1. CHILD LABOR Michele Pennala Mackenzie Hillman Michelle Montero Samantha Xu Religion-Peace and Justice / Block E

2.  Child labor refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful  According to the most recent statistics, there are approximately 115 million children currently employed in hazardous work. CHILD LABOR BACKGROUND

3. STOP CHILD LABOR  Children have higher rates of injury anddeath at work than adults, as shown by datafrom industrialized countries.  Although less than one-third of youngerchildren in employment (those aged 5–14)are now in hazardous work, almost half ofall children aged 15–17 who are employedperform hazardous work.  Hazardous work is increasing among olderchildren, aged 15–17. Within four years(2004–08), it jumped 20%– from 52 millionto 62 million.

4.  Violates a nation’s minimum age laws  Threatens children’s physical, mental, or emotional well-being  Involves intolerable abuse, such as child slavery and child trafficking  Prevents children from going to school  Uses children to undermine labor standards CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILD LABOR

5.  Of an estimated 215 child laborers around the globe: approximately 114 million (53%) are in Asia and the Pacific; 14 million (7%) live in Latin America; and 65 million (30%) live in sub-Saharan Africa. WHERE DOES MOST CHILD LABOR OCCUR?

6.  An estimated 60% of child labor occurs in the agriculture, fishing, hunting, and forestry industries.  About 14 million children are estimated to be directly involved in manufacturing goods.  Child laborers suffer extremely high illness and injury rates in underground mines, opencast mines, and quarries. Children as young as 6 or 7 years old break up rocks and wash, sieve, and carry ore. Nine-year-olds work underground setting explosives and carrying loads. CHILD LABOR INDUSTRIES

7. DOMESTIC SERVICE  Many children, especially girls, work indomestic service, sometimes starting asyoung as 5 or 6. This type of child labor islinked to child trafficking. Domestic childlaborers can be victims of physical,emotional, and sometimes sexual abuse.

8.  All human being are born free and equal in dignity and rights  No human being shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  All human beings have the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their family. CHILD LABOR AND THE VIOLATION OF RIGHTS

9. Our duty is to protect these children and put an end to the terrible conditions of child labor. These children have a right to be raised in a positive environment, and we must work to ensure that these kids are treated fairly and taken care of. OUR RESPONSIBILITY

10.  The ILO’s International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) was created in 1992 with the overall goal of the progressive elimination of child labor, which was to be achieved through strengthening the capacity of countries to deal with the problem and promoting a worldwide movement to combat child labor.  IPEC currently has operations in 88 countries, with an annual expenditure on technical cooperation projects that reached over US$61 million in 2008. It is the largest program of its kind globally and the biggest single operational program of the ILO. INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM ON THE ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOR (IPEC)

11.  All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children,  Debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labor, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict  The use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances  The use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties  Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children. TARGET AREAS OF THE IPEC

12.  Since it began operations in 1992, IPEC has worked to stop child labor in several ways: through country-based programs which promote policy reform; by building institutional capacity and putting in place concrete measures to end child labor; and through awareness raising and mobilization intended to change social attitudes and promote ratification and effective implementation of ILO Child Labor Conventions. AGAINST THE CHILD LABOR

13.  Raise awareness and educate people through posters and pamphlets that bring attention to the injustice of child labor and encourage people to take a stand against this violation of human dignity  Make movies and PowerPoints explaining the work of the IPEC and how it works to stop child labor and protect the rights of these children  Hold a letter-writing campaign to urge government officials to include this organization in tax funds in order to raise awareness and money for the IPEC, which would then be used to help end child labor WHAT CAN WE DO?