International Information Programs

Ending Abusive Child Labor

Ending Abusive Child Labor

PDF version of 'Ending Abusive Child Labor'



An Electronic Journal of
the U.S. Department of State
May 2005

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Ending Abusive Child Labor

CONTENTS

About This Issue
The Editors
Introduction
Elaine L. Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor

Ending Child Labor: A Global Priority
Steven J. Law, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
Hundreds of millions of childhoods are wasted away in mind-numbing subsistence-level labor that produces minimal economic value, while leaching away the creativity and learning potential of entire communities of future workers.

Sidebars:
  • Education Initiative Grants;
  • Winrock International Education Initiative in Peru;
  • and Child Labor in the Philippine Fishing Industry

  • Eliminating Child Labor: A Moral Cause and a Development Challenge
    Juan Somavia, Director-General, International Labor Organization
    Denial and indifference have given way in recent years to acknowledgement, outrage, and a readiness to tackle the problem effectively.

    Sidebar: A Load Too Heavy: Children in Mining and Quarrying

    Stemming the International Trafficking of Children
    John R. Miller, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State And Director of the State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
    Countries must step up law enforcement to rescue child slaves and deter traffickers.

    Sidebar: Sanctions Against Human Traffickers

    U.S. Legislative Initiatives to Stop Abusive Child Labor
    Tom Harkin, U.S. Senator for Iowa
    The U.S. Congress has taken actions to penalize countries that engage in the worst forms of child labor and to rehabilitate the young victims of such practices.

    Sidebar: Combating Child Labor in Cocoa Growing

    Understanding Child Labor: Patterns, Types, and Causes
    Eric V. Edmonds, Assistant Professor of Economics, Dartmouth College
    An effective policy for ending child labor can be crafted only within the context of a country’s overall development strategy.

    Sidebar: Children and Armed Conflict: Key Facts and Issues


    Case Studies

    Child Labor in Brazil: The Government Commitment
    Patrick del Vecchio, U.S. State Department Labor Officer, São Paulo
    The government of Brazil—with assistance from many partners—has a number of efforts under way to eradicate child labor in that country.

    Kids in Need: An NGO Solution
    Christopher Wakiraza, Director, Kids in Need
    Uganda’s Kids in Need program provides street children with shelter, counseling, education, medical care, and basic needs.

    Addressing Child Labor: An Industry Approach
    Andre Gorgemans, Secretary General, World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry.
    Helping to stop international child labor is not just an issue for government. Industry must also take an active role.

    Additional Readings

    Bibliography

    Internet Resources

    Ending Abusive Child Labor

    eJournal USA

    eJournal USA:
    Economic Perspectives

    Volume 10, Number 1 May 2005


    The Bureau of International Information Programs of the U.S. Department of State publishes five electronic journals under the eJournal USA logo—Economic Perspectives, Global Issues, Issues of Democracy, Foreign Policy Agenda and Society & Values—that examine major issues facing the United States and the international community as well as U.S. society, values, thought, and institutions. Each of the five is catalogued by volume (the number of years in publication) and by number (the number of issues that appear during the year).

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    Editor, eJournal USA: Economic Perspectives
    IIP/T/ES
    U.S. Department of State
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    E-mail: ejecon@state.gov

    Editor Jonathan Schaffer
    Managing Editor Kathryn McConnell
    Contributing Editors Berta Gomez
    Kathleen Hug
    Martin Manning
    Bruce Odessey
    Andrzej Zwaniecki
    Illustrations Editor Barry Fitzgerald
    Cover Design Thaddeus Miksinski
    ____________________
    Publisher Judith S. Siegel
    Executive Editor Guy E. Olson
    Production Manager Christian Larson
    Assistant Production Managers Sylvia Scott
    Chloe D. Ellis
    Editorial Board Alexander C. Feldman
    Kathleen R. Davis
    Marguerite P. England
    Francis B. Ward