{"id":3078,"date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/kathleen-rushton-why-is-modern-day-slavery-rampant-in-the-world-today-and-even-here-in-new-zealand\/"},"modified":"2023-05-11T19:14:29","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T06:14:29","slug":"kathleen-rushton-why-is-modern-day-slavery-rampant-in-the-world-today-and-even-here-in-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/greenplanetfm\/kathleen-rushton-why-is-modern-day-slavery-rampant-in-the-world-today-and-even-here-in-new-zealand\/","title":{"rendered":"Kathleen Rushton: Why is modern day slavery rampant in the world today - and even here in New Zealand?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Estimates of the number of slaves today range from around 21 million to 46 million, depending on the method used to form the estimate and the definition
\n of slavery being used. The amount of money comes to about $150b.<\/p>\n

For those living in North America they will not use the term slavery, especially as so many American blacks are descendants of slavery and they prefer
\n to use the word \u2019trafficking\u2019. 
\n \n<\/p>\n

As Kathleen is a Sister of Mercy here in NZ - when working for the 'Year of Mercy' which was 2015, she and other people from 42 countries embraced a \u2018theological
\n reflection process\u2019 and out of that they focussed on two areas - the degradation of the earth and the displacement of peoples. She was then asked by
\n her congregational leader to be the NZ liaison person - to collaborate with people within the umbrella group - internationally. Where they use the
\n latest technology available, including Skype to all connect up, and share resources and strategies.
\n <\/p>\n

Slavery has been present for Millenia
<\/h3>\n

As someone who has a background in Biblical studies - she has looked back through scripture and in the New Testament she says we cannot face the word \u2019slave\u2019
\n and it is there so often - and it has been basically translated to the word - \u2018servant' and by doing that it sort of obscures the words meaning. That
\n people in the time of Jesus lived in the Roman Empire that depended entirely on slavery. <\/p>\n

Which she states is a hidden evil that is dominating our world today.
\n <\/p>\n

In New Zealand
\n <\/p>\n

She says she was privileged to go to the 'Tip of the Iceberg' conference in Wellington in August 2017 and this was where they worked and collaborated with
\n local people to raise awareness of anyone that they may think is being entrapped by certain business or working conditions.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.anglicantaonga.org.nz\/news\/common_life\/trafficking_aware<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

Also involved was the Wellington Anglican Cathedral. It was opened in the NZ Parliament by the current Minister of Immigration at the time the Honourable
\n Michael Woodhouse and he was very supportive of the whole proceedings. It brought together NGO\u2019s - non Governmental organisations, the NZ Police and
\n she said there were an impressive number of people there. Many of them working at the grass roots.
\n <\/p>\n

Food Growers Association, Faith groups - from the Catholic Church and the Salvation Army including Andrew Wallis CEO of the Anti Slavery organisation -
\n Unseen, from the UK spoke - and though NZ has been at the forefront of having women vote, being Nuclear Free and being strongly anti apartheid as in
\n South Africa - Andrew says that in tackling this crime NZ today is where the UK was 7 to 10 years ago. So we have a long way to go to catch up with
\n where Britain is currently at.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.unseenuk.org\/<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

The reason is that in Britain they have the 'UK Modern Slavery Act' where every business is registered and annually must put in a report stating that they
\n know the three levels where their goods come from.
\n <\/p>\n

Say it is a shirt - so who did they buy it from, where was it made and where was the cotton or the fabric grown? That at each level - they must prove that
\n they are monitoring the product all the way. Thus, following the money to the source of the produce, is how everything is being recorded. This methodology
\n was strongly focused on at the conference - especially by the NZ police.
\n <\/p>\n

If any person is \u2018brought\u2019 into NZ and its is suspected to being involved in human slavery - first communications has to go through the Immigration Department
\n (as the predominant victims are usually recent arrivals into NZ) - this she says is a very complex procedure even before it gets to the police. Where
\n as, in the UK - it comes immediately under the Crimes Act.<\/p>\n

The take-away from the 'Tip of the Iceberg' conference - was to get new legislation like the UK passed in NZ as soon as possible.
\n <\/p>\n

2016 was the First Conviction for Slavery in NZ
<\/h3>\n

In NZ we have had very few convictions for human slavery in this country. (Most NZers have no idea that such a thing would exist in this country.) <\/p>\n

For the first time the NZ Police were able to convict a perpetrator of bringing 16 Fijian people to NZ with lavish promises but to then double cross and
\n entrap them to become enslaved. See below link.<\/p>\n

