Rights

"Describe a right that relates to your issue? How do you know it's a right? Does everyone agree it is a right? Why or why not?"
First, I would like to take a moment to identify some of the rights related to child labor:

- right to work

- right to an education

- right to control oneself

- right to socialize

- right to receive payment

- right to be happy

- right to be safe from physical, emotional, and sexual harm

- right to free speech
- right to do as one desires

- right to good health

and most important....

The Right to FREEDOM

The "right to freedom" is the most widely used reason by activists to eliminate the use of child labor. This right is an overall right in that it includes the other rights listed in it's definition. The dictionary defines freedom as the exemption from outside control, influence, and confinement--the individual is in control of his or her own life. This right is considered a normative right in that it is a right that ought to be able to have and expect from other citizens and the government. This right could be seen as deriving from religion, morality, natural law, or rationality, and it does not derive from power. This is a right that people should not have to actively claim nor the government officials have to back up. Sadly, these children are deprived of their freedom as they follow the commands of their "employers".

Freedom is considered a right because it includes the elements necessary [to be considered a right]: a definition of relationships, an official statement, a process for determining contested rights, and a remedy. The relationship between "employer" and child laborer is defined as complete dominance of the "employer" over the child; where as, those who claim that everyone deserves to be free argue that such a relationship should not exist and that the child should maintain control of himself or herself. As for official statement, most countries' governments have laws prohibiting the use of child labor. The process for determining the absence of freedom is to seek out those who are unable to do the things they want do because they are told not to, show fear of those who tell them what to do, are unhappy, and are unable to leave. The best remedy would be to arrest those who take an individual's freedom while also rehabilitating the indivdual so that he or she can gain the skills necessary to lead independent lifestyles.

Everyone agrees that freedom is a right because freedom enables us to do the things we want to do. Without freedom, we lose our characteristically human qualities of being able to make our own mistakes, having choices, and being socially influenced by various mediums as well as by our peers, family, and other people in our lives. I have yet to meet a person that believes that freedom is not a right.

FREEDOM is a RIGHT in that IT ENABLES US TO CHOOSE THE LIFE WE LIVE.

Rules

"What are the rules that govern behavior of the targets in your issue? Are they good or bad rules? Do they accomplish their purpose? How can they be improved upon?"

Within government precise rules as well as rules of thumb are present in relation to child labor. Every government has specific laws, or precise rules, that are used to regulate the actions of the country's citizens. Most countries have laws against the use of child labor; yet, it continues in these countries everyday. Why is that? How is it that governments provide precise rules, but continue to see illegal actions take place? Is not the purpose of these precise rules to eliminate child labor practices?

Those citizens who "employ" children are fully aware of these laws, but choose to disregard them. In disregarding these laws, "employers" actively seek out underage workers who they can exploit for their own benefit. These "employers" simply see these children as a source of cheap labor, often only providing minimal amounts of food and shelter. These children are threatened, placed in unhealthy environments, abused, and told that they must repay the debt they continue to accumulate by being supplied with food and shelter. Yes, today's child laborers are subject to bondage slavery. How is the government allowing this to happen? Isn't government supposed to enforce its laws?
Those who write the laws are not those who enforce them. Those who enforce the laws are the officials, such as police officers. The officials are expected to make decisions based on the rules of thumb. Cases of child labor differ from each other. Many cases often include, but are not limited to, instances of human trafficking, violent abuse, hazardous environments, slander, physical labor (i.e. brick-laying, mining, agriculture), domestic work, and prostitution. With officers basing their decisions on rule of thumb, they are often easily bought into not doing anything in response to illegal use of child labor. "Employers" work hard to keep child laborers by keeping the children hidden, paying officers to not react, and even offering the officers sexual favors from the young girls (and occasionally boys). This is where the trouble with government lies. The officials who are to find these criminals fall short in doing their duty of protecting the rights of the children in that they willingly overlook the their treatment in order to gain some form of satisfaction. They let their desires fog their judgment, causing many children to remain working for their "employers".

