Topic Slavery in the modern world
INTRODUCTION
Background
Thesis statement
One of the important features in modern world is the abolishment of slavery, my
question is slavery really abolished from the world today or the slavery is in a
different concept and title?
BODY ONE
Definition of slavery and modern slavery
The history of slavery
BODY TWO
Economics and poverty relations to modern slavery
BODY THREE
Cheap labor
Human trafficking
Child labor
BODY FOUR
Futurology
References:
Solution
Introduction
Background
Slavery began in the cradle of civilization, Mesopotamia. Men who lost in wars or who
could not repay debts were sold to serve others as slaves and women were sold for sexual
services. The practice spread steadily through Greece, Rome, and medieval Europe and then
became intercontinental through the transatlantic slave trade. In the many centuries that slavery
was practiced, many groups rose to uphold the act and others condemned it. Steve stern explains
the reasons for the long existence of slavery as motivated by the fact that slavery was seen as a
matter that lied in the hands of the private sector largely than in the state’s hand. Some view it as
personal lordship over lesser beings, while to others it is strictly a mutually benefitting
contractual agreement; the slave owner provides basic amenities such as food and shelter in
exchange for labor. The different opinions made abolishing slavery a rather cumbersome task
that took centuries.
Thesis statement
A major achievement of civilization by the 20 th century was the abolishment of slavery,
governments passed laws prohibiting and even making it illegal for people to continue this
practice. However, is slavery really abolished or has it masqueraded itself in the modern world?
What are the forms of modern slavery? Over the centuries, most nations in the world abolished
slavery. England passed laws to abolish slavery in the early eightieth century in the kingdom; its
colonies continued the practice until around 1838 when slavery laws relating to oversees
colonies were passed. Mauritania was the last to make laws that prohibited slavery in the late
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 3
1900’s. Many government organization, civil right groups, NGO’s, and humanitarian groups
have put effort in unmasking one of society’s biggest flaws, slavery.
Definition of Slavery and Modern Slavery
Plato defines slavery by explaining that the society is made up of those who should rule
are those who are ruled, this right to rule or be subjected to serve others is put in us from birth.
He compares the nature of a slave to work for another to that of a tamed animal such as an ox to
work for its master. His thoughts were further explained in that the ability to rise to power was
innate, only those with natural aptitudes to lead would rise, the others would serve, as that was
their natural place. William Paley explains that slavery is an obligation one owes to his master.
The obligation is brought by crimes, debts, or captivity. The relationship is not contractual nor is
it consent based. Other define the slavery as a legally binding contract that subjects the slave
legally to his master, making him a property that is awarded minor remunerations and may often
be subjected to torture and punishment.
Slavery may have changed in many ways over the centuries; several characteristics may
distinguish it still. Dehumanizing treatment, limited physical movement, certain degree of
control of the person himself and his belonging and the lack of consent and forced laboring. The
International Labour Organization estimate that over 20 million people enslaved in one form or
the other. Modern forms of slavery include; child labour, human trafficking, forced marriages,
cheap labour and forced labour. Slavery is illegal in all countries though it still practiced; this is
due to increased corruption and crime rates. The economic value generated by slavery is very
high as slaves are sold at very low prices. Research shows that slavery has increased in the
world, but it affects a smaller portion of the human race, (BBC, 2014)
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 4
The History of Slavery
Slavery has existed for as long as civilization has existed. Civilization brought about
mass production of food through the agrarian revolution. The near east region is historically
where civilization and slavery began. Communities fought for expansion and the conquered were
taken as slave. This ancient form of slavery was of all races in contrast with slavery in the past
few centuries that mainly consisted of people of African origin. Slavery in the early times was
not considered an abomination, great philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato showed their
support of slavery describing it as a natural phenomenon. The Greeks began the culture of
slavery, and then the Roman inherited it. In the second B.C, the Roman Empire thrives and
collected slaves from majority or the Europe continent. The Romans treated slaves with such
cruelty that revolts started; Spartacus led one on the biggest revolts. The fall of the Roman
Empire may have led to increased spread of slavery. The Vikings who continued slave trade by
raiding villages and capturing slaves and servants adopted slavery.
