigmatized by this."  

Sadly we learn that the President of Uganda spent weeks  ignoring the event even going to celebrations and parties where he danced  as the 300 girls were traumatized, sold for sex slaves and who knows what else. Apparently Nigeria's government is corrupted with many supporters from the ranks of these religious terrorists.  With the world outcry, this singular event may galvanize efforts to wipe out Islamic terrorism from Nigeria. Certainly it will set Islamic terrorists back in that nation for generations. But, it only dramatizes what people like Jake Terpstra, or Richard Estes (PhD with the University of Pennsylvania) have been telling us for years. Girls, young women and women the world over have continued to be brutalized, controlled, and maltreated around the world for far too long.  My wife, a Persian, personally has experienced cultural persecution from men of an unhealthy cultural mindset that treats women as property to abuse, or control as they wish. She and I both have personally dealt with angry, unyielding and irrational male abusers and we know first-hand the double standard and evil ways of these men. They often hide behind religion or politics to do their dirty work, but enlightened people know better. 

300 young girls are kidnapped out of their school as they prepare to graduate and work to help their world, then  humiliated, kidnapped, and treated worse than animals. This has caused even Islamic people to react with revulsion.  They are dismayed by this form of evil brutalism.  Most are afraid to speak out it seems. It is condoned by no true spiritual belief, it is pure and simple evil manipulation for their own political, power and control agendas. So, most of the civilized and enlightened world world is saying in outrage, enough!  The same message Jake Terpstra and Dr. Richard Estes have been crying out for decades. 

Let me repeat and reinforce this point. Enlightened Islamic moderates of our "Connected Generation" may not speak loudly, but enlightened people and moderate believers do not condone violence and brutalization in the name of their religion. We are seeing the day when a growing number have the courage and power to speak up and act with more strength. In the meantime the rest of the world will have to do it for them. Global Perspectives has been speaking out on this for years.  Our inspiration has been men like Jake Terpstra, and Richard Estes.  We have also been inspired by Malala, who was shot in the head for saying that little girls have the right to go to school. She is still a voice for kids, especially girls.  

As publisher of Global Perspectives, and a consultant for the USIS, USIA (State Department) and World Bank, I personally visited and interviewed leaders in several nations on the plight of children. In Mongolia, my banking/saving union company there not only contributed to establishing a foundation for children there, but we supported the largest orphanage in the nation liberally.  Some of the "Mongolian orphans" stand behind a much younger Ben Boothe, in the photo taken at the orphanage there years ago.  Look at their eyes, their faces, their smiles. Can you see the hope and enthusiasm in their faces?   Children inspire and bring us joy, and they bring hope for the future. Our job is to be worthy of the trust that they put in us adults who are supposed to be in charge.  

I dragged leaders in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia and Mongolia to the brothels and made them look at the children sold into sex slavery. Inspired by the work of Dr. Bill Estes and the encouragement of Jake Terpstra, we saw some new laws passed to protect children.  But even in nations which have laws, religious terrorists who would kidnap or sell kids into the sex trade are "outside"of the law, and must be dealt with accordingly.  

Our question to you, dear reader, do you have the courage to speak out and support efforts to protect children in the USA and around the world?

If so, use your voice, your ability to write, your pocket-book, your political influence and speak out now to force people of power and influence to end this violence upon children. Read Jake Terpstra, who puts another "Global Perspective" into the mix: 

 

 

 

 WHAT ABOUT NIGERIA?  By Jake Terpstra

Recent events in Nigeria are some of the most heart wrenching imaginable. 300 girls were abducted from the Chibok community to be sold into slavery or to be wives of their conquerors. 53 of those girls escaped, but several others had been kidnapped in previous weeks and 20 more were captured a few days later. Abulbakar Shekah, the leader of the Muslim group threatened to continue doing this indefinitely.

One can hardly imagine the grief of the parents. Nor can the horrors experienced by the girls be imagined.

Who can do something about it? The unarmed parents are helpless. Because the Nigerian government has been slow in trying to rescue the girls, the parents have mounted huge protests. Protests have resonated with others resulting in protests in many countries. But Patience Jonathan, wife of the Nigerian president, instead of helping the protesters, ordered the arrest of the leader of the Nigerian protest.

Pope Francis recently said that a society that abandons its children and the elderly severs its roots and darkens its future.

However the U.S. has now offered to help Nigeria and that government has agreed to accept assistance. Perhaps there now will be action.

This tragedy is not an isolated incident, but is part of a huge worldwide pattern of capturing people for sale---human trafficking. It is very profitable and is the third largest criminal activity in the world. Only drug and illegal gun sales are greater.

Probably the greatest protection against human trafficking is the International Convention (treaty) on the Rights of the Child.

Nigeria is a member of the Convention and the government could use that to protect its people. Unfortunately the U.S. is not a member. If it were, it would not be able to use those enforcement powers in another country, but it could come as a partner in the Convention and be in a stronger position to be able to help. It also would enhance our ability to prevent trafficking in the US. Technically, becoming a member would not be difficult. It only requires senate ratification.