Children

This year Saturday, May 10th marks World Fair Trade day, the theme of the year is “Fair Trade for the Planet, for the People”, which follows last years theme of “Kids Need Fair Trade”. For more information see the World Fair Trade Day 2008 Official Website.

Fair Trade is everyones issue, it is more than looking at the world through a lens of more organic and healthy food, it is more than a fair wage for farmers…Fair Trade is the way to a sustainable future for all of the worlds children.

This year in the United States the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break will take place at noon Pacific time and 3:00 Eastern time, with events across the countries coasts. Join the fight for all the worlds people and our planet, and join your global citizens for coffee with a cause! The events are set to establish solidarity for the movement and where incited by the Fair Trade Resource Network.

Take the opportunity to learn about Fair Trade with your children and go on a few of the great sites out there that have games and resources for kids, such as Oxfam’s Cool Planet and Kidz @ Work . Please see my Fair Trade and Slave Free Links for more information.

As spring peeked its sleep head though the last days of winter, the sun shown on the steps of the Senate Building as a group converged to demand that America fight to end slavery in its fields.

Today Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin from Illinois, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan, Congressman Dennis Kucinich from Ohio, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights (RFK Center) Director Monika Kalra Varma, and supporters from various citizen groups and NGO’s converged just outside the Russel Senate building to support the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’.

The event was opened by Senator Durbin who boldly stated;

“Burger King argues that a penny a pound is too much. I wanna tell Burger King thats a ‘Whopper’!”

While the morning was full of supporters from all sides and all ages, there where some distinctive members missing. Those represenatives from Florida were invited, however their support was not found at todays signing. According to CIW when asked about their support stated that the reach of the agricultural industry in Florida is strong and far, and they have “not shown real or sustainable support”.

Lucas Benitez, farmworker and co-founder of CIW, took the stand today in honor of all of those who fight for freedom and fairness in the feilds, his voice was strong and loud, but most of all he was determined that these crimes would come to end. He told of not only the struggles of the workers, but of the progress and hope they have thanks to their supporters and their courage. Mr. Benitez also spoke of those who stand in the path of freedom; “…Burger King and it’s allies stand in our path and threaten the important progress we have made.”

“Together we are stronger than Burger King and the handful of backward growers and their lobbyists!” -Lucas Benitez

Photo from CIW

What is truly sad is that in a day and age where most in America are more concerned with buy cars, toys, clothes and so many other needless items, men, women and whole families are fighting for freedom. What makes this beyond intolerable and incomprehensible is that freedom and a better wage cost a merer penny a pound. The CIW, the farmworkers of Immokalee and all the slaves with in the midst of the ‘Land of the Free’ are the true Americans fighting for justice, freedom and survival. The next time you buy a burger, a container of tomatoes, a new shirt, remember that in many cases someone literally ’slaved’ for that item in your hand.

Even a child knows right from wrong; Issiah , just 3, was the youngest supporter in the crowed. He boastfully repeated the key points from the speakers, and yes, while he may not have comprehended the matter at hand, when I asked him; “Is not treating the people who work for you a bad idea? “, he quickly answered “Yes!”. Issiah’s mother told me that just this week he told his father, that “fair trade coffee is a good idea because they treat their workers good, but Burger King is bad because they don’t.” Children learn from their parents examples, and we can all teach our children that slavery is a bad idea. It is with steps like these today, and young minds like Issiah’s that will lead us to a slave free America…a slave free world! It’s time we stood for what is right so our children and their children no longer have to suffer and fight for freedom.

Add your name to the National Petition to End Sweatshops and Slavery in America’s Fields!

Please see yesterdays article for more information on CIW and their fight for slave free fields for America’s farm workers.

To hear the todays press conference and petition signing click here or to hear the press conference, click here.

