After child labor was legalized in Bolivia this past month, discussion of its causes and impact is on the rise.
The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) website reported that between the years 2000 and 2014, the number of child laborers has decreased one- third, from 246 million to 168 million children.
Though these numbers show promising signs, there are still many hurdles to overcome in ending child labor. Child labor does not merely consist of working in factories and on the streets, but so much more.
1. Slavery
Slavery can come in various forms but all amount to the same thing: a child is owned by someone and has zero say in what they have to do, where they go and what conditions they are forced to live in.
The Anti-Slavery International’s website reported a Sudanese woman named Mende who was taken as a teenager after being separated from her family. Mende ended up in a house in Khartoum as a domestic slave for six to seven years.
“[Once] my master… called me her slave. From that time on I understood who I am. From the beginning she treated me badly and beat me; even then I couldn’t understand why. It was only when she said that she was my owner and called me Abda [servant] that I understood.”
Slavery with children often occurs because the child’s family is in debt and cannot pay that debt off, so to become free from the burden of debt, they sell their child. The child will work for years to pay off their family’s debt.
Other types of slavery include forced labor, which in the private economy generates over $150 billion illegally per year. In addition, War Child U.K. has reported that there are an estimated 250,000 child soldiers in the world because of forced labor.
2. Sexual Exploitation
Sexual exploitation is taking advantage of, abusing and mistreating someone sexually for profit and gain. Many children- girls and boys alike- are exploited every day, whether it be through pornographic material, sexual acts, child marriage or prostitution.
According to the Half The Sky Movement, “trafficking for sexual exploitation is one of the fastest–growing organized crimes, generating $28.7 billion each year.”
What does this mean for children? More and more children will be bought and sold, kidnapped and trafficked across even international boarders, abused countless times over and forced to perform sexual acts.
3. Illicit Activities
Illicit activities are crimes such as producing and/or trafficking drugs, shoplifting, stealing automobiles, theft and begging for money.
Children are forced or willing to get involved with drugs. For those who willingly get involved, it is for the belief that they will become wealthy and gain status. It is these children who are involved in the selling of narcotics that develop drug addictions.
Oftentimes, children are made to become beggars and earn money from passersby. If they do not earn enough throughout the day, they are typically beaten.
4. Work Harmful to Mind, Body and Spirit
Forced into child labor, children suffer mentally, emotionally and physically. ILO reported that child labor which involves domestic work, manufacturing, agriculture and construction are sectors of child labor that raise tremendous concern.
Around 60 percent of child laborers are in agriculture worldwide. Child labor streams mainly from poverty and many times in family farming. Though child labor is thought of only to be in foreign countries, it can be seen on farms in America.
Mining is becoming increasingly popular as a form of child labor. The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking reported that, “[Children are] forced to spend 10 or more hours a day in dark, cramped mines filled with poisonous chemicals… Children working in the gold mines face mercury poisoning; in coal mines, children inadvertently consume toxic coal dust…”
UN.GIFT also reported that over 32,000 children die per year as a result of working in unsafe conditions.
While many children are playing on playgrounds and catching fireflies on a warm summer night, there are those all around the world who are in bondage, in despair, in crisis, begging for help and a way out.
Juan Somavia, ILO Director- General, said, “A world without child labour is possible with the right priorities and policies…Driven by conscience, let’s muster the courage and conviction to act in solidarity and ensure every child’s right to his or her childhood. It brings rewards to all.”
– Kori Withers
Sources: International Labor Organization 1, International Labor Organization 2, UN, Anti- Slavery International, Half The Sky Movement, War Child UK, United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking
Photo: The Guardian
5 Reasons To Give to Charity
In every place around the world regardless of religious tradition, culture and language, giving to others has always been an idea encouraged for thousands of years. From Lao Tzu to Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Prophet Mohammed to St. Thomas Aquinas, the importance of giving to others has been written and spoken about extensively.
Yet, despite the long history of giving, many people today do not donate to any cause for various reasons. It may be that they are unsure how to navigate the vast array of organizations and causes, or that they are hesitant about how their money will be used, or simply they don’t realize what benefit it has on others.
