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How Have Children Become Involved in the Armed Conflict in Colombia?

One of the most lamentable aspects of Colombia’s 50 decade long war is the use of child soldiers by armed groups and the army. As I mentioned in my previous blog, before the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involv

State-Imposed Forced Labor: Arguments For or Against Prison Labor

The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that, in 2014, there were 1.5 million people in state and federal prisons in the United States. In 2005, a census of state and federal correctional facilities showed that 54% of inmates were in facilities wit

Stories of Trafficking

Luke Blocher is one of the board members of End Slavery Now. During an interview, he describes the stories of those he has met that have overcome slavery. 

How Forced Marriage Leads to Slavery

We always say that the forms of slavery are not exclusive of one another. Many times, one form causes another, or multiple exist in the same situation. Below are some example fictional scenarios of where forced marriage plays into slavery. Sex Traffi

State-Imposed Forced Labor: Why It Matters

This Black History Month, we explored prison labor in the U.S. today, its ties to chattel slavery and arguments for or against the practice. This is part 4 and closes the series with why having a discussion on state-imposed forced labor in the United

Reasons for Forced Marriage

As someone who grew up in the West, I find it is easy to quickly pass judgment on people from other cultures for the decisions that they make. When I read this article on mothers who sold their daughters into sex trafficking, I never thought that I w

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place - the Fate of Putumayo’s Children

Up until now (access my previous blogs here), I have talked about the factors leading to the recruitment of child soldiers. I have offered aspects about a child’s socio-economic status, gender, violence within the family, proximity to the operations

Survivor Empowerment Ideas

We use the word empowerment as one of the six forms of abolition. Empowerment is the phase where survivors are able to get jobs and support themselves. It is the final piece needed in the story of true freedom for a survivor. I say true freedom becau

Raised by ISIS, Child Soldiers of the Islamic State

It’s nearly impossible to watch the news for 15 minutes and not hear some sort of mention of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). The subject of the radical terror group has completely dominated discourse across any media outlet – left or right –

Fighting Back Against Forced Marriage

Forced marriage is a form of slavery in the world today. To continue our series on this topic, here are the stories of some very brave girls who are fighting back against their communities’ traditions. Sonita Sonita is from Afghanistan, and her famil