Human Rights: Child Labor

Two brothers, ages 14 and 12, work deep inside the ancient silver mines of Cerro Rico, Bolivia. They are being raised without a father, and must work the dangerous mines to support their family and to pay for supplies vital to their education. In spite of the daily hazards and the long hours they must work inside the mine, they dream of saving enough money for an education that will lead to a better life.

---

In a bustling wasteland of stolen cars, mechanics and street hustlers, Alejandro, a tough and ambitious street orphan, and his older sister, Isamar, must rely on each other to survive. Living and working in the Iron Triangle, a sprawling junkyard in Queens, New York, the two find their dreams threatened by the hard truths of life, only to find hope and salvation in one another.

A very readable examination of the key issues surrounding children's work. As an overview of the literature on working children, the book argues for a subject-centered, cross-cultural approach to work.

Accessible treatment of child labor in Africa with photographs that give a human face to the issues. The authors draw on sources ranging from scholarly studies to children's own voices. After providing a general background to the topic - debunking myths in the process - they describe the work typically done by African children in the home, as apprentices, and in commercial labor markets. They also present a clearheaded discussion of the worst, exploitive kinds of child labor. The book ends with a discussion of the effects of work on children, suggesting a variety of concrete, realistic approaches to minimizing negative consequences.