SLAVERY

Easy Projects

Buy fair trade coffee, chocolate, and tea.  Fair trade certified products are made using fair labor practices.  Also, companies must give money to support the communities where their farmers and laborers live, and must be somewhat eco-friendly in order to be fair trade certified.

Buy products that are made in the U.S.A., Japan, or Western Europe.  These products are less likely to have been made using slaves or slave-like workers, due to strict labor laws in these countries.

Post the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) hotline number around your community.  This is a hotline people can call if they know of or suspect a human trafficking situation here in America.

Tell people you know about modern day slavery, and inform them about ways they can help.

Not for Sale:  notforsale

Free the Slaves:  freetheslaves

Send the following letter to the CEOs of the stores you shop at:  shopantislavery

Send the 1st letter at forcedlabor  to companies in order to encourage them to change their policies on using slave-farmed Uzbek cotton.

Send letters to your Congresspeople:

stopslavery

 

 

 

Issue:  Slavery

In school you were probably taught that slavery was ended by Lincoln during the time of the American civil war.  WRONG!  Although slavery is illegal in the United States, it happens in many parts of the world, including the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.  In fact, there are more slaves now than ever before!  More than 27 MILLION people are currently enslaved.  So, there as many slaves as Canadians!  About half of modern day slaves are children.  They work as sex slaves, farm hands, factory workers, domestic servants, and miners among other things.  Former slaves who described their conditions have said that they were forced to do backbreaking work, then whipped when unable to perform these “duties.”  They also report being whipped for being sick, having their flesh peel off during long treks carrying giant loads, and being raped several times a day.  Although slavery is illegal everywhere, slaves are often afraid to speak out, because their ruthless “masters” may kill or torture them as retribution.  Plus, crooked police officers and soldiers often turn a blind eye to the atrocities, and sometimes even commit them themselves.  Sadly, slave labor is used for many of the products we buy, including food, clothes, and novelties.  So take a stand against slavery!

For More Information

For more information:  slaveryinfo This chart shows which products from which countries use slave labor in their farming or manufacturing:  noslavery

Long-Term Projects

Long-term projects:
  • Start a chapter of the Student Abolitionist Movement (SAM) at  your school or participate in a SAM event.  SAM
  • Encourage your religious leader to preach against modern slavery.  You can even inform yourself about the issue and give a speech at your place of worship urging congregation members to help out.
  • Start a club at your school to raise awareness about slavery and to encourage students to join the fight against it.