As Aristotle said:
“To give away money is an easy matter and in any man’s power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy matter.”
Giving is easy, but why and where to give are difficult questions to answer. Listed below are five great reasons why people should give to charity. Deciding where and how much is a personal decision, but there is not much to argue with when it comes to why. In fact, with Americans donating $335.17 billion in 2013 there seems to be some very good reasons for donating.
1. Sense of Purpose
Giving to charity helps you participate in a cause you feel strongly about. Even if you don’t have the time to volunteer, charitable gifts go a long way in helping organizations operate and impact those they help.
In addition, studies show that people who give to charity are happier people. So when faced with the decision of whether to buy an unneeded new pair of shoes or donate that money to a cause, choose the cause. You may not get new shoes, but you’ll be much happier in the long run.
2. You can make a difference
While it may seem that a small donation won’t make a big difference, however even small gifts can have a big impact.
For instance, through programs like Kiva, a nonprofit micro-lender, individuals can loan as little as $25 to help impoverished, would-be entrepreneurs in the developing world start a small business. Many of these people do not have access to a strong banking sector so these loans provide are a great method of empowerment.
To date Kiva has had 860,000 individual lenders participate and has a 99 percent loan payback rate.
3. Donations are often tax-deductible
Giving to money to most charitable organizations has the added benefit of being tax deductible. There are approximately 1, 536,084 charitable organizations in the U.S. according to 2013 data, which means that are plenty of places for people to give.
What does this mean in concrete terms? If someone were to give $100 to a tax-exempt organization of their choice, the donation may actually only turn out to be $65 or less due to tax refunds. The donation not only benefits the organization, but also the individual giving.
4. Matching Gifts can have a big impact
A great way to give to charity is to find an organization or corporation that will do a matching gift. Matching gifts are when a company will match dollar-for-dollar what their employee gives; maximizing the impact of the gift as well as creating a positive image for the company.
Corporations like General Electric, Gap Inc., Boeing, ExxonMobil, British Petroleum, Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft all offer some of the best employee matching gift programs.
5. Create a budget, plan ahead
Whether its $25 or $2500, donations are possible from every budget. Plan a charity budget that allows for a donation each year. Even two percent of your yearly income can make a big difference. For someone making $30,000, that could be around $500 – all of which can be deductible!
Before giving to charity, be sure to do research. Numerous websites exist to help potential donors find out what organizations are most legitimate and what cause they think could benefit most. Like all things in life, research will not only make potential donors better informed, but will also maximize the impact for each donation.
– Andrea Blinkhorn
Sources: Sweating the Big Stuff, Dime Spring, Giving What We Can, Gaiam, The Guardian,Bank Rate, NP Trust, Live Science
Photo: Business2Community
Clinton Drifts from Obama’s Foreign Policy
In an interview last Sunday with The Atlantic, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greatly distanced herself from President Obama’s foreign policy views.
Discussing her opinions with Jeffrey Goldberg, Clinton criticized Obama’s catch phrase for foreign policy, which is said to be, “Don’t do stupid stuff.”
According to Clinton, this is not exactly an effective approach. “Great nations need organizing principles,” Clinton told Goldberg when he mentioned Obama’s doctrine. Clinton described such organizing principles as peace, prosperity and progress.
Apart from her general philosophy on foreign policy, Clinton elaborated on specifics, insisting that the United States should have intervened early in the Syrian war in order to avoid al-Qaeda-inspired groups from seizing control of the rebel side against the Assad regime. She noted that in failing to assist in building up a credible fighting force on the rebellion’s side, a large hole was left, increasingly filled by Jihadists.
The pointed evaluation from Clinton comes at an interesting time period, as she is rumored to be a potential candidate for the 2016 presidential election.
Despite Clinton’s critique, she continued to defend Obama as far as his intentions, explaining to Goldberg that Obama was, “trying to communicate to the American people that he’s not going to do something crazy” (as far as foreign policy).
Given Obama’s second term has been dominated by foreign policy issues including the rise of ISIS in Iraq, the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the rising aggression of Russia against Ukraine, Clinton’s criticism is hard-hitting.
