Slavery

Slavery is a condition of control over a person, known as a slave, that can be enforced by violence or other forms of coercion against his or her will. Slavery almost always occurs for the purpose of securing the labor of the slave. A specific form, known as chattel slavery, is defined by the absolute legal ownership of a person or persons, including the legal right to buy and sell them.

Contemporary status of slavery

Slavery is in almost all countries today considered illegal, a criminal activity outlawed by UN conventions. In some states, such as Niger, Myanmar and Sudan, the institution of slavery outside of marriage does still exist, as do child prostitution and sweatshop labour rings in many East Asian, African and Eastern European regions. The Borgen Project has challenged U.S. leaders for doing business with countries that allow slavery.

Related Topics:
Illegal - Criminal activity - UN - State - Niger - Myanmar - Sudan - Child prostitution - Sweatshop - East Asian - African - Eastern European

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In sweatshop labor cases, unfree labourers are often told that they are working off a debt, but have no access to an accounting for that debt, and no right to take any higher-paying or less supervised employment. These people may be considered slaves if they are under the impression that challenging these conditions, or leaving in protest of them, would lead to serious bodily harm. Since the mid 1990s, with the opening up of the former Soviet Union, the end of the wars in the former Yugoslavia and the opening up of East and Southeast Asia, there has been an increase in the trafficking in human beings, the movement of people into forced labour. A significant part of that includes sexual exploitation and forced prostitution, with, according to US State Department figures, at least 500,000 women and children forced into prostitution globally and "an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually." http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Human-Trafficking.html?hp

Related Topics:
Sweatshop - Accounting - Employment - Bodily harm - Soviet Union - Yugoslavia - East - Southeast - Asia - Trafficking in human beings - Prostitution - US - State Department

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some labor conditions for imported "domestic" workers approach conditions of slavery in developed countries by means of legal loopholes, such as Canada's “Live-in Caregiver Program. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1099087810560. Numerous abuses are reported to the authorities which frequently turn a blind eye. In all countries, people in many occupations are contracted for a period of years, but they are usually paid on a regular basis, are rarely contracted based on a debt, and are rarely sold into that status by their parents or others. In any case, an attempt by an employer to enforce such a contract through violence or threats thereof would be dealt with by the police.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the early 1990s evidence of illegal "forced labor and debt bondage" amounting to slavery was unearthed in the Amazon region. The Brazilian government has since taken measures against such activities, although concerns continue to be expressed that more stringent steps may be required. In 1995, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso announced a new series of measures to force compliance with the anti-slavery statutes. In September of 2002, a report to the Ministério de Trabalho (Ministry of Labor), stated that between 1995 and 2001 approximately 3,500 slave labourers had been freed, and that it was estimated that 2,500 people remained in such conditions at that time (O Globo, 2002).

Related Topics:
1990s - Debt bondage - Amazon - Brazil - 1995 - Fernando Henrique Cardoso - 2002 - 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the late 1990s evidence emerged of large scale child slavery in West Africa to work chocolate plantations , see Chocolate and slavery.

Related Topics:
1990s - Chocolate and slavery

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Annual Trafficking in Persons report

The United States fifth annual Trafficking in Persons report says the 14 nations that are not doing enough to stop international human trafficking are (new to the list) Bolivia, Cambodia, Jamaica, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Togo, United Arab Emirates and (continuing to be on the list) Myanmar, Cuba, Ecuador, North Korea, Sudan and Venezuela.

Related Topics:
Bolivia - Cambodia - Jamaica - Kuwait - Qatar - Saudi Arabia - Togo - United Arab Emirates - Myanmar - Cuba - Ecuador - North Korea - Sudan - Venezuela

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~