Tag Archives: Slavery

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SHOCK: Secret ingredient in chocolate

06/06/2015 Nativegrl77

The only guilt from eating chocolate should be the calories, right?
Unfortunately, with each tasty bite, you could unknowingly be supporting slave labour in the Ivory Coast, where children as young as 7 are forced to work long hours in cocoa fields and beaten if they work too slow. Some are sold for as little as a couple of dollars, deceived by promises of decent work and trapped in a life of slavery.
Many chocolate brands have made public commitments to find the best solution. But we’ve learned that Warner Bros. is refusing to tell consumers where the cocoa for their Harry Potter chocolates comes from.
Warner Bros. is heading into one of the busiest times of the year for their theme parks. Children excited to experience the world of Harry Potter will be asking their parents to buy these chocolates. Taking a stand right now will make a big impact – will you help?
Ask Warner Bros. what steps they’re taking to ensure Harry Potter chocolates are free of slavery.

Warner Bros. is ‘satisfied’ they’re using fair labour in Harry Potter chocolates.
But are you?

Ask Warner Bros. where the cocoa for their Harry Potter chocolates comes from.

While many chocolate brands have made public commitments to find the best solution, we’re singling out Warner Bros. because:

An independent investigation into their supplier Behr’s Chocolates led to a failing score of 1 out of 48 possible measures to ensure their operations are slavery-free;
Warner Bros. dismissed the findings of the investigation, simply stating that they were ‘satisfied’ that fair labour practices were being used in the production of their chocolates;
Given the conflicting information, outraged consumers asked Warner Bros. what steps were taken to ensure there was no slavery in Harry Potter Chocolates. Warner Bros. refused to respond.

We’re concerned that Harry Potter chocolates may contain cocoa harvested in conditions of modern slavery. Ask Warner Bros. where the cocoa for their Harry Potter chocolates comes from.
As consumers, we deserve to know that the products we buy are free from the taint of modern slavery.
Thank you in advance for taking action. Please share this with your friends to bring us one step closer to ending modern slavery in the cocoa industry.
Kate, Amy, Debra, Mich, Jess, Nick and all the Walk Free Muggles

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the Indian Parliament chose to delay the ban on child labour.

12/02/2013 Nativegrl77

Your support was instrumental in building pressure for the Indian government to pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill in August. But despite 1,010,918 signatures (including yours), the Indian Parliament chose to delay the ban on child labour.

The Parliament resumes on 5 December, and we need greater public support this time to ensure that our voice is not ignored. Can you help by forwarding the message below to your friends and family asking them to call on the Indian government and ensure that it passes the bill immediately?

Thank you in advance for your help.

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“On the day that Durga Mala was rescued, she lay crying on the stone floor, where she was attempting to cool her back. She was 11 years old and her skin was covered with blisters, from her shoulder blades to her buttocks. A few days earlier, her owners had poured hot oil over her because they thought she was working too slowly.”¹

The Indian Parliament must believe we’re not concerned about Durga or millions of children like her in India. Why? Because time and again, the Parliament has delayed a vote on the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill, which would ban employment of children up to 14 years of age. But we are watching.

The Indian Parliament resumes on 5 December. Every day the bill is delayed, several children remain at risk of being bought and sold to work in unimaginable conditions of sex slavery, bonded labour and domestic servitude. Unless we speak up.

We need to build massive public pressure for the Indian government to pass this historic legislation that will help end child slavery in India.

Call on the Indian Parliament to immediately pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill and help end child slavery in India.

In just days, the Indian Parliament will resume. This is our last chance to put the bill to vote before general elections next year.

The Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill will:
1. Prohibit employment of children up to 14 years of age; 2. Outline harsher sentences for violators of child labour laws; and 3. Provide for monitoring of suspected instances of child slavery.

While stories like Durga’s are making headlines, there are many more that remain hidden, trapped in the nightmare of modern slavery — with no choice, no pay and with no realistic chance of escaping. At an age when children should be in school, they are being subjected to situations that make them vulnerable to serious physical and psychological harm.

But all this could end. The ban on child labour will help end enslavement of children in India. But the delay to vote on this bill is delaying freedom for children from modern slavery. Even scarring them for life.

Tell the Indian government to help end child slavery and pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill now.

Thank you in advance for your support. Once you have taken action, please forward this message on to everyone you know and help bring us one step closer to eliminating modern slavery.

In solidarity,

Debra, Mich, Jess, Kamini, Mika, Sarah, Kate, Olly, Joanna, Jayde and the Walk Free Team

P.S. On Twitter? Follow us

¹ http://abcnews.go.com/International/daughters-sale-indias-child-slavery-scourge/story?id=20540368&singlePage=true

Walk Free is a movement of people everywhere, fighting to end one of the world’s greatest evils: Modern slavery.

