Feature photo by tim.matsui. Photo by camera_rwanda
2008 witnesses the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in America. Amidst the celebrations, what many people fail to realize is that slavery persists today in the modern world on an enormous scale.
In spite of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948 stating that “slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms,” the figures accompanying the modern slave trade seem inconceivable in a global society that prides itself upon its modern-day values and emphasis on human rights.
1. There are more people in slavery now than at any other time in human history.
According to research carried out by the organization Free the Slaves, more people are enslaved worldwide than ever before.
In its 400 years, the transatlantic slave trade is estimated to have shipped up to 12 million Africans to various colonies in the West. Free the Slaves estimates that the number of people in slavery today is at least 27 million.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center suggests that three out of four slavery victims are women and that half of all modern-day slaves are children. ‘Countless other’ people are in other forms of servitude which are not legally classified as slavery, according to the Anti-Slavery Society, described ambiguously by some as ‘unfree labour’.
2. The value of slaves has decreased.
A slave in 1850 in American South cost the equivalent of approximately $40,000. According to figures published by FST, the cost of a slave today averages around $90, depending on the work they are forced to carry out.
Photo by saibotregeel
A young adult male laborer in Mali might only fetch $40, whereas an HIV-free female might attract a price of up to $1000.
Expert Kevin Bales says that because modern slavery is so cheap, it is worse than that of the Atlantic slave trade.
People have become disposable and their living conditions are worse than ever before as a result of their value.
3. Slavery still exists in the US.
Estimates by the US State Department suggest up to 17,500 slaves are brought into the US every year, with 50,000 of those working as prostitutes, farm workers or domestic servants.
According to the CIA, more than 1,000,000 people are enslaved in the US today. Thousands of cases go undetected each year and many are difficult to take to court as it can be difficult to prove force or legal coercion.
4.Slavery is hidden behind many other names, thus disguising it from society.
These names are chattel slavery (the traditional meaning of slavery), bonded labor, trafficking, forced labor, and forced marriage, amongst others.
Photo by saibotregeel
5. The least known method of slavery is the most widely used.
Bonded Labor occurs when labor is demanded in order to repay a debt or loan and the cyclical nature of debt and work can enslave the person for the rest of their life. Some conditions are so controlled that slaves are surrounded by armed guards while they work, many of whom are slaves themselves. This has been found in Brazil. It is estimated that there are 20 million bonded labourers in the world.
6. Human trafficking has recently been described as “the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world.”
This shocking claim was made by former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. The UN estimates trafficked human cargo generates around $7 billion dollars a year.
Photo by gigawebs
7. To buy all bonded laborers out of slavery could cost as little as $40 per family.
The $40 figure was provided by the Center for Global Education, New York. Kevin Bales compares the total cost of ending all slavery with one’s week’s cost of the war on Iraq.
8. Free the Slaves believe it is possible to end all slavery within 25 years.
Ending slavery won’t be easy, but humanity is up to the challenge.
9. Many slave-produced goods might reach your home without you realizing their origin.
Industries where slave labor is often highly suspected include cocoa, cotton, steel, oriental rugs, diamonds and silk. Currently the only way to ensure the products you buy are slave-free is to buy Fair Trade certified goods.
Photo by saibotregeel
10. Your actions affect global slavery.
By buying fair trade, learning more about modern slavery, spreading the word, and joining a movement such as Free the Slaves, Anti-Slavery International, or the American Anti-slavery group, you as an individual can help abolish slavery completely.
With the number of slaves rising due to increasing economic returns, a universal lack of awareness and anti-slavery laws not being enforced, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center believes “efforts to combat slavery will have only limited effectiveness” unless something is done on a larger scale.
The bicentennial of the abolition of the slave trade would be better commemorated by every individual taking meaningful action to help end the exploitation of human labor once and for all.
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160 Comments... join the discussion!
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Of course that $40 per family is an interesting way of breaking it down, but misleading. If we all paid for our own slave to set free the profits would lead to twice as many slaves tomorrow. The cost of ending slavery by force would probably be a multiple of the cost of war in Iraq. Buying free trade coffee is unlikely to make a major dent in this problem in most of the world (and of course it does encourage low-yield farming that has a higher environmental cost, but that’a another issue). So I doubt the wiping out a few thousand years of slavery in 25 years estimate, however laudable the sentiment.
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Blacks are the only perpetually enslaved race in human history.
Why is that?
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Blacks are not the only race in slavery. Throughout history, Jews as well as every poor class of people are taken into slavery. You only choose to see Africans as the only ones. China and Asia as a whole are just as bad, if not worse.
