16 April: International Day against Child Slavery
400 million child slaves: a Political and Trade Union Crime
2013 Communiqué
Every day we can find products made by enslaved children in our homes, in our streets, in shopping malls, in our consumption. At present, millions of children breath the smoke of rubbish landfills, they risk their lives as pearl divers, they work in the mines to get the minerals for our cosmetics, for new technologies, they are kidnapped to become child soldiers, they live amidst bullets and rapes in the streets, they are used for the trade in human organs, in brothels, in sweatshop,… Children who have been deprived of their childhood and education. Children who are subjugated, enslaved, humiliated.
There are more slaves at present than at any other time in history. Children are forced to participate in the international planning of work, resulting from a perverse economic system. This world crime, far from disappearing, is on the rise in number and cruelty. Let us not be carried away by a manipulated language: they are child slaves, they are not child workers!
When we talk about an economic crisis in international forums and in the media, no one says that this crisis will be paid by the poor, and especially by the children who will be aborted or subjected to more bondage.
18th ANNIVERSARY
of IQBAL MASIH’s murder, Christian non-violent militant for Justice in the fight against Child Slavery in the world.
Murdered on 16th April 1995, in Pakistan, when he was 12. [1983-1995]
Testimony of true activist and solidarity trade- unionism.
The causes of this crime have a clear economic dimension: a radically unfair international economic system, tailored to the requirements of large multinational companies (including the Spanish ZARA and El Corte Ingles, which have been reported recently) and of a global financial system seeking to maximize profits at all costs and having no qualms about using child slave labor.
Yet, child slavery is primarily a political and trade union crime. The political system, which is supported by large international organizations (UN, UNICEF, ILO…) and by all the parties represented in Parliament, has legitimized this situation and has done nothing to put an end to this crime. All the reforms being carried out by Europe are causing more slavery and a greater growth of the informal economy, which drives millions of children out of school and into sweatshops, agricultural fields, mines and warehouses.
Also, this drama is caused by a unionism that has betrayed its history of solidarity fight, in enriched countries with its silence about child slavery; thus making evident their complicity and their lack of solidarity with the impoverished workers of the world and of Spain.
Child slavery is the first problem facing the world of work, and as well as unemployment, it is the result of a savage economic system.
Unemployment and Child Slavery have the same causes and therefore common solutions.
Child slavery is a moral and political problem, and its solution can only come from these two fields: the Moral and the Political ones. We therefore demand that unions and political parties denounce the causes of child slavery.
We must defend children’s right to have a school, an education, a family, to be able to play and become Persons.
For this reason we propose the immediate and urgent abolition of child slavery, which is possible today as well as in the past if we fight together, if we promote collective solidarity awareness that can transform the lack of political and Trade Union will. Let’s raise public opinion of solidarity that can make it possible to eradicate child slavery!
On 16 April 1995, a child slave, Iqbal Masih, was murdered in Pakistan because he had fought against child slavery. For this reason, we call on young people and adults to come out to the street to fight against child slavery. It is now 18 years of rallies and solidarity marches against child slavery in Spain and Latin America.
April 16 is a day for solidarity, the International Day against Child Slavery
On the 18th anniversary of Iqbal Masih’s murder, we want to raise our voices together:
Justice for child slaves!
Long live the poor of the world!
More than 30 rallies against child slavery will take place in different places in Spain and Latin America. You can get further information in your closest Solidarity and Culture House (Casa de Cultura y Solidaridad) or on our web: Solidaridad.Net and Iqbal Masih web.
Organized by:
Movimiento Cultural Cristiano (MCC)- Christian Cultural Movement
Camino Juvenil Solidario (CJS)- Solidarity Youth Path
Partido Solidaridad y Autogestión Internacionalista (SAIn)-
Internationalist Self-management and Solidarity Political Party