If you are on facebook, be sure to become a fan of modern abolition, a fan page started by yours truly to empower abolitionists by making it easy for facebook users to have links to breaking news and stories about slavery and human trafficking right into their facebook feeds.

Some of our recent highlights:
National Human Trafficking Resource Center:
Started by the amazing people at the Polaris Project, the NHTRC provides information about human trafficking and practical information for identifying victims of trafficking and how to help them, including the national trafficking hotline. Go ahead, put the number in your cell phone. You know someday you'll need it.

The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today
Kevin Bales, one of the world's leading experts on human trafficking, has a new book. We've strongly recommended his books before (like here and here) and I cannot say to you enough: Go Read His Books.

Roundup from the BBC:
Spanish police have arrested 23 people suspected of trafficking Nigerian women into the country and forcing them into prostitution by using voodoo curses.
Police in eastern China have arrested 10 people suspected of beating mentally disabled people forced to work as slaves in brick factories.

The community's founders are also on twitter. There are a lot of abolitionists working very hard on twitter to spread information: You can find some of them at the humantrafficking twibe.

Why Disney Will Never Build A Themepark in Dubai. (found by fisher_queen).

If you want to understand how slavery and the economy works on a micro level, this article is a must read. It is stunning in its explanation of how Dubai was built on the backs of slaves.

Hey there, abolitionists!

You may have seen the previews for the movie "Taken" starring Liam Neeson. While I first thought it was a simple case of kidnapping, but I recently learned in an updated preview that it is actually about trafficking in women. I am now going to see this movie even though previously I thought I would be too freaked out by it. Traffickers gettin' their pants scared off? Yes please!

Just thought you guys would like to know!

The Office of the United States President-Elect, Barack Obama, has neglected to include information on his plans to combat human trafficking on his "agenda" on his website, Change.gov.

Please take a minute to write and share with his administration your desire to see him put forth his plans for combating human trafficking.

If you are a user of Facebook, please also sign the petition Make Human Trafficking A Priority.

Following up on the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, President Bush just signed the bill into being.

The Baptist Press has a picture here.

Consider writing or emailing the President to thank him for his continued support of modern-day slaves. If your senator voted in favor of H.R. 7311, thank them too.

Hi, I'm new to this community! I'm a college student from New York. I currently live in lower Manhattan. I just typed up a post over at my dying community peoplerepublic about slavery, based on an article I read. This inspired me to search other livejournal communities, which is how I found this one.
The article (http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4173) brought to light some new things for me, and made the important point that although many in the West are preoccupied with sex slavery and forced prostitution, for every 1 sex slave there are 15 slaves in other industries. I'm very concerned with all sorts of social issues plaguing our world today, including slavery in all of it's forms. I joined this community to hopefully become more aware of the problem and to find different ways that I can help in any way possible.

The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008 has been passed through the House and the Senate and is just waiting for President Bush's signature to be authorized. This will probably be one of his last significant acts in office.

This is great news! The TVPRA increases the strength of U.S. policy in diplomacy around the world to consider issues of trafficking and slavery, authorizes new studies, and also improves the T-Visa to protect victims of trafficking.

You can read the bill Here by searching for "HR 7311".

Much of this bill's success comes from the efforts and campaigning of Not For Sale, Free The Slaves and Polaris Project. It is your contributions to and support of these organizations that is helping make changes in policy that affect those in need of freedom.

BBC: 'Thousands made slaves' in Darfur

I don't know about you guys, but this is hardly "news" to me. Way to be fast on the uptake, news sources.