Słuchaj i ucz się – S-19. Modern Slaves

Voice 1

Hello. Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Rachel Hobson.

Voice 2

And I'm Marina Santee. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 3

'I was born a slave. I have wounds from where they hit me with a stick. It was my master's children who did it.'

Voice 2

You may think these words are from the distant past. But they are not. They are from the twenty-first century. Modern slavery is a very real, tragic, truth in today's world. Aid group Amnesty International said this:

Voice 4

'All countries officially ban slavery. Yet there are still more slaves in the world today than ever before. The legal slave trade of the past lasted for four hundred years. During that time, thirteen million people were shipped from Africa. Estimates say that there are twenty seven million slaves in the world today!'

Voice 2

Who are these modern day slaves? And what can we do about them?

Voice 1

Modern slavery has different forms. All over the world, there are people working in poor and dangerous conditions - against their will. There are children forced to work in the sex trade. Some of these people work in countries away from home. Human trafficking is big businesses. Human traffickers trick people into leaving their home countries. Then, they force them into slave labour. Here is one story from China.

Voice 3

'My name is Liu. I was born in 1976. Someone in my village told me about a man who could organise work for me in America or Canada. I said I was interested. So, a man called Wang Yi Xiong came to our village. Wang said he was able to organise the official documents, travel and job! But he said this would cost almost forty thousand dollars. It was my dream to go to America. But how would I pay this money? Wang suggested that my parents pay some of the money. And then I could pay the rest later - when I had my job in America. Wang said I would earn more than enough money to pay back the debt to my parents. I would be able to look after my parents in their old age! This is very important in our culture. So, I decided to do it.'

'I have been working now for three years, but not in America. Wang's men took me to Europe. I work in a Chinese food place. There are many other Chinese people living together here. I sleep on the floor. I work for sixteen to eighteen hours a day. Wang's men say I still have much debt to pay. I must work every day. They beat me if I stop. They say if I stop, I will never pay for my travel. And my parents will stay poor until they die.'

'I feel very tired of living.'

Voice 1

Human traffickers trick millions of adults and children, just like Liu. Traffickers force them into slave labour. Many children are tricked into working in the sex trade. Rosa is from Mexico. Here is her story.

Voice 3

'I was fourteen when the man came to my parent's house. He asked me if I wanted to make money in the United States. He told me about all the other Mexican girls there - like me. They were earning much more money. I could do the same job there - work in a hotel.

It was my dream to travel! My parents did not want me to go. But, finally I persuaded them!

I did not have money or official papers. But, some men took me into the US illegally. It was then that my dream was broken. They told me that my job would be having sex with men, for money. I would be selling my body.

I had been a virgin up to then, but the men raped me - again and again. And so it began. It was like a long terrible dream.'

Voice 1

Aid groups around the world are working to stop the illegal slave trade. These include 'Anti-slavery International', 'World Vision,' and 'Tearfund.' They encourage people to work together to help stop the slave trade. But what can normal people really do to stop the slave trade?

Voice 2

Well, it is important to remember one thing. Knowledge is power. And knowing about the human slave trade can prevent you and other people becoming victims. Do you know people who want to travel to Europe or America? Do you know men who claim that they can help? You can warn people about the dangers. There is no way to get legal travel documents except from an embassy or consulate. There are no honest people who make illegal travel documents! If someone offers these things, you cannot trust them.

Voice 1

You can also report cases in your area. Maybe there are factories where people are forced to work in poor conditions? Maybe you know of cases where people are not free to leave their jobs. You can report these to your local government officials. They have the authority to act and change situations. If governments are not trustworthy, human rights groups can intervene.

We too have the power to help protect each other. We can do this through education and then sharing information.

Voice 2

Regivaldo Pereira da Silva lives in Brazil. A local labour employer cheated Regivaldo and his wife. He made them work in a far-off place. They had little food and poor shelter. When they escaped, they tried to get their earnings. The employer refused. However, the employer did not know that Regivaldo possessed something powerful. Regivaldo had knowledge. He knew who to ask for help - a trained lawyer. Fernando de Paiva Gomes is an expert in law. Fernando helped Regivaldo go to court - and win his case!

Now Regivaldo has a good job. And, many people know about his case. Hopefully this will make some dishonest employers in his area think again before they act.

Voice 1

Knowledge is power. Knowledge is free. It is key to stopping modern day slavery. People can change things by speaking to the right people. Even one person can make a difference. William Wilberforce was a member of parliament in England two hundred years ago. He joined with other people to champion new laws banning the slave trade. Not many of us have this kind of power. But most of us influence someone, somewhere. We must not think that this is not valuable. Together, people can act, work, and pray - just like Wilberforce did all those years ago. Surely freedom is a human right we all deserve to have.

Voice 2

The writer and producer of today's programme was Marina Santee. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom. Quotations were adapted for use in this programme. All our programmes are on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called, 'Modern Slaves.'

From Spolight, for today - goodbye.