Letter from Kailash
Satyarthi to Paul Wolfowitz, World Bank President
27 Sept 2005
Dear Mr. Paul Wolfowitz
I very much appreciate and acknowledge the reiteration by you to double the aid to Africa and cancel the debt for the all 38 countries that are the poorest and the least developed at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. I appreciate your assessment that countries like India and Pakistan are placing premium on girl’s education. I welcome the commitment made by you to double the enrolment of girls in 60 countries over the next five years and to raise at least $ 2.5 billion per year to fulfill the dreams of thousands of school children eager for a brighter future." Even though that this falls short of the demands of the Global Campaign for Education in its assessment of the EFA Fast Track Initiative requirements, still I feel that it is welcome first step in your leadership. I sincerely hope that you will take leadership in this regard and do everything possible to meet the Dakar goals by 2015 by aiming to eventually $ 5-6 billions annually to support the national action plans of the poor countries under your able leadership. Let us acknowledge that we will kill the hopes of millions of children out of school in failing to do so.
I agree with you entirely that sustained economic growth is essential pre-requisite for development and reducing poverty and that shared growth and equity are important to achieve MDGs. Without sustained growth real poverty reduction is impossible. But growth alone is not enough. As you have quoted the WDR,“ We need to create equality in opportunities for the poor, not only to improve their own lives, but to improve their abilities to contribute.”
It is in this perspective that I will like to share with you our vision that Poverty has often been considered the key reason for perpetuation of child labor. However child labor is the primary cause of poverty, as it pushes children early to premature work thereby denying children the opportunity to acquire the education and skills they need to obtain decent work and incomes as adults. The elimination of child labor is an essential pre-requisite to eradication of extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1). The MDGs and child labor are intimately linked. The links are mostly straightforward and tend to run both ways. Poverty and lack of education provision constitute the principal common grounds. Indeed, it is poverty associated with social injustice and social exclusion that is most closely related to child labor, thereby denying equality of opportunities to all.
Lack of education provision and child labor are indeed closely related. The most common reason for decrying the scourge of child labor is that it comes at the cost of human development. Achieving universal primary education (MDG 2) is contingent on freedom from labor to allow children to attend school and perform well. This logic underlies the insistence in several international instruments, including the ILO's 1973 Minimum Age Convention No 138, on the need for compulsory education up until children reach official working age. Indeed, aiming for universal primary education also constitutes a giant step towards the elimination of child labor as it draws children into schools and enable building quality human resource.
There is also a gender equality dimension (MDG 3) to child labor, in view of the discriminatory practices that disproportionately deprive many girls of appropriate education and add to their burdens through excessive household chores. The link between child labor and environmental sustainability (MDG 7) may appear more distant but it exists nonetheless. Lack of water and proper sanitation facilities in schools for girls and boys is a factor in children dropping out or not enrolling at all. Lastly, the development of a global partnership for development (MDG 8), including the promotion of decent work for youth, can only be helped by a reduction in child labor, as it is an indispensable component of a worldwide effort to eliminate child labor.
In view of the above, it may seem somewhat striking that child labor did not figure among the eight MDGs, the 18 associated targets or the 48 monitoring indicators that were formulated by the UN Secretariat after the adoption of the Millennium Declaration in September 2000. The case for the inclusion of child labor was evidently strong but the timing was quite fortunate too. Just over a year earlier, in 1999, the international community had unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, of which the effective abolition of child labor was a major pillar. A year later in 1999, the ILO had adopted the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, again unanimously. This Convention obligates ratifying member States to “take immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor as a matter of urgency” [Article 1]. No specific time horizon was identified, but it was clearly intended that this objective should receive priority of the highest order. In an unprecedented affirmation of international community's commitment to the elimination of child labor, this Convention has registered one of the highest and most rapid ratification rate of any ILO Convention, pulling along as well the other main ILO instrument on child labor, the 1973 Minimum Age Convention.
The World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalization expressed the need for coherence within the UN family and the international financial institutions in support of the fundamental principles on right to work provided by the ILO freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, freedom from forced labor, discrimination and child labor. That coherence is required also in the implementation of the MDGs and if they are to contribute consistently and effectively to the elimination of child labor.
