SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND PARTICIPATES IN 2009 WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

On June 10, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis commemorated the 2009 World Day Against Child Labor by hosting a roundtable discussion with Senator Tom Harkin and White House Council on Women and Girls Executive Director, Tina Tchen.  Institutional Learning Director, Nick Oatley, of Search for Common Ground participated in the event at the Department of Labor in Washington, DC.

The roundtable was conceived as a medium to exchange ideas among representatives from U.S. companies, unions, employer groups, nongovernmental and international organizations, and academia.  The primary discussion concerned the challenges of and opportunities to transition children, particularly girls, from exploitative labor environments and into educational and training alternatives.

Oatley emphasized the critical contribution that children and youth make in causing social change, and he noted SFCG’s history of providing journalism training for young adults, fostering unique opportunities for both children and youth to voice their concerns, learn about their rights and mobilize for transformation through radio programmes created for and by young adults in West Africa and in the Great Lakes region in Africa.

Go to the Department of Labor website for a Press Release and webcast of the event.