March 21, 2007
Slavery
Ahmit (L) and Rahul (R) worked in sweat-shops producing zaris
When it is mentioned we tend to think of people, almost always black people; degraded, abused and bound in chains, and we tend to think of such images, and the word slavery itself, as belonging to another era.We do not see slavery as belonging to our world, not as something which is still happening today.
Yet the truth is that if William Wilberforce were alive today and he travelled to different parts of the world - not just in Africa, but also in large parts of Asia, the Middle East, South America and even parts of Europe - he would find children living in conditions and circumstances which Wilberforce would understand and which I am sure he would describe as slavery.
It is believed there are nearly nine million children around the world today who are enslaved.
BBC news is currently doing a series on the present state of slavery in the world. The quote above is from the first article that that I linked to below. Please try to read some of these article and let your heart go out to these people and to pray to God that he would come soon and bring justice to this world. Please also consider giving to organizations that are working to relieve the suffering of slaves and speaking up in advocacy. Below are links to several articles about child slavery which I find particularly grievous.
The world of modern child slavery
The child slaves of Saudi Arabia
My life as a child prostitute
Haiti's hidden 'child slaves'
Slave Children with Rageh Omaar
The magnitude of the problem
Sex slavery widespread in England