There is currently no victim-centered definition of human trafficking or slavery. The definitions fail to sufficiently describe the condition of the person experiencing the criminal act s done to them. In order to demonstrate what a victim-centered definition might look like, I made an initial attempt to define slavery:. As Kevin Bales has written, slavery is both an economic and social phenomenon. Human trafficking and slavery are not merely harmful because there are criminals running around.
Human trafficking and slavery are fundamentally problems because they cause harm. Thus, the definition needs to convey the social and interpersonal impact. It is the harm that is done to people, societies, and the environment, that advocates and social service agencies are working day in and day out to address.
As we move forward in our efforts to address human trafficking and slavery, it is important that we understand what we mean when we say these words. We need not overdramatize or under-dramatize a social issue in order to gain public support.
We only need to speak the truth about what is happening. Not everything is slavery, and that's okay. In fact, that is a good thing. However, this doesn't mean that the activities just outside of slavery aren't as horrendous.
They are. It also doesn't mean that oppressive actions a little further from slavery aren't also horrendous. We can acknowledge that both apples and oranges are fruit, and yet they are different. There are many atrocious crimes, labor rights and human rights violations. Each of them still have their own flavor and experiences and we would never call an apple an orange. There have been misinterpretations and misuses of the terms human trafficking and slavery. I hope this article helps us get back on track.
Minh Dang, MSW is currently an independent consultant, trainer, and speaker on issues of human trafficking, leadership development, and social justice. She provides training and technical assistance to NGOs, Universities, and government agencies across the country. Minh is a staunch advocate for survivors of child abuse and human trafficking and is developing strategies to support education, training, and leadership development for survivors. March 24, Brooke Hathaway Video.
February 02, Laura Benrey Opinion. Slavery exists in every country—no country is immune. What does slavery look like? Slavery manifests in different ways. Here are the most common forms of slavery…. Read Free the Slaves books for more details on slavery today. In what industries is slavery most prevalent? About 50 percent of slavery is forced labor in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, fishing, mining and other physical-labor industries; about What are the causes of slavery? In a word, slavery is due to vulnerability.
Poverty alone does not explain slavery. Most slavery victims are poor, but not all poor people are in slavery. Rather there are special vulnerabilities that make some poor people susceptible to becoming enslaved…. How can slavery be stopped? The key to stopping slavery is helping vulnerable communities and people acquire the assets and tools that will overcome their vulnerability. All Free the Slaves programs begin with contextual research to define the vulnerabilities and pathways leading to slavery and needed interventions.
Based on that research, we adopt the following basic strategy…. See our booklet, Catalyzing a Civil Society Movement Against Slavery , for details of the Free the Slaves Community Liberation Initiative strategy to create slavery-free and slavery-resistant communities worldwide. Is there a difference between human trafficking and slavery? As a practical matter, human trafficking is when someone is moved from one place to another for the purpose of enslavement; slavery is the exploitation that happens when they arrive.
As a legal matter, however, in many places the term trafficking means enslavement—no movement away from home is required for an anti-trafficking law to apply.
About 23 percent of people in slavery are being exploited outside their home country, most people around the world are enslaved right in their home communities. How can people know if products they buy or companies they invest in are tainted by slavery? Visit KnowTheChain. Learn more on our Slavery-Free Commerce page.
How can I help? Visit our Take Action pages for ideas on mobilizing your friends, family, faith community, neighbors, coworkers, and classmates. Become an abolitionist yourself by donating today to Free the Slaves. Children are forced into begging in Senegal. Impoverished children are forced to leave home and toil as domestic servants in Haiti. Migrants are enslaved in the construction, agriculture and hospitality industries in the Dominican Republic.
Landless farmworkers are enslaved on ranches and plantations in Brazil. Illegal debts and a lack of access to justice plague the poor and marginalized in India—entire families are enslaved for borrowing small sums in emergencies. In Nepal, thousands must head overseas each year to find work—many are tricked by traffickers.
Are you signed up for Free the Slaves updates? You should be! Get the news directly in our periodic e-reports. Many businesses will match your contributions or allow you to make tax-exempt contributions directly from your paycheck. Email info freetheslaves.
The number is Residents of the following states may obtain a copy of our financial and additional information as stated below:. Colorado: Colorado residents may obtain copies of registration and financial documents from the office of the Secretary of State, , www.
No Georgia: A full and fair description of the programs and financial statement summary of Free the Slaves is available upon request at the office and phone number indicated above.
Illinois: Contracts and reports regarding Free the Slaves, Inc. The desperate situation of people in extreme poverty, particularly where they may be lacking in education, makes them vulnerable to exploitation.
Corrupt people facilitate and condone the exploitation of others and deception and violence or the threat of violence enforces compliance with those who exploit. Various forms of exploitation or subjugation are of concern. Countries may fail to comply with international norms or standards regarding the treatment of labour in industries such as agriculture, mining or manufacture or otherwise poorly protect workers in practice.
For example, relevant laws may exist but they may not be effectively enforced. Migrants may be inhumanely detained or abused or migrant workers as distinct from citizens of a country may live or work in degrading conditions. Prostitution, sex-slavery and forced marriage is also of grave concern.
People may be forced into other illegal activities, such as: the sale of organs; recruitment as soldiers or otherwise used for the purposes of militia; thieving or begging; the sale of children; production, distribution or sale of illegal items. In addition, such exploitation can take place as a result of a process of trafficking victims. Traffickers may recruit or procure, harbour or transport people, either forcing, coercing or defrauding them so they travel to a different location where they are exploited once they arrive at their destination.
Trauma and loss are likely suffered as a result of such exploitation and this suffering may deleteriously impact victims long after the experience of slavery or trafficking has ceased. It may also impact the lives of their families and, particularly their children, contributing to a tragic intergenerational spiral of degradation. Even for those of us who are not directly involved in trafficking in persons or exploiting people under conditions of modern slavery, we may still be contributing to trafficking or modern slavery through the goods and services we purchase.
Despite popular perception, the most common form of modern slavery is forced labour, and not forced prostitution or sexual exploitation. Many of the items that can be purchased for extremely low costs such as clothes, shoes, tea, coffee and chocolate may well be produced by people who are trafficked and then forced to work in exploitative situations. In terms of services, beauty salons, restaurants and cafes, carwashes, fruit-picking and construction are some of the most common industries tainted by modern slavery.
The vast majority of people who appear in pornographic videos are people who have been trafficked. To try eliminate forced labour and undignified working conditions, we all need to be more careful about investigating the supply chain of the goods and services we purchase. Both the Vatican and the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney have committed to the formidable task, as far as possible, to eliminate modern slavery from their supply chain of purchases.
It is good for people to realize that purchasing is always a moral — and not simply economic — act. Hence the consumer has a specific social responsibility , which goes hand-in- hand with the social responsibility of the enterprise. Consumers should be continually educated regarding their daily role, which can be exercised with respect for moral principles without diminishing the intrinsic economic rationality of the act of purchasing.
Our faith requires us to intervene, to take steps in favour of those who are currently exploited and to prevent others from entering slavery or being trafficked.
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