CHILD LABOUR By: Izaiya Carter

WHAT IS CHILD LABOUR? “Right now 22,000 children still die each day from preventable causes, 67 million children are missing out on their right to go to school, more than 150 million children are forced to work and by the end of the day, over 1,000 children will be newly infected with HIV. In over 190 countries around the world we fight daily to change this. We work against child malnutrition, diseases and abuses, helping all the children to get the basic education and rights so that they not only survive but thrive. From immunizing children against preventable diseases, to rebuilding schools after disasters, we do whatever it takes to reach every child who needs us”

World Map: Child Labour

Canada’s Role Regarding Child Labour in India (2001) The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) assisted thousands of children in India by offering primary educational opportunities to children and steering them away from work sites where they were commonly employed. The CLC was supported by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) This was a 5 year project. Focusing on the stone quarry and brick-kiln industries, CLC offered alternative options and rights-based education for workers in these unregulated industries, and provided primary education to their children, providing better career opportunities in their futures.

Child Labourers in India Stone Quarry Industry Brick Kiln Industry

Was Canada’s Effort Sufficient? At the completion of this 5 year project, the results were as follows: 14 villages and 249 work sites deemed free of child labour More than 12 000 children completed primary educational upgrading to allow a transfer into the national education system 26 030 workers, including 15 100 women, joined unions providing jobs with increased pay and social security Although this project addressed the needs of many, unfortunately, the scope of child labour in India extends far beyond these numbers. India, as a whole, has one of the highest numbers of child labourers in the world.

Impact of Child Labour in India India has more child labourers than any other country in the world. In 2001, 400 000 children, mainly girls ages 7-14 years, spent 15 hour days in the cotton seed industry. 40% of precious stone cutters are children. Many other industries in India, that distribute goods worldwide, use children as cheap labour. Domestic workers are increasingly children as well. Child labour is part of a cycle of poverty for many families in India and a means for survival. There are often no laws governing labour in many different industries. The only ones to truly profit from child labour are business owners (and governments).

FREE THE CHILDREN: An International Organization Craig Kleinburger (12 yrs old) Free The Children logo

FREE THE CHILDREN Mission Statement: “An international charity and educational partner, Free the Children believes in a world where all young people are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change. We work to empower youth to remove barriers that prevent them from being active local and global citizens.”

International Model It starts at HOME: Educating and encouraging youth in Canada through programs and campaigns to raise awareness and money, through independent fundraising efforts, for families worldwide. It moves OVERSEAS: Money raised supports Adopt a Village model implemented to empower communities worldwide to become self sufficient. It results in tangible CHANGE: When young people around the world believe that things can be different, and have the tools to make change, amazing things can happen.

How Free The Children Evolved Over Time Free the Children was founded by Craig Keilburger in , when he was 12 years old. It all started when Craig read about a young boy named Iqbal, who left his country to speak out about child Labour. When he returned home, he was shot and killed. Craig thought that he needed to speak out for Iqbal and other child labourers. So, he gathered a small group of his grade 7 friends from his Thornhill, Ontario school, then the Free The Children was born. Today, Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner with 1.7 million youth involved with our innovative education and development program in 45 different countries.

How Free The Children Addresses Child Labour Free the Children addresses the issue of child labour through its “Adopt a Village” campaign. There are 5 pillars to this model: EDUCATION: using schools to teach practical skills that promote sustainability such as healthy eating, business skills, farming, healthcare, food security. CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION: addressing water systems to prevent disease which betters healthcare; efficient systems that allow girls to attend school or set up small businesses rather than time gathering water HEALTH: maintaining children’s health means more time for school, less money spent on healthcare ALTERNATE INCOME AND LIVELIHOOD: profits from small businesses ensures tat communities can maintain long term sustainability AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY: healthy children with adequate food enhances learning; proper diets prevent illnesses, enhances healthcare

How Child Labour Affects The Future Poverty and lack of social security are the main causes of child labour The following are main causes for many communities to be unemployed and without basic needs: increasing gap between the rich and the poor (more money in the hands of a select few), privatization of basic services (services that could be accessible to all become accessible only to those who can afford it such as healthcare) economic policies that are directed towards capitalism and big business Lack of quality education results in universal child dropouts of school Laws meant to protect children are ineffective and incorrectly implemented Most importantly, child labour is not the result of poor children. It is the result of cycles of poverty within families and communities. Unless time, money and effort is put into rebuilding communities around the world into knowledgeable and sustainable communities, change cannot occur. International laws governing labour need to value children over money. Child labour reinforces poverty on an international scale and actually contributes to financial insecurity locally. (We will pay a price for cheap goods. WALMART, for example, comes with a very large, but invisible, price tag. The merchandise is cheaper for us but to the exploitation of whom???)

What Can Be Done To Minimize The Effect Support organizations such as UNICEF and Free the Children Campaign at school and home to increase awareness of the issues of child labour Use our buying power to support local businesses and not encourage or profit from the exploitation of child labour Write local and international governments Petition Fundraise at school, at home (birthday donations instead of presents) Educate our youth and empower them to want to make a difference

Bibliography Canadian Labour Congress www.canadianlabour.ca Child Line India www.childlineindia.com Free the Children www.freethechildren.com Stearman, Kaye. Child Labor. Chicago: Raintree, 2004. UNICEF Canada www.unicef.ca