This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests.
Zack Baddorf is a national security and foreign policy professional focusing on researching disinformation and countering violent extremist propaganda. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Baddorf is a freelance journalist and filmmaker for more than 15 years, filing for The New York Times, BBC, and many other outlets. He is the executive director and co-founder of Military Veterans in Journalism and the senior advisor for the Lobo Institute.
Begin with the children: Child soldier numbers doubled in the Middle East in 2019
In 2017, the advocacy group Child Soldiers International estimated that more than 100,000 children were forced to become soldiers in state and non-state military organizations in at least 18 armed conflicts worldwide. This is a global problem that is getting worse and it must be addressed.
