Industrial Revolution Library Project

 

Our library project continues on Monday with Part 3:  Child Labour in the world today.

 Watch these video clips:

International Labour Organization: Child Labour

Child Labour Documentary

What can you do to help? (From Free the Children)

How to help your working peers

• Learn more about child labour and the laws affecting children.
• Start a Free The Children Youth in Action Group in your community and get the word out.
• Say no to work that is harmful and degrading to you.

• Speak with your friends and people in your community about the causes of child labour and what can be done about it. Form a group and unite against the problem.

• Volunteer your time with organizations working to protect children.
• Observe World Day Against Child Labour every year on June 12. Don't forget that it's important to think and talk about these issues every day, not just once a year.
• Participate in campaigns, such as: our Adopt a Village campaign and especially its Brick by Brick schoolbuilding component ; a Sweat-Free Schools campaign; our Alternative Income projects that enable parents to send their children to school; or a campaign to build rehabilitation and vocational centers for freed child labourers.
• Write to companies that use child labour and demand that they stop.
• Ask your government to ratify and implement the Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
• Contact your Foreign Affairs, Industry, Trade and Labour Ministers to demand that trade be tied to human, children and labour rights.
• Lobby your government to make education for all children a top priority.
• Pledge to continue your efforts until every child enjoys the right to a childhood.

What you are already doing

You are involved if you are helping to address these challenges

• Reducing poverty so there is less need for children to work.
• Increasing adults' wages so there is less need for children to work.
• Improving working conditions so that children's health and safety are ensured.
• Reducing children's working hours so they can attend school.
• Banning hazardous and exploitative work such as bonded labour, child prostitution, military conscription, mining and all work that exposes children to toxic substances or extreme temperatures.
• Making education more attractive and relevant to children's needs.