The International Day of Peace – Reflection 5 September 15 Posted September 15, 2018 by admin@interfaith

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Dear Friends,

The Interfaith Peace Project is offering eleven days of reflections for your consideration during the eleven days leading up to The International Day of Peace, September 21st. The theme for this year’s International Day of Peace celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70.”  (Please see Thomas P. Bonacci’s letter of September 11, 2018.)

In our reflections, we bring together the wisdom of The Declaration of Human Rights, The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. In today’s refection, we consider Article 4 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

As you prepare to observe The International Day of Peace, please consider these reflections. May they inspire and challenge you to be the peace you seek.

The Interfaith Peace Project

 

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude, 
slavery and the slave trade shall be 
prohibited in all of their forms.

 

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United States Constituion
The Bill of Rights
Amendments

© Andrii Salivon   stock.adobe.com

Amendment XIII

Section 1

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted shall exist within the United Stats, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

 

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Human Trafficking

Human trafficking statistics

  •  Adults and children in forced labor and sexual slavery: 40 million
  •  Countries without adequate laws to prevent trafficking: 18
  •  Out of more than 7 billion people, 25 million are in forced labor
  •  Profits from forced labor: $150 billion annually
Sources for statistics: U.S. State Department and the International Labor Organization

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“According to the last official statistics of the United Nation, one in three victims of trafficking are children. The number of trafficked people who are less than 18 years old is constantly increasing, worldwide. Children and adolescents are trafficked for sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, forced marriage, illegal adoptions, forced labour, organs removal, begging, criminal acts (like child soldiers, drug smuggling)… It is urgent to listen to the cry of these little ones, to everybody, every family and every community, who experience the violence of exploitation and slavery, who is injured and humiliated. “
Canadian Religious Services