Abolition of Slavery
Thank God for making December 2 as UN Slavery Abolition Day but how many of us notice it?Interestingly the United Nations established the day in 1949 to recognize ongoing efforts to abolish all forms of slavery throughout the world.
On 2 December 2008 in a Press Release UN Secretary General said that slave trade was abolished formally 200 years ago, but this flagrant human rights violation persists, fuelled by a continuing lack of respect for the dignity of human beings, a denial of their humanity and desperate poverty. Despite centuries of prohibition against slavery, traditional forms still exist. We have also seen a disturbing emergence of contemporary forms of slavery, such as the sale of children, debt bondage and human trafficking. Domestic and migrant workers are often kept as de facto slaves, as are people working in construction, food, garment and other industries.
The global economic crisis could exacerbate this already alarming situation. Poor people are likely to be driven further into poverty, making them more vulnerable to slavery-like practices. Those who consciously exploit them will have to extract even more to make a profit, and consumers who may not be aware of the consequences will be more likely to purchase products whose labour costs are kept unreasonably low.
The United Nations World Conference against Racism, held in 2001, broke new ground by declaring that slavery was and is a crime against humanity.While those efforts are undoubtedly worthwhile, the inescapable reality is that are more people living as slaves today than at any time in history. Most of the estimated 27 million victims are women and children. Why it is so till date? Every nation though condemned and outlawed it they used to keep slaves. Experts explained the reason behind in many ways.Out of the estimated 27 million 20 are Indians who work as “bonded laborers.” This system, although illegal throughout India, is widely practiced. Most bonded workers spend their lives working to pay off debts that were incurred generations ago, according to a report by Human Rights Watch published in 1999. These people work under slave-like conditions hauling rocks, or working in fields or factories for less than a dollar a day.
Human labor has become commoditized in the global economic market. With a plentiful supply of cheap labor throughout the world, individual human beings are increasingly treated as “disposable people.” To make matters worse, criminal elements control a significant part of the slavery business, buying, selling and transporting victims in illegal networks that span national borders.Enforcement of existing anti-slavery laws is erratic and uneven, even in advanced Western nations. In some areas, police and law enforcement officials are actively involved in the slave trade; even when cops are honest, they may not have sufficient training or experience to recognize instances of modern-day slavery.
Perhaps most challenging of all is the widely-held perception that slavery is an historical fact, not a present-day reality. Many visitors to the US Freedom Center, often voice surprise that slavery did not end with the passage of the 13th Amendment at the end of the American Civil War. Besides, the face of slavery in the modern-world is to a large extent hidden from view. The enslaved in the 21st Century are made up of people of diverse backgrounds, ethnic identities and income levels. As a result, slavery can exist unnoticed even in advanced post-industrial societies like the United States, Britain and Japan.
The situation is not entirely grim. Awareness of the existence of slavery is growing, albeit slowly, through the work of modern abolitionist groups and institutions like the Freedom Center. Headline events, such as the use of child soldiers in ongoing civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, help focus the world’s attention on especially egregious violations of essential human rights. Lastly, the cause of modern abolition appears to have captured the attention — and involvement — of young people the world over.
Slavery is not likely ever to be completely eradicated. It has plagued humanity from the earliest times, and will exist as long as humans seek to exploit or dominate one another. But as long as people desire to live and breathe free, the effort to eliminate this scourge of the human spirit will not cease. That’s the hope, at least, as this year’s December 2 UN Slavery Abolition Day comes and goes.
The UN may be requested for a fund not exceeding US$15,000 and for which a Project should be submitted to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. You may contact for details to Fax. (00 41 22) 928 90 66/Telex. 41 29 62/ Tel. (00 41 22) 928 9381 or 928 9164.
You may write to email: SlaveryFund@ohchr.org and for more information on the Fund: http://www.ohchr.org/english/about/funds/slavery/
Dr S R Mangang
President, ifop
Thank God for making December 2 as UN Slavery Abolition Day but how many of us notice it?Interestingly the United Nations established the day in 1949 to recognize ongoing efforts to abolish all forms of slavery throughout the world.
On 2 December 2008 in a Press Release UN Secretary General said that slave trade was abolished formally 200 years ago, but this flagrant human rights violation persists, fuelled by a continuing lack of respect for the dignity of human beings, a denial of their humanity and desperate poverty. Despite centuries of prohibition against slavery, traditional forms still exist. We have also seen a disturbing emergence of contemporary forms of slavery, such as the sale of children, debt bondage and human trafficking. Domestic and migrant workers are often kept as de facto slaves, as are people working in construction, food, garment and other industries.
The global economic crisis could exacerbate this already alarming situation. Poor people are likely to be driven further into poverty, making them more vulnerable to slavery-like practices. Those who consciously exploit them will have to extract even more to make a profit, and consumers who may not be aware of the consequences will be more likely to purchase products whose labour costs are kept unreasonably low.
The United Nations World Conference against Racism, held in 2001, broke new ground by declaring that slavery was and is a crime against humanity.While those efforts are undoubtedly worthwhile, the inescapable reality is that are more people living as slaves today than at any time in history. Most of the estimated 27 million victims are women and children. Why it is so till date? Every nation though condemned and outlawed it they used to keep slaves. Experts explained the reason behind in many ways.Out of the estimated 27 million 20 are Indians who work as “bonded laborers.” This system, although illegal throughout India, is widely practiced. Most bonded workers spend their lives working to pay off debts that were incurred generations ago, according to a report by Human Rights Watch published in 1999. These people work under slave-like conditions hauling rocks, or working in fields or factories for less than a dollar a day.
Human labor has become commoditized in the global economic market. With a plentiful supply of cheap labor throughout the world, individual human beings are increasingly treated as “disposable people.” To make matters worse, criminal elements control a significant part of the slavery business, buying, selling and transporting victims in illegal networks that span national borders.Enforcement of existing anti-slavery laws is erratic and uneven, even in advanced Western nations. In some areas, police and law enforcement officials are actively involved in the slave trade; even when cops are honest, they may not have sufficient training or experience to recognize instances of modern-day slavery.
Perhaps most challenging of all is the widely-held perception that slavery is an historical fact, not a present-day reality. Many visitors to the US Freedom Center, often voice surprise that slavery did not end with the passage of the 13th Amendment at the end of the American Civil War. Besides, the face of slavery in the modern-world is to a large extent hidden from view. The enslaved in the 21st Century are made up of people of diverse backgrounds, ethnic identities and income levels. As a result, slavery can exist unnoticed even in advanced post-industrial societies like the United States, Britain and Japan.
The situation is not entirely grim. Awareness of the existence of slavery is growing, albeit slowly, through the work of modern abolitionist groups and institutions like the Freedom Center. Headline events, such as the use of child soldiers in ongoing civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, help focus the world’s attention on especially egregious violations of essential human rights. Lastly, the cause of modern abolition appears to have captured the attention — and involvement — of young people the world over.
Slavery is not likely ever to be completely eradicated. It has plagued humanity from the earliest times, and will exist as long as humans seek to exploit or dominate one another. But as long as people desire to live and breathe free, the effort to eliminate this scourge of the human spirit will not cease. That’s the hope, at least, as this year’s December 2 UN Slavery Abolition Day comes and goes.
The UN may be requested for a fund not exceeding US$15,000 and for which a Project should be submitted to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. You may contact for details to Fax. (00 41 22) 928 90 66/Telex. 41 29 62/ Tel. (00 41 22) 928 9381 or 928 9164.
You may write to email: SlaveryFund@ohchr.org and for more information on the Fund: http://www.ohchr.org/english/about/funds/slavery/
Dr S R Mangang
President, ifop
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