THE HIDDEN FACE OF CHOCOLATE The non-governmental organisations suspect the cocoa producers of exploiting slave children in their plantations NDR © NDR/Henrik Ipsen, U. Roberto Romano ARTE TV on Thursday Octobre 6th at 21:40) This programme was shown again: on 14/10/11 from 20:11 to 23:05 and on 22/10/11 from 20:11 to 03:30) La face cachée du chocolat (the hidden face of chocolat) Germany, 2010, for 43 minutes NDR Realisation: Miki Mistrati, Roberto Romano Chocolate, an innocent peasure ? 'The Dark Side of Chocolate'.NDR. Director; Miki Mistrati. Broadcast on ARTE TV. Chocolate,an innocent pleasure ? Non-governmental organisation or NGO's (a term introduced by the UN ) are suspecting cocoa farmers of exploiting children on their plantations. To find the truth investigative journalist Miki Mistrati went to the Ivory Coast, the worlds largest producer of cocoa and then onto Mali and brought back overwhelming evidence. Half to 1.5 million tonnes per year of the worlds chocolate is consumed by Europeans. But what do they know of the conditions in which the cocoa is harvested ? Despite promises to check the giant chocolate companies, rumors suggest trafficking of children and exploitation in the plantations, all in violation of local and international laws. High up officials and their representatives in the Ivory Coast and Mali all deny the existence of such illegal conduct. Yet the images of children filmed with a hidden camera, and the testimony of a member of Interpol, which have addressed this trafficking, confirm that this is a major scourge. Despite the heavy trafficking of children and exploitation in the plantations, this top ranking officer from Interpol managed to arrest 8 people and rescue 65 children who were returned to their countries of origin The chocolate manufacturers seem just to wash their hands of the whole issue. ANOTHER JOURNALIST WHO WAS INVESTIGATING THE CASE, WAS ARRESTED, AND LATER HE DISAPPEARED IN THE IVORY COAST A PROGRAMME ON FRENCH/GERMAN “ARTE TV” HAS DENOUNCED THE ENSLAVED CHILDREN OF THE IVORY COAST : La face cachée du chocolat (The hidden face of chocolat) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE : BOYCOT ALL CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS !!!! THE JOURNALIST MICKI MISTRATI HAS JUST COME BACK FROM THE IVORY COAST THE WORLD'S PRINCIPAL PRODUCERS OF COCOA. THE IVORY COAST MAKES £135.000.000.000 A YEAR FROM COCOA EXPORTS. CHILDREN ARE BEEN ABDUCTED FROM AFRICAN COUNTRIES SUCH AS BURKINA FASO, NIGER, NIGERIA, TOGO, GUINEA, MALI, CHAD... THEN SOLD AS SLAVES FOR 200 EUROS !! OTHERS HAVE BEEN SOLD BY THEY OWN PARENTS FOR 200 EUROS !! SOLD AS SLAVES !! THEY ARE FORCED TO WORK IN COCOA PLANTATIONS , FOR NO MONEY !! THESE CHILDREN HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS SUCH AS MALNUTRITION AND SUFFER FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE PESTICIDES THEY ARE FORCED TO USE. CONCERNING CHOCOLATE PRODUCTION ; THE “FAIR TRADE” BUSINESS IS A SCAM, A CON ! BIG CHOCOLATE PRODUCING COMPANIES ARE NOT INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW COCOA IS PRODUCED. TO REPEAT, MIKI MISTRATI, A RESEARCH JOURNALIST, USING A HIDDEN CAMERA, HAS BEEN FILMING THOSE SLAVE CHILDREN IN MALI AND THE IVORY COAST. SINCE HIS EVIDENCE WAS REJECTED BY THE BIG CHOCOLATE FIRMS, HE MOUNTED A HUGE SCREEN OUTSIDE THE NESTLE COMPANY BUILDINGS IN GENEVA-SWITZERLAND. FOR A FEW DAYS HE SHOWED THE FILM TO THE PUBLIC, THE TESTIMONY, ON FILM, ABOUT THE TRADE OF SLAVE CHILDREN IN COCOA PLANTATIONS IN MALI AND THE IVORY COAST. THE VIEWERS DID NOT SEEM TO CARE. THE POLICE CAME TO ARREST HIM, BUT LUCKILY, HE WAS OUTSIDE THE FACTORY AND THEIR JURISTICTION ON THAT OCCASION. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE : LET'S NOT ALLOW THIS SLAVE TRADE TO CARRY ON. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE : BOYCOT ALL CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS !!!! WE HAVE THE POWER, WE ARE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE : HITTING THESE CHOCOLATE PRODUCERS THROUGH THEIR POCKETS, THE ONLY LANGUAGE THEY SEEM TO UNDERSTAND---WE WILL CREATE A GAP IN THEIR ECONOMY AND THEY WILL BEGIN TO REALISE THEIR ERRORS AND THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THE INJUSTICE AND TREATMENT OF THOSE POOR CHILDREN IN AFRICA. WE HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THIS SHAMEFUL TRADE !!! I AM ALSO SENDING THIS LETTER TO AVAAZ.COM SO WE CAN ALL SIGN A PETITION DIRECTED TO THE UNITED NATIONS. WE ARE NOW IN THE 3RD MILLENIA : THE ONLY REAL WAY SHOULD BE BASED ON LOVE AND RESPECT : PLEASE, PLEASE HELP GOD BLESS YOU ALL ANGELO