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Right now, we,
as the youth of a global society, stand in an era of change. In times
like these, times of such uncertainty, and chaos, the young and
nameless have the tremendous power to define their generation. We
stand here now; realist visionaries, and vivid dreamers, world
shakers, and grand schemers, the beginnings of a world not yet begun,
and we alone have to power to decide what we will become. Despite the
current state of affairs, ours could still be the age of
accomplishment, of brotherhood and peace. A responsibility is bestowed
on us now, even more blatantly than it was before, to take a stand
when human rights are being denied. This takes on an even greater
importance and urgency when the rights of children are at stake.
Recently, I
heard a story on the radio about a ten-year-old Ethiopian boy who died
in a sweatshop from malnutrition. A young woman from a child advocacy
group was debating a professor of international policy, demanded
international laws that would prevent this kind of obvious abuse of
human rights from taking place again. The professor argued that such
laws were unenforceable and if they were instated, would do serious
damage to the standard of living and economies of third world nations
as a whole. He had a point and he defended it an educated and thorough
manner but by no means did he win the debate. He couldn’t contend
with the fury of this woman. She spoke with such passion that her
words were steel. No counter argument could reproach them because they
applied to a deeper, fundamental idea. She had morality on her side.
This woman was speaking on behalf of justice and would not be silenced
by the efficient logic of cruelty. She spoke under the threat of tears
when citing the savage treatment of this preadolescent child. It was
so compelling that it made the listener believe that she was speaking
about the death of her own son, about someone she herself loved and
would miss.
I could see my
nine-year-old sister jumping on the trampoline from my bedroom window
during the course of the debate. The women on the radio said that
everyday children die because we fail to act. It was a terrible
epiphany of a reality I had previously blinded myself to. I watched my
dark haired little girl who can, with one glance redeem my faith in
the goodness of the world, and thought that some mother’s son, just
as young as she, could die as a causality of corporate interest.
This is now
2004. The human race has discovered medications that eradicated
plagues, we have put men on the moon and we have the ability to blow
ourselves up hundreds of times over and yet still, this innocent
little boy died of exhaustion and hunger and exploitation. Can such
unspeakable brutality possibly have occurred in this day and age, when
I can click a mouse, and see the Seven Wonders of the World appear on
my computer screen? This child, not a year older than my sister, is
not alive today because he was worked to the bone, while making my
sneakers or blouse or the little plastic toys I get in a vending
machine at the super market. As an American, I never experience the
horrors of sweatshops or hard manual labor or hunger. I never saw it
or heard about it for most of my life. But as an American, I am a part
of it. I accepted my possessions with out knowing their savage origin.
It seems more than a little bit hypocritical for me, who most likely
contributes to the demand of child made goods on a daily basis, to
call out for an end to this horrible abuse of human life, but it is
the sudden awareness of my own indiscretions that fuel the fire of my
contempt. It is necessary for me to do something about this because
for so long I was ignorant to it. I am writing this essay, knowing
that I can’t begin to comprehend the true realities of which I
speak, because I know child labor is wrong and I know there is a
better way. It is an obligation to the future legacy of my generation
that this cruel injustice that millions suffer everyday should be
stopped.
After
researching child labor extensively for a class on political
instability in Latin America, a fellow student activist and I have
decided to start a discussing / charity group at my High School called
a Global Voice. The idea behind a Global Voice is to not only promote
awareness on humanitarian issues, (specifically child labor and its
ramifications) and talk about long term international political and
social strategies but also we want to raise money and organize with
other charity groups ease the plight of the current and former
laborers.
Poverty is perpetuated though generations because of child labor.
Families in a third world nation are forced to put their kids to work
because the adults can’t find a job that pays enough to support a
decent standard of living. While working, these children cannot attend
school thus are condemned to manual labor for the entirety of their
lives. Without money for education, their
children then fall victim to these same circumstance. There is no
enforced working condition regulations, no enforced minimum wage,
no labor unions, and no way out.
Child labor is not something that can be solved over
night because it is interwoven into the economic systems of the world.
I want to take part in the Children’s World Congress because I have
to fight this. My little sister is no different from a child laborer
anywhere in the world, but if it were her in a sweatshop or on a
plantation, I would walk through fire to get her out of harms way.
Corporations are a force to be reckoned with these days. It is a fight
against what is powerful and what is popular but I have to fight it,
because I know so desperately that it is wrong but more importantly, I
know it can be stopped. It can be stopped, but only with action. I
have to act and act now because only in the present do we have the
able to affect change.
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