Slavery : a phantom in the twenty-first century

Abstract

With the advent of the abolitionist movement and the consequent abolition of slavery in Europe and beyond, society dramatically reviewed its preconceived and prejudicial conjectures regarding slavery. From an institution considered for centuries as the building block of the economic system and the foundation of the modern world, society nowadays condemns slavery as an amoral practice and is consequently prohibited by law. Such prohibition makes slavery in the contemporary world less obvious to the human eye and is very often dismissed by hectic communities. This notwithstanding, slavery is a reality which goes to the core of cosmopolitan societies. The purpose of this thesis is to prove that slavery is a reality in the contemporary world. It manifests itself in various forms and is in constant evolution. Unfortunately, the international community seems unable to keep up with such rapid changes. This situation enables slavery nowadays to flourish and thrive resulting in a real humanitarian tragedy in numerous parts of the world. Society continues to move on at its frenetic pace, ignoring, whether consciously or otherwise, it's menacing presence. The aura of slavery is not just a history, but a present we must acknowledge. This imperceptible awareness combined with the threat of its presence, is what makes slavery in the twenty-first century a phantom in the modern world.