Concerned teens speak out on behalf of child labourers.

national | rights and freedoms | news report Friday March 27, 2009 15:59 by Cailan O'Connell - Concern European Youth Against Child Labour Campaigning Academy cailanoconnell at live dot ie

Twenty-Eight senior cycle students from around the country have come together to make a difference on child labour.

The students first met in October of 2008. Friday the 27th of March marked their jubilant graduation from Concern’s ‘European youth against child labour’ campaigning academy. It did not however mark the end of their struggle.

Approximately 218 million children in the world today are forced to work in full time employment to sustain their families. These children must forgo even the most basic education, depriving them of their chance of a brighter future for both themselves and their nations as a whole.

“I found this expierence inspiring” said Ruth Ní Bheoláin, Laurel Hill Coláiste student. It gave me a broader outlook on the world and its issues and it helped me see that all of us, as individuals and as a group can make a difference.” It was clear that these students recognized child labour as an issue that affected not only the labourers themselves but the world on a larger scale.

Concern provided them with not only an overview of the issue of child labour itself but also with detailed training workshops on Campaigning, lobbying and Press Relations. The students spoke to experienced representatives from Concern, SpunOut.ie and Irish Aid, as well as Brain McDonald of the Irish Independent, Nick Grisewood of ‘Scream’ and Conall O’ Caoímh of the recently founded NGO; ‘Value Added in Africa’.

At the conclusion of their time together the students compiled their views on the issue and the solutions for individuals, NGOs and Governments in a “European youth against child labour” declaration. They worked on it in collaboration with similarly concerned youth from around Europe including students from the Czech Republic, Denmark and Germany. The declaration in its full form can be found at concern.net under the “what you can do” section on schools.

As the Concern Campaigning Academy draws to a close, the main aspirations which the students have expressed are to see their opinions brought to the global political table and to be genuinely considered by the individuals who hold an influential position on the issue. They also wish to see European consumers ensuring that they are aware of the issues and to ask questions of their retail providers at every turn.