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From Practice to Policy: A Paradigm Shift in Human Trafficking, 22 June 2007 |
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Forced labour, slavery and trafficking in human beings are not distinct practices any more. In March 2007 the UNODC along with other UN agencies and the NGOs launched the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking with a very strong emphasis on forced and bonded labour. Similarly, in one of most important documents on human trafficking, the US State Departments’ Trafficking in Persons Report 2007 has prominently defined and elaborated the interlinkages between forced labour and trafficking of human beings. This is the seventh consecutive report based on in-depth country-wise investigation trying to set parameters and grading.
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Stop Child Labour in Agriculture: World Day Against Child Labour, 11June 2007 |
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Global March Against Child labour, a world wide movement of child rights group, teacher organisations and trade unions active in 140 countries calls for urgent action to stop child labour in agriculture sector. An estimated 150 million children are engaged in agriculture sector, which form 70% of the total child labour force in the world.
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Demonstrators question the relevance of SAARC protocols outside the SAARC summit venue in New Delhi |
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3 April 2007, New Delhi: Hundreds of former child victims of trafficking, bondage and child labour assembled in the capital to question the relevance of SAARC conventions, pledges and protocols made by the regional leaders from time to time. They were demonstrating on the occasion of the inauguration of the 16 th SAARC summit starting today in Delhi.
Assembled at the Jantar Mantar and proceeding towards the SAARC summit venue, the children were carrying placards and chanting slogans-"stop child trafficking for forced labour, make and enforce laws to combat it"; "SAARC is silent on trafficking for forced labour. WHY?" Many of these children and activists marched for thousands of Kms across the Indo-Nepal-Bangladesh borders in the last month, participating in the South Asian march Against Child Trafficking, organized by the Global March Against Child Labour and others.
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Children Cost Less Than Cattle |
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Culmination Ceremony of South Asian March Against Child Trafficking
New Delhi, 22 March 2007: The South Asian March Against Child Trafficking with more than 120 core marchers including, 12-year-old Devli from Rajasthan, 13-year-old Rakesh from Bihar, 11-year-old Abdul from Nepal, 17-year-old Nagma from Bangladesh has reached Delhi covering more than 4,000 km through West Bengal, Bihar, Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand. Apart from being core marchers in the largest peoples' action against trafficking in the world, they have a common past. All were traded like animals and were forced to work in the worst inhuman conditions possible. It takes only Rs 500-2000 to buy a child and put him/her to work. Even a cow or a buffalo have a higher bid of Rs 20,000 on their lives. It is not only ironical that children 'cost' lesser than animals, it is a shame that they are traded like animals.
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The world’s largest mass action began from Kolkata |
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Kolkata, 25 February 2007: The world’s largest mass action in the form of a 2500 km South Asian March Against Child Trafficking began today from Kolkata. This has been flagged off by popular Bengali film actress Ms. June Maliya.Around 200 core marchers from India, Nepal and Bangladesh including 112 children, mostly former victims of human trafficking are taking part in this unique initiative. The march will be passing through Siliguri, Biratnagar (Nepal), Araria, Gorakhpur, Nepalganj (Nepal), Nithari and culminate in Delhi on March 22, 2007. Over 300 public meetings, rallies, street theatres and media events would be organized involving millions of people. The march is being organized by Bachpan Bachao Andolan and Global March Against Child Labour and is supported by several NGOs, Teacher’s Unions, UN agencies like ILO, UNIFEM, UNICEF, UNDP, and UNODC; and over 200 civil society groups in the region including ATSEC, Sanlaap, and A2W2 etc.
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Football Stitching Kills Tender Dreams |
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New Delhi, 26 June, 2006. While the World Soccer Cup 2006 has stormed the heart and mind of people all over the world, the dream of thousands of children in several villages of Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh is seized in football stitching, which they follow at the cost of their right to study and play, and to fetch some earnings for the family.
However, the earnings of these children are pathetically meager and they barely get Rs. 3-5 for producing a football. Working long hours stitching just two balls in a day, they burn themselves out and their health is severely impaired, resulting in fragile eyesight and bruised fingers. These deprived children of lesser God do produce football, yet never dare playing with balls. Access to schooling and acquiring education is a distant dream for them.
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Activists
Call U.S. Child Labor Situation Atrocious |
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Child
Labor Coalition, Rep. Lantos Team Up to Urge Congress
to Act on Outdated Laws, Hold U.S. Government Accountable
for Failure to Meet International Standards
Washington, DC--At a press conference on Capitol Hill
today, the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) released a report
criticizing the U.S. Government for its indifference to
protecting working children. At the event, Representative
Tom Lantos (D-CA) introduced legislation meant to rectify
many of the deficiencies outlined in the CLC report.
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Childhood
Rescued from Bondage.... |
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Twenty
Nine children, working in inhuman conditions at a zari
unit in Delhi were released on 6th June 2005.
In a massive raid in an industrial unit
in the congested Raghunagar, Dabri locality of West Delhi,
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) under the leadership of Shri
Kailash Satyarthi rescued 29 children working in exploitative
conditions. This raid in coordination with police and
other concerned authorities, was conducted on a complaint
lodged by 8 year old Waib Ansari, who had managed to run
away from the zari factory. Waib’s complained that
the zari contractor gave him only one meal and used to
beat him often.
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Nepal's Democracy Day Violated |
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In a shocking incident the well-known Nepalese child rights
and human rights activist, Gauri Pradhan, was arrested
yesterday at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu
as the Nepalese establishment continued its crackdown
on political leaders and members of civil society ...
