The abolition of slavery

If you thought the abolition of slavery was an event that happened in the history books, you'd be wrong. It's chilling to think that today, in the modern age, over 25million people are enslaved - working for no money, and under conditions of confinement and physical oppression.

The Co-operative Group has asked me to host a film show at the Civic Centre about the subject of modern day slavery. Before we see the film, we have a chance to try some Fairtrade wine, and visit displays by the local Fairtrade group, the local branch of Amnesty, and Anti-Slavery International.

I introduce Julia from the Co-operative Group, who then introduces Graham from Anti-Slavery International. Graham provides a brief explanation of the issue of modern day slavery, and what is being done to combat it.

The film itself tells some dreadful and moving stories. Young men from Mali drift across the border into the Ivory Coast looking for work, and find themselves trapped and enslaved in cocoa plantations, gathering the cocoa crop for export to the west as confectionery, drinking chocolate and flavouring. A group of young men who have been found and freed are interviewed about their experience. One of them says that despite slaving for years for nothing in the plantations, he has never actually tasted chocolate. Asked how he feels about people eating the chocolate made by his slave labour, he says "I feel as if they are eating my flesh".

Little children from the poor areas of Bihar in northern India are kidnapped and transported hundreds of miles away from their families to slave over twenty hours a day in appalling conditions at the carpet looms, producing rugs for export to the west. One distraught couple haven't seen their little boy for five years since he disappeared one day; he is always in their thoughts and they have tried desperately to find him, but to no avail. During the course of the film, a team of investigators locate some illegal looms, complete with enslaved child workers, and mum and dad are reunited with their little boy. Another man, also searching for his son, isn't so lucky.

A group in Washington, in the shadow of the White House, is working to help women kept by wealthy families as domestic slaves - to the complete ignorance of neighbours who don't even know it's happening. And, shockingly for us, the same is also the case in London. These young women have lost all confidence, all sense of self-worth, and even when they're discovered and freed, or manage to escape, they're still fearful.

The film was made before one of the fastest growing slave industries, the trafficking in young Eastern European women exported as forced prostitutes to the West.

There is good news amidst all the horror, though. The Fairtrade mark, of course, means we can buy chocolate and other items knowing that no slave labour has been involved in their production. (And 90 per cent of non-Fairtrade chocolate, the film tells us, is likely to have been made with some slave labour). The Rugmark, promoted in the film by B&Q, is a similar guarantee for rugs - something I didn't know about beforehand. And of course, there's the ongoing work of groups like Amnesty and Anti-Slavery International.

It's a fascinating evening, and concludes with more wine and a buffet, over which we get a chance to chat. One of the guests at tonight's show is local author Hazel Lake, who has just co-written a book about William Smith MP, Florence Nightingale's grandfather, who lived in Harlow with his wife and ten children while he worked with William Wilberforce to help abolish slavery. There is an exhibition of pictures and documents about Smith's work, that can be seen after 10:00 am until Tuesday 27 November, at 50 Herons Wood (telephone 01279 424909).

I'm also reminded by Cliff from Harlow Co-operative Development Agency, who has helped organise the event, to give a plug to HarlowPortal, the new information site set up by Harlow CDA. Which I've now done.