The Endless Supply of Forced Brick Kiln Labor

Sometimes I wonder if brick kiln owners ever actually employ people. Perhaps the practice finds roots in the Egyptians’ enslavement of the Israelites to make their bricks. Or maybe the job is so onerous, no one volunteers for it.

Whatever the reason, International Justice Missions (IJM) has pulled off yet another rescue operation at a brick kiln. This time they rescued 36 families encompassing 149 people, out of slavery. The youngest slave was a three-year-old.

A three-year-old brick-making slave. That defies a sense of reality, let alone a sense of decency. Yet in this brick kiln, the owners forced a small, bumbling three-year-old to work day in and day out.

An NGO in south India, Jana Jagriti Kendra (JJK), asked IJM for help after an escaped slave told them about the kiln. Together they worked with the district government and local police to free those enslaved inside the factory. They entered after nightfall and found people still working. A pregnant woman had been kicked when she begged for rest. A man had been beaten so severely, his bones showed through still bleeding wounds. Sunken cheeks and bellies attested to the lack of food supplied to the slaves. The kiln owners would not even allow them a full night’s sleep.

To read IJM's article, please go here

IJM Newsletter

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Dear Patricia, This Christmas, people just like you all around the world are standing up to boldly counter the lies of slave-owners and other thugs. Together, we’re proclaiming that the lives of children like Malavika and her family matter that nobody should live as a slave. It’s a beautiful message of truth and hope as we celebrate Christmas. If you haven’t had the opportunity to make a year-end gift please consider giving today. And if you have already made a gift so IJM can rescue others like Malavika, thank you. Merry Christmas to you and your family from the IJM team around the world. Gratefully, Gary A. Haugen President and CEO, International Justice Mission

Polaris Project Matching Funds

A newsletter from the Polaris Project:

Dear Patricia,

I’d like to introduce you to Antonio.

Antonio was approached by a man in his home country who promised him steady work on a farm in the United States, a place to live, and a work visa. Antonio jumped at the chance and arrived in the United States with hopes of making enough money to send back home to his ill parents.  

When Antonio arrived he realized that the man who had recruited him to the United States had lied. His accommodations were in a run down, decrepit building. He was forced to regularly work 18-hour days, and was not allowed to take breaks. One day Antonio couldn’t take it any longer. He was exhausted and took a break. He was subsequently beaten and denied food and water by his controller.

Antonio was able to call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline where a call specialist connected him to a local service provider, legal aid, and hope for the future. Please donate today to help us continue to serve trafficking survivors like Antonio.

Our call specialists can help Antonio, and thousands of other victims like him, find assistance and support throughout the country. We have helped build a national network to fight human trafficking that today consists of local and federal law enforcement, shelter programs, social service providers, anti-trafficking organizations, task forces, pro bono attorneys, and others to build a coordinated response to human trafficking.

The trafficking hotline is the single most effective national resource to identify victims of trafficking and ensure they get support. Will you donate today to help us ensure that there is a live person available 24 hours day, 7 days a week to answer calls from potential trafficking victims like Antonio?  

Thank you for your support,

Your Voice Is Needed to Ensure U.S. Fights Slavery

Email from Free the Slaves. Please join with us. It only takes a minute. Locate your Senator here: http://www.senate.gov/ Dear Abolitionists: You may already know that slavery is connected to you. It’s in the products you buy, the clothes you wear and the car you drive. There are thousands of slaves in America, some hidden from view, others standing on street corners you pass every day. Ever wonder: What can I do to stop it? Here’s one simple but vital thing you can do: Call or e-mail your U.S. senators, and urge them to support the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (S.1301). This critical legislation is pending in the Senate right now. Your voice could make the difference in ensuring the U.S. continues to fight trafficking and slavery. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act ensures the U.S. will remain a world leader in combating slavery. It directs authorities to raid brothels and sweatshops, freeing slaves and prosecuting slaveholders. It enables rescue shelters and rehabilitation programs to operate, inside the U.S. and overseas. The Act helps Free the Slaves conduct programs that you support in India and Haiti. This landmark anti-slavery initiative was created by Congress years ago, but the Act expires soon and must be renewed. Any delay could jeopardize the remarkable progress the U.S. has made. It’s easy to find your senators’ contact info at the top right corner of the Senate’s website. Here's what you can say to their receptionists, aides or voicemails: “My name is ___ and I live in (your state). I'm calling to ask the senator to co-sponsor S.1301, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. I also would like the senator to support strengthening the Act, by requiring major companies to disclose on their websites and in annual reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission what they’re doing to end trafficking and slavery.” The battle against slavery has always been a bipartisan effort that brings lawmakers together, even in polarized times. Senators are working on the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act behind the scenes, even though other issues are center stage at the moment. Your senator needs to hear from you now. Please contact them today. Thanks for your continued support. Karen Stauss Director of Programs Free the Slaves     1320 19th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036 USA (202) 775-7480 info@freetheslaves.net Content Copyright ©2011 Free the Slaves. All rights reserved.

Freedom Awards: Free the Slaves

 Freedom Awards by Free the Slaves on Halogen TV this weekend. To see the 2010 awards, click on the video below. The one under that talks about slavery in Pakistan. Go to the Halogen website for more video stories.

  http://halogentv.com/shows/freedomawards/