Increased warfare led to spread of slavery in the eastern regions. Germans named their
slaves ‘Slavs’ introducing the common name slaves. The trade spread to the Mediterranean
region, to the Arabs and further on to West Africa by the arrival of the Portuguese. Slave trade
spread in North Africa through the trans-saharan trade. Slaves were exchanged for commodities
such as gold, ivory, cloth, pure salt, and wine. The slave trade thrived in islands such as Cape
Verde where slaves were exploited for their labour in cotton plantations and dye industries. The
growth of slave trade in West Africa attracted the interest of other countries in North and South
America and Europe.
The transatlantic trade commonly known as triangular trade was trade that took place
between western Africa, South America, North America, and Europe, through the Atlantic
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 5
Ocean. Ships from Britain and other European countries carried processed goods such as gun
powder, cloths, and wine to West Africa. These items were trade to the local chiefs and slave
dealers who sold them slaves. He slaves were of different ages, children and adults, men and
women. The slaves included prisoners of wars, people who could not pay debts; some were
abducted when walking alone. The slaves were matched over long distances to the shore where
they were held like prisoners until ships arrived. Ship captains searched for the cheapest slaves
who were fit and could offer high profits. Once bought slaves were put in the ship. The journey
to America was long and many could not survive, poor sanitary conditions, congestion, diseases
left many weak. Those who died or were too weak to be sold were thrown of the ship to the sea
to die. The remaining who survived would be sold in America to plantation owners at the highest
bid.
Slavery conditions were inhumane and full of torture. Slaves were perceived as
possessions they worked with no pay and little to no luxury. Disobedience or the slightest form
of revolt was treated with harshness and cruel beatings. Female slaves who got pregnant
preferred aborting to bring a child to suffer the life of a slave. Revolts against the cruel masters
rose and some tried to escape even at the cost of their lives. Slavery spread in the East and
central African region where slaves were traded for refined material.
With the pass of time, the opinion on slavery changed. Humanitarian groups supported
the idea that slaves deserved humane treatment. Increased revolts and destruction on property by
slave also necessitated the need to abolish slavery. The invention of farm machinery made use of
slaves less profitable. England was among the first countries to begin measures to end slavery. It
forbade ship captains from buying slaves off the West African coast, other countries such as
Portugal followed this move. In North America, the civil war, which began initially as a war
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 6
against the southerners and the northerners, had great impact on slavery. The northerners who
did not support slavery in an economical sense defeated Southerners who were majorly pro-
slavery. President Abraham Lincoln passed a law that emancipated the slaves from masters in the
south. Slaves were allowed to join the army later.
Economics and Poverty Relations to Modern Slavery
ILO demographics show that about 20 million people are in slavery, forced labour and
trafficking. Sexual exploitation accounts for 22% of the population while the majority of persons
trafficked are women and girls. The Asia- Pacific region records 55% of the worldwide
percentage of people involved in trafficking. Over half of these people experience slavery in
their local homes, the others are trafficked to other countries and forced to work domestically or
in agricultural farms, others are forced into sexual exploitation.
Estimated worldwide revenue made in slavery is 150 billion dollars per year, a third of
this revenue is made from forced labour. Developing countries account for a majority of the
revenue. The number of victims liable to be used in the forced labour market is high and there
are higher profits per person recorded. A large number of the people in domestic forced labour
are threatened and receive little to no pay. Another major contributor to slavery profits is forced
sexual exploitation. The area gives revenue of over 90 billion dollars per year. This sector grows
faster every year, it provides profits of 21, 000 dollars per year on a single victim. Prices range
with age of the victim and the type of clients. This amount represents a fast growth large market
that foster human trafficking, forced labour and other forms of slavery. In Paraguay, India, and
some countries in South America bonded labour is common and thousands of people are work in
factories to pay off debts, (International Labour Organization, 2014)
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 7
Child slavery is one of the most common forms of slavery, parents who are unable to
support their families send off their children to work as domestic house helps in exchange for
shelter food and education. Most of these children do not complete education and end up living
impoverished lives like their parents. A survey in Brazil showed that 87% of child domestic
workers were not allowed to go to school. The situation creates an illiterate generation that
makes the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and slavery continue.
