Modern slavery and human trafficking in XXI century

Modern slavery and human trafficking in XXI century

English project

To those who are struggling. To talk about a struggle, you're likely to forget about it. To be shown a struggle, you're likely not to forget it. But, to live through a struggle, you'll understand it.Valerie Owens,America Huh I'm Going Home

Mentor: Made by:

Biljana Madzovska Stefani Cvetkovska

1.Introduction

Slavery and human trafficking have become a widespread problem across the globe today. But, lets remember the commodity here is not drugs or contraband ;it is human being, usually the most vulnerable in society. Human beings who are unable to defend themselves, those who innocently trust the intention of others, those who can easily be made to disappear. The cruelty and inhumanity of those who would profit from such a crime is truly shocking.In the past, slavery was accepted as a fact od life. Traditionally,people were used mainly as domestic servants and agricultural laborers and it was legal for a person to own another human being. Kate Blewett(film-maker) makes the distinction between slaves today and those in the past: The difference between now and colonial times is that in the old days slaves were worth a great deal of money and so were taken better care of. But these people are utterly disposable. They are cheap to buy and cheap to throw away. Human trafficking is the equivalent of modern-day slavery.How can we stop it? Countless authors and activist have continued to explore this question.If we all stop for a minute and think that the next victim can be our mother, sister, daughter, then the world would be a better place to be in.Thats why I choose this topic, because I think that people take their safety,freedom and life for granted.

2.Human Trafficking

Behind a curtain of todays society, behind a curtain of propaganda, disbelif and denial, there lays a scene od reality: a reality that proves that chains of enslavement still remain strong. This reality is played out by the actors of the Third World countries,but is not isolated to their borders. With the transnational operation called human trafficking, slavery remains alive and thriving. Human trafficking is estimated to be a multibillion-dollar business. Author and human rights activist Dr. Kevin Bales estimatest that globally approximately 27 million people may be living in slavery today, of which many are victims of human trafficking: this is a number that many human rights organizations agree with. Also, he estimates that total yearly profit generated by slavery would be on the order of $13 billion. The victims are transported, or trafficked, into a country of destination where they are then forced to pay back the costs incurred while bringing them to the country. Repayment of the debt comes in form of forced labor, which can include prostitution or other crimes. The actors involved with human trafficking cannot be profiled as one specific type of people. They can be a well-organaized,well-financed international criminal network and at the same time not to show any indications that they are members of organized crime or that they have any connections to organized crime. Human trafficking is the equivalent of modern-day slavery. It is no longer a question of race and color for those being enslaved: it is now a question of vulnerability. No country can claim that its borders are not affected in some way by trafficking. This means that Macedonia is not an exception. There was no work,no money.So when a friend- at least I thought he was a friend- suggested he could help me with providing me a job in a factory in Turkey,I just jumped at the idea and I took his offer.But when I realized we had driven west,to the border with Serbia,I knew something was wrong.When we arrived in Serbia I was made into a piece of property.- this is just one example of the violations of human rights experienced around the world. It is the stories like this one that show the reality of slavery today, which is that is not ended,as most people belive to be the truth. Human trafficking not only involves sex and labor,but people are also trafficked for organ harvesting. Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises because it holds low risk with high profit potential.Criminal organizations are increasingly attracted to human trafficking because, unlike drugs humans can be sold repeatedly.

3.Who is being trafficked? Women, children, and men are trafficked throughout the world for sexual exploitation or forced labor. Women are particularly vulnerable to trafficking because in many societies the lives of women and girls are valued less than those of men and boys.To traffic is simply to work upon an individuals desire or need to migrate,by introducing them into a form of labor under conditions that make them completely dependent on the traffickers in ways that impairs their rights. The victims are commonly taken far away from their homes to places that they dont have any connections to family and friends that could help them. Even if they could escape, they are penniless and in debt. An ideal candidate for the traffickers is someone that they deem to be defeated and desperate for any opportunity to change the conditions in which they are living, they prey on those that belive will do anything that is asked of them if the prospect of a better job exists. Vulnerable populations are those in which people do not have their basic need met,where there is oppression and few economic opportunities. Globally, one in five victims of human trafficking are children, although in poorer regions and subregions, such as Africa , they make up the majority of trafficked persons.Men and boys may be victims of human trafficking for the purposes of forced labour, forced begging and sexual exploitation, and as child soldiers. The many different types of human trafficking mean that there is no single, typical victim profile. Cases are seen in all parts of the world and victims are targeted irrespective of gender, age or background . We are asking people to understand that slavery exists today ; in fact, according to a recent New York Times article, if you count the number of women and children in bonded labor, domestic slavery or sexual slavery today,there are more slaves in the world today then at any time in history.- Charlotte Bunch.

Theres a special evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent and vulnerable. -George W.Bush

We were vulnerable to a smooth-talking recruiter,who promised us the world.

Rachel Lloyd,a survivor of child trafficking