On Sunday 25-3-7, we celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of Wiliam Wilberforce's great achievement. After spending much of his political lifetime campaigning, Britain's Parliament finally abolished the trans-Atlantic slave trade. At least no more slaves would be carried in British ships or by British crews.

In 1833 slavery itself, throughout the British Empire, was officially abolished by a further act of Parliament. In 1865 the United States Congress passed the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This made all people, (other than convicted criminals) within U.S. jurisdiction, free from slavery or involuntary servitude.

Most people thought that this was the end of slavery. Many still think slavery is a thing of the past, as well as a blot on the civilised World. Unfortunately slavery is still rife, usually masked by various euphemisms.

Obviously this depends on how slavery is defined. Originally slavery usually meant the 'ownership' of one person by another. Modern slavery is defined in a slightly different manner.

Modern Slavery.

A rigorous definition of slavery today: Being forced to work without financial renumeration, involuntary servitude as the 13th Amendment specifies. Emphasis has generally moved away from 'ownership', it now mostly involves control, the use of force, threats or imprisonment.

Dr. Kevin Bales has written a book 'Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy'. From his research he has confirmed that slavery touches all our lives today, as he says in the book.

"Slaves in Pakistan may have made the shoes you are wearing and the carpet you stand on. Slaves in the Caribbean may have put sugar in your kitchen and toys in the hands of your children. In India they may have sewn the shirt on your back and polished the ring on your finger.

In Brazil slaves made the charcoal that tempered the steel that made the springs in your car and the blade on your lawn mower. Slaves grew the rice that fed the woman that wove the lovely cloth you've put up as curtains.

Your investment portfolio and your mutual-fund pension own stock in companies using slave labor in the developing world. Slaves keep your costs low and returns on your investments high."

Dr. Bales' research was conducted in Brazil, India, Mauritania, Pakistan & Thailand. Interviews with pressure groups & slaves was risky. Slavery usually thrives becase of government corruption, he was in danger of being arrested. Slavery is illegal throughout the World. Despite this there are currently twice as many victims as the total abducted from Africa during the 4 centuries of Euro-American slavery.

He differentiates between true slavery & poverty or low paid labour. With this tight definition there are around 27 million slaves in the World. More than the population of Scandinavia, Canada & many other countries. To put it in perspective the figure equals more than half the population of England, far more than the rest of the British Isles put together.

It is estimated that several thousand people, mostly girls, are enslaved in modern Britain. This country is considered a prime destination, for human cargo, by international traffikers. Most finish up in the sex industry, London is naturally a favourite destination.

This horrific trade seems to go mostly un-noticed by the Authorities, including the Police. Escaped sex slaves are not taken seriously or helped in any way. As far as most Police are concerned, prostitution is illegal. Therefore the girls are the criminals, not the men who prey on them.

This blot on our society needs to be tackled at Government level. By criminalising the use of sex slaves and prostitutes. As things stand it is the victims, willing or otherwise, who are targeted by laws.

We humans share Earth with all other life. We do not own her, we are merely tenants. We originate from her, she nurtures us, feeds us & provides for our needs. It is our responsibility to care for her, not vandalise & destroy what has been created. Otherwise we will eventually face eviction.

It is time to restore Creative Vision to the World we live in. Conformity has controlled our lives for far too long. This reflects in the lack of any new cultural ideas for many years.

A new Cultural Revolution is needed. Not one like Marxist China's. That was a state sponsored campaign to crush individuality & free thinking wherever it was found.

What we require is a force to make culture, music & the arts a major part of all our lives. This may lift the crushing burden of finance based materialism. Money may not be the root of all evil, but its pursuit above all else has created a drab, sad, soulless world.

A world in which many groups of people find themselves totally excluded from the mainstream. Their extreme poverty & lack of hope frequently makes them easy recruits for manipulative fanatics. Thus it becomes an increasingly dangerous world for all of us.

He who knows not & knows that he knows not. He is ignorant, teach him:
He who knows & knows that he knows. He is wise, honour him:
He who knows not & knows not that he knows not. He is a fool, despise him:
He who knows & knows not that he knows. He is asleep, wake him.
An old proverb, still valid today.