ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE?

BRIAN MILLS

Imagine what it must be like to be a slave! You have been taken by force against your will from your home and family; you may even have been sold by members of your own family (as happened to Joseph); you are forced to work long hours for a pittance; you are deprived of friends and choice; you are kept locked away, controlled by someone else; you have no freedom. This state is not for a few weeks - but maybe for life. Almost certainly your life will be considerably shortened by the experience.

In 2007, the 200^th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade was celebrated. William Wilberforce, the British social reformer from Hull, had achieved his life's ambition in seeing an Act of Parliament passed bringing an end to slave trading - or did it?

It took more than thirty years for the effects of this Act to be felt throughout the British Empire, and even longer in the rest of the world. More than 11 million Africans had been transported across the Atlantic by ships mainly from Spain, Portugal, France, Holland and Britain. British ships carried 2.6 million slaves. They were kept in appalling conditions - and were treated as cargo - even worse than animals. The wealth and prosperity of cities like Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow and London were largely developed from the triangle of trade that shipping based in these ports produced.

In the wake of the abolition of the slave trade, a system of indentured labour was instituted, whereby cheap labourers were enticed from India to the Caribbean, East Africa and Fiji. This was slavery by another name.

The effect of all this has led to the creation of a huge underclass, some of whom live in appalling conditions today in parts of the Caribbean, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji and North America. They still look for justice. Most of them don't know where they originated.

One lady who was a descendant of slaves in North America made a return journey to West Africa as part of a delegation at a Slave Trade Conference. She concluded ‘I came back looking for my roots, for something to remind me where I belonged. But all I can take with me from Africa is a handful of earth'. The bitterness associated with this legacy has produced racial tensions the world over and caused much anger. It has also led to crime, addictions, poverty and riots.

SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME

Today, another form of slavery exists - it's called human trafficking. Millions of children and vulnerable young people are trafficked across national borders every year. The evil of slavery hasn't gone, so we can't afford to celebrate the abolition of the slave trade yet.

In the providence of God, Christians are once more at the forefront of a battle to bring to an end this modern slavery. The 24-7 Prayer Movement has been led by God to focus in a major way in prayer on this issue. The United Nations has made the ending of human trafficking one of its Millennium goals. In September 2009, a Prayer initiative at the UN attended by Christians from around the world also made this issue a primary concern. Two weeks later, Rev Steve Chalke was appointed as a ‘UN ambassador at large' specifically focussed on counteracting human trafficking. Maybe, out of all this, will come some justice for the oppressed and freedom for the captives.

Brian Mills has been involved in prayer leadership and reconciliation ministry internationally for many years. He is part of the Interprayer International Partnership and a member of the International Prayer Connect Executive. He is currently based at Ashburnham Place Prayer and Conference Centre, which is committed to a ministry of continuous prayer.

Source: Prayer for Today