As heads of state prepared to meet in New York City for the UN Summit to review progress on the Millennium Development Goals, in New Delhi, child delegates from around the world, most of them former child laborers, have agreed a declaration placing key demands on their governments and the international community. They identified peace is the most basic human right and a prerequisite for stability; social development, the elimination of poverty and decent work for adults; elimination of child labor; and education for all. They emphasized the inter-linkages on these issues and demanded immediate action.
Thanking you
Kailash Satyarthi
Chair/Global March Against Child Labor
President/Global Campaign for Education
Child
laborers question MDG’s
13 Sept 2005
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Senator
Christovam from Brazil and Kerry kennedy, Human
Rights activist from New York |
Twelve year old Suman, a former child slave now turned
into anti slavery youth activist questioned the genuineness
and honesty of the world leaders converging in New
York on 60th anniversary of the United Nations. He
said that since childhood he has heard about the commitments
made to the children but none has yet been fulfilled
resulting into half his life he remained as child
slave. He expressed the view that child labor perpetuates
poverty from one generation to another. Suman has
presented the Delhi Declaration which came out of
the Second Children's World Congress on Child Laborers
held in New Delhi, India last week a unique gathering
of 200 former child laborers and youth activists from
around the world.
David a fifteen year old child from Peru who used
to work as rag picker for four years in Lima shared
his life as a child slave together with Rebecca a
fourteen year old former car washer turned child activist.
They profoundly demanded that child labor elimination
is the first step towards achieving education &
empowerment and is the only solution to end poverty.
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Ad
Melkert Dutch Executive Director from The World
Bank and Kailash Satyarthi with children
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In a rare gathering of world leaders, liberated child
slaves jointly voiced for the immediate elimination
of child labor as it is the biggest impediment in
the realization of any of the eight development goals.
They met at a round table discussion on Child Labor
Education and MDGs at New York coinciding with the
60th Summit of the United Nations on September 13,
05. The event was organized by the Global March Against
Child Labor together with Global Campaign for Education,
Child Labor Coalition of United States and International
Center on Child Labor and Education from Washington
D.C.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Kailash Satyarthi said
that United Nations has achieved the rare distinction
of failing the children of the world numerous times,
how ever the most significant occasion has been the
1950's UN Declaration on Human Rights which included
right to education as a fundamental right, 1990 the
UN Child Rights Convention which guarantees putting
and end to exploitation and injustice on all children
of the world, the Jomtien Declaration 1990 which committed
Education for All by 2000. Now it has failed in realization
of one of the most important MDG as well as, one of
the six Dakar goals on education to bring gender parity
in education by 2005. Mr. Satyarthi warned that if
the UN does not act now then it will loose its moral
ground for existence.
Senator Christovam Buarque, the former Education
Minister in the Lula Government, Brazil and initiator
of the first income transfer programme for compensating
family of child laborer to attend full time school
(Bolsa Escola) demanded three dimensional action,
reinterpreting the education goal with interlinking
child labor, debt swap for education with income transfers
programme for mothers of children withdrawn and brought
to school, and children and youth involvement and
leadership in the fight against child labor. Mr. Ad
Melkert, Dutch Executive Director at the World Bank
and former Dutch Minister of Social Affairs, Labor
and Employment, expressed optimism in the increasing
partnership amongst Governments, civil society participants
and inter governmental institutions. He strongly advocated
that none other than child labor is a cross cutting
issue in tackling poverty, illiteracy, infant immortality,
environmental degradation or other MDGs. He therefore
urged all the Governments to incorporate child labor
as integral component of the MDG's. Other distinguished
speakers present on the occasion were noted human
rights activist Kerry Kennedy, Head of ILO Human Rights
Programme Lee Sweptson, Regional Representative of
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions Raj
Shekharan.
All the Speakers were of the firm opinion that the
MDGs and child labor are intimately linked. The links
are mostly straightforward and tend to run both ways.
Poverty and lack of education provision constitute
the principal common grounds. Indeed, it is poverty
associated with social injustice and social exclusion
that is most closely related to child labor. The absence
of child labor from the MDG framework is a regrettable
omission that needs to be corrected with a sense of
urgency if the intent is to achieve the MDGs.
Burdened,
bruised, burnt - Two teenagers from Madurai village
narrate tale of torture by employer
PRASUN BHATTACHARYA 15 Sept 2005
There are hundreds of them, suffering in anonymity
and silence, in various pockets of a city too callous
to care. On Wednesday, two tales of torture sprang
forth from the shadows, bringing the plight of working
children into ugly focus.
