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The Irregular Migration Crisis and Human Trafficking

Thousands of migrants have perished off the coast of Libya since January. Hundreds of thousands of people enter Europe each year, and similar amounts enter the United States. These people, both irregular and regular migrants, are among some of the mo

Connecting Slavery Then with Slavery Now: Part 1

BY JAMES STEWART James Wallace Professor of History, Emeritus at Macalester College and Founder of Historians Against Slavery Most Americans believe that the Civil War put an end to human bondage a century and a half ago—end of story. In the face of

The End to Child Sex Trafficking Starts with Us

Human trafficking is a silent predator swallowing the innocence of our children as it profits from the pain and suffering of its countless victims. Lurking in the shadows of humanity, the evil that is human trafficking knows no boundaries and surpass

Sex Trafficking and the Carceral State

Last week The Daily Beast reported—in a sensational title, “Sex Trafficking Victims, Not ‘Prostitutes,’ Finally Getting Help (and a New Name) in Court”—that New York has set up a new provisional court system that tries to funnel arrested sex workers

How You Could Become Enslaved

Many individuals are vulnerable to becoming enslaved. Below are some of the different ways people become enslaved. Smuggling You pay recruitment fees to individuals offering to bring you to another country. Whether it's to escape genocide or warfare

Fair Trade in One Local Community

As the owner of a growing Fair Trade shop in Northern Kentucky, I have plenty of opportunities to talk with people about what Fair Trade is, as well as what it isn't. While I definitely find that the general public's awareness of sweatshops, unfair w

The Plague of the Other

I have been moved recently, as a result of reading an outstanding book, "Esctatic Nation,” by Brenda Wineapple, to reflect once again on what I describe as “The Plague of the Other.” I refer here to the human tendency to lift ourselves up by comparin

Slavery Surrounding the Unaccompanied Minor Crisis

News headlines are abuzz of the unaccompanied minor crisis at the U.S.’s southwest borders. Officials estimate that at least 60,000 children have made their way, undocumented, into the U.S. during the last year. In the wake of other major conflicts a

Ravi Shanker Kumar

More than 300,000 children are estimated to be trapped in India’s carpet industry. Most of India’s carpets are woven in Uttar Pradesh, where the majority of workers are low-caste Hindu boys. Ravi Shanker Kumar was one of them. His parents were succum

Gang Prevention and Intervention Programs

Academics have previously drawn parallels between gang recruitment and the use of child soldiers by armed groups. In examining these two, it becomes evident that there are clear similarities, which opens up a discussion about what practitioners and a