The School of Diplomacy and International Relations hosted a symposium on modern slavery in conjunction with The New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking, The International Justice Project and the Slave-Free Community Project on Sept. 20.
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Staff Photographer/ Alexandra Torres[/caption]
The event began with a welcome address by Andrea Bartoli, the dean of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations. “Slavery today is still happening,” Bartoli said. “It is still a source of profit for many – literally making money off of the lives of others. People will die sooner, younger and sicker because someone is working them to death controlling their mind, controlling their body and controlling their relationships.”
Elise Groulx delivered the keynote speech. Groulx practices international human rights law and international criminal law. She explained that she refers to the topic as modern slavery instead of human trafficking because it has brought people out of poverty and it is an “issue of basic decency, human rights and democracy.”
Groulx described the current state of modern slavery. She said that 47 million people are affected by modern slavery, inluding 21 million are children. She said that those people are forced into work with no pay, or extremely low pay, in poor conditions. While modern slavery is still illegal, she said, it is happening in so many countries, but in black and gray markets. Groulx added that slavery denies people their rights to freedom and security.
“It affects almost every country,” Groulx said. “Either as a source country (where the people are taken from), a transit country (where they travel through) or a destination country (where they are enslaved).”
Groulx ended her speech with a call to action, explaining to the audience that they should vote, speak up and stay aware.
A woman in the audience asked the panelists what one should do if he or she suspects modern-day slavery occurring. Elizabeth Mauldin, the policy director of Centro de Los Derechos del Migrante, said, “See if you can start a regular conversation that can build trust with the person in question.” She added that she suggests asking them where they are from, if they were offered a ride and how long they’ve been in the area.
Mary Beth Gallagher, the executive director of the Tri-State Collation for Responsible Investment, explained how the products that go into a car are harvested, mined or sourced around the world with labor that is not always regulated or legal.
Gallagher said she urges those who seek to create change on this issue to ask questions about the products they use every day. “If each person asked questions and prioritized good recruitment, there would be no more child labor and no forced labor,” Gallagher said. “You’ll be paying more for a product, but it will be delivered equitably. Ask questions every time you buy something and don’t be laden with guilt.”
The symposium also addressed how various aspects in daily lives, ranging from rocks to chocolate, is a result of the modern-day slavery At the conclusion of the event, attendants enjoyed refreshments and signed postcards that would be sent to companies. The postcards asked them to not sell products that are a result of slave labor.
Rua Dinm, a freshman diplomacy and international relations major, said that the event was inspirational and that students should be more involved with the event. “The presentation focused on ‘responsible consumerism’.” However, as a young, broke college student, that’s not always easy to do,” Dinm said. “It would be nice if it was more interactive and not just inspirational.”
Elise Kerim can be reached at elise.kerim@student.shu.edu.
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