Although she did not outright state as much, Clinton’s interview suggests that she is worried that the United States is removing itself from the world stage as a leader in foreign policy and conflict. More than this, she subtly hints that if she were in charge in the near future, she would approach foreign policy differently.
In her recently released book “Hard Choices,” Clinton details how she and Obama disagreed on how to handle the situation in Syria, especially when it came to the question of whether or not to arm the rebel factions.
Clinton continued to qualify her comments during the interview, stating: “I’ve sat in too many rooms with the president. He’s thoughtful, he’s incredibly smart, and able to analyze a lot of different factors that are all moving at the same time. I think he is cautious because he knows what he inherited.”
In this way, Clinton has propped herself strategically in-between the President and former President George W. Bush on the scale of advocating for military intervention.
According to CNN, those close to Clinton gave the Obama administration a warning that the interview was coming. In response to the interview, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes stated that Hillary was “fully-on-board” during her time as Secretary of State with respect to the administration’s foreign policy strategy.
– Caroline Logan
Sources: CNN, Sun Herald, The Atlantic
Photo: US News
Canada Sends $5M in Aid to Iraq
As the U.S. carries out air strikes against Islamic militants in northern Iraq, Canada is delivering $5 million of humanitarian aid to the country. The money will fund new assistance projects, and half of the aid money will immediately go to three of the Canadian government’s on-ground humanitarian partners – the International Red Cross, Mercy Corps and Save the Children Canada.
International Development Minister Christian Paradis said that the contribution will be allocated to food distribution, cooking materials, blankets, tents, hygiene kits and other needed supplies, and will also be used to improve the citizens’ information access and repair essential water and sanitation facilities. Canada’s assistance will reach approximately 850,000 displaced Iraqis.
The prime minister’s office condemned the anti-Christian attacks, made by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, previously known in Iraq as Al Qaeda. Ottawa declared ISIS a terrorist organization in 2012. Thousands of Iraq’s minorities have fled from their homes in fear of the extremist Sunni militants, who have violently and forcefully seized large sections of northern Iraq. ISIS fighters have expelled significant numbers of Iraq’s Christian and Shiite Muslim population, viewing these other religious assemblies as heretical groups to be executed or brutally ruled.
“Canada continues to stand by the people of Iraq in these difficult times and condemns the terrorist actions of ISIS and the killing of innocent civilians in northern Iraq in the strongest possible terms,” said Paradis.
The three trusted on-ground organizations will receive an immediate $2.25 million, with the International Red Cross getting $1 million, Save the Children receiving $750,000 and Mercy Corps attaining $500,000. The remaining $2.75 million will be distributed to other units after Canada confers with its partners in Iraq.
“Canada will continue working closely with our allies to determine how we can best continue to support the needs of Iraqi civilians, particularly religious minorities,” said Paradis.
Since the beginning of the year, Canada has delivered $16 million of aid to Iraq, as the country is a recent addition to Canada’s development country partners. $9.5 million was dedicated to helping refugees of the Syrian crisis, while $6.8 million was allocated to victims of civil unrest.
According to Lois Brown, the parliamentary secretary for the Minister of International Cooperation, Canada is particularly attentive to Iraq’s affairs because almost 20,000 Iraqi refugees have flocked to Canada since last year.
“We have seen a vibrant Iraqi community here, and those people are very concerned about their family back home,” said Brown. “The Canadian government condemns in the strongest terms the violent acts of this terrorist group that is killing innocent civilians.”
– Annie Jung
Sources: Huffington Post, Global News, CTV News
Photo: CTV News
Major League Baseball & Dominican Republic
On Oct. 25, 1971, a fifth child was born to Dominicans Paolino Martinez, a janitor, and Leopoldina Martinez, a laundress—a couple who had to raise their children in a dwelling that had a tin roof and dirt floors. Forty years and nearly $150 million in career earnings later, that child would return to his hometown Manoguayabo to build schools, roads, homes and churches through a charity he founded.
The story of Pedro Martinez, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball’s history, spurs innumerable poor Dominican youths to play the game. Poverty and poor economic prospects motivates them to put in the requisite hours of practice, and a large baseball infrastructure, which includes training academies developed by Major League teams, validates these youths’ dreams of wealth.