On the other side of this policy issue, we see activists and interest groups utilizing vague rules to appeal to the general public and government officials. They use vague statements to promote the idea that no one other than the "employers" would be negatively affected by policy eliminating child labor. To gain support, these groups use numbers, emotional appeal (i.e. "Would you let this happen to your kids?!"), and facts to emphasize how great the issue is and simply state that children need to be removed from such situations and reintegrated into society. By being vague, they eliminate the primary instances of people quickly turning away with the notion that the cause would cost them much-- after all, not many people are immediately drawn to things that require them to give a lot of their money. Through the use of vague rules, activists are able to utilize their own talents as means to help these children. Some examples include Musicians raising money for rehabilitating children through concerts, writers telling the stories of the children, therapists providing treatment to the children, and lobbyists asserting their groups concern for the children. Vague rules open many possible actions that can be taken by individuals concerned with these children's welfare. Looking at all that vague rules enable activists to do, it is clear that this type of rule is beneficial in producing long-term results.

Those who make laws and those who enforce laws need to work more closely to ensure that officials are making ethical decisions. It is difficult to ensure that officers are acting appropriately in that they are expected to use good judgment in evaluating these "employers". With the power to arrest or receive favors, these officers are vulnerable to corruption which could lead them to go against their duty. This issue would need to be approached bottom-up in that the interest groups and activists would need to gain supporters, and they would need to convince government officials that policy change is absolutely necessary as well as that officers need to be re-evaluated in regards to ethical action.

VAGUE RULES would be the MOST BENEFICIAL.

Inducements Vs. Sanctions

"What policy tools would help improve policy outcomes on the issue you care about? Would inducements be better than sanctions? "

In the case of child labor, sanctions would be more effective than inducements in that the "employers" see greater benefit in continuing to use child labor because it keeps their costs down. These regulatory tools are best used against the "employers" in that they need to receive punishment that can act as a reinforcement in not "hiring" young children. These "employers" would most likely respond well to jail-time rather than fines. If fines were placed on them they could simply pay then continue using the children and hide the illegal employment more carefully. They need to experience what it is like to have their rights infringed upon. This is the only way we can get some kind of positive response from the "employers".

As for the children, redistributive tools are necessary in that, through donations, we are able to rehabilitate these children. They require a shelter in which they can receive medical attention, undergo therapy, and learn necessary social skills to lead independent lifestyles. The children can, thus, be reintegrated into society.

In the issue of child labor, it is necessary to use both sanctions and inducements. Sanctions work to enforce not using child labor and inducements work to encourage people to donate money used to rehabilitate children. The inducements often include promoting ethical practices and triggering emotional responses.

Targets

"How are the targets of your policy study constructed? How does this affect policy? What if the targets got to use their "local knolwedge" to make policy on their own?"



The targets of my policy issue consist of child laborers, their "employers", activists, and governments. Child laborers and activists aim to eliminate the use of child labor practices and reintegrate the children into a healthier lifestyle in which they receive an education, a home, food, and the opportunity to be independent as adults. The "employers" aim to keep their cheap labor through threats and false claims (i.e. "If you leave, you will be arrested and beaten by police"). While each government differs, most governments have laws against the use of child labor, but typically do not enforce the laws fully. Each target, works to change the actions of the other targets.
The activists work on behalf of the child laborers to educate the general public, with intent to gain more supporters, and to influence the government. Meanwhile, the "employeers" hide the children as well as frighten them into not escaping. When the governments become involved, they (typically) seek out unfair labor practices and prosecute the "employers". The actions of the activists along with those of the governments could diminish the use of child labor, but the "employers" make the task difficult. The policy issue can only be solved if the activists pursue government intervention.
As for the targets using "local knowledge", it could be beneficial, but it is necessary that all targets, except the "employers", use their "local knowledge". If only activists used it, permanent policy changes would be impossible. If only the government used it, there is not a guarantee that the necessary changes would be made. It is necessary that these two targets come together to work against "employers".

