Book on modern-day slavery launched

2016-01-13 13:02

Kathmandu, Jan 13: ‘Where Were You?’ A Profile of Modern Slavery, penned by Matthew Friedman, has been launched.

The book is a recount of true human trafficking stories in Nepal and other countries. It was launched by the 852 Freedom Campaign on Tuesday in Hong Kong. The 852 Freedom Campaign is a new justice movement in Hong Kong that aims to raise up a generation of people to help end modern day slavery in our lifetime. We mobilise people to fight slavery by raising awareness, funding, media projects & new initiatives.

The writer, Matthew Friedman, is a former USAID (Nepal) and United Nations’ expert.

Over a period of 25 years, Friedman has obtained in-depth first-hand knowledge by boots-on-the-ground work throughout nearly a dozen Asian countries. However, many of his most important lessons were learned during his eight years in Nepal, The 852 Freedom Campaign stated in a press release.

Friedman writes that human trafficking exists in nearly every nation on earth. He has personally interviewed hundreds of freed slaves in Nepal and throughout South and Southeast Asia, as well as imprisoned traffickers. “Where Were You?” A Profile of Modern Slavery provides an up-to-date overview about human trafficking, a largely ignored present-day evil.

The slave industry is a billion dollar business that continues to grow unchecked. Slaves work in brothels, fisheries, clothing and chocolate industries, as well as a myriad of other manufacturing jobs. According to the 2014 Global Slavery Index published by the Walk Free Foundation, there are nearly 36 million slaves around the world – which means there are more slaves today than any other time in history. According to the US State Department’s 2014 Trafficking in Persons report, it is estimated that around 50,000 victims were helped globally. Even with the collective response of governments, the UN and civil society partners, less than 0.12 percent of the victims are assisted.

Friedman commented, “We are not winning the fight against human slavery. Relying solely on the anti-slavery community around the world to tackle the scourge of modern slavery and the criminals behind it simply is not working. Unless something drastic changes, this trend will continue unabated.”

This book does not only reveal the plight of human trafficking victims, Friedman also offers valuable advice and guidance related to his own deeply personal experiences working in the counter trafficking and development world. These insights offer valuable lessons for those thinking about entering this field. This book invites readers to enter the world of modern slavery and explore what can be done to end this crime together.

“Where Were You?” A Profile of Modern Slavery is now available on Amazon. Proceeds from this book will go to Mobilizing Men, a campaign to engage men in the fight against human trafficking — http://www.mobilizingmen.org/. RSS