Or maybe the numbers alone are validation.
An article in the International Business Times reported the average salary of major leaguers to be $3.4 million. Compare that to the annual income of a Dominican worker: $5,130.
Of the 224 foreigners playing for Major League Baseball in 2014, 83 hail from the Dominican Republic. The DR beat historical baseball powerhouses Cuba (19), Puerto Rico (11) and Venezuela (59) for the title of top overseas producer of major leaguers.
It is unclear if this success will translate into significant poverty reduction back in the DR.
Certainly, the DR’s economy has been growing in the recent past. If one ignores the relatively minor economic crisis of 2003 – “minor” in terms of impact on GDP – GDP growth has been impressive in past years: “9.5 percent in 2005, 10.7 percent in 2006 and 8 percent in 2007,” according to one study.
However, that same study concluded the MLB’s impact on this economic growth was marginal compared to the effect of remittances and the development of a tourist economy, though the construction of baseball academies does always create jobs.
In any case, poverty has remained a persistent problem in the DR despite the country’s economic growth. 40.9 percent of the population is at or below the national poverty line. Half of all children are impoverished. The tourist economy has failed to create jobs for the masses of poor, with unemployment at 15 percent.
Thus, the MLB will continue to be a source of hope for many Dominicans. To Dominican players, a signing bonus of $5,000-$8,000 on its own is worth the time investment. Should their career end shortly after receiving such a bonus, at least they received enough money to support their families or to invest in a business enterprise.
And, of course, each player might just be the next Pedro Martinez.
Unfortunately, the hope that such possibilities inspire is intermixed with desperation. In their hunger to secure a better life for themselves and for their families, many Dominican players have turned to using steroids, which are relatively easy to procure in the DR. Drug usage is seen by many young Dominicans as a way to “cheat the system,” and wherever desperation exists, people are likely to try to cheat.
“Buscones” are another source of controversy in Dominican baseball. These player agents find talent, develop it and take a cut of any signing bonuses. The players that make it to the MLB mostly express their gratitude to these agents, but buscones also “have been accused of corruption, embezzlement and feeding steroid drugs to young prospects,” according to an article by Palash Ghosh at the International Business Times.
One cannot conclude from all of this that the MLB will have much to do with the eradication of poverty in the DR, but one also cannot deny the organization’s potential to do both good and bad in the country.
– Ryan Yanke
Sources: George Mason University, MLB, The World Bank, Forbes, International Business Times, Baseball Reference, Boston Globe, SABR, Huffington Post
Photo: Latin Trends
Outlook of Latin American Markets
Save a few exceptions, outlook for the Latin American fiscal market is bleak. The region as a whole will grow only by two percent and is marked by countries like Peru, where growth has been exceptionally slow, and even more notably by the recent default in Argentina.
This was Argentina’s first default in 13 years, but the eighth default in its history. When the country defaulted in 2001, the government issued negotiable promissory notes that the country later decided not to honor. When Argentina renegotiated to pay back its debt at 30 cents on the dollar, over 90 percent of the bondholders agreed.
The remaining investors did not yield, and were led by Elliot Management to find a solution and be repaid. In a strange turn of events, the Wall Street firm, with only a few hundred employees, managed to attain control of an Argentine naval vessel. It should be noted that no physical force was used, and the original crew was allowed to remain aboard.
Despite the theatricality and the poverty held within Buenos Aires, the nations of Colombia and Peru offer interesting insight into the future of prosperous Latin American countries, even if they show what not to do.
In the short term, Colombia is succeeding. The first reason for its success has been called “winning the commodity lottery.” Colombia’s main exports, oil and coal, have held steady prices in recent years. However, that is hardly replicable. When copper and gold staggered, so did Peru, as the two materials account for 50 percent of exported goods.
Colombia has reformed as well. They have lowered mortgage rates through an agreement with banks and public subsidies. Unemployment decreased, and jobs in construction grew vastly. A law signed in 2012 cut payroll tax, while raising income rates on the better off. It was a true success story, as jobs grew at eight percent.
