Modern Slavery In Perspective

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There are many forms of modern day slavery. Within the umbrella of modern day slavery, there are terms like human trafficking, slavery, forced labor, etc. Each term has different nuances and may have a slightly different meaning depending on who you ask. Governments have varying legal understanding of modern day slavery. However, there is commonality in that the terms attempt to describe a situation in which one is forced to work in one way or another, by means of physical or mental violence, for little or no money, without the freedom to walk out. 

Some examples of modern day slavery include child labor, child sex slavery, forced marriage and forced labor. According to the first annual Global Slavery Index 2013, there are 29.8 million slaves in the world today. This means there are more slaves today than the people who live in the fifteen most populous cities in the United States of America combined.

Imagine if everyone from New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Austin, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, San Francisco and Columbus were victims of modern day slavery. Imagine all of the kids in those cities not being able to play sports, video games, read books or learn, but instead having to give in to the desires of dirty old men looking for a quick fix of pleasure. Imagine all of the men in those cities not being able to provide for their families and having to work against their will, whilst being beaten, without anything to show for. Imagine every women in those cities having no control over their bodies, treated as commodity, as every ounce of dignity and self-worth is stolen from them. I know these are generalizations, but my words will always be an understatement; nothing I can say will ever do justice to the pain the victims of modern day slavery go through. 

These are real people. 29.8 million is a huge number, and so it's hard to personalize it. You have to. You have to understand how heavy this is. You have to realize that people need your help. If you want to learn more about modern day slavery, go to the Walk Free Foundation's Global Slavery Index. It is a data-intensive website with a lot of information on modern day slavery around the world. 

There are many ways to help. One way you can help is by sharing this post and posts like these on your Facebook or Twitter to get the word out. We need to put an end to this injustice, and the first step is to let people know about it. 

Learn more about Human Trafficking at Stone in Shoe.