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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ThinkProgress

09/12/2013 Nativegrl77

FL POLICE CHIEF: EITHER GEORGE ZIMMERMAN IS LYING OR HIS LAWYER IS

THE SAD REALITY BEHIND THE MEASLES OUTBREAK

HOW SLAVERY TURNS WHITE SOUTHERNERS INTO REPUBLICANS

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Debra Rosen, Walk Free & Florida tomatoes

08/21/2013 Nativegrl77

Publix Super Markets just released their latest financial results – US$7 BILLION in sales for the second quarter of this year1. Good for them, right?

We guess so, except we can’t help wondering: while improving sales and promoting their range of Florida tomatoes why is Publix STILL REFUSING to join the fight against slavery in the U.S. tomato industry?

Florida’s tomato farms supply 50% of all U.S. fresh tomatoes2 but have also been called America’s ‘ground zero for slavery’. Countless workers are held against their will, threatened with violence and forced to haul hundreds of heavy tomato buckets a day for little to no pay.

Thankfully, a new solution called the Fair Food Program has been proven successful in the fight against worker exploitation. But a major U.S. supermarket chain, Publix Super Markets, is refusing to support the Fair Food Program. Publix continues to buy tomatoes from farms where workers still toil beyond the reach of its proven protection from modern slavery.

Tell Publix Super Markets CEO William Crenshaw to join the fight against slavery in the U.S. tomato industry now.

In the past 15 years, over 1,000 people have been freed from modern slavery in Florida’s tomato fields3. The worst employers have been charged with beating workers who attempt to leave, holding employees in debt, and even chaining victims inside U-Haul style trucks as punishment.

Other leading food companies like Subway, Trader Joe’s and McDonald’s have already joined the Fair Food Program, demanding a policy of zero tolerance for human rights abuses, including slavery, on tomato farms. However, Publix Super Markets has turned a blind eye to the problem and has yet to take action.

Tell Publix to make the right decision to join the Fair Food Program and ensure our tomatoes meet the highest human rights standards in the food industry today.

We think Publix will make the right choice, but it won’t happen without broad public support. Once you’ve sent your message to Publix, please forward this email on to your friends and family, urging them to join the fight against modern slavery.

Thank you for your support,

Debra, Kate, Mich, Nick, Amy, Jess, Ryan, Hayley and the Walk Free Team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Slave labor linked to palm oil

07/25/2013 Nativegrl77

Tell Cargill CEO Gregory Page you’re outraged his company is importing palm oil made with child and slave labor

Businessweek has released a groundbreaking article connecting Indonesia‘s palm oil industry to widespread cases of forced and child labor. The stories are truly terrifying, including workers, many of whom are children, being defrauded, abused, and held captive on palm plantations. All to grow a plant and extract its oil for use in junk food, lipsticks and other household items in our supermarkets.
As the Businessweek piece put it: “…[B]ecause palm oil companies face little pressure from consumers to change, they continue to rely on largely unregulated contractors, who often use unscrupulous practices.” The power is ours to change this story. TODAY. It’s time to tell Cargill, the leading supplier of palm oil in the country, that we will not stand for child and slave labor in our food.
The Businessweek piece was instigated by a nine-month investigation of the palm oil industry by the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism. The investigation focused on one of the world’s most significant palm oil suppliers, Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK), a major Cargill supplier. KLK workers—men, women and children—were lured thousand of miles away from their homes with promises of good work. What they found was that they wouldn’t be paid for two years, but only loaned up to $16 a month for health care and company-owned food. Many workers were locked into “stifling, windowless barracks” at night, and their national identity cards and school certificates were confiscated to prevent them from escaping.
So what did Cargill have to say about the practices of its corporate partner KLK? According to Businessweek: “Cargill defended its supplier. ‘At this time, KLK is not in violation of any labor laws where they operate nor are we aware of any investigation of KLK’s labor practices,’ says Cargill spokeswoman Susan Eich in an e-mail.”
This makes me furious. Let’s make sure Cargill doesn’t get away with using a PR flack to dodge its huge role in subjecting laborers and children to horrifying working conditions.
Please take the time today to tell Cargill to get conflict palm oil and slave and child labor out of our food.
Let’s face it, news breaks every day and then disappears into the background. In fact, companies like Cargill count on it. But we’ve all seen stories that break through and facilitate epic changes. The internet really does make it possible for our communities to amplify the news we care about—news that would otherwise go unseen. Today we have the opportunity to make sure palm oil plantation workers are not alone.
In too many ways, Cargill is right at the center of palm oil’s controversial web. Cargill must adopt comprehensive safeguards to prevent palm oil connected to slave and child labor, human rights abuses and rainforest destruction from tainting the world’s food supply.
Please tell Cargill today that you demand the company have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to slave and child labor.
You’ve told us that together we need to do everything in our power to get conflict palm oil off our grocery store shelves. This article needs to become our ammunition for educating our communities and going after the companies most responsible. When you’re done writing to Cargill today please take the time to encourage your friends to do the same. Let’s not let this issue fade from the front page.