The Persistence of Modern Slavery: An Unrecognized Crisis
Image from Anti-Slavery International
It sounds improbable to many that slavery still exists today, but it does. Modern slavery is defined as the severe exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain in present-day society. How could something so inhumane be prevalent in our world? With the lack of coverage from media and news organizations, modern slavery has permeated our lives without much notice. From the clothes we wear to the products we buy online, many of the brands that we’ve come to know and love have been created through forced labor. According to a New York Times article, “Modern Slavery Grows,” global modern slavery has generated $150 billion a year in illicit profits just in 2014. This statistics shows just how widespread and large this industry has grown around the world. Therefore, it is imperative that more people and institutions recognize and take actions against the rising issue of modern slavery.
Modern slavery occurs in many different forms: sex trafficking, child slavery, debt bondage, and other types of forced labor. The unfortunate reason why so many adults and children, more than 40 million, are currently being held in captivity, is that many people in developing nations are more susceptible to being exploited and kidnapped. However, according to the non-governmental organization Anti-Slavery International, modern slavery is all around us, but just out of our sight. Take FIFA World Cup Qatar for an example: According to Amnesty International, Qatar (the host of the next FIFA World Cup) has kidnapped and forced migrants to build the football stadium while abusing them in horrible conditions. Whether the migrants were abducted or financially coerced, they were exposed to unsanitary work conditions while risking their lives in hazardous working atmospheres. For example, the workers for the Qatar World Cup stadium get minimal amounts of rest, and when they do, it’s in cramped and unsanitary rooms with dirty bunk beds.
It is therefore imperative that we take the time to understand and consider the source of our daily products, ranging from T-shirts to phones. According to Anti-Slavery international, the best solution is for consumers to understand where there goods come from by fact checking shopping websites. Since millions of people are suffering everyday that actions are not being taken, it is especially crucial to support non-governmental organizations in order to spread awareness and hamper the growth of modern slavery. A possible way to support is to donate in order to help fund the investigations and trips that members of the organization will do to help expose these issues. Additionally, governments around the world must tighten security by increasing surveillance with additional cameras and background checks in locations such as manufacturing factories in order to prevent human trafficking. Also, they must enforce the rules of international labor laws and punish those who break them. At airports, the customs and border control officers can utilize more random checks if someone is suspected of trafficking in order to ensure people are not being exploited or transported against their will.
While it may be difficult for an average person to feel like they are making a difference, every bit of help can be crucial to prevent future instances of slavery.
