March for a free world from child labor

Facebook users will be able to challenge child labor using a novel application

Less than a month before the III Global Child Labour Conference is held in Brasilia, from 8th to 10th October; ILO, Telefónica Foundation and Global March Against Child Labour, together with the Government of Brazil, launched the Virtual March "For a free world form child labor", an application that allows Facebook users to protest against child labor. The initiative introduces several innovations of communication, increasing awareness and mobilization to encourage participation globally in the challenge of eliminating child labor, a phenomenon affecting 215 million children and adolescents, of which 115 million are in its worst forms.

The Virtual March symbolically aims to cover the 8,760 kilometers between The Hague, which hosted the II Global Conference on Child Labour, and Brasilia. Access to the application is provided through the official Facebook page of the III Conference, where each person can donate her profile picture to walk 100 meters and build the "whirligig" symbol of the fight against child labor, which will then be printed or projected on a large scale during the event. Through the application user will be able to learn more about the problem and "walk" together towards a free world from child labor.

This Virtual March replicates, using new information and communication technologies, the physical Global March of 1998 involving demonstrations against child labor to raise awareness and encourage world governments to implement laws to protect children and adolescents and to demand the immediate elimination of the worst forms of child labor.

Expressing solidarity for the virtual march, Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson, Global March Against Child Labour said “World is looking at the civil society for its revitalised role in the fight against child labour”. He further added that “In a civilised society there is no excuse for child labour and for practices that entail exploitation of children”. He called upon all stakeholders particularly those in the developing nations to take the wheel in making child labour history.

"Stand up against child labour" is the application’s motto, available clicking on the following link
www.facebook.com/GCChildLabour.