Bolivia recently passed an outrageous law that will allow companies to put children as young as 10-years-old to work.
The Bolivian government has the mistaken belief that allowing children with parental permission to work will reduce poverty, when in fact it will only perpetuate the problem for years to come.
Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch states "I've found that young children are rarely able to resist family pressure to go to work. A young girl I interviewed in Morocco, for example, endured beatings from her employer and worked extreme hours because she felt obliged to help her family."
The only way out of poverty is through education and skills training that can compete in the global market. But this law is out of step with virtually every other country on earth who are working to get rid of unsafe child labor practices.
Please sign this petition on behalf of the Bolivian children who have no say in the course of their lives! Ask President Morales to reverse this law and urge the International Labour Organization to denounce its passage!
Dear President, Evo Morales and the International Labour Organization
We (the undersigned) implore you to think of the safety and future of Bolivian children and NOT sign the proposed Bill allowing children as young as 10-years-old to go to work. While it may seem like a quick fix to alleviating desperate economic times, there are other ways to ensure the stability of your country by implementing education and training programs for Bolivia's youth that they can carry into adulthood, thus, pulling Bolivia out of poverty and strife. We also ask the International Labour Organization to firmly denounce this initiative!
Please don't sign this Bill!
Sincerely,
