8/9/2019 Break Every Yoke -- taking action against slavery
today
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Break Every
Yoke*TakingactionagainstslaverytodayAtthistimeofPassover,werecallintheSederthat"ineverygeneration,wearecommandedtoviewourselvesasifeachoneofuswaspersonallybroughtforthoutofEgypt."Thepurposeofsuchmemoryistoremindusofthefeelingofbeingaslave.Moreimportant,thiscommand,combinedwiththerejoinderto"rememberthestranger,forwewerestrangersinthelandofEgypt,"isacalltoaction.Itisacallforustoriseupagainstslaveryandtyrannyinourowntime.
Mostpeopledon'tknowthatslaverystillexists.Butitdoes.FromKhartoumtoKolkata,fromBraziltoBangladesh,men,women,andchildrenliveandworkasslavesorinslavelikeconditions.Indeed,theremaybemoreslavesintheworldthaneverbefore.Anestimated1227millionpeoplearecaughtinoneoranotherformofslavery.Between600,000and800,000aretraffickedinternationally,withasmanyas17,500peopletraffickedintotheUnitedStates.Nearlythreeoutofeveryfourvictimsarefemale;halfarechildren.Humantraffickingistheoneofthemostprofitableformsofcriminalenterprise,generatingover$32billionannually.
Coltan:Oneoftheformsinwhichslaveryislinkedtoourdailylivesisthroughthemineralcoltan,asourceforrareearthelementswidelyusedincellphonesandotherwirelessdevices.EverydayhundredsofthousandsofCongolesechildslavesareforcedtocrawlintoundergroundminesontheirhandsandkneestodigforthismineral.Internationaleffortstohaltthesepracticesandforceelectronicsmanufacturerstouselessexploitativesourcesareongoing.
Prayer
Onthisholidaywhenwearecommandedtorelivethebitterexperienceofslavery,weplaceafourthmatzahwiththetraditionalthreeandrecitethisprayer:
"Weraisethisfourthmatzahtoremindourselvesthatslaverystillexists,thatpeoplearestillbeingboughtandsoldasproperty.WemakeroomatourSedertableandinourheartsforthoseinsouthernSudan,intheCongo,andinourowncountrywhoarenowwherewehavebeen.
Wehaveknownsuchtreatmentinourownhistory.LikethewomenandchildrenenslavedinSudantoday,wehavesufferedwhileothersstoodbyandpretendednottosee,nottoknow.Wehaveeatenthebitterherb;wehavebeentakenfromourfamiliesandbrutalized.Intheend,wehavecometoknowinourverybeingthatnonecanbefreeuntilallarefree.
KnowingthatallareconnectedasexpressionsoftheOne,wecommitandrecommitourselvestoworkforthefreedomofenslavedpeoplethroughouttheworld.Maythetasteofthis'breadofaffliction'remaininourmouthsuntilallcaneatinpeaceandsecurity.WewilltellslavemastersandtyrantseverywheretodoasMosescommandedPharoh:ShalachetAmi!Letmypeoplego!"
TakeAction
CallorwriteyourrepresentativeandaskthemtosupportTheConflictMineralsTradeAct(HR4128).Joinlaborcampaignsagainstexploitationofchildren:http://www.laborrights.org/whatyoucando/2024BuyFairTradelabeledproducts:http://www.transfairusa.orgMorewaysyoucanhelp:http://www.rhrna.org/files/SlaveryactionsheetAugust2009.pdf
Sourcesandresourceshttp://www.freedomcenter.org/slaverytodayhttp://www.antislavery.org/englishhttp://www.iabolish.org/passover/readings.html
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/FreeBuyersGuides/technology/mobilephones.aspx*IsnotthisthefastthatIhavechosen?toloosethefettersofwickedness,toundothebandsoftheyoke,andtolettheoppressedgofree,andthatyebreakeveryyoke?Isaiah58:6
OSAvodahistheOrShalomSocialActionCommittee.WemeetonthethirdWednesdayofeachmonthtoguideourcongregation'sactionforsocialjustice.Allarewelcome.Genuinereligiosityisdoing.MartinBuber
