For over 400 years more than 15 million, men, women and children were the victims of the tragic transatlantic slave trade, one of the deadliest chapters in human history.It is a sad fact that there are more people in slavery today than during the entire period of the International Slave Trade.
The United Nations defines slavery as " when someone is coerced against their will into making money for someone else.
According to the International Labour Organisation, almost 21 million people are enslaved into forced labour worldwide generating an estimated $150 billion in illegal profits each day, forced into labour in the global economy.
They are exploited by private individuals or enterprises,with economic self interest and moral convictions cast aside, many of todays' capitalist corporations, still turn a blind eye, still profiting from peoples misery and exploitation. Sadly too 4.5 million are victims of forced sexual exploitation.It is such an unfortunate fact that modern day slavery helps too, to fuel corruption and organised crime. Over 130 goods from more than 70 countries are still produced by forced labour.
Despite being remembered on the International Day for the Rememberance of the Slave Trade on August 23 every year, when on this day in 1791 the slaves of Saint Dominique (now known as Haiti) began an uprising. though courageous, it did not bring down the slave trade, .
We must today provide safe harbours, make sure that victims forced into illegal activities are not prosecuted
and that that are provided with shelter,treated with respect and dignity and the means to escape their oppression, and given the means and assistance available to try and help them rebuild their lives.
We should continue to be asking large companies to take action to ensure that as consumers we are contributing to the end of modern day slavery instead of propping it up.
Let us remember too as NATO meets next week in Newport, South Wales, UK, that its core member states play central roles, and are complicit in many of the causes of conflict that lead to slavery and trafficking.We should not forget that NATO is nothing more than a war machine, whose entire raison d'etre, is to start wars ,and fuel the voracious appetite of the arms industry, acting belligerently like modern day slave masters, who only show contempt for their slaves.
It is time this distortion is stopped now. End the suffering and exploitation of people across the globe.
A couple of useful links:-
http://www.stopthetraffik.org/
http://walkfree.org/
I like it whenever people come together and share thoughts.
ReplyDeleteGreat site, stick with it!