America is many things, as are Americans, and our culture is as diverse as they come and when one thinks of America and our modern culture one of the things that pops into your mind is inevitably fast food. We are all touched by the reach of the fast food industry. While for some of us fast food is a staple of our busy lives, for others it is a rare treat, but, regardless, at some point and time no matter how much we may want to avoid it, we all eat it. When one eats fast food guilt often comes into ones mind, however the guilt that one usually feels is that based more on glutinous pleasure, and not that of one who is contributing to the harm of another persons well being. However it is here at the fast food counter that one unbeknownst is contributing to the enslavement of others.

When one thinks of modern slavery or forced labor, one rarely thinks of America, despite the fact that there are 17,500 persons trafficked into the US each year according to US government figures (, however the true numbers are unknown. These numbers do not reflect the numbers of domestic and international victims, among us in the US.) Nor does the use of tomatoes, which is a staple of most of our diets, more likely than not does not make you think of injustice. Nonetheless both are realities in our ever- expanding ideological world, where democracy is seen as the path to freedom.

In the south Florida county of Collier lies Immokalee, once a bustling pre-civil war farm community of full of slaves and slave owners. However for many modern- day farm workers treatment and conditions in the fields has changed little since the outlawing of slavery in the United States.

Founded in 1993, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), was established to fight against the abuses occurring in the fields – abuses that range from labor exploitation to actual modern-day slavery. The CIW works to protect those who find themselves in those most extreme conditions; being are forced to work in the fields in against their will, in conditions that don’t diverge that far from those of ‘slave like conditions‘, often appearing no different than their historical slave counterparts. Comprised of more than 4,000 farm labors, mostly Mexican, Guatemalan and Haitian migrant workers, the CIW is ready and poised to fight for the rights of those who fill Immokalee’s orange groves and tomato fields. The CIW received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2003 in recognition of its work to end modern-day slavery and exploitation of migrant workers in the U.S. agriculture industry. The 2007 Anti-Slavery Award was given to the CIW for their exceptional contribution towards tackling modern-day slavery in the US produce fields.

The CIW’s first big battle against the fast food industry came in 2001 as they took on the fast food chain Taco Bell in a large scale boycott, “Boot the Bell”. The CIW demanded that Taco Bell, whose tomatoes are often supplied by producers in Immokalee, take responsibility for the working conditions and wages of the farm workers that supply the company’s tomatoes. CIW won the battle of the Bell on March 8, 2005, as Yum! Brands, Inc., Taco Bell‘s proprietor, agreed to pay a penny more per pound of tomatoes in order to increase workers’ wages. In 2002 CIW then took on the king of fast food, McDonald’s, demanding they too pay a penny more per pound. The CIW’s agreement with both companies stated that they work directly with the CIW to implement an enforceable code of conduct. The code created by McDonald’s was considered inadequate and it was not until April 9, 2007 that an agreement was officially made.

The CIW is once again embattled in another fight, this time with fast food giant Burger King, and other industry leaders, who has thus far failed to use their force to ensure that farm workers receive a faira ware wage and treatment. The Burger King has announced that the company had “extensively considered the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ (CIW) ‘penny per pound’ request and has declined to accept the proposal.” Instead, Burger King offered to re-train dissatisfied tomato pickers to work in Burger King restaurants.¹ Just a few short months ago, yet another case of workers, held against their will and forced to work in the agricultural industry came to light. This is the seventh such case in little more than a decade.

The CIW has now launched a national petition drive demanding Burger King work with the CIW to ensure their consumers that their supply chain is free from slavery. The petition aims , and to show the level of support of consumers who will not support modern slavery. The campaign will show the high levels of consumers who are “prepared to stop patronizing Burger King now, and other food industry leaders in the future, should they fail to do so.”

Sadly the plight of the Immokalee workers only echoes that of some 27 million slaves around the globe, as modern slavery reaches a scale almost three times larger than that of the the Atlantic Slave Trade, which saw the transport of some 10 million people out of African in four decades. This year on January 1st marked the 200th anniversary of the US ban against the importation of slaves, and yet we still live with slaves in our midst. The slavery of our past is far from forgotten, yet the slavery of present remains hidden in the shadows. Slavery is far from being history, and its grasp has reached every corner of the globe and America is no exception to this brutal crime against humanity.

