We Celebrated Emancipation – Millions Cannot
While Bermudians are recuperating this Monday morning from a fun-filled weekend holiday celebrating the slaves emancipation in 1834, numerous estimates indicate there are 27 million people still enslaved today.
Many researchers say that is a greater number than at any other point in the world’s history, and various organizations report that approximately half of modern-day slaves are children.
According to research, the profits generated worldwide by all forms of slavery is approximately $9 billion a year. Researchers say that the profit generated from slavery is second only to drug trafficking in terms of global criminal enterprises.
As it was centuries ago, modern day slavery is typically racially-based; with darker skinned people more likely to be taken as slaves. The weighted average global sales price of a slave is calculated to be approximately $340, with some reports saying modern day slaves are sold for as low of $50 in part of Asia and Africa.
Bermuda, and the rest of the British Empire, made slavery illegal 176 years ago, and as hard as it is to believe, in some other nations slavery was still legal until only a few years ago. Slavery in Niger was finally criminalized in 2003, Nepal abolished the Haliya system of forced labour in 2008, Mauritanian MPs passed an anti-slavery law in 2007 and many parts of the Middle East still had legal slavery up until the 1960s.
Despite nations working in recent years to outlaw slavery, numerous reports confirm that slavery is still rampant in many nations worldwide, and that even in 2010; babies are still being born into servitude.
Two centuries ago our ancestors worked tirelessly to break the chains and Bermudians now enjoy all the freedoms their efforts provided us; while others worldwide live in hope of gaining what we achieved 176 years ago – freedom.
Stop. Think. Do Something. For more information visit Stopmodernslavery.org or Antislavery.org
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This is where supporting fair trade REALLY matters. There are many dedicated campaigners in the fair trade movement who are working actively with people in improverished countries to stop child slave labour and the exploitation of women and men. You can learn more about fair trade which is a growing global movement on for example the following website http://www.fairtradefederation.org/ … you can also buy certified and authentic fair trade products at Conscious Vibes Fair Trade in St. Georges. I also know that Marks and Spencers have several lines which are fair trade certified.
Fair Trade is a great effort, I try to support when i can.