Devli was born into bonded labour in a stone quarry in India, breaking rocks alongside her parents all day every day. Sitting in my car immediately after her rescue, the eight-year-old girl asked:
‘Why did you not come earlier?’
Her angry question still shakes me.
What are we waiting for?
– Kailash Satyarthi, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Right now there are more than 100 million child labourers in the world of which more than 5 million are children in slavery. More than 100 million children are out of school and a staggering 2 million children have been killed in conflict over the last 10 years. Yet, these young people cause no wars, they have done nothing wrong to be attacked or denied their rights. They have no access to justice or any share of the world’s resources. Despite all the global progress we have seen, these are the world’s forgotten youth. It is the 21st century and there is no excuse to let this carry on.
The future will be better for all of us if every child grows up protected from violence and learning in school not working to survive.
It’s young people themselves who are already leading the way to this. The strength of former child labourers’ in India and the impact of other young people who are taking action around the world has inspired this global campaign. We aim to support the largest youth mobilisation in history, standing together to change the future so that every child has a chance in life.
Will you join us by taking the pledge?
I pledge to do all I can to end child labour, ensure education for all and eradicate violence against children
so that every young person is free, safe and educated.