1 See: Penny-Per-Pound

Also see: BKC Penny Per Pound

 

Recently Uzbekistan has begun to receive some scrutiny over the use of forced child labor in the cotton fields, however for many its long over due. The use of children in the cotton fields dates back to the Soviet era, and as a signatory of The Convention on the Rights of the Child, Uzbekistan has received little if any repercussions by the international community over the years.

Uzbekistan is the worlds third largest exporter of cotton, and according to UNICEF some 1.4 million children, 22.6% of the population 5-14 years old, are forced to work in the exploitive government run industry. However the Uzbek government has repeatedly denied the forcible use of children in the cotton harvest.

In an open letter to the European Council, The US Administration, The International Cotton Advisory Committee, UNICEF, and the International Labor Organization (ILO), dated January 17, 2007, a group of some 100 Uzbek dissidents and activists abroad and 40 in Uzbekistan, say that use of forced child labor in the Uzbek cotton industry has become a “deliberate state policy” aimed at “acquiring extra profits.”

Nadejda Atayeva, a former schoolteacher, who was fired from her job in Uzbekistan for refusing to send sick schoolchildren to the cotton fields, now runs a Paris-based Association on Human Rights in Central Asia, stated the signatories are all Uzbek’s with firsthand experience of conditions in Uzbek cotton fields. Atayeva claimed that those who deny their accusations appear to have been deceived by the Uzbek government. “Our appeal is based on our concern over the fate of Uzbekistan’s children, who are deprived of a proper education at the expense of collecting ‘white gold,’” Atayeva says (Cotton Industry Targeted By Child-Labor Activists).

The letter directly followed the November 15, 2007, Call for Uzbekistan cotton boycott by a group of civil society activists from Uzbekistan. Following the call for the boycott the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) issued a letter, dated November 30, 2007, stating that a boycott of Uzbek cotton in international markets would be “highly impractical”, and .

The media revelations over the past year, including an eye opening expose by the BBC, of the abuses of children in Uzbekistan have promoted some companies to act, such as Swedish based H&M, Finland’s Marimekko, and Estonia’s Krenholm. The newest companies to join the boycott are the UK’s Tesco and Marks and Spencer, who announced this month that they will no longer purchase cotton from Uzbekistan. Tesco stated that they will now required all suppliers to identify the source of raw cotton.  While these efforts are a giant step forward, they are a long way off from freeing Uzbek children from the cotton fields. The true fate of the children lies in the hands of the Uzbek government who continue to deny and skirt the truth, and the international community who looks on with blind eyes.  Until both the Uzbek government and the international community on the whole act to make an honest industry of Uzbek cotton.

 

Related Links:
Please see my previous post, Child Picked Cotton…Central Asia’s Child Labor

The Curse of Cotton: Central Asia’s Destructive Monoculture
The Environmental Justice Foundation - Child Labour and Cotton in Uzbekistan
Focus on child labour in southern cotton sector
Elliott Cannell’s paper, ‘The Role of Children in Uzbekistan’s Cotton Harvest’, published at the SOAS confrence ‘The Cotton Sector in Central Asia: Economic Policy and Development’,

Yesterday, October 4, 2007, marked a day to change the shape of the world, a day when the world was given a wonderful gift…a plan to end slavery. This historic moment is thanks to the dream, vision, passion and undying will of one man, Kevin Bales. Kevin Bales is the world’s foremost expert on modern slavery, he is the founder and President of Free the Slaves.

Bales has now given the world a definitive plan for ridding the world of slavery, once and for all, in his new book Ending Slavery. The book was launched in Washington D.C., at the United States House of Representatives, Rayburn Office Building. Those in attendance at the launch included numerous Senators, citizen activists, and fellow abolitionists. Speakers included: Senator and Presidential Hopeful, Jolene Smith Executive Director/Co-founder; Peggy Callahan Executive Producer/Director of Communications/Co-founder; Anti-Slavery International Director, Aidan McQuade; Sam Brownback of Kansas; and of course Kevin Bales.

