All eyes will be on London for the 2012 Olympic games.
That’s why our UK sister organization, Anti-Slavery International, has started a new campaign to make sure that the games are slavery-free.
According to ASI, there are 5000 people trafficked into London or the UK at any given time—but the Olympics will make the situation even worse. Past experience in international sporting and other major events often indicates a risk of an increase in human trafficking in the host country up to and during the event.
ASI’s campaign, called Slavery-Free London, calls for government action to eliminate the risk of modern-day slavery in London and the UK, and to ensure that Olympic goods are not produced by slave labor.
Citing research that states that trafficking and forced labor are often found in temporary, low-paid, low-skilled labor, such as construction, cleaning, and the resturaunt trade, ASI says that a “mass influx of visitors could fuel a greater demand for cheap, temporary sectors vulnerable to slavery.”
Traffickers may also use the Olympics as a pretense to lure people into jobs that don’t really exist.
In addition, ASI says that forced labor in the production of Olympic merchandise has also been documented. In one factory that produced Olympic-branded stationary, children as young as 12 were being forced to work 15 hours a day.
What You Can Do
Sign Anti-Slavery International’s petition to demonstrate support for increased action to combat slavery.
Share the campaign video via facebook and twitter.
If you’re in business yourself, order a copy of Free the Slave’s guide to Becoming a Slavery-Free Business.
Help educate future generations of abolitionists by donating to the Freedom Education Project on IndieGoGo.
For more news about the new abolitionist movement, sign up for the FTS newsletter today!
