Labor is Not a Commodity

Fair Trade in the Classroom: Empowering Youth as Global Citizens

By Elisa Arond

How can young people learn about injustice in the world and feel empowered to change it? How can youth be inspired to identify ways in which they truly can make a difference?

Students in the United States are connected to people across the globe in many different ways – from the clothes we wear daily, to the banana we munch at breakfast, to the hot cocoa we sip on an icy winter afternoon. Youth represent an important and growing chunk of the consumer market, and are constantly bombarded by marketing campaigns to buy the latest brand, the hottest new product. As budding global citizens, students also have the power to learn about their connections with the people behind the labels, the hard work and many costs of producing the items we buy, and to take responsibility for the impact of their consumer choices on people and the environment around the world.

Rejecting Paternalism in Africa?

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

"Too many nations continue to follow either the paternalistic notion that treats African countries as charity cases, or a model of exploitation that seeks only to buy up their resources.  America rejects both approaches." - President George Bush at a Feb. 14, 2007 press conference

A central aspect of President Bush’s trip to Africa is the promotion of neoliberal trade policies and foreign direct investment as a path to “empowerment” and a “culture of self-reliance and opportunity.” The president has explicitly rejected “the paternalistic notion that treats African countries as charity cases, or a model of exploitation that seeks only to buy up their resources.”

But will the impact of his view of trade and investment on workers in Africa truly end this paternalism?

Another World is Possible!

In response to the call for a global week of action during the week of January 21-26, 2008 initiated by the World Social Forum, the Labor is Not a Commodity blog will feature articles throughout the week related to the theme: "Another World is Possible: International Labor Solidarity Success Stories."

We will be sharing stories about when people around the world came together to support workers' rights and how different individuals and organizations are successfully protecting labor rights globally.  Keep checking throughout the week for inspiring updates.

We also want to hear your stories!  You can contribute blog entries about successful labor campaigns by sending your stories to Tim at tim.newman[at]ilrf.org -- the sooner the better!

Haga clic abajo para espanol.

Congress Visits Cocoa Farms

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Senator Tom Harkin, Representative Eliot Engel and Senator Bernard Sanders are on a trip to visit cocoa farms in West Africa.  The trip is meant to see first hand how Ivory Coast and Ghana are implementing plans to eliminate child labor on cocoa farms.  According to the first reports from the trip, the members of Congress and the Ivorian government seem confident that they will meet a July 2008 deadline that calls on the government to certify that 50% of cocoa beans are produced without the worst forms of child labor.  Unfortunately, we are a little more skeptical that the industry will meet these deadlines.  However, Engel was certainly right when he said that "industry has a major, major role to play."  It is time that the major chocolate companies took stronger action to ensure an end to child labor in their supply chains.

Keep reading for links to recent news articles about the West Africa trip.  One a related note, check out this recent blog post on chocolate and child labor from the CSRNYC blog.

Happy Halloween!

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  This year, US consumers are expected to spend $2.1 Billion on chocolate, but child labor continues to occur on cocoa farms throughout West Africa.  Here are three simple ways to take action TODAY to tell the chocolate companies that you have had enough of their tricks!

1) Participate in Reverse Trick-or-Treating: You can download, print and distribute informational flyers from your doorstep to trick-or-treaters, while walking around your neighborhood or at Halloween parties!  Download flyers here! 2) Send an E-mail to Nestle: Click here to send an e-mail to Nestle tell them to stop using child labor in their supply chain.  Then, tell 5 friends to send e-mails too! 3) Check Out Our Action Kit:  For more ideas on how to stop child labor in the cocoa industry, check out our cocoa action kit here. Keep reading for more!

Make Your Halloween Fair Trade!

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

This year, children across the United State will be reversing the Halloween tradition by handing Fair Trade chocolate back to adults while Trick-or-Treating door-to-door on Halloween!  The candy will be accompanied by information about social justice issues in the chocolate industry, and how Fair Trade chocolate provides a solution to these concerns.

 Join us, and together, we will inform tens of thousands of households!

Sign up to go "Reverse Trick-or-Treating" here!   (Make sure to note in the online form that you are working with the International Labor Rights Forum)

Keep reading for more Halloween ideas!

Nestle: Harmful to Kids Around the World

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Nestle, the world's largest food corporation, have declined to join an industry agreement to limit advertising of unhealthy foods to children.  Congressman Ed Markey, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, sent letters to Nestle and a few other companies that have not decided to participate in the Council of Better Business Bureau's (CBBB) Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative.  Companies involved in the initiative agree to adopt nutrition standards for all marketing aimed at children as well as to devote at least half of their kids' advertising to promote healthier products, good nutrition and healthy lifestyles.  Read the full story here.

Of course, this is just the latest development in Nestle's long history of harmful policies toward children.

Godiva for sale

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Godiva Chocolatier is currently floating on the market looking for a parent company.  The company is owned by Campbell Soup and insiders say that the soup company is looking to sell Godiva for anywhere between $1 billion and $1.5 billion.  Godiva is the 11th biggest chocolate confectionery in the US.  It has been rumored that Lindt (which also makes Ghirardelli) might buy Godiva.

Where in the world is fair trade cocoa?

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Have you ever wondered where fair trade cocoa is grown?  Well, now you can see exactly where!  TransFair USA partnered with Google Earth to map fair trade certified farms throughout the world.  Check out the instructions on how to view it here. 

Buying fair trade chocolate is a great way to ensure that your chocolate is made without child labor.  To find out more about child labor in the chocolate industry, check out our other blog entries on cocoa here.  To see how different chocolate companies stack up, check out ILRF's Chocolate Company Scorecard and you can see a list of all the TransFair USA chocolate licensees here.

Click "Continue Reading" to see a video by TransFair USA on why you should support fair trade!
 

From the slave trade to "free" trade

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Fahamu and Pambazuka news have just published a new book titled From the slave trade to 'free' trade: How trade undermines democracy and justice in Africa.  The book, edited by Patrick Burnett and Firoze Manji can be order online here or you can read the whole book online here!

As the editors note in the introduction, "In the global trading system, justice and the interests of ordinary working people often take backstage to trade policies dictated by global powers; countries and even entire continents like Africa, frequently appear to be on the losing end of the equation."

Keep reading to find out more about ILRF's appearances in the book!