Where Slavery is Still Practiced

8/6/2019 Where Slavery is Still Practiced

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Where slavery is still practiced: Anti-Slavery International was founded in 1839, as theworld's first and international human rights organization.They reported in mid-2003 that today: " Millions of men,

women and children around the world are forced to lead lives as slaves. Although this exploitation is often notcalled slavery, the conditions are the same. People aresold like objects, forced to work for little or no pay and are at the mercy of their 'employers'....Women fromeastern Europe are bonded into prostitution, children aretrafficked between West African countries and men are

forced to work as slaves on Brazilian agricultural estates.Contemporary slavery takes various forms and affects

people of all ages, sex and race. " 1

Laws against slavery and near-slavery:Slavery is banned by laws and the constitutions of mostcountries in the world -- even in those countries where it isstill practiced. It is also prohibited by the:

UN Slavery Convention in 1926 2

International Labour Organization's Forced Labour Convention of 1930Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948

Protocol amending the Slavery Convention signed atGeneva on 25 September 1926 in 1953 3UN Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and PracticesSimilar to Slavery in 1956. 4International Labour Organisation's Abolition of Forced Labour Convention in 1959.

The U.S. federal "Victims of Trafficking and ViolenceProtection Act of 2000" was enacted to"combat trafficking in persons, especially into the sex trade, slavery and involuntary servitude... "5 The first

charge of using forced labor under the law were brought inmid-2002. 6 Eleven workers from Mexico were allegedlybrought to northern New York State and kept in near-slavery.

Sponsored link:
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Current incidences of large-scale slavery andnear-slavery:

Sudan: There is considerable evidence that slavery is stillpracticed in a large scale in Sudan -- an estimated 14,000people have been abducted since 1983. However, theexistence of slavery is denied by the Sudanesegovernment. Some western religious groups haveattempted to buy freedom for individual slaves.Unfortunately, this has become counterproductive. Itincreases the profitability of enslavement as a

commercial enterprise, and results in more slaves beingcreated. More details .

Niger: Anti-Slavery International reported in mid-2003that slavery is rampant in Niger, mostly in thesouthwestern Tillaberry region of that country. 7 Thisoccurs even though slavery is prohibited by theconstitution and is being fought by stringent new laws.About 7% of the population -- some 870,000 individualsare condemned to life-long servitude. Many are born intoslavery and will remain slaves all of their life.

Programs of near-slavery: Anti-Slavery International (ASI) presented a paper to the United Nations Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery which met in Geneva, Switzerland, 2003-JUN-16to 20. 8 All of the major offending countries cited havelarge Hindu or Muslim majorities. ASI discussed thesituation in Sudan and Niger as well as describing
http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_sud.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_sud.htmhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/3a50/0/0/*/q;211438614;0-0;0;15057649;4307-300/250;35074479/35092309/1;;~aopt=2/0/ff/0;~sscs=?http:/www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/2009/09/21-Ways-to-Be-Inspired.aspxhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_sud.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_sud.htm


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situations of near-slavery such as:

United Arab Emirates -- Child trafficking: Although it isillegal to employ a child under the age of 15, hundredsof boys between four and ten are trafficked from South

Asia to the UAEIndia, Nepal and Pakistan -- Millions of men, womenand children are used as forced and bonded labor inthese countries. Most are dalit or from a low caste, orare from indigenous or minority groups. Laws againstthe caste system and against bonded labor exist but arenot enforced.

Indonesia -- Forced labor and exploitation of migrantworkers. " Poverty and lack of opportunity in Indonesiahave increased the number of Indonesians seeking workin Asia. Indonesia's lack of protection and theGovernment's existing system for women migrantdomestics exposes them to trafficking and slavery. " 8

US Department of State report for 2005:

The U.S. Department of State issuesa Trafficking in Persons Report on a yearly basis. Theirweb site states:

Trafficking in persons is a modern-day form of slavery,involving victims who are typically forced, defrauded or

coerced into sexual or labor exploitation. It is among thefastest growing criminal activities, occurring bothworldwide and in individual countries. Annually, at least600,000 - 800,000 people, mostly women and children, aretrafficked across borders worldwide, including 14,500 -17,500 persons into the United States.