Interesting

"Who are the interests involved in your issue? Which interests should be involved that aren't? Should you classmates be involved in your issue? Why aren't they if they should?"

First and foremost, the child laborers are affected. Forced labor affects every aspect of these children's lives. Their mental, emotional, and physical state are endangered by the everyday occurrences within child labor-- this sense of well being is the main interest of these children. What kind of lives can these children have if their safety and health are at stake? Definitely not a "good" life... Sadly, these children's conception of the "good life" is probably one in which they don't have to worry about their next meal, can have a comfortable bed to sleep in, can go to school, and don't have to fear any form of abuse. They WANT A LIFE.

Three other interests in this issue are governments, the "employer", and interest groups working toward the elimination of child labor. The importance of child labor differs by individual governments. Most governments have laws in place that set a minimum working age; however, in the example of Uzbekistan, we see the government using its authority to override the law so it can use children as a source of free labor. Most governments have intentions of protecting children, but some, as is the case with Uzbekistan, overlook child protection laws for their own benefit and other countries are not proactive in seeking out individuals who exploit children through forced labor. Child labor is of interest to government in that its treatment of its MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS, children, affects the image of the country portrayed to other countries, support of citizens and non-citizens, and the efficiency of the government in the years to come.

As for the "employer", his or her interest is in keeping the child as a source of cheap labor. This individual seeks to prevent the child from being removed so the child can continue to work long hours and to remain a source of cheap labor. The "employer" doesn't care about the child's well-being; his or her main concern is MAXIMIZING PROFITS. Quite the opposite, interest groups work toward ENDING the use child labor, REHABILITATING former child laborers, PROSECUTING the "employers", and REINTEGRATING these children into normal lifestyles. Interest groups often push governments to take a more "hands-on" approach in finding unfair employment practices and prosecuting offenders. Interest groups want to give the children control over their own lives.

One group of people who should be interested in this issue are the children's families. True, some families want to save their children from mistreat and simply cannot; however, other families are simply unaware of what their children are experiencing. These families need to be educated on the effects of child labor so they can be wary of "employers" seeking to hire their young children. The families need to take a close look at what they might be subjecting their children to, if it is absolutely necessary that the children support their families. These families should first have the eldest work and the children get an education, but some families are at the lowest level of poverty and absolutely need the children to work as well-- they need to be aware of actual working conditions beforehand. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to see how these working conditions actually are, but we can hope that families would look out for the well being of their children.

I think it is important for my classmates to be involved. With human rights issues, it is typically more effective to have more people involved. I am not saying that all students need to be human rights activists, but rather, I believe that they should at minimum show some concern. I would love to see my classmates having discussions about the need to end the use of child labor (as well as other forms of modern slavery), but I just ask that they spread the word. The first step in ending said practices is educating the public and providing ways of taking action whether it be just asking them to tell their friends or even join non-profit organizations fighting against such practices. They DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING TO HELP.

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On a side note:

I am currently a Young Ambassador for the Not For Sale Project in Cambodia. I ask that everyone reading this blog post at least look at this website and tell their friends about it:

https://nfs.webconnex.com/giving/sarapressey

The website has information on the Cambodia Project, and you can even donate a few dollars, but as I said you don't have to donate anything-- I would just like more people to know about the website so we can find more people to donate to the cause. So, please tell people about it. The Young Ambassador Program requests that Young Ambassadors get at least 20 donations of $5 a month-- so the more people who know, the better!

Who's to Blame

"Think about the different causal stories that could be told about your issue. Which one do you think is correct? Do people generally see it the way you do? Why or why not?"

Let's play the "blame game"... I find it interesting that people always look for a scape goat. Take Deborah Stone's example of drunk drivers for instance, she talks about the grassroots organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving and its action of pressuring "legislatures to pass laws making hosts and servers liable for damages caused by drunk drivers" as well as lobbying "to ban 'happy hours' in bars" (Stone 206). How is it a group of concerned women have moved past moral beliefs to establish a specific person or group of people responsible? I, personally, am a bit skeptical of blaming specific (groups of) people as well as events occurring out of fate which cannot be controlled. Now don't get me wrong, I do believe that there are events out there in which specific people are at fault and those which are neither predictable nor controllable; I just tend to see problems as resulting from complex systems. Many issues arise as consequences of the actions of multiple people or organizations and consist of many components.

