If you live on the westside, let’s carpool downtown on Monday. If you already work downtown, take your lunch break at 12:30 and meet us outside the courthouse.

Why? Cuz chocolate’s yummier without forced child labor.

The bulk of the chocolate sold in the US comes from Nestle, Cargill, and Archer Daniels-Midland — who’re now being sued by the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) for using forced child labor in their West African cocoa farms.

And serendipitously, the first court hearing’s scheduled for Monday, a week before Valentine’s Day.

So show up to the action, planned by Global Exchange and the Organic Consumers Association, to demand that these companies stop using cocoa harvested by forced child labor.

You can bring your own signs, drums, whatever. Children are welcome. We need to send a message against child labor and in support of Fair Trade.

And hey, there’ll be a game of fair trade trivia, with fair trade chocolate Valentines Day kits given out as prizes :) A week later, come to the chocolate and wine party chez moi, and we can reminisce about our choco activism –

For those outside the LA area — Here are some actions you can take. And for more on chocolate and slavery, read Global Exchange’s report (PDF)

Action against forced child labor. Feb. 6th @ 12:30 pm. US District Court #6. 312 N. Spring St. Los Angeles. Contact: Carlos Martinez. 415.260.8566.

Update, 2/6/06: A report from the event :)

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