Globalization has had the adverse effect of creating two extreme groups, the extremely
wealth, and the extremely poor. Poverty is a cause and an effect of forced labour. International
laws against slavery, have little effect on poor people as their lack of ability to support
themselves drives them into a corner that negates their ability to challenge forced labour.
Families see their situation as one that lacks a better option compared to slavery. Inability to
support families and illiteracy make workers easily accept any form of working conditions that
will pay them however meager. There are high cases of borrowing money for household use and
alternately offering to work as a bonded laborer to pay off the money. Moneylenders are aware
of these loopholes are ideally structure their interests rates and payment period to ensure that
borrowers cannot pay, making them more indebted and vulnerable to work for them. The
Thomson Reauters foundation suggests that the best way to end modern slavery is through
eradication of poverty, (Zweynert, A., 2014). This will make victims of slavery less susceptible
to those who seek to exploit them.
The cycle of slavery has two sides, one offers large “illegal” revenues, facilitates free
movement of victims who are able to access education and support their families. The other side
of the cycle fosters coercion, debt, slavery, and violence to the victims. Slavery thrusts in
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 8
robbing people of their free will and dignity at the expense of enrichment of a few people. The
global population of people in slavery increases with increased poverty levels.
Cheap labor
Slaves were usually utilized at a very low cost as they were deemed hopeless for the fact
that they were forced to work for their masters against their will. Such people could be
disposable at the will of the master because they are taken as merchandise by their agents and
could fetch a market elsewhere. In some sections of the world slaves would work for free as food
and shelter was provided in their masters’ houses depriving them the freedom of choice. The
owners of slaves reaped enormous benefits from the slaves who offered help yet those slaves
gained little and sometimes got no compensation for the trouble they went through. Slaves were
mistreated by their masters and owners in so many ways including being chained together when
they were being shipped to different places.
Reasons for Cheap Labor and Free Slavery
The main reason for free or cheap labor can be traced from the background of the slaves
such that they were being trafficked from other places in the world thus they were far from their
native homes. Another possible reason for accepting to offer cheap labor according to Bales,
(2012, p. 6-8), is lack of knowledge among the races that were major targets in slave trade as
most of them had not been educated on their rights. However, the original reason for the growth
of slavery in America or the western world was the racist culture among the white people against
blacks. Slaves were taken as people with no value by their masters and agents hence their
working was taken as serving the civilized and highly educated people.
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 9
Effects of Cheap Labor
Bales, (2012, p. 4), identified cheap labor as one way of diminishing humanity among
people of different classes because it denied the slaves their freedom. Free slavery has been used
to ensure that poor people remain poor with limited chances to save themselves from that
lifestyle. Chances of improving the world’s perception were minimized as the people who were
powerful had their minds corrupted with the slave trade incomes. The economy of poor nations
where the slaves came from stagnated owing to the fact that slave trade was an illegal business.
Recent uprisings by blacks against white people have been experienced in America due to the
past as a way of revenging. Possible chances of inventing better items that required finances by
poor slaves was limited as there was hardly enough for them to use.
Solutions to Cheap Labor; Both in the Past and Modern
Since the existence of cheap labor is still evident though in other forms, solving this
problem would be necessary. An example of cheap labor in the modern world is evident in the
form of sex trade or prostitution, which is not legalized in most countries, (Bales, 2012, p.5-6).
Prostitutes are looked down upon by people in the society as people with crooked character
especially in the communities where the traditional culture is still held on. Another form of
modern cheap labor is working in other settings with little or no pay especially where the
employers are powerful. Solving such a problem requires the intervention of the legal society in
regulating the power of leaders so that people will receive the remuneration they deserve and
make their lives better. Acknowledging that free or cheap labor exists is also an important step in
cutting off the roots of this vice and solving it for the purpose of the future.
