International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
Slavery is a word many think little of in modern terms, but the word is not one which we have put behind us, it is even more present today than in yesteryears. More than 27 million people are enslaved around the world today, and today we recognize their plight and struggle for freedom, as do we recognize the countless abolitionists who work tirelessly to find an end to the inhumanity that is slavery.
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, recalls the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV)of 2 December 1949).
18 December 2002, the General Assembly proclaimed 2004 the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition. On 28 November 2006, the Assembly designated 25 March 2007 as the International Day for the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (resolution 61/19).
How can you help the fight to end slavery once and for all? You can start by joining or forming a citizen activist group in your city, or volunteer with one of the many charities that work on the issues. You can find many groups on sites such as MeetUp.com, FaceBook, and MySpace. Why not take your family or a group of your friends to see the film HOLLY tonight!
For more information please see the following pages and previous posts on my site;
- Slavery
- Book List
- Human Trafficking and Slavery Related Movies and Documentaries
- Human Trafficking Links
Links:
UN International Day for the Abolition of Slavery Information and Links Page
For those of you in Washington DC here are some events in the coming weeks, where you can learn and join the fight against modern slavery:
*Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 6:30-8:30pm
Happy Hour Fundraiser sponsored by DC Stop Modern Slavery (DC SMS) and Amnesty International’s DC Women’s Human Rights Action Team (WHRAT). All proceeds will directly benefit Shakti Samuha, a Nepalese survivor-run NGO that provides an array of critical services to sex trafficking victims.
Café Citron
1343 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC
Upstairs balcony area
Metro: Dupont South
Suggested donation: $5-$10
Thursday, December 6th, 5-7 p.m.
Happy Hour Fundraiser hosted by Young Professionals Against Trafficking to benefit Polaris Project. Raffles and drinks!
Rumors
1900 M ST NW Washington DC
Monday, December 10th, 12-1:30 p.m.
Panel Discussion “Human Trafficking and Slavery: The Economic Impact on Development”
Featuring:
* Ambassador Mark Lagon, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, US Department of State
* Roger Plant, Director, Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour, International Labour Organization
* Kevin Bales, President and Co-Founder, Free the Slaves
Preston Auditorium, MC Building
Thursday, December 13th, 2 p.m.
Human Trafficking in Southern Russia: A Panel Discussion hosted by The Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC)
Featuring perspectives from scholars and law enforcement officials from the southern region of the Russian Federation who identify, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking crimes and assist victims.
3401 Fairfax Drive, Room 329, Arlington, VA 22201
(two blocks from the Virginia Square Metro)
Reservations suggested: please contact traccc@gmu.edu