Navigate the site: 1. INTRO … 2. Learn … 3. Plan … 4. REFLECT
Overview of Plan and Supplies Needed
We give very specific information on what Cabrini University developed for our simulation. We hope this helps you, but feel free to modify and improve what we did. We tried to create an experience of three ways in which everyday products involve forced labor (modern slavery or human trafficking) in their manufacture.
There are five different main parts of the simulation. You will need from 10-15 Ambassadors or students to do the simulation as outlined here. Here are the five main parts of the simulation, how we set each part up, and supplies we needed.
- A display from a typical American mall of products that could contain components made by forced labor. (1-2 students) This display will be at the beginning of the simulation. This person will need to be very outgoing and engaging because they must get participants excited and eager to find out about their technology, their candy, and their clothes.o.
- A reenactment of a slaveholder and a child laborer extracting Conflict Minerals from a mine to be used in our technology. (2-3 students)
- A reenactment of a slaveholder and a child laborer picking cocoa for our chocolate. (2-3 students)
- A reenactment of a slaveholder and a sweatshop worker making our clothes. (2-3 students)
- Learn about Ethical Trade, Advocate for government policies and receive take-aways as reminders of the experience. (2-4 students)
1. An American Mall (1-2 students)
We tried to set up a visual barrier to separate the Mall from the scenes of exploitation, so that we could “take people behind the scenes” of their products. On one or two 4×8′ tables, students created displays of all those T-shirts sitting in drawers at home, several bags of cheap chocolate candy from Hershey’s and Mars, and empty boxes of iPhones, Samsungs, etc. A couple of students (who represented Mall “associates”) pitched their wares and told participants they they will now learn how these products are made.
2. Conflict Minerals and Child Labor (3 students)
One student is the Labor Trafficker (each of the three stations has a Labor Trafficker). It is their job to address the participants with the kind of allure that would convince a desperately poor person in the Democratic Republic of Congo to come and work in a mine with the promise of good pay after working for a length of time. This student should watch “Blood in the Mobile” minutes 21-24:30 and 31-48:30 carefully to learn how vulnerable children are and what a trafficker would say to force or lure a family to allow a child to be a slave in the mine.
- One student is a child slave working in the mine. S/he should also watch the video to act the part of the slave.
- Props: we obtained a container, bought garden dirt, got some big rocks to put in the dirt, and a hammer and chisel to represent digging. The slave smeared herself with dirt and wore a torn T-shirt.
- Give the participants a chance to ask questions of the slave, who should answer the questions keeping to her role as a slave.
- Finally a third student is the Debriefer, who gives participants background on Conflict Minerals. S/he works from a poster that explains how our technology may contain conflict minerals. The handout of Demand the Supply is helpful also.
3. Child Labor in Chocolate/Cocoa growing (3 students)
One student is the Labor Trafficker (each of the three stations has a Labor Trafficker). It is their job to address the participants with the kind of allure that would convince a desperately poor person in the region around the Ivory Coast to come and work in a cocoa farm with the promise of good pay after working for a length of time. This student should watch minutes 8-20 of The Dark Side of Chocolate, which shows actual trafficking, to learn how vulnerable children are and what a trafficker would say to force or lure a family to allow a child to travel a great distance to work picking cocoa pods with a machete.
- A second student is a child slave working on the cocoa plantation. S/he should also watch the video to act the part of the slave.
- Props: we obtained a winterberry bush, filled with red berries, from a garden supply store and got some artificial or live plantings from around campus. The winterberry bush cost about $40 so any ideas for a similar way to simulate picking is welcome. The slave smeared herself with dirt and wore a torn T-shirt.
- Give the participants a chance to ask questions of the slave, who should answer the questions keeping to her role as a slave.
- Finally a third student is the Debriefer, who gives participants background on forced labor in our chocolate as well as how slow the chocolate industry has been to respond. S/he works from a poster that explains how our candy may likely contain slave-picked cocoa.
4. Clothing and Forced Labor (3 students)
- One student is the Labor Trafficker (each of the three stations has a Labor Trafficker). It is their job to address the participants with the kind of allure would convince a desperately poor person in the region in Southeast Asia and beyond to come and work in a dangerous sweatshop with the promise of good pay after working for a length of time. Refer to the Clothing section on the LEARN page, especially this site on Child Labor in the Fashion Supply Chain, to get background on the conditions in the fast fashion industry.
- A second student is a child laborer working on the garment industry. S/he should also study this site to get background on how to act – Child Labor in the Fashion Supply Chain
- Props: we borrowed a sewing machine and Indian clothing for this scene.
A third student is the debriefer to give background on fast fashion and forced labor. S/he should also study this site to get background on how to act – Child Labor in the Fashion Supply Chain. Here’s a sample of what a debriefer might say about workers in the Fast Fashion industry.
5. Reflection and Advocacy (2-4 students)
- The Ambassadors at the Reflection station should continue to help the participants process what they have learned in light of Catholic Social Teaching. We have handouts of CRS Guiding Principles or download Key (10) Principles of CST-1page. Here these ambassadors can lead a dialogue with participants about what they learned and their emotional reactions to the three examples of human trafficking.
- The Ambassador(s) here should refer to the Advocacy tab for content.
- Supplies for the Advocacy table. We have tried several forms of social media and advocacy.
- The most basic is a poster board that asks “if you learned and now understand how much we are a part of human trafficking just through our unknowing use of everyday products. We provide an inkpad for thumbprints or Sharpies for participants to sign their name.
- We have computers for participants to email Members of Congress. See Advocacy tab. This takes longer to do. If you are expecting a large number, you could hand out a sheet of how to do the advocacy at home.
6. Ethical Trade table (1-2 students)
We were able to work with two organizations to get samples of products that do not involve human trafficking. You might have stores in your area. We also gave out samples of Fair Trade chocolate!
- CRS Ethical Trade is able to work with you to supply sample catalogues and other promotional materials.
- Ten Thousand Villages.
- We have a number of stores in our area and we were able to get samples of materials they use at their presentations. We also hold a holiday sale so you could combine a table staffed by a person from the store, if they are able to accommodate you.
- Students and staff often purchase ethically. Put out a call for people to bring in samples of clothing, coffee, etc., that they use at home.