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 10
Human trafficking
According to Kempadoo, Sanghera and Pattanaik, (2015, p. 6-7), human beings were
trafficked from their home areas to other different places for the purpose of slave trade in
different forms, such as sex trade and domestic serving. People would be tricked into this
through untrue promises that they were being taken to better lands to work in the best conditions
and earn huge wages. However, others were forcefully abducted, drugged and trafficked to
places they did not know or want to be especially if they had slight information on the existence
of slavery. Some traditional leaders were also being used by powerful western leaders to sell
some of their people and would take that opportunity to make them more powerful and richer.
Therefore, the victims of human trafficking were not usually aware of what awaited them and
most certainly they were not willing to go through the ordeal.
Reasons against Human Trafficking
People were separated from their families, women lost their husbands or children when
the husbands were taken captive. Trafficking women brought untold suffering to the children left
behind as well as the extended family and also to the victim physically and psychologically.
Many criminal offences were committed as the children whose parents were trafficked had to
find their ways of surviving. The growing need for skills in various fields of production can be
traced back to trafficking because the people who were smuggled in search for jobs had no skills
in the jobs, Kempadoo, Sanghera and Pattanaik, (2015, p. 8). Trafficking women for the purpose
of promoting prostitution leads to high levels of immorality and is highly despised in the society
as well as the religious setting. Victims are robbed of their freedom to be where they should be
and to do what they wish by their traffickers, which is against their human rights. Chances of
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 11
escaping from such suffering are barely possible and could lead to more painful experiences
during the period of slavery. One can acquire diseases during the trafficking period as hygienic
standards are not considered not forgetting that sexually transmitted illnesses are part of the
reasons to worry.
How Can Human Trafficking Be Stopped?
Human trafficking, just like cheap labor, has a history and is happening even in the
modern world, with increase in intensity in the present. In this case, there has to be a lasting
solution to put an end to it, including abolition of slave trade on all the nations where it is highly
practiced. Lack of a market for slaves would obviously mean that there would be no need for
trafficking human labor. Sex trade should also be abolished as it is a leading reason why
trafficking women and female children has increased in intensity in the recent past. As a major
concern, the authorities have been known to control the trafficking business as they gain material
possessions and become powerful. In order to solve this setback, every leader found to support
trafficking should be held accountable and pay for the trouble they cause to victims. Law
enforcers are supposed to set rules that will discourage trafficking and all other related crimes
such that the verdict made against traffickers will be severe. According to Kempadoo, Sanghera
and Pattanaik, (2015, p. 11), migration is one avenue that has promoted the levels of human
trafficking and supposedly should be reduced so as to inhibit trafficking.
Child labor
Children fall prey to slave traders at a tender age due to negligence by parents in relation
to being providers. Every child has basic needs that should be well catered for by both parents so
as to ensure all round personal growth. Manipulation of children for material gains can be caused
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 12
by parents or other people in the society in case the parents are unavailable. Children were
exploited sexually in the past and this still happens in the present with the same effects being felt
and increased in the level of occurrence. Industries employed children for cheap labor and
assured loyalty as it was highly possible that they could not defend themselves against ill
treatment. Members of a society should be responsible for the sake of safety of the children in
that society so as to counter such problems as child labor and possible effects.
Circumstances That Lead To Children Manipulated
The society lacks corporate social responsibility especially when business owners want to
hire laborers at a cheap cost. Since children do not have a strong voice to speak and dictate how
much they should be paid, employers utilize that challenge by manipulating children, who have a
poor background for unskilled labor, (Bales, 2012, p.6). Children who are left orphaned often
find the option of working to get money to cater for their needs. In most cases, adults know what
is right for their young ones yet some parents behave irresponsibly sending their children to work
when they know they cannot handle the force in the world. Indiscipline in some children causes
them to be manipulated because some parents use their authority to try and correct the behavior
of their children.
