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Said Farah-Ceh

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Working children: should we prohibit, permit or promote it.

For many years various international institutions (such as Unesco or the goverment) have fought against child labor, saying it is a way to exploit them. But since 1976 in Peru there is an organization of children and adolescents who are clamoring for their right to work, ensuring that through work they can get different skills, knowledge and social abilities.

* What is your personal position on this issue that concerns us all, in one way or another?
* If you were the minister of labor in your country, what position would you have to child labor.

Topics: Children's issues adult children children fun human rights working children
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    Salim Solaiman 50+

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    Jul 6 2012: Like some friends already said here , it's difficult to give an universal clear cut answer as it depends on the country where the child belongs to and it's economy as well as econimical background a child comes from. We all here would love to say, children should play and learn only.....but to some situation , in many countires a child's hand also has to be consdiered hand of bread earner otherwise family starves including that child....that's the reality of our world.

    Some years back in my country due to pressure from international organisations like ILO, UNESCO etc Child labour was ban.......they were put in schools ran by NGO which offers education but not bread.......hungry kids were unable to learn so dropped out en mass......NGO even Government came up with new initiative ...which if kid attend school s/he will get food situation improved a bit but not much as back home other mouths are hungry .......

    So to give a clear cut universal seems difficult for me......reality is heart breaking.
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      Said Farah-Ceh

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      Jul 6 2012: Who says the Unesco is absolutely right. In fact the children of which I speak, belonging to "Manthoc" fight face to face with the people of the United Nations, Unesco, etc..

      Who the hell they think they are to determine what is best for whom?

      And also you, as other many freiends of ted are talking just about the economic situation, but what happens when the children wants to work instead of play. Actually they see work as a game with rules and responsabilities, wich most adults dont see it like this.

      What do you think?
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        Salim Solaiman 50+

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        Jul 7 2012: Not sure who said, but sure I am I never consider UNESCO kind of organisation to be right even mostly forget about being absolutely right .

        "who the hell they ..............." That's a valid question of yours, which is mine as well but reality is they determines things in many instances for many countries as they did for my country.

        There can be other factors other than economics I agree but can you give me some statistics about how many kids with affluent economic background goes for work to earn food?

        The adults who sees work as fun they outperform all other and succeed but they are mere minority. You might have talked or done research on working kids in good length , so might have interesting insight...would love to hear those.

        Me being from such country where people including kids need to fight against hunger ,whenever have time and come accross such kid tried to understand what their view is about their work. Almost all were telling that they are just unlucky so poor so need to work hard ........none of them told me to take it as a game......but caution is I was not researching so my question to them can be faulty , so the answer as well
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          Said Farah-Ceh

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          Jul 7 2012: They determin also a lot of thing in my country, I am (and live) in one of those called "developing country" but I dont like that name.

          I understand what you are saying, and of course I dont have the statistics you are asking for because usually I do my research with children in need, not with wealthy kids. You have a good point.
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        Salim Solaiman 50+

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        Jul 12 2012: Hi Said
        Let me correct, it's mostly UNICEF not UNESCO who are busy in offering such prescription in so called third world countries (now a days the terms is made a bit civilized by calling those 'developing countries) without understanding intrinsic challenges and opportunities of those countries

        Really curious I am to know about your research findings.
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          Said Farah-Ceh

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          Jul 12 2012: I can send you a few of them, but they are in Spanish.
          Let me know if you are interested.

          Smiles!

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