Analysis Of Lizzy Axiak Rostrum Speech - 1014 Words

Lizzy Axiak Rostrum Speech Often when scientists are asked what they are researching, their response is rarely, ‘How the universe was created,’ or ‘The cure for cancer. Generally, they’ll claim to be to be investigating a very specific problem - a small detail forming part of a big picture. On a global scale; the international community is the picture; however, it is difficult to paint a picture of the world neighbourhood, because our culture has become so fragmented and frantic. The reality is, we all believe that slavery was abolished in the 1800s. However, children as young as seven are forced to endure the tedious labour required to prepare luxuries for Westerns. They earn no wages- just food, the occasional tip and the torn clothes†¦show more content†¦[PAUSE]My guess is you indulged in chocolate made from cocoa beans picked by one of the 2.1 million West African children who do the physically taxing and dangerous work of harvesting cocoa. Ironically, we associate the phrase ‘Death by Chocolate’ with the stomach ache from eating too much of it, however, for these 2.1 million children that is their pre-conceived fate. Often, traffickers abduct young children from small villages in neighbouring African countries and force them to work on the plantations. Due to their low economic status, these children are coerced to endure labour intensive work: some of the children use chainsaws to clear the forests for paddocks, while others, climb the cocoa trees to cut down bean pods with a machete .They live in small huts, with no running water, sewer systems or provisions for education.[PAUSE] Some of the world’s largest chocolate giants, and very familiar, almost comforting names, such as Hershey, Mars, and Nestle are heavily dependent on West African Cocoa Farmers. When we ignorantly purchase chocolates from these companies, we sentence millions of children to a life of misery.[PAUSE-MORE OPTIMISTIC] In choosing companies who produce fair trade chocolate, such as, Cadbury, we can improve the lifestyles of entire communities. In 2014, The World Bank reported 46.3% of Sub-Saharan Africa was living below the poverty line; paradoxically, the chocolate