Religious groups told to fight against child labor<\/p>\n
Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The International Labor Organization (ILO) has asked local
\nreligious organizations to help it free an estimated eight
\nmillion Indonesian children from the shackles of child labor.<\/p>\n
The participation of religious organizations is crucial to
\nhelp the country eradicate child labor, said Pandji Putranto, the
\nnational program manager for ILO's International Program for the
\nElimination of Child Labor (IPEC).<\/p>\n
\"We may take them (religious organizations) for granted, but
\nthey are indeed on the front lines here,\" Pandji said on Thursday
\nafter the close of a two-day workshop on how to eliminate child
\nlabor in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
About 60 participants from six religious organizations took
\npart in the workshop, discussing the need and ways to eliminate
\nchild labor in the country, according to an ILO statement.<\/p>\n
The participants came from Nadhlatul UIama, Muhammadiyah, the
\nBishops Council of Indonesia (KWI), the Indonesian Communion of
\nChurches (PGI), the Council of Buddhist Communities (Walubi) and
\nPasarisada Hindu Dharma.<\/p>\n
Pandji said religious organizations had far-reaching networks
\nand their messages were accepted by the public.<\/p>\n
\"They are strong advocators and an effective pressure group to
\nforce the government to act on child labor,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Pandji said the participants responded positively to ILO's
\ncall for a joint effort to combat child labor.<\/p>\n
He said their organizations could eventually become part of
\nIndonesia's national action program to fight child labor.<\/p>\n
According to the government, poverty is the main barrier to
\nefforts to eliminate child labor in the country.<\/p>\n
The 1997 economic crisis pushed many families below the
\npoverty line. The number of poor people in Indonesia now reaches
\nabout 40 million people, or about 20 percent of the country's 215
\nmillion population.<\/p>\n
According to ILO's estimates in 2000, some eight million
\nchildren between the ages of seven and 15 were forced into child
\nlabor, mostly to support their families.<\/p>\n
About 70 percent of these children worked in the agriculture
\nsector, including on plantations and farms, and for forestry
\ncompanies. He added that most of the children were employed by
\ntheir own families.<\/p>\n
Pandji said Indonesia's children were forced to take part in
\nnearly all of the worst forms of child labor.<\/p>\n
A recent ILO report said that 246 million children between the
\nages of five and 17 were involved in child labor worldwide.<\/p>\n
Among them, 8.4 million had fallen victim to what the
\norganization called the worst forms of child labor. This includes
\ndebt bondage, human trafficking, armed conflicts, prostitution,
\npornography and other illicit activities.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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