Today in America there are 50,000 slaves, yet that is trivial compared to the 200,000 slaves in the Sudan. On April 2, the Human Rights Organization, better known as HRO, hosted a lecture by Dr. Charles Jacobs.
Advised by their distinguished faculty sponsor, Dr. Walid Phares, the organization boasts many activities from pseudo-classroom lectures to freeing slaves in the Sudan. HRO attracts some of the most distinguished guest speakers that the university receives.
Jacobs is an expert in the region of Sudan, and the co-founder and President of the American Anti-Slavery Group in Boston. He’s also the director of the Sudan Slavery Campaign.
During the lecture, Jacobs discussed slavery both domestically and abroad specifically in the Sudan. Most Americans do not realize that slavery is still a very real problem even in the United States, Jacobs said.
In America, he estimates that there are approximately 50,000 slaves currently residing in America. Typically slaves that reside in America are brought here by international immigrants. Because these slaves from Europe and abroad are not legal citizens, their loyalty to their owner is unparalleled, as they fear their new surroundings.
Then Jacobs talked about Sudan, a region which he described is in conflict. For 10 years now, the Sudan has endured a civil war of the north against the south. The north of Sudan continuously violates the south by capturing its citizens and enslaving them. After enslavement individuals are kept in inhumane conditions where they may be beaten, raped or dismembered, and eventually sold for $85 a head.
This issue is controversial and difficult to find a conclusive resolution. However, Anne-Marie Bouchard, a member of HRO, may have found a short-term one. Bouchard heads a T-shirt campaign where the profits from sales are sent directly toward efforts to buy back Sudanese slaves.
Bouchard believes that this is not a permanent solution, but is an excellent Band-Aid.
The future of the slaves in the Sudan is unknown. Organizations such as HRO are doing all they can to raise awareness.
For information on how you can help log on to www.iabolish.com.
