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More on Brazil from Disposable People.

What Needs to Happen for Brazil
“The slavery in the charcoal camps … is just one of the many, many kinds of bondage in the country. Slaves cut down the Amazon rain forests and harvest sugar cane. They mine gold and precious stones or work as prostitutes. The rubber industry relies on slavery, as does cattle and timber.”

“The link that must be forged is between government and business. Purely political or economic attempts to end slavery in the developing world rarely work. … If North American and European governments are going to make a dent in slavery, they must work through tight controls on the businesses that are involved, even indirectly, in the use of slave labor.”

Consumers can also pay a role. Although we can’t always know what products we buy are tainted by slave labor, we can seek out and support companies whose labor chains are free from forced labor. You can go to http://free2work.org/ to find out about some companies’ human rights policies. You can also encourage other companies to be more diligent in policing their supply chains. Send an email (they provide a form letter than you can personalize) to a store expressing the importance of policing their supply line at http://chainstorereaction.com/.

Pray for Brazil:

• Safety for anti slavery workers. Some have been harassed or killed.
• Government and business cooperation. This is the key to progress in this type of slavery.
• Individuals and companies to take responsibility—instead of passing blame or choosing to ignore, do what you can.
• New fair-wage-paying jobs and educational opportunities to minimize the vulnerable population.

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