A special mention
today for Slavery Remembrance Day.
23rd
August is designated by UNESCO as the day we remember the victims of the slave
trade which was officially outlawed in the UK in 1807. This is being
commemorated in Liverpool by a visit from
Martin Luther King III who is the son of the great Civil rights Campaigner
assassinated in 1968.
The City of
Liverpool was
one of the biggest players in this terrible trade. At its height the City was
dealing with up to 75% of all slave ships passing from Africa to the Americas. It is
a dark part of our history which we would rather forget but which should make
us all the more determined that any form of slavery should be wiped out for
good.
Nobody
knows the exact figures but they are numbered in millions. For example about
74,000 a year were transported between 1776 and 1800 which totals about 1.85m.
Much of the wealth and fame of my home city was built on the suffering of
slaves.
Although
this is now consigned to history, slavery has not disappeared. In fact the
numbers are higher than ever. The form of slavery is different. Many are forced
to work to pay debts and are paid at such a low level that the debts are never
paid leading to a life of servitude. There are countless stories of young women
trafficked into the sex trade against their will or following false promises of
employment.
Some of the
worst offenders are familiar. Chocolate production is known to be one industry
in which children are forced to work. It is likely that most of the chocolate
we enjoy has seen forced labour at some point down the line –
Whatever
you call it – slavery, forced labour, people trafficking – it has been and
remains one of the great injustices of the world. Anybody who works is entitled
to a living wage and tolerable working conditions.
So for this
day there is no legal rant! Let us remember those who are still victims, let us
educate ourselves and do all we can to eliminate it once and for all.
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