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Anti-Slavery International was founded in 1839, as the world'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 not called slavery, the conditions are the same. People are sold like objects, forced to work for little or no pay and are at the mercy of their 'employers'....Women from eastern Europe are bonded into prostitution, children are trafficked 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
International Labour Organization's Forced Labour Convention of 1930 Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 Protocol amending the Slavery Convention signed at Geneva on 25 September 1926 in 1953 3 UN Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery in 1956. 4 International Labour Organisation's Abolition of Forced Labour Convention in 1959. The U.S. federal "Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection 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 in mid-2002. 6 Eleven workers from Mexico were allegedly brought to northern New York State and kept in nearslavery. Sponsored link:
situations of near-slavery such as: United Arab Emirates -- Child trafficking: Although it is illegal to employ a child under the age of 15, hundreds of boys between four and ten are trafficked from South Asia to the UAE India, Nepal and Pakistan -- Millions of men, women and children are used as forced and bonded labor in these countries. Most are dalit or from a low caste, or are from indigenous or minority groups. Laws against the caste system and against bonded labor exist but are not enforced. Indonesia -- Forced labor and exploitation of migrant workers. "Poverty and lack of opportunity in Indonesia have increased the number of Indonesians seeking work in Asia. Indonesia's lack of protection and the Government's existing system for women migrant domestics exposes them to trafficking and slavery." 8
The U.S. Department of State issues a Trafficking in Persons Report on a yearly basis. Their web 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 the fastest growing criminal activities, occurring both worldwide and in individual countries. Annually, at least 600,000 - 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked across borders worldwide, including 14,500 17,500 persons into the United States. People are snared into trafficking by various means. For
example, physical force is used or false promises are made regarding a legitimate job or marriage in a foreign country to entrap victims into prostitution, pornography and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation or slavery-like labor conditions in factories and fields. Victims suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats against self and family, passport theft, and physical restraint. 9 The State Department rates most of the countries in the world on a three tier format. They rated 14 countries at Tier 3. These are countries whose governments do not fully comply 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, North Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Togo, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
Site navigation: Home page > Religious violence > Slavery > here or Home page > Christianity > Slavery > here
References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
1. "What is modern slavery?," Anti-Slavery
at: http://www.hri.ca/
3. The text of the "Protocol amending the Slavery
Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery" is at: http://www.hri.ca/
Forced Labor Charges," New York Times, 2002-JUN21, at: http://www.freetheslaves.net/ of 2000" at: http://www.freetheslaves.net/ You need software to read this file. It can be obtained free from:
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 Monitor
and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State, 2005-JUN-03, at:http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/466 06.htm
Copyright 1999 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance Latest update: 2005-JUN-05 Author: B.A. Robinson
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