The Scariest Halloween Story of All…

A story sure to give you nightmares is the harrowing story behind child labor across the globe.  Whether it is costumes made from cotton picked by child labors in Uzbekistan or clothing sewn by child labors, ghoulish make-up with minerals mined by child labors, chocolate candy-bars made from cocoa picked by the hands of child labors in West Africa, or another hideous form of child labor that haunts our consumer market the stories are all eerily similar and all will leave you tossing and turning at night hoping that when you open your eyes it will all have been a dream.  But this is no nightmare dredged up to give you a mischievous fright.  No, stories of child labor are the true daily nightmares of children around the world cannot be erased by when you open your eyes, but this is one scary story we all need to open our eyes to and face.

Products which are often made by the hands of child slave labor include; cotton, tea, silk, coca, sugar, steal, carpets, diamonds, etc.  Products like cocoa/chocolate have been known to be produced with the efforts of child slaves, many who have been trafficked in Western Africa.  In the report, Combating Child Labor in Cocoa Growing, conducted by the ILO (International Labor Organization), they estimate 200,000 children work on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast.

Some current campaigns against child labor are being done by the International Labor Rights Forum.  See the following links to learn more, and for updates and ways to take action on these campaigns:

• Chocolate: Child labor in West Africa’s cocoa farms
• Cotton : Forced child labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields
• Dole : Invest in worker rights, not exploitation!

Don’t forget its not too late to take a stand this Halloween, there is still time for Fair Trade Trick-or-Treating!  Please also see my previous posts on Child Labor and Fair Trade and Slave Free Links .