Bales takes the culmination of decades of work, successes and failures, and puts them all down, in a plan to end slavery in 25 years. The international community; NGOs, governments, activist groups, and individual citizens, all have a role to play in the full abolishment of slavery. After 5,000 years; 200 since the abolishment of the African slave trade, and 142 years since slavery was legally outlawed in the United States. Bales work and backbreaking dedication, has lead him to give us this jewel amongst the dessert sand. A ray of light in the darkness Ending Slavery, gives us…the world a surefire way to rid the world of the plague that is slavery, in all forms.

Bales first book, Disposable People (1999), was groundbreaking and finally brought much needed public attention to the truth of modern day slavery. Bales follow-up book Understanding Global Slavery (2005) gives readers a clearer picture of the realties of the modern slave trade. Combined together, the three books combined are the essential must have to any abolitionist, or concerned citizen…they are truly tools to end slavery! This book is a must read for every citizen of the global world. The time to end slavery is now! With people like Kevin Bales, organizations like Free the Slaves, and this book, we have no excuses to let this tragedy continue to haunt our world.  Some 27 million people are enslaved around the world, many of whom are children, and while freeing all of them is no small feat, it is possible and it must be done.

Find out more about Kevin Bales, modern slavery, and what is being done to stop it by visiting Free the Slaves, and you can see more about Ending Slavery. Check the book tour schedule, to see when Kevin will be in your town. See what other’s have been saying about the book and get the Buzz on Ending Slavery. Most importantly, don’t forget to get your copy!

Meet Kevin Bales and celebrate the launch of Ending Slavery. Thursday, October 4, 2007 6pm to 8pm Rayburn House Office Building - Foyer Washington, DC RSVP to: SamiraTallandier See all the stops on Kevin’s book tour. See Kevin discuss the plan to end slavery. Check out our new website! We’ve added more: stories from the frontlines, slaves and activists speaking out in their own words, stories from the heroes next door fighting slavery, films, research, even a music video! www.freetheslaves.netUP NEXT: FTS will be making an exciting announcement in 2 weeks! Hint: It’s global. It’s good. You’re part of making it happen! Free The Slaves Dear Friends, A few years ago a little germ got hold of my brain. I had been looking closely into the lives of slaves all around the world, and coming to understand the reach of this global problem. Then I started to meet with and work with freed slaves, to hear their stories of struggle and liberation. At first, these success stories seemed like a little band-aid on a big wound. But the more stories I heard, the more new freedom I saw with my own eyes, the more I could to see that freedom was possible. Then the little germ bit. The Big Questions What if we took these lessons of freedom and spread them around the world? What if we listened carefully to freed slaves about how to help others to freedom? What if we looked at successes in communities, businesses, governments, the UN, and figured out to scale them up? All of a sudden I could see: there is no silver bullet to end slavery, there is a big box of different silver bullets, each one designed for a particular country, type of slavery, or product chain. I got excited and started digging. How much would this cost? Where do we start? How long will it take? Is it really possible to bring slavery to an end after 5,000 years? The Answers I’m writing to tell you that I found answers to these questions, and to tell you about my new book Ending Slavery: How We Will Free Today’s Slaves. This is a book full of stories of liberation and hope as well as stories of how things have sometimes gone wrong. It sets out a plan, a plan to bring slavery to an end, forever. Hard Lessons to Learn Some of this book was hard to write. In 2000 I worked in Nepal and pushed hard for immediate action on bonded labor slavery there. I didn’t understand how much work is needed to prepare slaves for freedom and to protect them after liberation. When the government caved in and announced a new law, we were unprepared. The slaveholders turned on the slaves and lives were lost. It was a hard and bitter lesson about how not to eradicate slavery. Yet, I have also been filled with joy to see families coming to freedom after generations of slavery. In the liberation of each slave we can see the liberation of all slaves. Dream Freedom And I began to have a dream, that if we all work together, my son can grow up in a world without slavery. I dreamed that we can make a watershed in human history, with slavery on one side and freedom on the other. Many Thanks Many of you have been with me since Disposable People was published in 1999. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, the growing global anti-slavery movement has been nurtured by your thoughts, help, work and prayers. In Freedom, Kevin Bales Buzz on Ending Slavery: “Read Kevin Bales’ practical and inspiring book and you will discover how our world can be free at last.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu”This book shows us how to make a world where no more childhoods will be stolen and sold as mine was.” Given Kachepa, former child slave in the United States.“Shocking, saddening, angering and inspiring…” Publisher’s Weekly“From the charcoal pits of Brazil to the brothels of Thailand, he has seen the victims of modern day slavery. This is a must read…” Ambassador John Miller”He makes a surprisingly hopeful case for wiping out slavery…” Seattle Times “He’s a modern-day William Lloyd Garrison.” Adam Hochschild, author of Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves “Kevin shows how we can all play a role, and he inspires each of us to take action.” Pam Omidyar, Founder, Humanity United, Co-founder, Omidyar Network “You can do something right now. But first you have to be aware.” San Francisco Chronicle “…tempers horror with hope by outlining local and global actions to liberate as many as 27 million people worldwide from their lacerating bonds.” ‘O’ Oprah Magazine