The NZ police said it took about 2,000 hours of work to get this conviction - being a huge time consumer due to the complexity of our Law. The outcome
\n of the Conference was that we need to advocate for a change in the Law so as to have it upgraded and streamlined so as to address this horrendous bottleneck
\n to rapid enforcement and justice.
\n <\/p>\n

This situation was only found out because the Fijians were allowed to go to church one Sunday and one of the congregation noticed how upset a Fijian woman
\n was and went over to see her and ask her to come and have a cup of coffee and that was when the lady spilt out what was happening.
\n <\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.stuff.co.nz\/national\/crime\/84262716\/faroz-ali-found-guilty-of-human-trafficking<\/a> <\/p>\n

So Kathleen says that it\u2019s imperative for us to be very alert and be mindful of situations popping up amidst us - because it is just below the surface
\n and we need to know this.
\n <\/p>\n

Here is a list that covers points like:
\n <\/p>\n

If a person does not carry their passport, and do not know much about visas - or they are not willing to say where they work or for whom they work for.
\n <\/p>\n

Or if they are escorted to and from work and they state that they are working everyday and for long hours. <\/p>\n

If they do not know where they live or are fearful of giving the address.<\/p>\n

That they have not been paid. If they hesitate as to talking about who arranged their contract or visas … if they are paying off large debt. Are
\n there signs of self harm and they seem starved. <\/p>\n

Finally if the are young people and are absent from school.<\/p>\n

So the imperative is for us to be mindful and aware of people - particularly immigrants, because had that lady at church not been crying and a parishioner
\n notice and kindly offered to ask to help and assist - those 16 Fijians could still be enslaved today.
\n <\/p>\n

[What would their family in Fiji think when they were cut off from these workers here in NZ? It must have been very concerning for them.]
\n <\/p>\n

Other talking points:
<\/h3>\n

Stop the Traffic - Fuzz Kitto - who says that traffickers are really smart so we have to be smarter … traffickers are creative - so we have to be
\n more creative … traffickers are organised - we have to be more organised … traffickers have smart systems so we have to have better ones.
\n Traffickers disempower people - we have to empower people. Traffickers try to make people invisible - we have to make them visible. Traffickers work
\n across borders - we must work better across borders. Traffickers do more for less - we have to do more for less.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/beslaveryfree.com\/australianfashionforum<\/a> <\/p>\n

Remember the vehicle driver in Britain recently where a large number of Vietnamese people died in a container on the back of his truck. This type of trafficking
\n is everywhere. We only hear about it, if the police or customs catch them red handed or in a horrific disaster as in this case.
\n <\/p>\n

Kathleen mentions the documentary film Blue Jeans about workers in sweatshop conditions and terrible pay and long hours - where she mentions that NZ clothing
\n firms have now closed and taken the business offshore to Asia. With the same \u2018old reason\u2019 - that it is uneconomic to run a business in NZ. Hence sweatshops
\n produce cheap goods.
\n <\/p>\n

Keeping the word \u2018Slavery\u2019 in the public consciousness
<\/h3>\n

The British want to always name it as Human Slavery - as against Trafficking - and horrendous as it is we are told that 12.5% of victims are in the sex
\n industry and that the vast majority of others say 25% are children are slaves being under 18 and the rest are labour slaves.<\/p>\n

Also mentioned were crew on ships coming to NZ ports, be it cargo ships or fishing boats and that many of the crew are found to be horrendously exploited.
\n For with fishing boats they can be at sea for months on end and when they dock in NZ ports there is no real \u2018haven\u2019 for crew to go and enjoy \u2018recreation
\n and rest\u2019 and she even states that though NZ has signed an agreement to offer up a place where visiting crew upon landing can find as a safe \u2018location\u2019
\n to reorient themselves - that has not been forthcoming. To the degree it was mentioned that the crew are often paid in US dollars and in Lyttelton
\n she said there is no bank, they are for US$1.00 given change in NZ$1.00 - (one for one) which is totally immoral.
\n <\/p>\n

Also mentioned<\/h3>\n

Kevin Bales a very courageous advocate - Free the slaves - blood and earth - uncovers many dreadful situations around our planet - smart phones = mining
\n rare earth minerals especially in the Congo.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.freetheslaves.net\/<\/a> He links the exploitation of the poor people to the exploitation of the earth.<\/p>\n