- The Economist: A review of The Clapham Sect: How Wilberforce’s Circle Transformed Britain by Stephen Tomkins (Lion Hudson): “Readers will probably turn first to the sections on slavery and Sierra Leone, where released slaves were taken, supposedly to enjoy parliamentary freedom under the benign governorship of the Sierra Leone Company. It was the brainchild of the Clapham Sect and it failed miserably—a complicated fiasco which ended in ex-slaves becoming re-enslaved as indentured labourers.”
Every year, Free the Slaves gives out a William Wilberforce Freedom Award to a person who has moved a major institution, government, business or large groups of people to significant action to fight slavery. The 2010 award goes to Roger Plant, “history’s most unusual census taker.”
- Associated Press: Death of 72 migrants at Mexican ranch highlights brutally of human trafficking: “Migrants running the gauntlet up Mexico to reach the United States have long faced extortion, violence and theft. But reports have grown of mass kidnappings of migrants, who are forced to give the telephone numbers of relatives in the United States or back home who are then required to transfer ransom payments to the abductors.”
A round-up of this story’s news coverage from the Atlantic Wire, here.
- Huffington Post: Human Rights Watch to Nigeria & Côte d’Ivoire: Close down human trafficking networks: “Authorities in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria should investigate and close down networks that traffic Nigerian women and girls to Côte d’Ivoire for forced prostitution, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch also called for collaboration among regional neighbors to improve border efforts to combat trafficking.”
- The Nation: US dodges obligation to help Iraqi women trafficked into sexual slavery: “The United States is now preparing the withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq. However, the Iraqi women and girls trapped in sexual slavery will remain long after the last American soldier leaves unless we are willing to accept our responsibility to alleviate this problem.”