In the case of child labor, which accounts for approximately 50% of modern slavery cases, there is more than one person to take into consideration when assessing causation; in fact, the main people and groups to focus on are the child's parents, the "employer", the government and enforcement officials (i.e. police officers, etc.), and in many cases, the traffickers and recruiters. Likewise, other contributing factors include poverty, job opportunity, education, and living conditions.

Let us first examine the factors aside from individuals involved as these factors tie into the roles of these individuals. First, poverty plays a huge part in a child's risk of being forced into labor and bondage slavery. Lack of money brings about poor living conditions in which families struggle to make ends meet, simply providing enough to survive. Subjected to such living conditions, children are often removed from school (if already attending) to help support the family. With very few job opportunities available and children being too young to legally work (in most countries), parents often find the promise of a stranger to provide their child with a better life as a great opportunity.

This is where traffickers, recruiters, and "employers" come in. As most most cases of child labor are also human trafficking cases, recruiters often come to the child's parents offering the child with things such as education, a salary for simple domestic help, meals, a home, and safety. Parents, unaware of the recruiter's intentions, happily send off their children with what appears to be a "god-like" stranger. Then, the child is passed on to the traffickers whose sole purpose is to transport the child either within the same country, across borders, or even transcontinental to the child's "employer", who typically forces the child to work long hours with no pay, for the reason that the salary is going to the parents (it's NOT) or the child is also paying off meals and housing, provides no education, and abuse the child regularly. Likewise, child labor can occur in the same scenario without the recruiters and traffickers; in these cases, the "employer" seeks out the child on his or her own. As for government and enforcement, there are, most often, laws in place which establish a minimum age for employment and require that employers provide safe working conditions, but governments often do not conduct regular and random inspections of employers and their employees, leaving many cases of child labor unnoticed. Often, officers who encounter cases of child labor are coerced by the "employers" into overlooking the situation through bribery in which the officers are offered money and even sex with child laborers. How sick is this-- child labor going unnoticed by government and officers being bribed with money and statutory rape?!

This appalling issue is not due to one specific cause, such as mechanical, intentional, or inadvertent cause, but rather, a complex system of various causes. Without a doubt, I believe that people share the same opinion as I do. Of course, there are those out there who believe that only one is truly the cause, but many people agree that it is an issue of many causes. Being part of a grassroots movement to end global slavery (the Not For Sale campaign), I have personally met many people who agree that slavery of all forms (sex slavery, child labor, human trafficking, etc.) result from many factors which is why we are working together to address all aspects of this monumental issue simultaneously. NO ONE CAUSE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHERS.

Following the Law?

"Find a piece of data that relates to the policy issue you are studying. What type of story does it tell? How can the data be used to tell a story that promotes your view of the ideal policy outcome?"

The United States Department of Labor publishes the Department of Laborers findings on child labor each year. The report provides extensive information on a country's incidents, statistics, and minimal age for employment. Having recently attended the Global Forum on Human Trafficking, I learned conditions. Modern day abolitionists are currently working toward the end of this awful activity.about the child labor conditions in Uzbekistan. At the Global Forum, we were told of how children are taken out of school each year to work in cotton fields and being subjected to poor living conditions.