Peru, in contrast, saw its currency depreciate. Poor contracts in fishing and farming markets lowered public trust. Several corruption scandals did not help matters, either.
The government has tried to respond by including bonuses and increasing wages for state employees, while giving out extra loans for small businesses. Analysts predict that such reforms could have Peru overtake Colombia once more, especially if their lottery fortune increases even marginally.
– Andrew Rywak
Sources: Slate, MercoPress, The Economist
Photo: The Budget Traveler
AIDF Food Security Summit
October 2014 will see the second annual Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF) Food Security Summit in Jakarta.
The summit will address the food security crisis that parts of Southeast Asia are facing. The event will primarily focus on food security with respect to the agricultural and nutrition sectors.
AIDF said that the Food Security Summit will provoke “robust debate and frank information sharing and will provide a platform for the formation of strategic partnerships and collaborations.”
According to AIDF, the event will feature attendees from more than 300 Asian governments, NGOs, U.N. and intergovernmental agencies, investors, research institutes and private sector companies.
Last year’s summit, held at the U.N. Conference Center in Bangkok, featured over 200 attendees from more than 20 countries. Some of the event’s speakers included the Director General of the Asian Development Bank, an advisor from Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment and a Regional Representative Assistant Director-General of FAO’s Asia-Pacific branch.
The organization’s press release noted that 700 million people in Asia and the Pacific live in a state of poverty where they subsist on less than $1.25 a day. Since the middle of the twentieth century, the world’s population has grown by more than 280 percent.
The significant increase in the world’s population in the preceding decades “has had profound implications for development, with effects on sustainability, urbanization, and access to youth services and empowerment.” AIDF’s press release said.
In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stated that the global demand for food is expected to increase by 60 percent by 2050. Between 2011 and 2013, 827 million people in developing regions were underfed. However, the number has fallen by 17 percent since 1990 through 1992.
AIDF maintains a number of strategic, media and international partners support the event. These include Kubota, the Agricultural Research Communication Center and SWITCH-Asia, respectively.
– Ethan Safran
Sources: Aid & International Development Forum 1, Aid & International Development Forum 2, YouTube, Food and Agriculture Organization
Photo: Aid & International Development Forum
Microsoft to Launch $25 Phone
In a bid to introduce itself to emerging markets, Microsoft will soon be launching a $25 phone for new consumers in Africa and Asia. The Nokia 130 will be available later this year in select markets like Egypt, India, China, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines. The technology titan describes the low-priced phone as an attractive choice for people looking to purchase their first mobile phones.
More than an estimated 1 billion people worldwide still lack mobile phones, as mainstream options that cater to the already industrialized world are too costly. Simultaneously, there is a growing demand in both high-growth and mature markets for dependable backup phones. Microsoft touts the Nokia 130 as perfect for both scenarios, calling it “an ideal handset for first-time mobile phone buyers, or for people seeking a reliable backup phone to complement their existing smartphones.”
“As demand in the affordable mobile segment continues to grow, Microsoft remains committed to delivering market-leading mobile innovation at each and every price point,” said Microsoft’s corporate vice president for phones, Jo Harlow.
According to the company, an annual 300 million phones are sold in the under-$35 sector. Shipments of low-end smartphones are projected to reach 1.1 billion in just four years at an annual growth rate of over 19 percent.
The Nokia 130 is a basic phone with limited features and no internet capability, sacrifices that were required in order to achieve its low price tag of $25. However, it does include several more advanced features like music and video playback, content sharing through Bluetooth, SD card, or USB and a flashlight. The music player will provide up to 46 hours of playback on just a single charge and the battery can last for more than five weeks on standby.
“With handsets like the Nokia 130, we see tremendous potential to deliver the experience of a ‘mobile-first’ world to people seeking their first device, and we continue to invest in ultra-affordable devices that will introduce people to a ‘cloud-first’ world,” said Harlow.
Though the cheap handset business is uncharted waters for Microsoft, Nokia is a veteran of this market. Microsoft acquired the latter’s handset business previously this year and hopes that reaching consumers of developing nations will build a new audience base.
