Before their time: Child labor in the global commu nity

During this session I will present approximately 75 black and white photographs I have taken between 1992 and 2007. Images are part of a documentary project I have been carrying out during this period of time. The work represents a wide variety of occupations in which children are engaged. These range from fishing platforms off the coast of Sumatra to brick factories in Peru and Nicaragua. Some of these images are a unique visual insight into the maquiladoras of Latin America. Other images depict children engaged in mundane street work selling newspapers, onions, or shining shoes. Images will be presented in the context of a public health framework. More specifically, visual images will be framed to provide an understanding of how public health influences the development of child labor. A special emphasis will be placed on the worst forms of labor as defined by International Labor Office Convention 182. Visual images will help attendees develop a broader understanding of why work is hazardous to children and how work may impact growth and development (e.g., children mixing mercury-gold amalgams in boutique mines).