It may sound improbable to many that slavery still prevalently exists around the world.

It is that now it goes by  the name  “Modern Slavery”: the severe exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain in present-day society. 

In the 21st century, people, mainly those in poverty, have been exploited, tortured, and killed in the process of forced labor or trafficking.

This is all happening as a result of the lack of coverage on this issue and as well as the fact that there is insufficient security in many rural areas.

Every day, people are lied to, taken from their homes, and even sold off to factories and homes to perform work. 

How could something so inhumane be prevalent in our world? 

The  lack of coverage from media and news organizations, has allowed modern slavery to permeated our lives without much attention. 

From the clothes we wear, to the products we buy online, many of the brands that we’ve come to know and love could have possibly been a product of forced labor.

Chocolate and candy brands such as Nestle, Mars, and Hershey serve as a prime example as  these companies have taken cocoa from West Africa as a product of forced labor.

According to a New York Times article, “Modern Slavery Grows,” global modern slavery has generated $150 billion a year in illicit profits just in 2014.

These statistics show  just how widespread and large this industry has grown all around the world. 

It  is imperative that more people and institutions recognize and take actions against the rising issue of modern slavery.

Modern slavery occurs in many different forms: sex trafficking, child slavery, debt bondage, and other types of forced labor.

The most prevailing form of modern slavery, being forced labor, is more common in impoverished areas with low levels of security and surveillance. 

Children and even adults are often abducted and trafficked into factories and homes where they  are forced to work against their will for extended, inhumane periods of time. 

The slaves that are captured are provided little food and rest, with their passports and identification cards confiscated in order to prevent them from running away.

The unfortunate reason behind the extensive number of  adults and children, more than 40 million, are currently being held in captivity, is that many people in “third world countries'' are more susceptible to being exploited and kidnapped. 

Many don’t have the resources and money to be able to support themselves and their families, so many have no choice but go with the “slave owners” and work for them with the hope of making money.

In other words, many people, mostly children, are convinced to follow the slave owners as they are promised pay and a better life.

Some children are even sold off to slave owners by their own parents because they cannot afford to raise their own children. 

According to Anti-Slavery International, modern slavery is ubiquitous, but merely just  out of our sight.

Take FIFA World Cup Qatar for an example: According to Amnesty International, Qatar -the host of the next FIFA World Cup-has kidnapped and forced migrants to build the football stadium while abusing them in ghastly working conditions.

Whether the migrants were abducted or financially coerced, they were exposed to unsanitary work conditions while risking their lives in hazardous working atmospheres. 

It is therefore imperative that we wholly consider and take responsibility by sourcing  our daily products, ranging from T-shirts to phones.

According to the Anti Slavery organization, the best solution for consumers is to understand where there goods come from by fact checking shopping websites.

Since millions of people suffer everyday through such unrecognized forced labor, it is crucial to support non-governmental organizations in order to spread awareness and hamper the growth of modern slavery. 

Additionally, governments around the world must tighten security by increasing surveillance with additional cameras and background checks in locations such as manufacturing factories in order to prevent human trafficking.

At airports, the customs and border control officers can tighten security to ensure people are not being exploited or transported against their will. 

Even donating to anti-slavery organizations can be a start for many people to contribute towards solving the issue.

While it may be difficult for each personto feel like they are  making a difference, all efforts  mentioned above and beyond is  crucial to prevent future instances of slavery.

Alex Choi

Grade 11

Korea International School Pankyo