Nokia once reigned mighty in the mobile business, but its market share has deteriorated in recent years. However, the recognition and credibility that is still associated with the Nokia brand will help attract consumers to Microsoft’s new phone, and the easily affordable $25 phone will introduce new consumers to Microsoft’s other services, like Bing and OneDrive. Eventually, when these new consumers decide to upgrade beyond basic phones, they may be inclined to choose a Microsoft smartphone.
“Microsoft doesn’t have any other project that can reach these consumers,” said Harlow. “These consumers will create a Microsoft account and become part of the Microsoft ecosystem.”
– Annie Jung
Sources: Market Watch, PC Mag, CNBC, Recode
Photo: PCMag
Goma and “Happy” Music Video
Goma is located on the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. Like many places in the DRC, the town has a reputation for being poor and dangerous. This summer, however, one viral YouTube video presented a different image of Goma and its people.
Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy” has achieved chart-topping success all around the world. Because of its popularity, groups of people have recorded their own homemade music videos for the song. One of the most viewed renditions comes from a group of people in Goma.
Kivu Entertainment Youth put the video together for the group. Their music video showcases the talented locals’ energy and happiness. The colorful portrayal of Goma starkly contrasts the public’s typical view of these people and their region.
Why does Goma carry such negative connotations?
First, the area in which Goma is located is dangerous. The area is often called the “rape capital of the world,” according to Think Africa Press. Armed bandits and rebel groups are serious concerns for those who travel the streets around Goma.
In April 2014, the United States Passport and International Travel’s website issued a statement warning visitors of the DRC to travel around Goma when only absolutely necessary. This statement replaced a similar warning that came out in October 2013.
The new statement addressed current information about the ongoing conflict between the North and South Kivu regions of the DRC. The violent disagreements between the people of these two regions have resulted in civilian casualties and displacement of families. Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, is in a constant state of unease due to these fights.
Political unrest also gives Goma its image of danger. Tourists in Goma are warned to refrain from taking pictures of government buildings as doing so may cause the police to place them under arrest.
A failing economy does not help Goma’s image either. Homelessness and extreme measures for survival are common. People are discouraged from driving at night because so many car robberies take place after dark.
Public transportation is hard to find because the town cannot afford to fund it. Much like the rest of the DCR, the roads are unsafe for cars, as well.
Finally, disease gives outsiders reason to fear Goma. An outbreak of measles was recently reported in Goma and has had severe effects on the local community. Other air-borne illnesses cause diarrhea and cholera in those that are not vaccinated.
With all of this information, Goma seems like a horrific place. Kivu Entertainment Youth’s video, however, promotes a different side of the Colognese people. Kelvin Batumike led the project. He told interviewers at Think Africa Press that his goal in creating the video was to bring a new image of Goma to the world.
Batumike wanted to present an area of Goma that holds the Amani Music Festival, a three-day music festival that brings all people of the area together to appreciate and enjoy music. This is a unique phenomenon considering that Goma typically cannot foster group functions without a violent protest erupting.
The attitude of the video is celebratory and makes the viewer appreciate life. Even though the people in Goma usually live in poor and dangerous conditions, they still find ways to be “happy.”
-Emily Walthouse
Sources: , U.S. Passports and International Travel
Building Financial Security in Malawi
Banks and similar “formal financial services” are common means of protecting and investing money in the developed world, but they are scarce in developing nations. Financial security in Malawi, however, is becoming a more prevalent phenomenon.
Having access to formal financial services is important, especially in impoverished communities; it gives people a reliable means of saving that protects them from economic fluctuation. The ability to amass funds over time is crucial to establishing a stable financial future, and gives farmers and entrepreneurs alike a source of funding for new ventures.
Interventions orchestrated by the American nonprofit, Innovations for Poverty Action, show that when farmers in Malawi were given access to savings services, not only did their yields increase in the fields, but also their families had the capital to spend on necessary healthcare and adequate food provisions. Savings accounts accessible to even just one person managed to positively affect entire families.
Farmers are especially in need of formal financial services, as they often earn large sums of money in semiannual increments based on the harvest season, and have no place to store money during the lean periods between harvests. Formally storing money allows farmers to prioritize long-term investments rather than short-term spending and family borrowing, which are common in poor communities.
