I’ve taken the survey at SlaveryFootprint.org thinking my number might change or vary a little as I live my life but I still have a huge number slaves working for me. I have what seems like more than average with 75. This is disheartening when I take into account that this is an issue I’ve been passionate about fighting for more than a decade.
If you haven’t visited this website go see what is being talked about all over the media. Even President Obama just encouraged people to go visit it.
There are over 27 million people held in slavery today, about double that of any other time in human history.
Of these 27 million people, about 85% are females and over 13 million of them are children, just about one half. The modern slave trade makes about $32 billion dollars a year – that’s more than Starbucks, Google, and Nike COMBINED. It is the single fasted growing and most lucrative industry that exists today. The trafficking of humans for slavery is occurs all over the world, in every nation. All major US cities have houses that hold trafficked women, forced into a life of being beaten, raped, and prostitution, seeing an average of 20 to 40 men everyday.
History will be reflect upon this in the same light as the holocaust. Modern slavery will go down as the single worst human rights violation to ever take place at such a grand level. Statistically, it is almost impossible for any one of us to not have items in our houses that have slave hands have touched.
Be an abolitionist and When your grandchildren ask you what role you had in this industry, be one of the few who will have something to talk about other than enjoying all the discounted clothing and inexpensive technology items of the time. Our generation will be looked upon as negatively as the post WWII Germans are. Many of us can’t fathom being a part a society that would sit back and reap the benefits of such atrocious acts and let such evil go on unquestioned. But that is exactly what is happening today. Make a choice to not be a part of it.
Being a part of the modern abolitionist movement can be as simple as asking those around you if they knew this is going on. I have found that almost every single person I talk to welcomes the conversation because they had no idea. It can also include giving small amounts of money to organizations that combat slavery or those that aid the recovery of rescued victims. It can be as small as getting to know more about what’s going on by reading a book (Not For Sale), watching a movie (Call + Response), or visiting some websites (Free the Slaves). It includes educating yourself on which companies (Nike, The Gap, Starbucks, Nestle) that have had repeated documentation of using slave labor and choosing to not buy their products anymore. No matter how small you may feel it, as least do something. The time of letting slavery and human trafficking keep expanding each year is over. It’s time to be a part of history and get involved in the movement that has already made an impact on shutting this abominable industry down.
Friend and fellow abolitionist, Justin Dillon, speaks about modern slavery and human trafficking and how his film, Call + Response promotes awareness through music.
You can watch the trailer to his documentary in an earlier post I made here or at their website
www.callandresponse.com.
The main site and thier blog have a lot of information including many small ways to get involved.
CALL+RESPONSE is a first of its kind feature documentary film that reveals the world’s 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. CALL+RESPONSE goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2007, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.Luminaries on the issue such as Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Nicholas Kristof, and many other prominent political and cultural figures offer first hand account of this 21st century trade. Performances from Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists including Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Imogen Heap, Talib Kweli, Five For Fighting, Switchfoot, members of Nickel Creek and Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, Rocco Deluca move this chilling information into inspiration for stopping it.Music is part of the movement against human slavery. Dr. Cornel West connects the music of the American slave fields to the popular music we listen to today, and offers this connection as a rallying cry for the modern abolitionist movement currently brewing.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
(If at any point it sounds like I’m bragging, I promise you, I’m trying to make opposite point).
I’ve been informed about some kinds of modern slavery since the early 1990’s when I attended UC Berkeley and read about brothels with children for tourists, the diamond industry in Africa, war-lords “recruiting” soldiers, our clothing being made by in sweat shops (most lured and kept in the US the same way Russians girls are today), and then shortly after, all the Serbian rape camps in Bosnia. And although I have memories of being horrified and sick to my stomach, this actually didn’t stand out too much from everything else I was learning. For the most part, these are normal feelings when you do your homework at UC Berkeley.
I got fired up and wanted to change everything being exposed to at Cal. No doubt friends and family got tired of me talking about every social injustice I came across. (And I won’t even go into being the only Liberal at my church. The warmth received during this time did however motivate me to give most my tithes and offerings as alms to various organizations. I mean, what would Jesus do, right?)
Since then, I’ve been involved with said groups only here and there, nothing really monumental or too consistent from year to year. Although I will add the unforgettable day I received a post card from Amnesty International celebrating the release of a tortured prisoner whose letter writing campaign I worked on, serving as everlasting testimony that small tasks for huge issues through non-profits can make a difference.
So 15 years later and hundreds of new devoted organizations onboard to fighting forced labor and slavery, you would think that some things would have changed by now, right?
Well they have changed… and drastically. Human traffickers realized how much more money can be made from having foreign girls do more than just sew. The human slave trade is exploding, literally expanding every year. Today there are 27 million victims in the slave industry, 80 percent of them being women and children. This is twice the amount when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Human trafficking makes 32 billion dollars each year; more than Nike, Google, and Starbucks combined. These revenues are twice the annual budget of NASA and eight times that of the UN. The millions of women (and children) taken from their lives and forced into a life of rape and torture see an average of 30 “clients” every single day. It is atrocious that we are not hearing about this everywhere. It is atrocious to me that I am not doing more to stop it.
So I’m done with my minimal commitments to many organizations covering an array of social ills and ready to focus all my energies into taking real action and give my all to this.
I am ready to be the abolitionist that I looked up to so much growing up.
I implore you to join me because now is the time to do so.
There is a movie, CALL + RESPONSE, being released in September that has the potential to bring the needed awareness to the situation. (visit CALL + RESPONSE to watch the trailer and read more details about the film) This is the perfect time to involved because the massive movement related to this film can actually lead to making real changes. It’s powerful in it’s operation because the film was made completely through donations so it has 100% of the profits going straight into global field projects on the front lines of this issue. This modern abolitionist campaign is a grassroots movement, working from the bottom up, utilizing all talents, interests, and skills to work together on diverse goals and projects.
With music so involved in the slavery issue, it has been said that “…callandresponse.com is a ground-breaking robust online interactive platform, which combines the passion of justice, and scope of a Presidential Campaign, with the swagger of Rock & Roll”.
So it is this is the rapidly growing movement that I have chosen to use to make my stand against the most evil things I can think of. Mostly because it’s been a long time since I have had this much hope on seeing this deplorable industry addressed by all. And I will be waiting for my postcards I plan on getting informing me of the many accomplishments we will achieve.
😉
Ronda Gupton –Pruett
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One of the most important things you can do right now to join the abolitionist effort is visit CALL + RESPONSE to watch the trailer, then click on “Act” to sign up with your zip code to help bring the movie to your town.
.Getting this convincing documentary to as many people as we can is crucial to exposing what’s happening and bringing this issue to the forefront of all media. .
You can also visit CALL + RESPOND on myspace and facebook to see what people are saying, add as friends, and join the causes. Then post the CALL + RESPONSE links, trailers, and news to your profiles or blogs.
Any and all efforts in the abolitionist movement by helping spread the word about this film are beyond appreciated. Everyone needs to see it and 100% of the proceeds are given to projects taking place out in the field.
You can also email me at ronda@callandrespond.com if you have any questions, would like additional information, or are interested in being active with CALL + RESPOND.
Ronda Gupton-Pruett 