People are snared into trafficking by various means. For
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/46606.htm


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example, physical force is used or false promises are maderegarding a legitimate job or marriage in a foreign countryto entrap victims into prostitution, pornography and otherforms of commercial sexual exploitation or slavery-likelabor conditions in factories and fields. Victims suffer

physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats against self and family, passport theft, and physical restraint. 9The State Department rates most of the countries in theworld on a three tier format. They rated 14 countries atTier 3. These are countries whose governments do not fullycomply with the minimum standards of the U.S.federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA)and are not making significant efforts to do so: Bolivia,Burma, Cambodia, Cuba, Ecuador, Jamaica, Kuwait, NorthKorea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Togo, United ArabEmirates, and Venezuela.

Non-profit groups working to combat slavery:

Anti-Slavery International, Thomas Clarkson House, TheStableyard, Broomgrove Road, London, UK, SW9 9TL.Telephone: +44 (0)20 7501 8920. Fax: +44 (0)20 77384110. E-mail: [email protected]

Free the Slaves, 1326 14th St. NW, Washington, DC20005, USA. Telephone: 1.866.324.FREE. and

202.588.1865. Fax: 202.588.1514. E-mail: [email protected]

Site navigation:

Home page > Religious violence > Slavery > here

or Home page > Christianity > Slavery > here

References used:The following information sources were used to prepareand update the above essay. The hyperlinks are notnecessarily still active today.

1. "What is modern slavery? ," Anti-SlaveryInternational, at: http://www.antislavery.org/
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.religioustolerance.org/index.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/relviol.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/slavery.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/index.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/christ.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/slavery.htmhttp://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/modern.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.religioustolerance.org/index.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/relviol.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/slavery.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/index.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/christ.htmhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/slavery.htmhttp://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/modern.htm


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2. The text of the " Slavery Convention " isat: http://www.hri.ca/

3. The text of the " Protocol amending the Slavery Convention signed at Geneva on 25 September 1926 , " is at: http://www.hri.ca/

4. The text of the " Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery " isat: http://www.hri.ca/

5. Steven Greenhouse, " Migrant-Camp Operators FaceForced Labor Charges," New York Times, 2002-JUN-21, at: http://www.freetheslaves.net/

6. "Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Actof 2000" at: http://www.freetheslaves.net/ You

need software to read this file. It can be obtained

free from:7. "Slavery flourishing despite strong laws ," The

Toronto Star, "Rights Watch" section, 2003-JUN-22,Page F4.

8. "United Nations meeting reveals slavery's globalscale, " Anti-Slavery International,at: http://www.antislavery.org/

9. "Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in

Persons. Action to End Modern-Day Slavery, " U.S.Department of State,at: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/

10. "Trafficking in Persons Report ," Office to Monitorand Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Departmentof State, 2005-JUN-03,at: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/46606.htm

Copyright 1999 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious

ToleranceLatest update: 2005-JUN-05Author: B.A. Robinson
http://www.hri.ca/uninfo/treaties/28.shtmlhttp://www.hri.ca/uninfo/treaties/29.shtmlhttp://www.hri.ca/uninfo/treaties/30.shtmlhttp://www.freetheslaves.net/migrant_camp_ops_charged.htmhttp://www.freetheslaves.net/Victims_of_Trafficking_and_Violence_Prevention_Act_of_2000.pdfhttp://www.antislavery.org/archive/press/pressRelease2003-UNworkinggroup.htmhttp://www.state.gov/g/tip/http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/46606.htmhttp://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/46606.htmhttp://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.htmlhttp://www.hri.ca/uninfo/treaties/28.shtmlhttp://www.hri.ca/uninfo/treaties/29.shtmlhttp://www.hri.ca/uninfo/treaties/30.shtmlhttp://www.freetheslaves.net/migrant_camp_ops_charged.htmhttp://www.freetheslaves.net/Victims_of_Trafficking_and_Violence_Prevention_Act_of_2000.pdfhttp://www.antislavery.org/archive/press/pressRelease2003-UNworkinggroup.htmhttp://www.state.gov/g/tip/http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/46606.htmhttp://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/46606.htm


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