1012 14th St. NW Ste 600, Washington DC 20005 USA (202) 638-1865 info@freetheslaves.net Content copyright ©2007 Free the Slaves. All rights reserved.

The ‘cycle of abuse’, we’ve all heard the phrase a million times, yet I often think we forget what it means. It does not only mean the cycle, or stages, in which abuses are carried out. A child who grows up in an abusive home, is sexually abused, is a victim of trafficking, a child soldier…unfortunately the list of grave injustices against children goes on and on, is never able to escape the cycle of abuse. Therefore a child of abuse is at an increased risk to become an abuser, victim of sexual assault, become socially isolated, turn to drugs and alcohol, and various other form of self destructive behavior or susceptible to varying forms of continued abuse. We, as an international community must work to ensure that all children have been given their right to protection, both to prevent such abuses, and to assist the abused in their recovery. Therefore substantial physical and psychological care must be given to victims.

No matter what you say, or what you do, it all leaves a mark on the children around you. A child who witnesses violence and war, is forever scared by what they see. A child who hears nothing but negative, cannot erase the voice that says, “you can’t”. But the child who witnesses peace and love, will carry that with them forever and continue to share hope for the future.

We cannot erase the mistakes of the past, but we can leave a bigger impression on a child with hope, than with despair.

On Sunday Washington, D.C. saw a new form of political statement and advocacy, as one local group of concerned citizens and activists took to the football pitch. Amid the midday summer sun the DC Fight Trafficking and Modern Slavery Meet Up group took on the Washington Soccer Society in a “Free to Play” soccer match. The game was to promote a new fair trade soccer ball, which is guaranteed free from slavery, and promote the fight to combat modern slavery and human trafficking. In true anti-slavery fashion the group, who is also known as “Stop Modern Slavery“, made sure the team shirts where 100% slave free, and that is one fashion item that will never go out of style.

The battle for the ball was fierce, as the “Stop Modern Slavery” team worked as hard as ever in the name of anti-trafficking and slavery. The event raised awareness about the fight against modern day slavery, and the new slavery free soccer ball, as well as other fair trade items. While the “Stop Modern Slavery” team, lost this fight on the pitch, but the local DC Trafficking group is not prepared to loose the battle against modern day slavery and human trafficking. While this group of concerned citizens and activists may not be looking to go pro anytime soon, they will fight the fight for the enslaved, on or off the pitch.

This is one game that scored more than goals, as the fever on the pitch wasn’t your usual trash talk or banter, as the ‘Stop Modern Slavery’ team educated their opponents, in between goals and on water brakes. The Washington Soccer Society, where a great support and opponent, and they have surely never learned as much on the pitch as they did on Sunday. It was truly a day of educational fun and real team work from both sides, not to mention another milestone in the battle against modern day slavery and human trafficking.

