- Today over 27 million people worldwide are living as slaves. This is more than double the number of slaves deported in the 400-year transatlantic slave trade to the Americas. [ref.]
- Each year more than 2 million of the world’s innocent children are exploited through sex trafficking. [ref.]
These children are lured from their communities and treated as objects to be sold and abused.
- At this moment over 300,000 helpless children have been ripped from their homes in regions such as Africa and Asia and are being forced into armed conflict as child soldiers. [ref.]
- Many individuals forced into slave labor are producing products we use on a daily basis, such as chocolate and coffee. [ref.]
This fact can initially seem overwhelming. But the fact is that all of these products are available in “fair trade” form. Allowing us to not further encourage forced labor through our demand for a product.
- Slavery is happening right now in our own communities. Each year the U.S. reports a high occurrence of slavery in the form of forced labor and sexual exploitation within its borders. [ref.]
This is not just a problem that is happening in other parts of the world. We cannot ignore it in the world or in our communities.