Negative Effects of Child Labor
Child labor deprives young ones of their right to grow in all aspects of life positively
because the child is forced to handle the lifestyle of an adult at a very tender age. The percentage
of youth contracting HIV/AIDS keeps increasing due to the high number of youth getting
involved in sex trade. Deaths of very young children caused by hardships of child labor have
increased, for example children being forced to work in mines and quarries. Crime gets rampant
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 13
especially with children having to be forced in the streets and having no one to take care of them
or give them proper advice relating to general life experiences. Education which should be a
priority in a child’s social life is denied and this has long term effects as the future will be
adversely affected. Denying a child his or her rights to play with other children eventually makes
him or her social misfit and in the long run they become socially irresponsible.
Solutions to Child Labor
Understanding that child labor has existed in the past with some of the children being
forced to work and others working at their own will make the journey to stopping slavery easier.
Since the effects of child labor are not only short term but have to affect the future of the current
generations as well as the next generations, it is important to solve and curb it. Social
responsibility is necessary in ensuring that every child gets an education to keep them informed
of their rights. Organizations handling children related cases especially in matters of child labor
should have stern orders to be followed in making the lives of children easier without them
working. Children traffickers and employers should be strictly punished so as to reduce the level
and chances of employing children. Parents who neglect their children should be made aware of
the consequences that ensue due to their irresponsibility, after which they should be monitored to
confirm that they start living responsibly.
Futurology
Based on the historical review, the worry of future effects of slavery is evident since the
same trend is witnessed in our modern society. Slavery is currently an indirect phenomenon with
a different change in form as compared to the past where people were openly using the exact
term. Unlike in the past where slaves had their owners and this was not secret, modern day
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 14
slavery is furtive which makes efforts to fight it hard. Fighting against what the authorities are
not aware exists or rather for which existence is in disguise calls for multiple actions meaning the
time taken to solve it will be more than it should be. Children have their rights to a free life and
should be provided for by their parents so as to protect them from manipulation by irresponsible
individuals. However in the modern world, the age at which the youth start working could lead to
higher possibilities of being exploited.
Foreseen advancements in the nature of slavery might be alerting that there will be newer
versions of child labor, human trafficking, and cheap labor in the future considering the changes
that have occurred up to this point. Kidnapping and abduction of both adults and children has
been on the rise in the recent past, causing concerns on where they could be for many years.
Social responsibility and the morality of authorities have been deteriorating as the need for
money and power keeps rising. The work of the authorities to protect citizens of a country has
taken a different direction to one of leading the inhabitants to the social evils of slavery. People
abducted could be used to offer cheap labor in the countries they are trafficked to and children
will be exploited in the same way meaning that the chances of this social evil declining are low.
With improvements in technology, trafficking might be made easier or harder depending on how
socially responsible human beings are and will be in the future.
Conclusion
Desire for material gains led to the rise of slavery in the past and has been recurrent in the
present whereby people could give others up to get finances or power. The effects of this evil
were brought to young people and older generations in the same way because the suffering was
equal to all. Human trafficking for the purpose of slave trade affected and still affects both males
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 15
and females as the tasks to be carried out are different. Evidence shows that though trade may
have been abolished in the past, it still exists in a different form and affects people in the same
way. Possible reasons why it has not been likely to eliminate the problem are established on the
social responsibility of human beings meaning that the best way to solve it is by being socially
responsible.
SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 16
References
Bales, K. (2012). Disposable people: New slavery in the global economy. Univ of California
Press.
<http://www2.kobeu.ac.jp/~alexroni/IPD%202012/2012_13/Trafficking%20and%20Pros
titution%20Reconsidered.pdf>
BBC. (2014). BBC – Ethics – Slavery: Modern slavery. Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/slavery/modern/modern_1.shtml
International Labour Organization. (2014). PROFITS AND POVERTY: The economics of forced
labour. Retrieved from International Labour Organization website:
https://ec.europa.eu/anti-
trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/profits_and_poverty_the_economics_of_forced_lab
our_0.pdf
Kempadoo, K., Sanghera, J., & Pattanaik, B. (2015). Trafficking and prostitution reconsidered:
New perspectives on migration, sex work, and human rights. Routledge.
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SLAVERY IN THE MODERN WORLD 17
Zweynert, A. (2014). Fight poverty to end modern slavery, Nobel laureate Yunus says| Reuters.
Retrieved from http://in.reuters.com/article/women-conference-yunus-
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