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American Indians also keep slaves. it is sad but a lot of people of all races had slaves
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Why so? How do you know? Yes, in American history, the blacks are the main group of people who were enslaved. but there is a possibility that there might be other people who faced those prejudice, too, isn’t that right? and that is still only in American history. There is slavery in other countries too, and there might be arabic, and muslim or people like that facing it. and doesn’t matter which groups of people get slavery—- all we know for sure is, the slavery is not right, and whoever the victim is, we must stop it.
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"It is the exploitation of one human being by another for economic gain."
Um, isn't this what big corporations do every day all over the world? It is the exploitation of one human being by another for economic gain. So is every place that pays crap pay and lays off workers so their bottom line is increased.
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“It is the exploitation of one human being by another for economic gain.”
Um, isn’t this what big corporations do every day all over the world? It is the exploitation of one human being by another for economic gain. So is every place that pays crap pay and lays off workers so their bottom line is increased.
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I just have a question about the "value of slaves" section. Is comparing the value of slave labor today to the value of slaves from the American South accurate? The majority of slaves from the transatlantic slave trade went to Central and South America. I am by no means trying to undermine the the atrocity that occurred in the American South - I am just am curious about whether or not you you are using facts from all forms of slavery and from all regions, not just a narrowed perspective.
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I just have a question about the “value of slaves” section. Is comparing the value of slave labor today to the value of slaves from the American South accurate? The majority of slaves from the transatlantic slave trade went to Central and South America. I am by no means trying to undermine the the atrocity that occurred in the American South - I am just am curious about whether or not you you are using facts from all forms of slavery and from all regions, not just a narrowed perspective.
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Seeing how China uses slaves, I wonder why we don't see them for sale at WalMart. Heck, for $40, I'd buy one.
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Seeing how China uses slaves, I wonder why we don’t see them for sale at WalMart. Heck, for $40, I’d buy one.
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I am continually amazed by how much traction this ham-handed and misinformed and mistaken chunk of intern-driven fact piling can receive this much credence.
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Hal said, "blacks are the only perpetually enslaved people".
Not true. Caucasians (indo-Europeans) have been enslaved as early as 6000 years ago. [Google "Sumer and Cuneiform] and many many Caucasians are slaves today.
The question is, how have Blacks managed to corner the market on being the victims of slavery when, in fact, they are only a small percentage of the total of people enslaved over the past 6000 years?
Richard Brinton
http://www.theslavers.com↵ -
Hal said, “blacks are the only perpetually enslaved people”.
Not true. Caucasians (indo-Europeans) have been enslaved as early as 6000 years ago. [Google "Sumer and Cuneiform] and many many Caucasians are slaves today.
The question is, how have Blacks managed to corner the market on being the victims of slavery when, in fact, they are only a small percentage of the total of people enslaved over the past 6000 years?
Richard Brinton
http://www.theslavers.com↵ -
Thanks for this article. I wasn't aware of this organization (Free the Slaves).
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Thanks for this article. I wasn’t aware of this organization (Free the Slaves).
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Bit over the top this story. The human condition has never been this good in the history of mankind. This is the time for mass migration, but to compare it to slavery simple had no merits.
Let me guess : another propaganda story, to trick white people into feeling guilty and donate money. Thus making this post, and the free-the-slaves thingy the moral highground in today's world?
Go get a job, better yet : be more realistic, and positive. The guild periods are over. Now is the time for new mankind.
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Bit over the top this story. The human condition has never been this good in the history of mankind. This is the time for mass migration, but to compare it to slavery simple had no merits.
Let me guess : another propaganda story, to trick white people into feeling guilty and donate money. Thus making this post, and the free-the-slaves thingy the moral highground in today’s world?
Go get a job, better yet : be more realistic, and positive. The guild periods are over. Now is the time for new mankind.
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I'm glad that this is finally being brought to people's attention. Modern slavery in all it's forms tends to go unnoticed as it's in its nature to want to go unnoticed; however, I think people are finally starting to become aware of what's going on right in front of us.
It did however bother me that where it was implied that if we weren't spending money on Iraq, we could tackle this issue.
("the total cost of ending all slavery with one’s week’s cost of the war on Iraq")Allowing dictators to remain in power is what causes things like this. (I'm not implying that Hussein was responsible for slavery. However, he is responsible for genocide, torture, and the pre-war deaths of 400,000 of his own people.)
To fix this problem, it needs to be dealt with in both diplomacy and economics. However, to gain any headway, we also need to address this militarily. Otherwise, it is simply going to continue.
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I’m glad that this is finally being brought to people’s attention. Modern slavery in all it’s forms tends to go unnoticed as it’s in its nature to want to go unnoticed; however, I think people are finally starting to become aware of what’s going on right in front of us.
