They are eight, we are billions! No to imperialism and capitalism, fight
for a socialist world!
One hundred and eighty million young people aged under 18 are involved in
dangerous work, slavery, forced labour, the armed forces, commercial sexual
exploitation and criminal activities. According to a new report by UNICEF UK
(18 April 2005) on global exploitation of child labour, 97% of these are in
the neo-colonial world. In Africa alone, nearly half the children between five
and 14 are working.
Zena Awad
UNICEF executive director David Bull is says: "One way to put an end to the
exploitation of children is by taking action to make poverty history and
ensuring a commitment to more and better international aid…One billion
children around the world are still living in poverty and this is an
unacceptable injustice."
Blair and Brown say they want to abolish poverty but they preside over a
capitalist system that day by day makes things worse. This system has been
responsible for driving down wages, cutting public services and forcing
through privatisation in some of the poorest countries of the world. UN
sanctions led to a million child deaths in Iraq and the war for oil has caused
the deaths and suffering of thousands more.
Young people have no illusions in big business and their corrupt
politicians – this is why the G8 summit in Edinburgh in July will be faced
with tens of thousands of young people and trade unionists demonstrating
against poverty and exploitation and pointing the finger at these world
leaders.
While the anti-capitalist movement demands an end to exploitation and
poverty, this isn’t possible under capitalism.
The untold wealth that capitalism creates for a few is stolen from the
millions living in poverty – the rich won’t abolish their own system.
International Socialist Resistance (ISR) and Socialist Students are fighting
for an end to capitalism, for a socialist world that could guarantee a decent
life for everyone on the planet.
While the slogan "another world is possible" is heard on the streets of
Edinburgh, ours will be "a socialist world is necessary!"
