Two Canadians detained over protest in China

[P.C.]

I suppose exposure for a cause is a good thing.....I still think there is an element of arrogance there.

  I've always had mixed feelings about the 'exposure' of child labour in countries with totally different cultures than ours.  With no regard for what it meant to take these jobs away.... when in fact they could have been the difference between supper....or no supper.  We can't always impose what's right or wrong here, on the world. (I'm digressing, aren't I...lol)  

[Sportsdude]

child labour is illegal under international law. It must be stopped.  

[49er]

Sportsdude wrote:
child labour is illegal under international law. It must be stopped.  
    Start with attacking the western corporations that exploit and benefit from these illegal activities in developing countries

[Sportsdude]

that's what people are doing. From Nike, to a coal mine in Africa to a sweat shop for wal mart somewhere in southeast asia.  

[Lise]

It's not just in 3rd world countries that this is happening. Even in Canada and some parts of the USA where immigrants workers (and their children) work under appalling conditions that are not reported because they fear the consequences of speaking out loud.

  I wish there was a site that do report on items that use illegal forced labor so I can make my decision to not buy them. Does anyone know of a site that does this?

[P.C.]

child labour is illegal under international law. It must be stopped.

  I know that SD.....not only is it illegal.....in our culture, it's immoral.  I think you're missing some of the nuances in my comments.  What I'm saying is, that although it must be stopped....there are some things that need to put in place FIRST.  It may be well and good to come out thumping our chests that "WE STOPPED CHILD LABOUR" when in fact the result of that may be their road to starvation.  Did 'we' think to supplement their families with the income that was relied upon for food, that 'we' have now taken away?  

  I think what I'm saying is that there is always a bigger picture....and great care needs to be exercised in where and how to start righting wrongs.    

[Sportsdude]

 only people that I know expose these injustices are either unions or social activists. Governments usually turn a blind eye. We still have migrant workers to the kin of Mice and Men here.  

[Sportsdude]

 P.C. wrote:
[em]child labour is illegal under international law. It must be stopped.[/em]
 
I know that SD.....not only is it illegal.....in our culture, it's immoral.  I think you're missing some of the nuances in my comments.  What I'm saying is, that although it must be stopped....there are some things that need to put in place FIRST.  It may be well and good to come out thumping our chests that "WE STOPPED CHILD LABOUR" when in fact the result of that may be their road to starvation.  Did 'we' think to supplement their families with the income that was relied upon for food, that 'we' have now taken away?  
 
I think what I'm saying is that there is always a bigger picture....and great care needs to be exercised in where and how to start righting wrongs.  

[hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"]Like put what in place? These corporations and governments don't listen. Heck just look at our two countries labour history. It took an all out revolt and mass riots to affect change. If not we still would be working 20hrs a day.

While most child labour is forced. Yes families sell their kids because they're poor. That's another problem to fix, corruption of the local governments.  But governments around the world don't care. Do you really think China wants to see labour rights? heck no. Capitalism and profits come before humans. So you go to a factory in China and they're making nothing and working all day. While the owners of the factories are millionaires.

That's how and why unions started but we've exhausted that topic.

[P.C.]

 49er wrote:  Start with attacking the western corporations that exploit and benefit from these illegal activities in developing countries

  I agree 49er.....a good start.  And yet we still need to give some thought as to how not to leave them high and dry.

 

[Sportsdude]

leave who high and dry?  

[P.C.]

The families who would starve if we take away their income.

[Sportsdude]

They wouldn't starve if the corporations paid their parents well, and then the local governments crack down and move the kids from the coal mines to the classroom. They're being paid less then a dollar a day in most places. All because of profits.  

[P.C.]

Like put what in place? These corporations and governments don't listen. Heck just look at our two countries labour history. It took an all out revolt and mass riots to affect change. If not we still would be working 20hrs a day.

While most child labour is forced. Yes families sell their kids because they're poor. That's another problem to fix, corruption of the local governments.

  I have no idea....I don't even come close to suggesting I have answers.   I'm trying to say that there is cause and effect.....and we have to pay attention to it all.  Would you feel any sense of accomplishment or satisfaction in stopping child labour if the result  was they all perished from starvation?  I'm just questioning if those who ARE fighting some causes are aware that eliminating the symptoms isn't necessarily eliminating the problem.  

[49er]

Lise wrote:
It's not just in 3rd world countries that this is happening. Even in Canada and some parts of the USA where immigrants workers (and their children) work under appalling conditions that are not reported because they fear the consequences of speaking out loud.



I wish there was a site that do report on items that use illegal forced labor so I can make my decision to not buy them. Does anyone know of a site that does this?[/DIV]
 Unless there is a union label you can bet that any garment was put together by women working by the piece in a sweat shop, whether its in India, Guam, or North America  

[Sportsdude]

people won't go poor if you put a stop to child labour because if you put a stop to child labour that means the will of the workers rights has dawned. That's what happened here. The will of the people for workers rights happened and people won the right to unionize and wages and job safety went up.