Submitted by 'Raffa' (United Kingdom), Feb 26, 2005 at 08:54
Dear Mr Cotton and Dr. Pipes
I'm living in Hull, England, once home of Wilberforce the anti-slavery activist. The city has a small museum commemorating the infamous 'triangular trade' - the main instrument of slavery in the Americas. I visited it again yesterday and it is a humbling experience. Hull is planning a 'slavery studies' centre, and is winding up for a big splash about world slavery in 2007.
The cynic in me says that lots of people will make lots of money out of these ventures and some will make a career out of them, but the effect will be insignificant, however, I was moved by my experience of the museum to do some research on the web. The first shock was just how much stuff is out there - one search for 'contemporary slavery' produced 1.5 million items!
Yet slavery is rampant throughout the world.
I saw warnings of the potential for expoitation of the vulnerable in the wake of the Tsunami - which must be obvious to anyone, especially the exploiters. But are the world leaders aware, or more importantly do they care?
Looking for hope I came to your article which is so depressing. To think that even a black journalist/activist could not even arouse any effective resistance within the African diaspora, among the descendents of those who suffered so horribly appalls me and makes me just feel like giving up before I start.
Please tell me there is some hope for people and especially children in Sudan, Mauritania, Pakistan, Philipines, Eastern Europe and actually just about anywhere. And I hope you can tell me that all this planned 'activism' in Hull is not just a big disraction from the real solution.
Yours
Raffa
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