Disposable People & Using Our Purchasing Power for Justice and Hope

1) Actual Facts from the disposable people video:
A) 27 million slaves in the world today more then any other time in history.
B) Slavery is not legal anywhere, but happens everywhere.
C) At least 14,500 slaves are trafficked into the US each year.
D) $90 is the average cost for a human slave around the world.
E) It is possible to end slavery in 25 years but EVERYONE must play a part.

2) Actual Text from the reading:

"We believe that the more you produce, the more profit you will make. In the case of these growers, the more they produced and the harder they worked, the more they "went into the hole.""

Actual Response

1) This may sound very naive, but I was not aware that in the world we live in today, there are more slaves then ever before. I was under the impression that yes, injustices do happen and there is a level of human trafficking present but this number of 27 million is actually frightening. We learn in grammar school, high school, and even college about slavery from the past, however, I have not taken any course that has remotely touched on the current massive amount of trafficking that occurs regularly. 14,500 humans are trafficked into the US in a year, but where is this in our news? Why does this not make front page? That is bothersome to me especially because we live in such a technologically advance area of the world and this information should be made apparent just as frequently as the advertisements on television or the internet to buy a new car! $90 is the average cost of a human slave... how can we put a price on a persons life? I have friends who spend $90 on shoes and to think of this as the price to own somebody is absolutely mind blowing. And finally, it will take 25 years to end this if, and only if, everyone gets involved. This links back to my point on the massive 27 million slaves that I did not even know existed at such high masses. Education is the issue here, this is a global issue that needs to be brought to light on all social media outlets. If everyone really made this number known just as everyone knew when Beyonce was going to have her baby, or when Kim Kardashian was to have hers, then I believe this could come to an end. Until then, I am appalled!

2) In the documentary "Black Gold", the story of the coffee growers in Ethiopia, the need for fair trade is seen clearly. These workers were not paid or let alone respected on a human level. I was raised to believe if you work hard you will be rewarded, and in many cases this is not true. If the more they worked the less they received then where is the incentive to even work? Where do these workers find the faith and good spirit to continue life as such? There is no motivation, there is no Universal Declaration of Human Rights that they know of. This is injustice at its finest.

More blog posts in this category Common

• The Wound & the Blessing/The Economy of Communion Project Post
• The Crest- Jewel of Wisdom & Work as a Spiritual Practice Post
• "What Money Can't Buy" Blog Post
• Blog Post Ni: FTRN Booklet & Arithmetic of Passion
• Work as a Spiritual Practice (The Transformation of Work)