How Many Slaves Work For You?

"What? Are you serious Andreas? Have you lost your wits? How do you dare asking me how many slaves would work for me!

Did you not get that the movie 12 Years A Slave played in the pre-Civil War United States almost 200 years ago? There′s no real slavery any longer in modern times. And for sure there are no slaves working for me. What a weird question"!

True, what often comes to mind when we think about slavery is captured Africans in chains working in American sugar plantations. And yes, slavery was abolished in the 19th century and it′s forbidden by various UN conventions and declarations.

Are you, however, absolutely sure about your idea of a world free of slavery?

SLAVERY IS ALL BUT ABOLISHED

Yeah, of course you′ve heard about some questionable working conditions in some far away countries. Sweatshops and the like. Most of them are closed, aren′t they? But buying, selling, and trafficking human beings? That can′t happen. And if at all, then for sure far away from your influence.

Sorry, having to spoil your dreams by quoting some very real and unpleasant facts: The inaugural edition of the Global Slavery Index 2013 estimates that almost 30 million people live in modern slavery today. Yes, 30 million!

The index ranks 162 countries around the world. Based on a combined measure of three factors: estimated prevalence of modern slavery by population, a measure of child marriage, and a measure of human trafficking in and out of a country. The countries with the highest numbers of enslaved people are India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Taken together, these countries account for 76% of the total estimate of 29.8 million in modern slavery.

MODERN SLAVERY FOR MODERN CONSUMERISM

Modern slavery takes many forms, and is known by various names: slavery, forced labor or human trafficking. Whatever term is used, the significant characteristic of all forms of modern slavery is that it involves one person depriving another people of their freedom: their freedom to leave one job for another, their freedom to leave one workplace for another, their freedom to control their own body, for their own personal or commercial benefit.

Today′s slaves are found in the fields, in the brothels, in the sweatshops, in the mines, and in the raw materials processing. It′s the supply chain of many consumer goods products, however, that enslaves more people than at any time in history. Those slaves are working for you! They′re manufacturing your products, your smart phone, your t-shirt, your toys. That′s stuff we buy, and that′s stuff that comes from slaves.

Often companies do not know where all the materials for their great brands are coming from... And yes, you′re right – Some of them just do not want to know at all...

39 SLAVES WORK FOR ME

In September 2011 Justin Dillon, founder and CEO of Made In A Free World, founded Slavery Footprint. A revolutionary and disturbing website where you can fill-in a survey that asks and responds to the question, “How Many Slaves Work For You?”

The survey allows users to input select data about their consumer spending habits, which then outputs a graphical “footprint” of the user’s participation in modern-day slavery (as quantified by their consumption of items created by forced labor and child labor.) The creators of Slavery Footprint, researched the supply chains of 400 consumer products to determine the likely number of slaves it takes to make each of those products. They put the information into an online survey where you can determine the number of slaves that are needed to maintain your personal lifestyle.

My shocking survey result – 39 Slaves work for me (my wife and children not included).

WHAT WE CAN DO!

After the survey, the user has the option to share the results and can take action. You can e.g. earn Free World points to counteract your score by spreading the news and asking the brands by mail: "I want to know!“ I have sent more than 40 mails asking some of the leading brands where they get their products from and telling them that I care.

We all can support madeinafreeworld.com and similar organizations to closely work with businesses to eradicate slavery from the products we love.

We can also learn more about modern slavery and our own slavery footprint. Ask for more information about the issue, get involved, invite your friends to also take the survey, support adequate organizations, donate, and help to raise awareness and to build the movement. Stop buying questionable products and brands. Why not buying more of so-called fairtrade products? Why not consuming more responsible, more thoughtful, and less?

What do you think? What are your ideas? Join the discussion!

Best regards,

Andreas von der Heydt

*****

Andreas von der Heydt is Director Kindle Content at Amazon in Germany. Before that he hold various senior management positions at Amazon and L'Oréal. He's a leadership expert and management coach. He also founded Consumer Goods Club. Andreas worked and lived in Europe, the U.S. and Asia.

Please click 'Follow' if you would like to hear more from Andreas in the future. Feel free to also connect via his Linkedin Group Coaching or Consumer Goods, or via Twitter and Facebook.

Other recent and popular posts by Andreas von der Heydt:
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photo: istock.com