Cartooning for Peace’s prize-winner - Eshonkulov Makhmudjon (Uzbekistan). More of this year’s cartoon entries can be found here: https://50forfreedom.org/cartoon/

In this week’s Thursday Reflection, pupils learned about the tragedy of modern day slavery, discussed why slavery is wrong and what we might do to stop it. According to the United Nations,

Latest estimates by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) show that forced labour and forced marriage have increased significantly in the last five years. 10 million more people were in modern slavery in 2021 compared to 2016 global estimates, bringing the total to 50 million worldwide. Women and children remain disproportionately vulnerable.

Although modern slavery is not defined in law, it is used as an umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. Essentially, it refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power.

Modern slavery occurs in almost every country in the world, and cuts across ethnic, cultural and religious lines. More than half (52 per cent) of all forced labour and a quarter of all forced marriages can be found in upper-middle income or high-income countries. (cf. United Nations, 2022 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, available at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/slavery-abolition-day )

Paul Bryant
School Lay Chaplain & Head of Theology, Philosophy and Religion
Co-ordinator of SMSC