Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
TAKE ACTION TODAY TO HELP CHANGE THE LIVES OF 27 MILLION SLAVES IN THE WORLD. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Awareness: Read everything you can about slavery in the world so that you become an informed expert on this topic. The following organizations are fighting the global fight against slavery.
http://www.antislavery.org/
http://www.freetheslaves.net/
http://www.iabolish.org/
Advocacy: Become a volunteer for one of these organizations.
Activisim: Spread the word and talk to everyone you know about this terrible tragedy and human rights in justice. Begin a letter writing campaign and contact influential politicians and urge them to pressure governments around the world to help abolish slavery. Read an example of a letter we wrote to President Bush below.
Aid: Give the gift of freedom. Make a donation to one of these organizations. Your money will help them in their fight against slavery.
Awareness: Read everything you can about slavery in the world so that you become an informed expert on this topic. The following organizations are fighting the global fight against slavery.
http://www.antislavery.org/
http://www.freetheslaves.net/
http://www.iabolish.org/
Advocacy: Become a volunteer for one of these organizations.
Activisim: Spread the word and talk to everyone you know about this terrible tragedy and human rights in justice. Begin a letter writing campaign and contact influential politicians and urge them to pressure governments around the world to help abolish slavery. Read an example of a letter we wrote to President Bush below.
Aid: Give the gift of freedom. Make a donation to one of these organizations. Your money will help them in their fight against slavery.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SLAVERY IN SUDAN.
* Did you know that there are 27 million slaves in the world today?
* Did you know that the majority of slaves are in Africa and Sudan is the largest country in Africa? Arab militia men living in the north raid the black african villages in the south and enslave these villagers.
* Did you know that slaves become the property of their masters for life. They have no human rights and they are bought, sold, traded and branded?
* Did you know that the government of Sudan has always denied that slavery exists in that country?
* Did you know that villages are burned, children are separated from their mother for life, women are raped and men are beaten and kidnapped?
How many slaves exist in the region today?
It is impossible to get an accurate estimation of how many people are slaves in Sudan because the government of Sudan denies the existence of slavery in the country. 33 million people live in Sudan and it is the largest country in Africa. This country is deeply divided because the northern areas are mainly Arab and Muslim whereas the southern areas are mainly black Africans and Christian. It is estimated that more than 11,000 people have been kidnapped and traded as slaves. 60% of the kidnapped people are young men who are taken by the Arab militias and enslaved.
How are most people enslaved?
Many of the slaves are taken from the Dinka Tribe. Arab militiamen raid villages, killing many of the villagers and capturing others.
Under what conditions do many slaves live?
Since the most common form of slavery in Sudan is Chattel slavery, slaves become the property of his master for life, bought and sold, traded, and branded. Slaves are not allowed to marry, attend school or go to a Muslim Mosque. The slaves are forced to give up their cultural background, religious beliefs, and personal names. They are punished if they refuse to become Muslims. They are routinely punished with beatings, starvation, and torture. Sometimes ants are stuffed into their ears and then their ears are sealed with stones. The slave’s hands and feet are tied and they are forced to lie in the blazing sun for days.
What products/services are slaves used for in this region?
One rifle can be traded for six or seven child slaves. One woman from the Dinka tribe can be bought for 90 dollars. Slaves are used for house or farm labor, for sex, and for breeding. They are traded or sold for camels, trucks, guns, or money.
How are the governments helping to end this problem in Sudan?
The government of Sudan has always denied that slavery exists in Sudan. 12 years ago countries from around the world pressured Sudan to establish committees to investigate the issues of slavery. Slavery is against the law in Sudan and the government insists that captives by the Arab militia are not slaves. Civil war in Sudan and racial hatreds make the issue of slavery an impossible one to figure out and international pressure is needed to help free these slaves.
What types of slavery exist in this region?
Chattel slavery is the most common form of slavery in Sudan. This type of slavery is racially based. For instance the lighter skinned Arabs living in the North enslave the black Africans living in the South. Another form of slavery that is common in Sudan is Sex slavery because many women and children from the South are captured to become concubines or domestic servants. The black Africans of the south are seen as inferior not only because of their skin color but also because of their religion, which is Christian and not Muslim. There is also forced labor slavery because children are forced to work for the Arabs or become child soldiers to kill their own people.
What groups are most effected by slavery in this region?
The black Africans living in the southern part of Sudan are the people who are enslaved by the Arabs who lived in the northern part of Sudan.
* Did you know that there are 27 million slaves in the world today?
* Did you know that the majority of slaves are in Africa and Sudan is the largest country in Africa? Arab militia men living in the north raid the black african villages in the south and enslave these villagers.
* Did you know that slaves become the property of their masters for life. They have no human rights and they are bought, sold, traded and branded?
* Did you know that the government of Sudan has always denied that slavery exists in that country?
* Did you know that villages are burned, children are separated from their mother for life, women are raped and men are beaten and kidnapped?
How many slaves exist in the region today?
It is impossible to get an accurate estimation of how many people are slaves in Sudan because the government of Sudan denies the existence of slavery in the country. 33 million people live in Sudan and it is the largest country in Africa. This country is deeply divided because the northern areas are mainly Arab and Muslim whereas the southern areas are mainly black Africans and Christian. It is estimated that more than 11,000 people have been kidnapped and traded as slaves. 60% of the kidnapped people are young men who are taken by the Arab militias and enslaved.
