Tuesday, May 02, 2006
27 Million slaves
There are an estimated 27 million slaves today.
That is more slaves today than there has ever been in history combined. Ironically, nearly every country in the world has a law that outlaws slavery. In 1956, the UN passed the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, The Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery- a big long name pretty much saying that the international community is against slavery and slavery-like practices. A slave is forced to work through threats, and is owned or controlled by an employer. Salves are dehumanised, treated as commodities, bought and sold like property. Often times they are physically constrained, or not allowed to move freely.
Though traditional slavery that we think of today, where people are abucted and taken to far away lands to work for nothing is still existant today, most slaves today are slaves under bonded labor. Essentially, poor people are tricked or forced to take a loan from a factory owner, slave trader, etc, and in order to pay off the loan they must work for them. And of course, their labor is never enough to pay off the debt so they end up having their wives and children work under implorable conditions in order to pay off the original loan that keep gaining interest- and is passed on from generation to generation.
Think slaves are still in some far off third world poor country in South East Asia? Think again. the US State Department estimated that there are nearly 1 million people trafficked across our borders every year under the idea of forced labor. People are lured into big/major cities with the hopes of a promising future, only to be told that if they do not people prostitutes, drug peddlers, etc, they will be shot and their family that lives 2,000 miles away will be killed as well. 1 Million people. The United States of America. Didn't we defeat slavery in 1865?
Bureaucratically yes, but in practice we are actually losing the battle. Again, there are more slaves today, then there has ever been in combined history. And if numbers like that don't strike you as shocking, the average slave in the American South cost nearly 40,000 dollars in today's money. The average slave today cost just around 90 dollars. 90.
Irshad was trafficked from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emiratesby a friend of his father's. He was only four years old. Irshad was then given to a master to be trained as a camel jockey. Camel racing is exceptionally dangerous to young children. The boys are loosly tied to their camels that can run up to 35 miles per hour. To keep the boy's weight down, they are given very little food and water. Irshad's parents tracked him down in Dubai, but the man who abducted Irshad told police that he was the boy's father- Irshad's real father was hadned over to the police and deported from the country. It wasn't until some time afterwords that a government official from Bandgladesh recognized Irshad and had him returned to his father.
That story had a "happy" ending; even though Irshad is I am sure still living in a hole somewhere deep below the poverty line.
"But what can I do, I am 1 person living in a modern industrial society... where the heck is Bangladesh anyway?"
"Anti-slavery campaignist Kevin Bales says that there are 3 things that need to happen. First, there has to be an public internation concensus that it is time to end slavery for good-and we must tell our politicians that. Secondly, we need to spend more money- but as Bales says, not nearly as much as you think. ( I can't get a real figure =..) And thirdly, governments must enforce their own anti-slavery laws and understand that if they don't they will face serious pressure from the international community. "
So what can you do? Literally take 5 minutes of your time. Do it instead of making your 3rd check on myspace for the day. Goto a government website to contact your congressman and woman. Write to them a few of the facts youve learned here, and tell them that they need to voice concern. That's all.
27 million people can be saved so easily, its the least and best thing you can do.
That is more slaves today than there has ever been in history combined. Ironically, nearly every country in the world has a law that outlaws slavery. In 1956, the UN passed the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, The Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery- a big long name pretty much saying that the international community is against slavery and slavery-like practices. A slave is forced to work through threats, and is owned or controlled by an employer. Salves are dehumanised, treated as commodities, bought and sold like property. Often times they are physically constrained, or not allowed to move freely.
Though traditional slavery that we think of today, where people are abucted and taken to far away lands to work for nothing is still existant today, most slaves today are slaves under bonded labor. Essentially, poor people are tricked or forced to take a loan from a factory owner, slave trader, etc, and in order to pay off the loan they must work for them. And of course, their labor is never enough to pay off the debt so they end up having their wives and children work under implorable conditions in order to pay off the original loan that keep gaining interest- and is passed on from generation to generation.
Think slaves are still in some far off third world poor country in South East Asia? Think again. the US State Department estimated that there are nearly 1 million people trafficked across our borders every year under the idea of forced labor. People are lured into big/major cities with the hopes of a promising future, only to be told that if they do not people prostitutes, drug peddlers, etc, they will be shot and their family that lives 2,000 miles away will be killed as well. 1 Million people. The United States of America. Didn't we defeat slavery in 1865?
Bureaucratically yes, but in practice we are actually losing the battle. Again, there are more slaves today, then there has ever been in combined history. And if numbers like that don't strike you as shocking, the average slave in the American South cost nearly 40,000 dollars in today's money. The average slave today cost just around 90 dollars. 90.
Irshad was trafficked from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emiratesby a friend of his father's. He was only four years old. Irshad was then given to a master to be trained as a camel jockey. Camel racing is exceptionally dangerous to young children. The boys are loosly tied to their camels that can run up to 35 miles per hour. To keep the boy's weight down, they are given very little food and water. Irshad's parents tracked him down in Dubai, but the man who abducted Irshad told police that he was the boy's father- Irshad's real father was hadned over to the police and deported from the country. It wasn't until some time afterwords that a government official from Bandgladesh recognized Irshad and had him returned to his father.
That story had a "happy" ending; even though Irshad is I am sure still living in a hole somewhere deep below the poverty line.
"But what can I do, I am 1 person living in a modern industrial society... where the heck is Bangladesh anyway?"
"Anti-slavery campaignist Kevin Bales says that there are 3 things that need to happen. First, there has to be an public internation concensus that it is time to end slavery for good-and we must tell our politicians that. Secondly, we need to spend more money- but as Bales says, not nearly as much as you think. ( I can't get a real figure =..) And thirdly, governments must enforce their own anti-slavery laws and understand that if they don't they will face serious pressure from the international community. "
So what can you do? Literally take 5 minutes of your time. Do it instead of making your 3rd check on myspace for the day. Goto a government website to contact your congressman and woman. Write to them a few of the facts youve learned here, and tell them that they need to voice concern. That's all.
27 million people can be saved so easily, its the least and best thing you can do.
