Ideas worth spreading

The real harm of the global arms trade

1,151,894 views | Samantha Nutt • TED Talks Live

In some parts of the world, it's easier to get an automatic rifle than a glass of clean drinking water. Is this just the way it is? Samantha Nutt, doctor and founder of the international humanitarian organization War Child, explores the global arms trade -- and suggests a bold, common sense solution for ending the cycle of violence. "War is ours," she says. "We buy it, sell it, spread it and wage it. We are therefore not powerless to solve it."

In some parts of the world, it's easier to get an automatic rifle than a glass of clean drinking water. Is this just the way it is? Samantha Nutt, doctor and founder of the international humanitarian organization War Child, explores the global arms trade -- and suggests a bold, common sense solution for ending the cycle of violence. "War is ours," she says. "We buy it, sell it, spread it and wage it. We are therefore not powerless to solve it."

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Join War Child and learn more about what you can do to give children in war-affected communities the chance to break the cycle of poverty and violence.

About the speaker

Samantha Nutt

Doctor, writer and humanitarian

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Samantha Nutt envisions a world where no child knows war.

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This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Join War Child and learn more about what you can do to give children in war-affected communities the chance to break the cycle of poverty and violence.