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Modern Slavery

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Modern Slavery

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5 min read
5 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Though most countries had abolished slavery by the end of the 19th century, slavery persists in every nation, bar none.

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Overview
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Many may find Kevin Bales’s presentation disturbing and difficult to watch. Although most countries had abolished slavery by the end of the 19th century, the practice persists in every nation, bar none. Bales, an antislavery campaigner, relates several harrowing stories of contemporary slavery at work and describes the destruction such cruelty wreaks on communities and the environment. getAbstract suggests Bales’s account to policy makers and philanthropists, as well as to consumers, who have a social responsibility to be informed and to make ethical purchasing decisions.

Summary

According to antislavery activist Kevin Bales, slavery exists in every nation. The nature of slavery has remained constant throughout history. It involves “one person completely controlling another person using violence to maintain that control” for economic, sexual or other form of exploitation. As of 2015, some 39 million people are enslaved around the world. Mauritania has the highest density of slaves – about 4% of the population – followed by Haiti at 2%. Slaves were traditionally pricey, long-term investments. Historically, acquiring a slave cost the equivalent of C$60,000 [US$45,000] in today...

About the Speaker

Author Kevin Bales co-founded Free the Slaves, a lobby group that campaigns against slavery.

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