Taste of Chocolate

This Blog

This weblog is providing you an unprecedented ability to participate in the internet community. We are using this tool to effectively break down the walls of the classroom, integrating teaching and learning with local and virtual communities. During this Quarter, you will be able to have discussions with people involved in establishing and protecting the human rights of children through out the World. Check back often to have conversations with your friends about human rights, and special guests, as they are announced.

Slavery - A Global Investigation

Slavery is officially banned internationally by all countries, yet despite this, in the world today there are more slaves now than ever before. How would you go about stopping child slavery in the world today?

Outlawed, yet it persists

Slavery, in all its forms, has been outlawed in international human rights treaties, in international labor rights agreements and in almost every country worldwide. Nonetheless it persists as a grave abuse of human rights in many countries. Why does slavery persist?

Slide Show Reactions

Make your comments about the slide show photographs. Do these children have human and/or civil rights?

Facts About the Issue - BONUS

Now that your have read the article, titled Facts About the Issue, for Week 3 and successfully answered the online questions, go for the BONUS question. What type of government exists in the Ivory Coast?

Is the Government of the Ivory Coast working?

Groups 3A, 6C, 7A, and 8C only read the article under Current Events titled "Descent of Ivory Coast" and answer the following question for 5 BONUS points - Is the government of Ivory Coast capable of stopping slavery in its nation?

Short Audio/Video Clips

In the video segment with David Bull of the United Nation's Children's Fund, he mentions something about "wider Issues". What are the wider issues to the problem of child slavery?

Radio Times

"We need to be permanently concerned with where cocoa comes from, the impact of cocoa on the environment and how the workers are treated," said Larry Graham, president of the Chocolate Manufactures Association (CMA), the American industry trade group. What specific actions, if any in your opinion, is the CMA taking to stop child slavery and trafficking?

Hello from Free the Slaves

My name is Jacob Patton, and I am Director of Outreach and Technology for the non-profit organization Free the Slaves. Free the Slaves is the sister organization of the UK-based Anti-Slavery International, the oldest human rights organization in the world. Since its creation in 2000, Free the Slaves has labored to identify and eliminate modern slavery wherever it exists, and we believe that we can end slavery in our lifetimes.

Thank you, Mr. Fullerton, for inviting me and the rest of my Free the Slaves coworkers to contribute to your class's blog. The posts and comments up so far are fascinating, and I am excited to take part in your discussions. If you have any questions for me or for anyone else here at Free the Slaves, please just post them in the comments!

Over the next few days, I'll try to respond to your questions, and I'll also write some posts about the projects we're currently working on. In the mean-time, though, have a look at some recent activity from our Washington, D.C. headquarters. Last week our whole office was mobilized in a big year-end fundraising push, and we were all busy stuffing envelopes and calling our supporters. FYI, I'm the guy in the black pullover. (I had no idea I was so bald!)

Thanks again, Jacob Patton