It is 2022. And while the modern world abounds with many serious and imperiling issues, we can rejoice that slavery is no longer legal anywhere in the world. In the US alone, we commemorate, celebrate and educate regarding this issue in a variety of ways. The long shadow of slavery in our collective past has left a dark and indelible mark on all of our cultures. Though we rejoice in its eradication, there is still centuries old detritus left in its wake. In fact, is it truly gone, anywhere? There are no longer any slave auctions. No one actually carries the title of slave. And yet, what about bonded labor, child labor, forced domestication and white slavery? Shouldn’t these conditions be viewed as modern iterations of slavery? Yes, they should. Coercion without renumeration is the basic, the backbone tenet of slavery. It is the hallmark of all of these repugnant practices. It’s estimated that more than 20 million individuals are trapped in this sort of situation, trafficked, bonded, sold, or married, against their will, sometimes even as children. More than 80% of the forced labor across the globe can be traced to some of the most world’s most basic industries, including construction, agriculture and fishing. Even governments are culpable via their use of military programs and convict leasing. The organization, End Slavery Now, is working to remove this stain on the worldwide map. End Slavery works to create awareness, overturn, shore up, and institute policy that eliminates compulsory work conditions and forced sex and marriage and punishes those that engage in these acts, while also rescuing and empowering the victims. Being a part of the process is possible by donating to the group’s online site.
Key Takeaways:
- Forced labor is used all around the world by many different companies supply chains.
- The private economy exploits about 90% of the workforce as they want as big a profit as they can get.
- Forced labor in the United States includes sex and labor trafficking under threats or fraud.
“It occurs in state prisons, in convict leasing programs and in work imposed by military or rebel armed forces. Child soldiers fall into this category of enslavement.”
Read more: http://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today/forced-labor
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