An amazing video by Radiohead that shows the difference between two different lives - one that is fee and one that is not. This Video is a part of the MTV Exit campaing.

The first month for our organization has been a whirlwind. Since publishing our website, we have had over 170 visitors come to our site from 24 states, 72 different cities, and 5 different countries, including Albania, France, India, and Jordan. Truly, people around the world are learning about modern slavery and uniting against it. I challenge you to keep spreading the word, whether it be through email, Facebook, or your campus, work, friends or faith-based organization.

For the first newsletter we want to give a brief overview of modern-day slavery, although in the future we will highlight specific types and incidents in more depth. Although slavery is illegal everywhere, it still exists in every country in the world. Slaves are used in a multitude of ways, ranging anywhere from domestic servants in upper-class houses in the United States to charcoal workers in the untamed jungles of Brazil. Slaves are used to make chocolate, bricks, rugs, and clothing. They catch fish, farm land for the wealthy, and are forced to offer their bodies for pleasure. They are abused, tortured, discarded, and often forgotten.

While slavery has not been eradicated since our forefathers abolished it, modern day slavery is very different from the historical slavery that often comes to our minds. Primarily, there is a huge difference in the potential for exponential profit. Traditionally, the purchase of a slave was a large investment. In the United States in the early 1800s, a slave might cost the equivalent of 3 or 4 years’ salary for a free worker. Because it took several years before the slaveholder could recover his initial investment and start to make profit, slaves were considered long term investments. However, due to recent population booms in many developing countries, the price of slaves has dramatically dropped. Slaveholders can recover their initial investments, sometimes as low at $25 dollars, in a matter of days or weeks.  Also, due to the near-endless supply of potential slaves, modern slaves are treated as disposable. If a slave is injured or gets sick, they are usually left to die. If a sex slave contracts HIV from a client, she is thrown out of the brothel and left to starve or die from AIDS. Often, slaves are not even given enough food to survive, and, when they grow too weak to continue to work, they are replaced by healthier, stronger slaves who soon grow weak as well. While slavery has become illegal, it has also become more brutal and savage.

During each newsletter we will also be highlighting a way you can help or an organization that you can support. There are many different ways you can join the fight against slavery. First and foremost, you should educate yourself about the problem. Watch movies and documentaries, read books, and visit websites on the issue. Learn all that you can so that you can become a spokesperson for those without a voice. You can find more information at 1865continued.org/learnmore.html. Secondly, consider supporting an organization either financially or strategically. As little as a dollar a day, or $30 a month, can make a huge difference in the life of a slave. Likewise, organizing campus chapters of Free the Slaves, Not For Sale, or 1865 Continued can really help these organizations get the word out and develop a generation of people concerned about the plight of over 27 million people. To learn more about what you can do right now to help slaves around the world, visit our Act Now page at 1865continued.org/actnow.html.

Thank you so much for your concern and support. Never forget that the collective actions of our generation will shape the world for those that follow.

Kelsey Snapp
1865 Continued: The Fight against Modern Slavery
www.1865continued.org

The 1865 Continued newsletter/blog will start in February. The purpose is to spotlight different issues within modern slavery and how they are being fought. We look forward to getting your feedback!