Modern Day Slavery

I follow The CNN Freedom Project. I think it is such an important issue that we all need to be involved in, but sadly there are not much good to report. 

Photo by Graur Codrin/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

According to CNN, there are currently 10-30 Million slaves in the world today.  Obviously a big spread, but the people being counted is by definition a hidden population, and there is no common international definition of what constitutes slavery, hence the differences in numbers.Whether the low or high number is correct, there is still too many.  Everyone deserves to be free!

However, we are able to do something about this - each and every one of us.  Start with making the decision to  be a slave free consumer (and currently you can submit your story and photo to CNN to be featured on their blog). I love good sales, but going forward, I want to ensure the products I buy, are made in facilities that pay their employees a fair price and treat them well, and by a company that ensure that factories out of the country follow their directives with regards to how employees are hired, paid and treated. How do we go about this?  Make sure the company that produces the products are aware of your requirements for a "slave free" product.  

This video is a bit of an eye opener:

You can check their website www.slavefree.com for more ideas.

Human trafficking for the sex industry is quite another battle, and this is where I want to place all responsibility on men.  If there is no demand, there will be no need for supply. Simple as that. If you're not getting what you need at home, get a date, or travel to Nevada and visit a brothel where the women are there because they want to. Don't ruin a child or a woman forced into prostitution.

I once met a police officer who had worked on a special task force targeting human trafficking and organized pedophile networks.  As part of his work, he had traveled to Thailand under cover and visited a brothel with young boys. Hearing him read from his diary describing what he saw and the completely destroyed young boys he encountered was heartbreaking, and I will never forget the images his words brought out in my mind.  I will never understand how anyone can put their own pleasure so high that they have no regard for whom they ruin in the process. Nor will I ever understand how it can be pleasurable to have sex with someone who is forced to do so. 

Let me get off my soap box here, and back to what we all can do.  There are several organizations that support the start up of individually owned small businesses in third world countries. Supporting these, rather than the big companies, may be the way to go.  Just as supporting small businesses in the US, rather than the big chain stores may be the way to go.  You decide - just make sure the products you bring home were not made by slaves.