The IV International Meeting against Child Labor is underway

The IV International Meeting against Child Labor convened by Fundación Telefónica, which has the support of the ILO and UNESCO. We can all follow from the last day three the second virtual phase, although it will be more difficult for many to be in the Face-to-Face Meeting that will take place from October 2 in Panama, however, we will be pending progress.

The meeting will take place throughout 2012 and 2013, both in person - through four major events in Ecuador, Panama, Mexico and Brazil - as in a collaborative virtual network space of the Meeting, whose main conclusions will be published in the Latin American Network against Child Labor, jointly promoted by Fundación Telefónica and the ILO. In Latin America there are 14 million children between 5 and 17 years of age in child labor situations, which represents 10% of the total children in that age range (141 million). Of these, 9.4 million carry out jobs that are dangerous and threaten their physical and psychological integrity.

I want to make a point to remember that not all the work that children can do to collaborate in different tasks with their families, should be considered as child labor. In fact, many of them (and any context) can be enriching, as well as a source of learning.

But the truth is that many children are deprived of fundamental rights, such as the game, for having to make long hours of work, and often in unhealthy and even dangerous conditions. That is why eradicating child labor has become an international commitment, shared by governments, social organizations, researchers, teachers, companies, families and members of the community in general.

The objective that is intended with this meeting, and the subsequent World Conference against Child Labor (to be held in Brazil in 2013) to eradicate the worst forms of child labor, by 2016. It is certainly an ambitious and beautiful objective, to which I I wonder, can child labor be eradicated without eliminating the limitations that families and communities have for their development?

I mean, of course, it would be desirable for children not to have to work, let alone in certain conditions, but I think that this fact is more a consequence of other cultural, economic and social factors. For example, there are many situations of extreme poverty in marginal environments, if we add circumstantial elements such as parental diseases, or absence of one of them, we may find children working to help their family. It is clear that it is much better for these children to receive an education for their future, but it is that they are part of a family with many troubles, and this fact also needs a solution.

Fortunately the organization of these events have also thought about it, since Fundación Telefónica understands that The above objectives can only be achieved by sensitizing and mobilizing citizens and institutions, contributing significantly to improving the effectiveness of public policies for the protection of children, families and decent employment.

I sense that in a context of economic crisis, this task can be really complicated, although we must not stop thinking about it

And being a global foundation, its action takes place in the societies where Telefónica is present: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela in Latin America, and in Germany, Slovakia, Spain, Ireland, United Kingdom and Czech Republic in Europe.

If you want a little more information about the Meeting, check the links at the bottom of the page, and keep in mind that each phase consists of virtual meeting is followed by the corresponding face-to-face session.

The Meeting is divided into four stages, according to the Latin American subregions and their specific characteristics: in June, in Ecuador, the problem of child labor in the Andean region was addressed; in October, in Panama, topics from Central America will be discussed with the participation of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic; in March 2013 on the situation in Mexico; and the last one, in June 2013, will focus on issues related to the Southern Cone and will take place in Brazil.

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