I have just returned from Toronto, participating in a workshop on modern slavery. As the only practitioner in a room full of academics I began the meeting feeling rather out of my depth - overawed by the eminence and sheer brainpower of my fellow contributors. As time went on, however, I realised that I did have something important and valuable to say.
The focus of my presentation was 'listening to child domestic workers', which, in an earlier incarnation I had titled 'what child domestic workers have taught us' - but you get the idea. I had guessed that, amidst the complex theories and intricate critiques (not to mention some seriously big words), the voices of those people actually living the exploitation we were discussing would get lost, and it was this gap that I wanted to fill. The point I made, mainly through the words and images collected from child domestic workers over a number of years, was that we owe it to them to better understand their situation, and that we must do so by listening to their experiences and perspectives - not because we like to be nice to children but because it is their right to be heard.
My talk was greeted by an interesting mix of reactions. It was encouraging to find some that had found the practical emphasis and focus on children's voices a refreshing antidote to other more scholarly presentations. But the lack of feedback following what I had to say - which had been plentiful for others - indicated that something had not quite hit the mark. Was it the subject matter? Hardly; while literature on child domestic workers is not vast, it is not a new topic. Was it my critique of current theories, such as the trafficking framework? Unlikely, given that many of the workshop papers critiqued the creeping use of 'trafficking' as a catch-all for contemporary slavery practices. Was it my style of practical analysis? Possibly. However, as virtually the only person in the room who was explicitly talking about children and their rights, I came to the conclusion that this was the main source of the 'disconnect'. I was surprised. As someone who has lived and breathed children's rights during my career, I assumed that a group of scholarly lawyers and sociologists were similarly aware and engaged. It reminded me that much of what I take for granted - the assumptions I make and my understanding of the world - is not as intuitive to others as I had thought. I was also reminded that we still have a job to do to explain why children's rights is so important.
I ended up enjoying this meeting hugely, not only because it challenged me intellectually but because it gave me an opportunity to reflect. While so many of us see time for reflection as an unaffordable luxury in our time-pressed world, I began to truly understand its value. Listening to people - really LISTENING to what they have to say - whether they be inspiring scholars in Toronto, or child domestic workers around the world, is equally important and benefits us all. As one child domestic worker from India puts it: "I am happy they ask us. I have much to tell about my struggle.
click here to view Jonathan's presentation slides
click here to view Jonathan's presentation notes
click here to view Jonathan's presentation slides
click here to view Jonathan's presentation notes