The only cheers from the sidelines where, S-T-O-P S-L-A-V-E-R-Y N-O-W! Tourists and locals alike enjoyed the spectacle on the Mall, and though curious about the red shirts blazing down the field, they where even more curious to learn about the fight against modern day slavery. With the sun blazing and spirits high, the match was both full of fun and awareness. A game is truly often more than just a game, as these two teams proved as they converged to battle it out in the shadow of the Capital and Lincoln Memorial.

A 9 year old boy in Pakistan, one of many child labors who often suffer pain and permanent injuries, such as ongoing finger, back and neck strain. (Photo: ILO)

Why is human trafficking and slavery currently such a major issue? Human trafficking is spreading more rapidly than ever before and effects every country from South Africa to Russia, including America. According to the State Departments Trafficking in Persons Report, some 600,000-800,000 persons are victims of trafficking each year. These victims are mostly woman and children, many used as sex slaves, or forced to endure harsh labor. The numbers do not always include those who remain enslaved in there own countries, and the true numbers of trafficked persons are much higher. Prices for these modern day slaves are at an all time low, while profits remain high, thus it is worse now than during the days of legalized slavery. Humans have literally become disposable commodities, used for all one can squeeze out of them and then thrown away like garbage when there is nothing left to squeeze.

The soccer ball used in Sundays game was produced by Talon Sports, (for fair trade specific info follow the links to About Trade) and supplied by Fair Trade Sports, in Pakistani. Pakistan is responsible for more than 70% of US soccer ball imports, and for almost 100 years the industry has been known for using child labor. However thanks to the efforts of many child labor activists a great deal has been achieved in the last decade. Talon also supplies Fair Trade balls for rugby, volleyballs, footballs, and basketballs. Talon will begin production on baseballs, softballs and soft-core training baseballs in the fall. While the slavery free sports balls are new to Talon, they are not the first, or only company to produce fair trade sports equipment, see the links following the article for more information.
Companies such as Nike where thrust into the spotlight over child labor speculations and violations, for which Nike pulled production out of Pakistan last November, however this May Nike Resumed Soccer Ball Production in Pakistan. In February 1997, the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF and the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) signed the “Atlanta Agreement”, establishing the Project to Eliminate Child Labour in the Soccer Ball Industry in Pakistan. The agreement led to the external monitoring of registered stitching centers, however much of the industry remained unregistered and continued to use child labor, much of which was, and is done in private homes to avoid detection. The Sialkot Initiative report for 2007, has addressed much still needs to be done, including increasing monitoring efforts to prevent child labor. Unfortunately poverty still reigns and monitoring only keeps much of child labor hidden in the shadows.Through the efforts of such groups at the DC Fight Against Trafficking and Modern Slavery Meet-up, and so many others dedicated to stamping out slavery once and for all, we can look to a future where all children will be “Free to Play”. Children and parents can rest easy knowing that there is a soccer ball that in no way was made by the hands of slaves. Through the use of the slave free soccer ball, advocacy, awareness, education and so many dedicated persons and groups, we hope to see the freedom for all children who are currently enslaved, or at risk of becoming enslaved.

Young girls working long hours stitching soccer balls for the international market. (Photo: ILO)

 

Get you slave fee sports balls today, and start playing fair and free!

Links:
An inhuman price
RESPECT - Fair Trade Sports
Made By Survivors
The Emancipation Network (TEN)
Ten Thousand Villages
Global March Against Child Labor
Equita - Essentials for Ethical Living - Fair Trade
Global Conduct
Fair Trade Resource Network
Fair Deal Trading -UK
Fair Go Trading - Australia
Fair World Sports - Canada
Fair Trade UK
World Centric
Social Conscience
Etiko Sports -Australia and New Zealand
SCIC Fair Trade Project - Canada
Sweatshop Watch - Has a shopping guide
Make Trade Fair
Fairtrade Foundation
Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International (FLO)
Fair Trade Federation
Support Fair Trade
Fair Trade Resource Network
Fair Trade Federation
Global Exchange
IFAT - The international Fair Trade Association
Transfair USA
Co-op America
Two Hands World Shop
KIDS and FAIR TRADE - A Teacher’s and Parent’s Guide

“There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace.”
– Kofi Annan