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| Sunday, 27 November 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Rise against slavery
Slavery...what do you know about it? Well, it was abolished all those years ago by Abraham Lincoln, wasn't it, you may reply. But you are wrong. Slavery is very much alive and kicking in this 21st century world. What is slavery? It is "forced labour without pay under the threat of violence". Some of its many forms are: Chattel slavery - slave holders maintain ownership of slaves, not through legal measures, but with violence. This form of slavery reportedly exists in some African countries . Debt bondage - the most common form of slavery where a family would loan a member to pay off a debt. The slave will be held as collateral. Fifteen to twenty million in South Asia are said to be victims. Forced labour - people are lured into the slave trade with the promise of good jobs and find that once they are involved, they are nothing more than slaves. Small crime rings are involved in these activities around the world, with migrants especially falling victim to them. Over 50,000 women and children are reportedly taken to the USA for employment and end up working like slaves. Many things that we use everyday are produced through harsh slave-like labour, such as sugar (Dominican Republic), chocolate (Ivory Coast), paper clips (China) and carpets (Nepal). Apart from the above mentioned countries, slavery in many forms exists in all parts of the world except for Antarctica. Statistics show that over 22 million work as slaves worldwide. Children aren't spared either. According to the International Labour Organisation, 246 million children between the ages of five and 17 are working, of which 179 million are involved in the worst forms of labour. Over 111 million work under hazardous conditions from which they must be withdrawn immediately. Over 8.4 million work as slaves, are trafficked, in debt bondage and in other forms of forced labour, and also serve as child soldiers. Slavery cannot be tolerated and encouraged in the modern world as it's a practice which affects the dignity and freedom of all human beings. Child victims are especially affected as they are denied the right to an education and a future. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that "no one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slaves and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms". The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, December 2, recalls the date of adoption of the UN Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of Others by the UN General Assembly on December 2, 1949. Although the 1927 Slavery Convention outlawed slavery and countries took measures to abolish it in all its forms, action has been rather slow. While acting against slavery, the UN must also tackle the issues of
poverty and discrimination, which are its root causes. Slavery exists due
to extreme poverty. While rescuing victims, governments must take strong
measures to protect and support them, especially children, so they are
prevented from further abuse in future. |
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