The Global Slave Trade What is it and what can we do?

Slavery Then and Now The history of slavery is most visible in recent times as the European and US communities stealing Africans for their own service. In western culture, movies like Amistad show the culture surrounding slavery in past eras. Only in the mid-late 1900’s was it outlawed. But far from eradicating it, like many problems, it has changed form and moved locations. It is a global challenge, and the primary locations of slavery have shifted to Asia.

The structure of slavery violence economic exploitation loss of freedom SLAVERY Between 12.5 and 27 million people are trapped in slavery today. (2008)

Slavery Then and Now: What’s Different? Then Now  Legal  Africa to Europe & US  Ethnic / Racial  Expensive  55,000 per year at peak ( )  Slaves were property  Illegal  Everywhere  Socio-economic  Cheap  800,000 per year across borders  Debt bondage, forced labour Slave ownership is not so much about legal rights, but about ensuring profitability. With African slaves last century, they were fewer and more expensive, so most at least had sustainable living conditions, to preserve their value for the length of their lives. Now slaves are so cheap, populations so large, their living conditions and abuses are often much worse. Some are stolen for the sex industry, but many more accept inescapable business agreements, that extend across generations, because of poverty and lack of alternatives.

Its sad, terrible, but so what? How does it affect us today?

Slavery in Production of Goods “The list of slave-touched products is long…, …so long that all of us are likely buying, eating, or wearing something that has slavery in it. We can point to documented cases of slavery in the production of cocoa, cotton, sugar, timber, beef, tomatoes, lettuce, apples and other fruit, shrimp and other fish products, coffee, iron, steel, gold, tin, diamonds and other gemstones, jewelry and bangles, shoes, sporting goods, clothing, fireworks, rope, rugs and carpets, rice, bricks, and on and on.” Bales, Ending Slavery. The structure of the global economy means we all participate in the profitability of slavery, without our consent, and without knowing it. This gives us both a responsibility and incredible power, if we organise ourselves.

What Can We Do? Sources of support and influence

Things You Can Do 1. Join the anti-slavery movement – help create pressure for change.   2. Change your shopping habits  Buy fairtrade products where possible  Buy from companies that are addressing supply chain issues 3. Let your voice be heard  Government  Companies 4. Give to aid agencies - reduce vulnerability to slavery by helping people out of poverty

The Bales Plan To End Slavery 1. Create a global movement of people who are aware of slavery, demand action, and support frontline slave liberation and rehabilitation groups. 2. All governments to make and implement effective plans to prevent slavery, prosecute traffickers and protect victims. 3. Harness the power of international bodies, especially the UN.  Appoint a Special Representative on Slavery  Extend the UN inspections mandate to slavery 4. Identify slavery in the global product chain and work with industry to eliminate it from the supply chain 5. Reduce the vulnerability of people to slavery by ending poverty.