It did however bother me that where it was implied that if we weren’t spending money on Iraq, we could tackle this issue.
(”the total cost of ending all slavery with one’s week’s cost of the war on Iraq”)Allowing dictators to remain in power is what causes things like this. (I’m not implying that Hussein was responsible for slavery. However, he is responsible for genocide, torture, and the pre-war deaths of 400,000+ of his own people.)
To fix this problem, it needs to be dealt with in both diplomacy and economics. However, to gain any headway, we also need to address this militarily. Otherwise, it is simply going to continue.
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Truly an an opening article!
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Truly an an opening article!
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I really enjoyed this article and although I already knew a lot of the facts it was written in a very clear and inspiring manner. I thought you might be interested in the organization I am currently involved with, The Emanciaption Network. This organization is working to combat modern day slavery in positive and hopefully ways. We are always looking for new people to get involved in the cause and if you are interested in focusing an article on the wonderful advances in combating the issue we would love to help in any way possible. Currently we are also involved in a contest that could help us provide human trafficking survivors with $5,000. If you are interested in our organization please visit our website at http://www.madebysurvivors.comor feel free to contact me.
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I'm not sure I agree with your reply to System Fix. I think what System Fix is saying is that through the economic system and the monetery system we are all slaves to they elitists. The only way you can say you have a choice of not being a slave is if you can rightfully claim land without payment in order to grow your food and build your shelter without government intervnetion or taxation. That however is not the case. Therefore, you must work for food/shelter, and thus the right to live in general. The other options is you start your own business and hire your own slaves, but you need start up capital to do this. The bank is not likely to lend you money without collaterol, and without your mom and dad's money many of these people have no choice to death other than slavery.
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Also, if you work hard to save money for your retirement or your business venture, and the government keeps pumping more money into the economy to devalue your money throuhg inflation then how can you possibly get out of slave status. Look at Gold prices, and these wars and tell me the average person's income is keeping up with inflation. It used to take one working person to raise a familiy…..now look at things. Did you have any support from your family money growing up for things such as education, clothes, cars, housing, etc?
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Do you realize the the US has killed over a million people in Iraq, and please understand many of those were citizens and not miliatary personell. In addition to that Iraq has over 4 million refugees as a result of our unjust invasion. If you truly believe we are there to build a true democracy I would say it's time for you to turn off your television and your AM radio, and turn on your brain and your critical thinking ability. This unjust war is for control of the middle east resources, and to push towards a one world government by the elitist such as the international bankers, and giant multinational corporations. Slavery is done through the control of the currency. YOu can thank Woodrow Wilson for handing our money supply over to the private Federal Reserve, and thank Nixon for taking us offf the gold standard which has resulted in the extreme devaluing of our dollar (and your savings accounts value). "Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws." Mayer Amschel Rothschild, International Banker
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Strikefullness: Your attempt at semantic word play is, I find, insulting to those who are in fact enslaved in the U.S. and worldwide. First, the Emancipation Proclamation, which you state freed all slaves in America, was effective on January 1, 1863, that was issued by President Abraham Lincoln and declared freedom for all slaves in ONLY those states still in rebellion against the federal government. It is, in fact, the 13th Amendment declares slavery and peonage are illegal in the United States and truly abolishes slavery. Abolition, however, is the act of formally repealing an existing practice's legal means, but making something illegal is not remotely the same thing as eradicating it. If this were true there be no need for a justice system. So, yes, it is called slavery. Despite your attempt at nullifying this article based on one word, the word itself and your entirely incorrect interpretation of it and of history, is completely irrelevant. It is not what it is called, but what it IS that matters. It is attitudes much like yours, that deny the existence of slavery, that make it evident that slavery may never be eradicated.
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I never knew that slavery was still around today. Well this has been very interesting, informative and useful. Thank you
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Great post. I may write my master's thesis on slavery today based on your article. Before this, it was going to be humanitarian interventions. Any suggestions on what I can focus on? What aspect of this issue is still largely unknown?
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This is bad, okay
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James great reply.
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Thanks not exactly what I was looking for, so I read it a few and it made me realize
Still doing a research.
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#7 is indeed misleading.
Buying out slaves to set them free only increases the demand for them, and will lead to more enslaving. This was evident in the 1990s where the attempt to free slaves in Sudan by purchasing them led slave owners to try and reap the profits by gathering more slaves to sell. In some instances, there were even fake slaves.
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WOW!! i never knew these things. and there is slavery going on here in USA? that is outrageous. I thought this country was a land of freedom and equality, and was an example to all the other countries that have prejudice! what a shame.
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