How are most people enslaved?
Many of the slaves are taken from the Dinka Tribe. Arab militiamen raid villages, killing many of the villagers and capturing others.
Under what conditions do many slaves live?
Since the most common form of slavery in Sudan is Chattel slavery, slaves become the property of his master for life, bought and sold, traded, and branded. Slaves are not allowed to marry, attend school or go to a Muslim Mosque. The slaves are forced to give up their cultural background, religious beliefs, and personal names. They are punished if they refuse to become Muslims. They are routinely punished with beatings, starvation, and torture. Sometimes ants are stuffed into their ears and then their ears are sealed with stones. The slave’s hands and feet are tied and they are forced to lie in the blazing sun for days.
What products/services are slaves used for in this region?
One rifle can be traded for six or seven child slaves. One woman from the Dinka tribe can be bought for 90 dollars. Slaves are used for house or farm labor, for sex, and for breeding. They are traded or sold for camels, trucks, guns, or money.
How are the governments helping to end this problem in Sudan?
The government of Sudan has always denied that slavery exists in Sudan. 12 years ago countries from around the world pressured Sudan to establish committees to investigate the issues of slavery. Slavery is against the law in Sudan and the government insists that captives by the Arab militia are not slaves. Civil war in Sudan and racial hatreds make the issue of slavery an impossible one to figure out and international pressure is needed to help free these slaves.
What types of slavery exist in this region?
Chattel slavery is the most common form of slavery in Sudan. This type of slavery is racially based. For instance the lighter skinned Arabs living in the North enslave the black Africans living in the South. Another form of slavery that is common in Sudan is Sex slavery because many women and children from the South are captured to become concubines or domestic servants. The black Africans of the south are seen as inferior not only because of their skin color but also because of their religion, which is Christian and not Muslim. There is also forced labor slavery because children are forced to work for the Arabs or become child soldiers to kill their own people.
What groups are most effected by slavery in this region?
The black Africans living in the southern part of Sudan are the people who are enslaved by the Arabs who lived in the northern part of Sudan.
BEGIN A LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE AND RAISE PEOPLE'S AWARENESS ABOUT SLAVERY IN THE WORLD TODAY.
Here are some places to send the letter to.
Wake Forest University
1834 Wake Forest Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Here are some places to send the letter to.
President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Secretary General Kofi Annan
U.N. Headquarters S-3800
New York, N.Y. 10017
Secretary Colin Powell
U.S. State Department
Washington, DC 20520
Toni Morrison
African-American Studies Program
Princeton University
21 Prospect Avenue
Princeton, NJ 08544
Congressman Donald Payne
(D-NJ, former chair of the Cong. Black Caucus)
2209 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3010
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Rainbow-Push
930 East 50th St.
Chicago, IL 60615
Wake Forest University
1834 Wake Forest Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Danny Glover
c/o Carrie Productions
41 Sutter Street, Suite 1648
San Francisco, CA 94104
Steven Spielberg
c/o Shoah Foundation
P.O. Box 3168
Los Angeles, CA 90078
Whoopi Goldberg
555 Melrose Avenue, Suite 114
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Patricia Ireland
National Organization for Women
P.O. Box 96824
Washington, DC, 20090
Susan Sarandon
501 South Beverly Drive, Suite 300
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF OUR LETTER THAT WE WROTE TO PRESIDENT BUSH.
June 6, 2008
President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush,
All of us who are citizens of the Untied States are so fortunate because we are free and each of us is guaranteed human rights and dignity. For 27 million men, women, and children around the world “freedom” “human rights” and “dignity” are just words because they are slaves and all they know is poverty, humiliation, pain, suffering, and starvation.
In Sudan, black Africans living in the southern part of the country are killed, kidnapped, and enslaved by Muslim Arab militiamen living in the North. Villages are burned, children are taken from their mothers, and women are raped. The government of Sudan denies that there is slavery in their country, but human rights organizations throughout the world have exposed the truth. The government of Sudan says that slavery is illegal in the country, but it happens everywhere in the country. The slave trade is alive and well in Sudan and we must put an end to it.
How do we end the exploitation and inhumane treatment of our fellow human beings? Why hasn’t more been done to end this terrible practice? We can begin by educating people and empowering people with the truth.
The majority of slaves can be found in Africa. Sudanese slaves are chattel. That means that they are considered to be their master’s property for life. They are bought, sold and traded for things like trucks, camels or money. They are stripped of their cultural background, their personal identity and their religious beliefs. They are beaten, tortured, sexually exploited, and killed. And they have no human rights. They are abandoned and the leaders of their own country turn their backs on them.
We must build a global movement to eliminate slavery around the world. The United States is the leader of the free world and we eliminated slavery 150 years ago. We must now do the same for the rest of the world. We must continue to pressure the government of Sudan to stop the trafficking and exploitation of human beings. We must continue to expose the truth of the physical and emotional violence that is a normal part of a slave’s day-to-day life. Only when we begin to speak out can we hope to end this tragedy.
Sincerely,
Kira, Dimitri, Katie P., Markus
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