Blood Metals, Bitter Chocolate: Children Trapped in Our Daily Comforts
Please watch the petition video here https://youtu.be/JDQFiNzrZbo
Every smartphone, laptop, and electric vehicle depends on cobalt. Every chocolate bar begins with cocoa beans. But behind these everyday products lies a devastating reality: children as young as four are working in dangerous conditions to bring these items to our homes.
According to the International Labour Organization, 165 million children worldwide are trapped in child labor. UNICEF reports over 360,000 children, many as young as 4 years old, extract cobalt in hazardous mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo for less than $2 per day. In West Africa, 1.56 million children labor in cocoa fields without protection or education opportunities.
Our Demands for Change: We Consumers Can End This Today
We propose Consumer-Driven Fair Trade Fees:
30¢ monthly on phone bills
$5 on new smartphone purchases
$20 on new laptop purchases
$100 on new electric vehicle purchases
10% on chocolate products
These modest fees would generate billions annually to fund education, economic alternatives, monitoring systems, and community development.
Similar consumer fee systems have already proven successful with paid grocery bags for example.
Join Our 1 Million Signatures for Child-Labor-Free Products
By signing this petition, you join a growing coalition of consumers who believe great technology and delicious chocolate shouldn't come at the cost of a child's future.
Every signature strengthens our collective voice toward 1 million supporters creating unstoppable momentum for change. Together, we can urge UN members to introduce legislation in their respective countries to implement these fees, while continuing to enjoy the products we love.
SIGN to support Fair Trade Fees implementation
SHARE with your network
ADVOCATE using #FairTradeFuture on social media
CONTACT your lawmakers to support our proposal
This petition is supported by "Mamiwata's Cobalt" – a supernatural thriller highlighting the human stories behind global supply chains. The film's producers have pledged to fund educational opportunities for children in mining communities. Book on Amazon November 2025, film in theaters 2026.