Here is some data on Uzbekistan from the United States Department of Labor's findings for 2008:


'Incidence and Nature of Child Labor
Numerous credible sources report the widespread, compulsory mobilization of children in Uzbekistan to work during the annual cotton harvest. There are no reliable figures on the number of children involved in the cotton harvest, which is thought to vary considerably by region and year and is a practice that dates from the early Soviet period. During past harvests, schools closed for months in some rural regions to allow children to pick cotton. There have been reports indicating that some children have had to endure poor living conditions during the harvest. While most children involved in the cotton harvest are older than 15 years and the vast majority are over 11 years, children as young as 9 years were seen picking cotton in 2008. Some children from Uzbekistan migrate to Kazakhstan with their families during the harvest season to work in the cotton industry.
Children in Uzbekistan also work in street vending, services, construction, building material manufacturing, and transportation. In urban areas, children as young as 7 or 8 years routinely work in family businesses during school holidays. There are also reports that children grow silkworm cocoons in rural areas.
There are reports that girls are engaged in forced prostitution in Uzbekistan. In the first 9 months of 2008, Uzbek girls were trafficked internally as well as to the United Arab Emirates, India, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey. Boys were trafficked to Kazakhstan and Russia.
Child Labor Laws and Enforcement
The law sets the minimum age for employment at 16 years, provided it does not interfere with the children’s studies. At 14 years, children may work part time up to 24 hours per week, with parental permission when school is not in session and 12 hours per week when school is in session. Children 16 to 18 years may work up to 36 hours per week while school is not in session and 18 hours per week when school is in session. Children must receive an annual medical examination at their employer’s expense to be eligible for work. A Government decree bans children from working in unhealthy conditions, and specifically lists manual harvesting of cotton as having unhealthy conditions for children
The law prohibits forced labor, except when fulfilling a court sentence or as specified by law. The law prohibits attaining profit from promoting prostitution, and though it does not specifically reference child prostitution, “inducing a minor to commit a crime” carries penalties of imprisonment for 5 to 10 years. The law prohibits trafficking of minors with penalties of 8 to 12 years’ imprisonment.
The minimum age for military recruitment is 18 years.
The prosecutor general and the Ministry of Interior’s criminal investigators are responsible for the enforcement of child labor laws. USDOS reports that while enforcement appears effective in deterring child labor in the formal sector, it is not effective at regulating children’s work in family-based employment. However, in 2008, it initially appears that authorities have made “a concerted effort” to prevent students from being mobilized for the cotton harvest.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit and the Prosecutor’s Office have investigated numerous trafficking-related crimes. The more than 600 investigations of individuals for trafficking crimes in 2008 resulted in almost 400 prosecutions, and 65 of the 2,941 trafficking victims were minors. Uzbekistan has assigned 272 police officers to work on trafficking in persons’ issues, 118 of whom work on the issue exclusively. According to USDOS, there were unconfirmed reports of Government officials involved in trafficking-related bribery and fraud.'
(http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft/PDF/2008OCFTreport.pdf)

Outlined is the incidence and nature of child labor as well as child labor laws and enforcement in Uzbekistan. In this we see that the minimum age for employment is 16 years old, the work shouldn't interfere with school, and working conditions should be healthy; however, there is also a clause that states "except when fulfilling a court sentence or as specified by law" (273). This clause enables the government to force children as young as 9 years old into working the cotton fields-- even though the government listed it as having unhealthy working conditions-- as well as living in unhealthy conditions and being taken out of school. How could a government force children into doing exactly what it said was illegal? This supports the idea that the government of Uzbekistan is corrupt in that it holds a different standard for its citizens while it does as it sees fit. The government provides no specific reason for having children work the cotton fields, and that proposes the question as to why they would force children to work the fields rather than employ adults.
The most likely reason is that, by forcing children to pick cotton, Uzbekistan is able to provide cotton at a very low price which attracts consumers of other countries including the United States. Yes, it is true; not only are there children in sweat shops, but rather, there are children doing all forms of labor from picking cotton and working in mines to working as domestic servants and workers in sweat shops. This is just one example of the incidents of child labor happening everyday, around the world. Child laborers are [typically] subjected to long hours, poor working conditions, and lack of education. This also shows how governments often establish fair policies, but are often corrupt or lack necessary enforcement. It is essential that governments hold officials and politicians to the same standards as all citizens, and governments need to develop stronger methods of enforcement.