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Update from DKA's campaign against child labour

Update from DKA's campaign against child labour

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In August, we posted on our Facebook page that our development partner, Dreikönigsaktion der Katholischen Jungschar (DKA Austria), recently conducted a "Stop Child Labor" campaign. We had posted that you could view the very creative mosaic that they had created.

We just received another update that we would like to share with you. Martina Clara Podeprel, Advocacy & Campaigns for DKA, wrote the following:

Altogether we have received around 5000 submissions from symbolic hands against child labour. We encourage you to visit the website, and even though it is in German, you can view the mosaic with all the photos and also you can zoom in and see each picture: https://www.kinderarbeitstoppen.at/mach-mit

We had three appointments with high-level political decision-makers in Austria during June and July to hand over the mosaic photo wall with your contributions.

  • On the Day Against Child Labor, our DKA executive director along with other Austrian organisations and a children's delegation had an appointment with Austrian Justice Minister Alma Zadic. You can see the facebook post from the minister of justice here: https://www.facebook.com/alma.zadic/posts/2812753175654943

(pictures with the Austrian Justice Minister)

Austrian Justice Minister Alma Zadic looking at the mosaic Austrian Justice Minister Alma Zadic holding mosaic with DKA rep Group photo behind the msaic
  • The diocese of Linz had an appointment the same week with Thomas Stelzer, Governor of Upper Austria. Mr. Stelzer is the governor of one of Austria’s nine provinces and quite influential in the governing party on national level. You can see his video statement here. Unfortunately, it is also in German, but you can auto-generate English subtitles to understand the key messages about child labour and supply chain responsibility.

Thomas Stelzer, Governor of Upper Austria for #stopchildlabour poster

  • In July we had a last appointment before our summer break. We handed over the mosaic to the President of the Austrian Parliament, together with a children's delegation and strongly urged the need for binding laws to protect human rights in supply chains. 

(pictures with the President of the Austrian Parliament):

Thomas Stelzer, Governor of Upper Austria with DKA reps and children Thomas Stelzer, Governor of Upper Austria with DKA reps and children with the mosaic Thomas Stelzer, Governor of Upper Austria with DKA reps and children

The German Bundestag passed a supply chain law on June 11. A legislative proposal from the European Commission for a Europe-wide regulation is to be presented this year. Important steps in the right direction with a major role model effect: We are doing everything we can to ensure that Austria has to follow soon (and hopefully other European countries will join). Lets hope for the best, we will keep on pushing.

We are planning to submit letters from Austria during the last quarter of the year to members of the European parliament together with other Catholic development organisations to advocate for a law facilitating access to justice for victims of corporate abuse. Here you can watch the animated campaign video from CIDSE in English, explaining why such a law is crucial for achieving justice.

Cartoon hands joined together

Also, the Catholic Children´s Movement selected the Right to Play (play, not work) as their children’s right of the year and will launch some activities around November 20, World Children’s Day.

 We play here! Children in focus

Cartoon images of children playing with "Children play here" in German.