Help our local partners realise their vision of hope for their communities
27 August 2013
“If slavery is to be abolished in the twenty-first century, we must first break the bonds of ignorance, silence, interest, ideology, complacency and complicity.”
Baroness (Caroline) Cox
Following the widely acclaimed first edition (2006) marking the bicentenary of William Wilberforce’s parliamentary achievement in abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire, this second edition reminds us that we must continue to challenge this immoral practice. It is estimated there are more than 27 million slaves around the world today, ranging from prostitutes in London to indentured workers in Burma. This popularly written and carefully researched volume has been comprehensively updated. The chapter entitled ‘Let the Slaves Speak’ contains newly documented , heart-wrenching personal accounts of chattel slavery in Sudan, forced labour and sexual slavery in Burma, the use of child soldiers in Burma and Uganda – providing a summary of recent developments. Other chapters discuss variations of contemporary slavery and the Christian roots of the anti-slavery movement.
The new edition features a special chapter on the plight of ‘Dalits’ in India, who are deemed ‘untouchables’ in the centuries old Hindu caste system. Relegated to the most menial and degrading jobs of society, these people, particularly children, are extremely vulnerable to trafficking for sexual exploitation. The chronic poverty these families endure forces many parents to dedicate their children as Devadasi or Jogini for ‘service’ to the temple, often resulting in horrendous enforced prostitution.
Another new chapter examines the global nature of human trafficking, including individual stories of people who have been enslaved across Europe and the USA. The chapter also describes organisations fighting to end trafficking and supporting victims on their journey of rehabilitation.
This Immoral Trade concludes with an important and helpful chapter on how readers themselves can take action on modern day slavery.
“This book demands the attention of all who would seek to follow in the footsteps of Wilberforce and to be the change they want to see in the world”
Most Revd and Rt Hon. Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York
The book is now available to purchase from Amazon priced at £7.99
