PREVENT HARM!: LET US STAND AGAINST MODERN SLAVERY

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Slavery is one of the ways to cause the most harm to a person, as it deprives them of that valuable treasure called freedom, which according to science is correlated with happiness. Furthermore, the individual is objectified and mistreated to achieve their submission.

Read LIVE WITHOUT HARMING!: Let us respect the freedom of others

This scourge has gone hand in hand with humanity for thousands of years, at least from the Neolithic to the present day, where it is estimated that there are still at least 50 million slaves.

The ones we know best are those of the Roman Empire and the one exercised by European Christians against Africans. In the former, a significant portion of the population was subjected to slavery, representing tens of millions of slaves over the centuries. In the second case, it is estimated that 12.5 million Africans were transported in slave ships, of whom 10.7 million reached the Americas.

But there have also been others on a large scale, such as that exercised by Muslim Arabs over other ethnic groups: more than 17 million slaves, 9 million of whom were sub-Saharan. These individuals were forced to cross the Sahara Desert on foot to be sold in the north, although more than 2 million did not survive the harsh journey. In general, it has been universal across all continents for millennia.

Since the end of the 18th century, thanks to the Enlightenment and its materialization in the French Revolution and other liberal revolutions, it has been prohibited and combated in more and more places. For this reason, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states the following:

“Article 4: No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”

Despite this, this grave violation of human rights continues to exist, especially in third-world countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Mauritania, but also in the first world. The most prominent forms of modern slavery are human trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, and sexual slavery.

1.- HUMAN TRAFFICKING

This consists of the recruitment, transportation, and exploitation of individuals through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. According to the United Nations Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, it is estimated that nearly 25 million people are victims of this, especially in countries like Nigeria, the Philippines, or Russia. Women and children are the most affected.

2.- FORCED LABOR

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that around 25 million people are subjected to it, especially in countries like China or Brazil. The sectors where this abuse occurs most frequently are agriculture, construction, industry, and fishing.

Victims are often lured by the promise of legitimate employment, only to find exploitative working conditions, low or non-existent wages, and the inability to escape due to the threat of violence or reprisals.

Occasionally, forced labor takes place in prisons. It is fair to require prisoners to pay the cost of their housing and maintenance (it is not equitable for the taxpayer to pay if the former are able to do so), as well as compensation to their victims for the damages and losses caused to them.

If they do not have sufficient financial resources for this, it is fair to require them to work to achieve it, like any other mortal. However, like anyone else, they must have reasonable working hours and conditions. This has important advantages for the inmates:

• It prevents boredom.

• It can be a source of self-fulfillment and a feeling of being useful and productive.

• It helps structure time and prevents excessive idleness that could degenerate into an existential vacuum or, worse, addictions or abusing others.

• It generates a focused mind, which contributes to mental order and prevents an excess of negative thoughts.

• It allows them to continue using and developing their skills.

• It encourages a healthy work culture.

All of the above results in being in better conditions for labor and social reintegration when the convict leaves prison.

However, let us fight against the exploitation of prisoners, as happens in China, where millions are forced to work in terrible conditions.

LIVE WITHOUT HARMING: Let us avoid prison where possible and guarantee dignified conditions

3.- DEBT BONDAGE

This practice is an insidious form of modern slavery in which people are forced to work to pay off a debt that, in many cases, can never be settled due to exorbitant interest rates. This type of slavery is particularly widespread in South Asian countries such as Pakistan, India, or Bangladesh, where thousands of families are trapped in endless cycles of debt and exploitation.

Of course, debts must be repaid and one must work to do so, but it is quite another thing to apply totally abusive interest rates to chain a person for life.

4.- FORCED MARRIAGES

Forced marriage primarily affects women and girls. The Inter-Parliamentary Union estimates that 12 million girls are forced to marry every year before the age of 18. These girls are often subjected to sexual violence, assaults if they do not obey, and other forms of abuse. They usually lose their individual freedom forever. It occurs mainly in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, but also takes place in the West within families from these cultures.

5.- SEXUAL SLAVERY

This crime affects millions of women and girls worldwide, especially in countries like India, Nigeria, Thailand, and the Philippines. Human trafficking networks exploit individuals, forcing them into prostitution under threats and violence.

Despite international efforts to combat these scourges, a lack of law enforcement and corruption continue to allow these practices to persist.

The effective implementation of laws, international cooperation, and the strengthening of human rights organizations are essential to combat this scourge. Initiatives such as the Palermo Protocol and the ILO’s “50 for Freedom” campaign seek to raise awareness and mobilize resources to fight modern slavery.

Only through a determined and continuous commitment can we hope to eradicate this persistent form of human oppression.

What can a person of good will do to contribute to the effective abolition of modern slavery? We give you 3 ideas:

1.- Sign here.

2.- Share… Read more…

3.- Donate to NGOs fighting modern slavery, such as Walk Free or Free the Slaves.

Finally, let us also combat the disguised servitude to which hundreds of millions of workers and taxpayers are subjected in first-world countries. Because they are forced by the State to work for free part of their time to support free-riders who can, but do not want to work. Read more…

Thank you for sharing and collaborating to build a better world together.