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Brutal
Attack On Kailash Satyarthi During Rescue Of Children
In Great Roman Circus |
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Eminent Child Labour activist and Chairperson of Global
March Against Child Labour, Global Campaign for Education
and SACCS/Bachpan Bachao Aandolan Kailash Satyarthi
was attacked while leading a group of activist and parents
to rescue some children from circus in Colonelganj Tehsil
of Gonda District in Uttar Pradesh, North India today.
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Kailash
Satyarthi threatens to go on indefinite Hunger strike,
if the bonded children are not released from the Great
roman Circus within 24 hours |
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I will protest against the violence and the increasing
anarchy in the state and would sit on indefinite hunger
strike Lucknow in front of the state assembly. The responsibility
of this situation will lie on the state government...
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Children set another Milestone!!, 15
June, 2004 |
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"...The
Global March is once again overwhelmed with the monumental
success of the Children's World Congress, Florence.
Though we were all angry at the imposed absence of many
of our young child participants from Africa and Asia,
the strong vibrant and passionate voice of the children
who participated as well as the committed response from
the adults lifted our spirits and hopes... "
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Behind
closed doors: The forgotten world of Domestic Child Labourers |
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New Delhi, June 11, 2004 – On Saturday, June 12,
the World Day Against Child Labour will be celebrated
for the third time. Global March Against Child Labour,
along with the International Labour Organization (ILO)
and social partners from around the world, will focus
on the overlooked plight of domestic child labour, by
holding simultaneous mass actions worldwide.
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First
Ever Children’s World Congress on Child Labour in
Florence, Italy - May 10-13, 2004 |
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New Delhi, May 5, 2004 – Zolkina Veronika from Russia,
Alamin from Bangladesh, Mukesh from India, Sachiko from
Japan and Kendra from the USA – these are only a
few names of around 250 children coming together on May
10-12, 2004 for the first ever Children’s World
Congress on Child Labour in Florence, Italy. It is organised
by Global March Against Child Labour and hosted by its
European Coordinator Mani Tese together with the Italian
Trade Unions CGIL, CISL and UIL
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Satyarthi Asks Rich Countries For
Billions And Not Millions For Education Of Children |
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Press Release from International Center On Child Labor
And Education
Washington, D.C. April 25, 2004
Speaking on behalf of 100 Million children deprived from
their fundamental right to education. Mr. Kailash Satyarthi,
Chairperson of the Global Campaign for Education slammed
the rich countries for breaking their promises made time
and again to them their parents and even their grand parents
since 1948 when the education was enshrined as a human
right.
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Another denial of child participation!,
24 April, 2004 |
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"...I will be on my way to Florence, in a few hours
time. There are many loose ends to tie at the last moment
and amidst all this mad rush, I cannot but stop myself
from sharing my deep anguish with you. In less than a
week's time, we would be participating in Children's World
Congress on Child Labour. But even then my heart and soul
would still be with those 200 children and dozens of child
activists and my distinguished colleagues, who had been
deprived of their right to be with us in Florence. Theirs
is a blatant violation of human rights and child rights
in particular. It is an assault on the emotions and enthusiasm,
hopes and dreams of those children by none other than
the democratically elected government of Italy..."
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World's prime ministers listen
as millions of children unite in call for education for
all World’s biggest lobby, April 20, 2004 |
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In the biggest children's lobby the world has ever seen,
over 100 countries will today ring with the sound of millions
of children meeting their country's top leaders and simultaneously
giving a very simple message - help get the 100 million
kids missing an education into school.
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Road to Freedom, 28 February, 2004 |
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"...none of these freed ones had any idea that before
sunset their life would take a completely different turn;
the new day would bring them freedom and open new windows
to their future. And none would force them to perform
hard work and there would be no dangers for women and
girls from abusive men during night. It was a complete
and total change for them!..."
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How to make ‘another world’
possible?, 18 January, 2004 |
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"...It was a great experience to watch the powerful
upsurge of the civil society and the excitement, enthusiasm,
determination and hopes of several thousands of people
at the World Social Forum. The loud chants of young and
the old alike, the huge banners displayed by the activists,
the jangling of anklets of the dancing ‘Adivasis’
(tribals) attired in colourful dresses, Dalits (‘the
untouchables’ of India), peasants, workers, migrants
and the development institutions, the anti-globalisation
forces, former child slaves, the disabled, victims of
child abuse and gender atrocities and many more from all
over the world provided ample evidence of Mumbai brimming
with strong emotions..."
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Global
March Against Child Labour at the World Social Forum |
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17 January, 2004, Mumbai, India - The crusade against
child labour that set out six years ago celebrates its
anniversary today. For the last six years, the Global
March Against Child Labour has brought together NGOs,
trade unions, teachers, children an concerned individuals
and groups in a united voice calling for an end to child
labour and education for all children.
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If not now, then when? And if not you,
then who?, 18 December, 2003 |
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"...I feel do we really and honestly work together
to cooperate and collaborate with each other to find the
solutions and to bring freedom in the lives of children?
Do we at all have a sense of urgency to act? If we are
able to answer these fundamental questions, perhaps we
can wipe away the blot of human slavery..."
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Round Table Discussion |
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13 November 2003, New Delhi - The three key processes
affecting the future of our children are; poverty alleviation,
Education For All and the elimination of child labour.
In a Round Table discussion, jointly organised by UNESCO,
ILO, the World Bank and the Global March Against Child
Labour, the interlinkages between these three issues were
highlighted. For the first time, these different agencies
together clearly drew up the need to tackle the triangular
relationship between them at all levels of policy planning.
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Children's Parliament on the Right
to Education |
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8 November 2003, New Delhi - Children from 11 states of
India gather in Delhi to open the first Children's Parliament
on the Right to Education. Selected among the groups of
children who spoke out about their experiences of being
denied an access to quality education in their own local
states, 80 children will attend sessions for the next
2 days to discuss and come up with concrete demands on
ensuring their right to education.
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