Modern Slavery: Victims Of Human Trafficking

Heavy Chains Persuasive Paper To this day, the thought of slavery suggests the heavy chains that held many African Americans in bondage, the song “Amazing Grace”, the Civil War, and maybe even the Middle Passage. The word slavery itself seems outdated; especially since it was abolished by the 13th amendment in 1865 in the United States. Still since ancient times slavery has been used and it is a war that is yet to be won. Now it has been called Modern Slavery; it is usually disguised and prevalent in this present day but there are things that can be done to help stop such horrendous mistreatment.
People and youth, today, lack the knowledge and desire to be educated about slavery. Slavery is prevalent under the term “Modern Slavery”, an “umbrella
terms for the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion” (“What is Modern Slavery?” par.1). It comes in many appalling forms such as domestic servitude, sex trafficking, forced labor, bonded labor, child labor, and or forced marriage.
A misconception about human trafficking is that to be considered a victim of human trafficking movement must be involved. Victims are prey to enslavement and exploitation at the hands of their human traffickers. Human trafficking can take place anywhere; there is no exact definition to its practice (“What is Modern Slavery?” par. 2). Also, no age limit is given to its many victims: children, youths, and adults. Most though are uneducated and vulnerable making them easy targets to Human Trafficking (“End Slavery Now” par. 1).
Many reasons point as to why modern slavery is flourishing today in different nations and why it is higher than ever before (Maddox par. 1 and 18). “The U.N. is certainly trying. It is now consulting widely with leading researchers on "hidden populations", and how to truly identify them so that we can at least understand the magnitude of the problem” (“Slavery didn’t end in the 19th Century” par. 6). There are two leading issues which have come the forefront; the punishment of the human traffickers and amount of education of the victims. At the heart of this phenomenon is the traffickers’ goal of exploiting and enslaving” (What is Modern Slavery? par.
2). Punishments for those convicted of trafficking should be given more than a slap on the wrist for taken advantage of others. They intentionally enslaved another human being, in their right minds, that means the punishment should come severely. So severely that it would set an example for any others who would dare even ponder over the idea of modern slavery as a possible “business” venture. Those traffickers exploit their victims because “Most lack rights and access to basic services such as education which make them particularly vulnerable” (“End Slavery Now” par. 1). Without education, they more susceptible to modern slavery. Education even in its most simple form is power. Without an education, they are unable to provide for their families and may be forced to seek work through sex trafficking or child labor. Such as Ravi Shanker Kumar, a victim of child labor, whose poor family were forced to send him to work. He recalls “My parents came up to me and asked me if I wanted to go. I refused. The loom owner refused to take no for an answer, however. He paid them a sum of 500 rupees [$10] and then, they asked me to leave” (“End Slavery Now” par. 1). The parent’s lack of education, money, and rights caused them to throw their son into a world of suffering and hard labor. Slavery today is more intentional than ever before. In the past, society did not completely deem slavery wrong, but today it should be most obvious to all that it is a disgusting institution and an injustice to humanity that must be put to an end. Just as the Civil War was fought and slavery ended; so, must society also battle against this form of slavery.
People can do many things today to go out and help end modern slavery today.
One can meet or write with local, state, and federal government representatives to remind them of what one is doing to help combat slavery and what they are doing to help; such as making punishments harder and improving education for those in poor neighborhoods. One can know the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Resource Center line number where all people are eligible of help no matter their status (“15 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking” par. 2). It would also help to know one’s slavery footprints. For example, soccer balls in India are often made by forced child labor. It is so sad, to know that something children should be able to play with are instead forced to make them. By simply taking the time to read or even print the Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, one can boycott the products to show solidarity and support to end slavery in any form in our modern society (“15 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking” par. 3). Those are simple steps one can make that will assist the government and victims of human
trafficking.
Slavery still rages on today in many different forms, but there is no need for this injustice to continue the way it has in present-day society. It flourishes due to the lack of knowledge about modern slavery. It is important to know the laws for those convicted of human trafficking and what can be done to improve upon them. As a concerned human being that is a citizen of this world, one should be able to express concerns, how to help victims, and possible solutions to helping combat human trafficking to elected officials and others. Do not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others as modern slavery is a war that can be overcome.

Work Cited
"15 Ways You Can Help Fight for Human Trafficking." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Nesbit, Jeff. "Slavery Didn't End in the 19th Century." U.S. News. U.S. News and World Report, 28 July 2015. Web. 7 Mar. 2017.
Maddox, Tony. "Modern-day Slavery: A Problem That Can't Be Ignored." CNN. Cable News Network, 4 Mar. 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
"Sex Trafficking." End Slavery Now. End Slavery Now, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
"What Is Modern Slavery?" U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.