| 26 March 2010 |
Modern Slavery Forum Draws Hundreds
Nearly 200 guests attended Primary Source's Modern Day Slavery event at the Boston Public Library on March 25, 2010. The audience, which included high school and college students, teachers, researchers, and community members, participated in an eye-opening and at times lively discussion. Central to each panelist's presentation and the discussion that followed was a continuum of ways for individuals and organizations to combat global slavery. Moderated by Abt Associates researcher Michael Shively, the panel consisted of scholars and activists that have dedicated their careers to raising awareness of human trafficking and slavery. Zoe Trodd, currently a fellow at UNC Chapel Hill and author of Modern Day Slavery: The Secret World of 27 Million People, outlined the scope of contemporary slavery worldwide and suggested a definition of slavery as that which involves forced labor without pay (beyond subsistence wages in some cases) and either violence or threats of violence. Abolitionist and former slave Francis Bok told the moving story of his own capture, bondage, and escape from slavery in his native Sudan. Katherine Chon, co-founder of the Polaris Project and an Ash Institute Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, discussed sex slavery and gave insight into the complex gender dynamics of the issue with a case study of contemporary Japan. Finally, journalist and author (A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face With Modern-Day Slavery) Benjamin Skinner shared stories of his encounters with enslaved individuals and human traffickers around the world. Following the panelists' presentations, audience members asked how they could get involved with the contemporary abolitionist movement. One gentleman stood up to say "I'm just a guy with a 9 to 5 job. What can I do besides telling my friends about this?." With help from the panel, Primary Source has compiled a list of suggestions to answer this question along with recommended resources for learning more.
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Educating for Global Understanding