Banking is highly correlated with education in countries worldwide, suggesting that, like education, it could be a means to escaping poverty. It makes sense, considering that banks provide an easy way to manage income. Humanitarian organizations in the poverty-elimination business would be wise to turn to banking as a means of sustainable development. Savings accounts have already been successful in Malawi, and are sure to be as successful elsewhere in the developing world.
– Elise L. Riley
Sources: Innovations for Poverty Action, The Gates Foundation, The Economist
Photo: World Agroforestry
Forms of Modern Day Child Labor
After child labor was legalized in Bolivia this past month, discussion of its causes and impact is on the rise.
The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) website reported that between the years 2000 and 2014, the number of child laborers has decreased one- third, from 246 million to 168 million children.
Though these numbers show promising signs, there are still many hurdles to overcome in ending child labor. Child labor does not merely consist of working in factories and on the streets, but so much more.
1. Slavery
Slavery can come in various forms but all amount to the same thing: a child is owned by someone and has zero say in what they have to do, where they go and what conditions they are forced to live in.
The Anti-Slavery International’s website reported a Sudanese woman named Mende who was taken as a teenager after being separated from her family. Mende ended up in a house in Khartoum as a domestic slave for six to seven years.
“[Once] my master… called me her slave. From that time on I understood who I am. From the beginning she treated me badly and beat me; even then I couldn’t understand why. It was only when she said that she was my owner and called me Abda [servant] that I understood.”
Slavery with children often occurs because the child’s family is in debt and cannot pay that debt off, so to become free from the burden of debt, they sell their child. The child will work for years to pay off their family’s debt.
Other types of slavery include forced labor, which in the private economy generates over $150 billion illegally per year. In addition, War Child U.K. has reported that there are an estimated 250,000 child soldiers in the world because of forced labor.
2. Sexual Exploitation
Sexual exploitation is taking advantage of, abusing and mistreating someone sexually for profit and gain. Many children- girls and boys alike- are exploited every day, whether it be through pornographic material, sexual acts, child marriage or prostitution.
According to the Half The Sky Movement, “trafficking for sexual exploitation is one of the fastest–growing organized crimes, generating $28.7 billion each year.”
What does this mean for children? More and more children will be bought and sold, kidnapped and trafficked across even international boarders, abused countless times over and forced to perform sexual acts.
3. Illicit Activities
Illicit activities are crimes such as producing and/or trafficking drugs, shoplifting, stealing automobiles, theft and begging for money.
Children are forced or willing to get involved with drugs. For those who willingly get involved, it is for the belief that they will become wealthy and gain status. It is these children who are involved in the selling of narcotics that develop drug addictions.
Oftentimes, children are made to become beggars and earn money from passersby. If they do not earn enough throughout the day, they are typically beaten.
4. Work Harmful to Mind, Body and Spirit
Forced into child labor, children suffer mentally, emotionally and physically. ILO reported that child labor which involves domestic work, manufacturing, agriculture and construction are sectors of child labor that raise tremendous concern.
Around 60 percent of child laborers are in agriculture worldwide. Child labor streams mainly from poverty and many times in family farming. Though child labor is thought of only to be in foreign countries, it can be seen on farms in America.
Mining is becoming increasingly popular as a form of child labor. The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking reported that, “[Children are] forced to spend 10 or more hours a day in dark, cramped mines filled with poisonous chemicals… Children working in the gold mines face mercury poisoning; in coal mines, children inadvertently consume toxic coal dust…”
UN.GIFT also reported that over 32,000 children die per year as a result of working in unsafe conditions.
While many children are playing on playgrounds and catching fireflies on a warm summer night, there are those all around the world who are in bondage, in despair, in crisis, begging for help and a way out.
Juan Somavia, ILO Director- General, said, “A world without child labour is possible with the right priorities and policies…Driven by conscience, let’s muster the courage and conviction to act in solidarity and ensure every child’s right to his or her childhood. It brings rewards to all.”
– Kori Withers
Sources: International Labor Organization 1, International Labor Organization 2, UN, Anti- Slavery International, Half The Sky Movement, War Child UK, United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking
Photo: The Guardian