Thirteen-year-old V. Kartik and friend Pandi were
brought to Calcutta about a year ago from their remote
village in Tamil Nadu by a neighbor, Rajangan.
The same benefactor stood accused of torturing the
boys — even burning them with hot iron rods
— when they failed to carry out some task or
the other.
Kartik managed to escape a few days ago and seek
shelter with Hope Calcutta Foundation, a voluntary
organization, before taking his tale of torment to
Tollygunge police station on Wednesday.
Pandi was later rescued from the clutches of his
alleged tormentor and brought to the police station.
But when Rajangan came to Tollygunge thana, he cried
foul. “We never tortured the boys and they are
trying to frame me,” he told Metro.
He, however, could not explain away the burn marks
on the bodies of both the boys.
After hearing out the boys and Rajangan, the police
advised them to go to Charu Market police station
and lodge a formal complaint there.
“The place where the incident occurred falls
under Charu Market, so please go there,” said
a senior officer.
But en route to Charu Market, Rajangan allegedly
slipped away and then could not be traced.
“A complaint has been lodged with us and we
are probing the case. It seems Rajangan has escaped,
but we will find him,” said investigating officer
of Charu Market police station, R. Pradhan.
At Charu Market police station, the two boys, residents
of Budhamangalam village, under Kellavallavu police
station in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, narrated how they
had been brought to the city by Rajangan, who was
from a neighboring village.
Kartik said he and Pandi were severely beaten up
by Rajangan and his wife. They were even singed with
hot iron rods. “They gave us food only once
a day and if we asked for food at night, they abused
and beat us,” sobbed Kartik.
Rajangan, a businessman dealing in South Indian food
ingredients, resides in a one-room, rented apartment
in Lake Gardens.
“He promised to send me Rs 750 every month
if I sent my son to assist him with his business,”
said Valamalai, Kartik’s father, who reached
the city on Wednesday.
“We are poor farmers without any fixed income
and so are compelled to send our children so far away,”
he added.
After four months, Rajangan stopped sending money
to Valamalai. “We were worried. When we would
call Rajangan, he would say that my son was fine but
did not let him speak to us,” recounted Valamalai.
Overworked, bruised and burnt, Kartik finally fled
Rajangan’s house on September 5. His friend
was rescued on Wednesday.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050915/asp/calcutta/story_5239279.asp
18
more camel jockeys return
Staff Correspondent 7 Sept 2005
Eighteen more Bangladeshi children, who were used
as camel jockeys in the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
returned home yesterday, bringing the total number
of such returnees to 83.
Twenty guardians and their other children, not used
as jockeys, also accompanied the group that arrived
at Zia International Airport (ZIA) by a Bangladesh
Biman flight at about 12:30pm.
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA)
Executive Director Salma Ali, Juvenile Justice Officer
of United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) Rafiquzzaman,
and a senior assistant secretary of home ministry
received them at the ZIA.
They were sheltered at a city home of BNWLA that
will begin the reintegration process tomorrow, said
an official. Earlier 65 other children returned home
in three batches on August 11, 23, and 25.
Bangladesh government took initiatives to bring them
with the assistance of Unicef and International Organization
for Migration.
The UAE government is sending about 260 such Bangladesh
children under an agreement the UAE had signed with
Unicef in May this year that banned the use of children
under 16 and weighing less than 45 kilograms in camel
race, a popular sport in the Middle East.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/09/07/d5090701033.htm
23 child
workers died in 2004: CACL-K Staff Correspondent 13
Sept 2005
UDUPI: C. Narasimhamurthy, State convener of Campaign
Against Child Labor in Karnataka (CACL-K), on Monday
said that 23 child laborers died in 2004 in Karnataka.
Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Narasimhamurthy
said all the 23 children who died were girls. There
are a number of working children in Bangalore district.
CACL-K had approached the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) on the issue of employing children as workers
and their brutal treatment by their employers, Mr.
Narasimhamurthy said. A number of children are employed
in the mines in Bellary district, he added. The CACL-K
will also file a Public Interest Litigation in the
Supreme Court. The Government should implement the
provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and set up
children's welfare committees in all districts as
per the Act, he said.
Keshav Koteshwar, head of Spoorti and Harish Jogi,
State Coordinator of CACL-K; were present.
http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/13/stories/2005091314030300.htm
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