Ending Child Labor

In many places around the world, children are forced to work, sometimes in brutal conditions and dangerous environments that are threatening to their lives and health.  Typically, children who are forced into labor do not go to school or participate in recreational activities.  Child labor exists for many reasons, mainly economic gain.  Many products we use have possibly passed through the hands of a child laborer in the process of being made.

• 246 million children world wide are child laborers
• 73 million working children are less than 10 years old
• There are 2.5 million working children in the developed economies
• Every year, 22,000 children die in work related accidents
• 127 million working children are age 14 years old or younger and live in the Asia Pacific area
• 48 million working children age 14 years old or younger live in Sub-Saharan Africa

• 8.4 million children are TRAPPED in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography and other illegal activities

• 70% of the working children work in agriculture [farming], commercial hunting, fishing or forestry

• 8% of the working children work in manufacturing
• 8% of the working children work in wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels
• 7% of the working children work in community, social, and personal service, such as servants

Source:  International Labor Organization (ILO)

You must create an organization [ (definition) ______________________________

________________________________________________] that will put an end to child labor in the world.  In order to do that, you will need to do the following:

• A name for your organization [group] and a logo [design for your name]
• Write a brief mission statement.  A mission statement tells everyone what the long and short term goals are for your organization.  You must have 5 complete sentences and you are NOT allowed to use “End Child Labor”.  [Hint:  find Eli Whitney’s mission statement for ideas about how to write your mission statement.]
• Develop; create a public relations campaign [(definition) __________________

_______________________________________] to inform the school and the public about your organization.  How are you going to spread the word about your cause and mission?  Will you use posters?  Create ads to go into magazines and newspapers?  Will you create a television ad to be on TV?  Think about “The more you know” ads on TV.  Can you find an ad in the newspaper or magazine to talks about a cause?  What kind of pictures can you use?  What kind of words can you use to paint pictures in people’s minds?

• Your information for this project can come from your notes, the videos, a personal connection to products and children in general, the Powerpoint® presentation, etc.  USE YOUR MIND!!!  BE CREATIVE!!! 

HOW WOULD YOU SPREAD THE WORD IF YOU WERE A VICTIM OF CHILD LABOR?  WHAT WOULD YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW IF YOU WERE A CHILD FORCED TO WORK AGAINST YOUR WILL IN HORRIBLE, THREATENING CONDITIONS????