Starting Your Own S.T.O.P. Chapter

Definitions of Slavery | FAQs | Slave Redemption | What You and your Group Can Do

Welcome!

Dear Fellow Abolitionists:

Thank you for joining the American Anti-Slavery Group (AASG). Your group, along with thousands of others worldwide, has joined a multi-ethnic and multi-religious coalition of abolitionists dedicated to eradicating modern-day slavery.

Sadly, the ancient institution of slavery is alive and well. By conservative estimates, there are 27 million slaves in the world today, more than ever before. From Bangladesh to Brazil, from Khartoum to Calcutta, millions live as slaves or in slave-like conditions. In Asia, slavery is rampant. Children are taken as slaves to pay off debts. In parts of Africa, chattel slavery never ended, in other parts, it has been revived. In South and Central America, men are lured by promises of good work, then forced at gunpoint to labor without pay.

By becoming a part of the American Anti-Slavery Group you have taken a stand on an issue that so many have been silent about and we thank you. We formed eight years ago to monitor, publicize and combat human bondage around the world. Although we are active in exposing every sort of slavery, we focus on chattel slavery in Mauritania and Sudan. The enslaved Africans in these countries are wholly the property of others: bought, sold, inherited, and bred. Further, while other victims of slavery have been helped to some degree by campaigners in the West, the voices of these black slaves in Africa have gone unheard.

Because of our work, slavery is now a topic covered widely in the press, debated in Congress, and in human rights communities. And students of all ages, many like yourselves, are bringing the issue to their schools through fundraising events, speakers, and clubs. The grass-roots response is growing steadily.

Students have been the driving force behind this campaign, and we thank you for joining our movement. You are fighting for people who have no powerful friends. You should be proud of yourselves, and you should be inspired to know that you will make a difference.

In Freedom,

Dr. Charles Jacobs
President

P.S. We continue to refine our materials and resources for student groups. If you have any suggestions for additional information we can offer, including ideas for events and campaign techniques, please let us know. Our toll free number is 1-800-884-719.

Definitions of Slavery

Chattel Slavery: A person is captured, born, or sold into permanent servitude, and ownership is often asserted. The slave's children are normally treated as property as well and can be sold by the slaveholder. This form of slavery is most often found in northern and western Africa, particularly Mauritania, as well as countries on the Arabian peninsula.

Debt Bondage: Debt bondage is the most common form of slavery in the world. A person pledges him- or herself against the loan of money, but the length and nature of the service are not defined and the labor does not reduce the original debt. The debt can be passed down to subsequent generations, thus enslaving more offspring; moreover "defaulting" can be punished by seizing or selling children into further debt bonds. Ownership is not normally asserted, but there is complete physical control of the bonded laborer. Debt bondage is most common on the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Pakistan and India.

Forced Labor: Contracts are offered that guarantee employment, perhaps in a workshop or factory, but when workers are taken to their place of work they find themselves enslaved. The contract is used as an enticement to trick an individual into slavery, as well as a way of making slavery look legitimate. If legal questions are raised, the contract can be produced, but the reality is that the "contract worker" is a slave, threatened by violence, lacking any freedom of movement, and paid nothing. Forced labor is most often found in Southeast Asia — often in the form of sexual slavery — Brazil, some Arab states, and some parts of the Indian subcontinent.

This information was taken from Disposable People by Kevin Bales.

Frequently Asked Questions

What has the American Anti-Slavery Group done?

We broke the story of African bondage to the New York Times in 1994. AASG testified twice to Congress, most recently on May 27, 1999, after which a resolution condemning slavery in Sudan passed 416-1. We implemented a national advertising campaign designed by Hill Holiday, Boston's largest PR firm. AASG held the first National Abolitionist Conference in the United States since the Civil War at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, along with seminars at Columbia, Tufts, Hofstra, and American University. We developed a program on modern-day slavery used at over 100 schools across the country. Finally, we have partnered with international rescue groups to liberate over 11,000 slaves.

What should the goals be of a student chapter of AASG?

Chapters in schools should focus on, of all things, education. Many of your fellow students, and probably even your teachers, do not know that slavery still exists. You should educate yourselves, your school, and your community. Try to apply the lessons of American history, particularly from the abolitionist movement, in the present battle against modern day slavery. For more specific suggestions, see the section below on "What You and Your Group Can Do."

What are good sources for information on modern day slavery?

To educate yourself about slavery today, there are several important sources. First, see Slavery Today section of our website. There are two excellent books we recommend. They are Samuel Cotton's Silent Terror and Kevin Bales' Disposable People. Both can be purchased at your local bookstore.

Where can I read about what other classes have done?

The first American students to take a stand against slavery were 5th graders in Denver, Colorado. They launched the S.T.O.P. Slavery That Oppresses People Campaign. On the S.T.O.P. website, you can read about their accomplishments and the press coverage they have generated. Their class is a good model for how you can take action and raise awareness. Soon, there will be articles added to the site describing the work of students across the country. Over 100 classes have already joined in.

Questions About the Slave Redemption Campaign

We raise funds for a special slave redemption program run by Christian Solidarity International (CSI), an international rescue organization based in Zurich. CSI has redeemed over 11,000 Sudanese slaves, in large part with funds we have helped raise. Slave redemption is not the solution to slavery in Sudan, but for many students it is a way to make a difference in the lives of children their own age who live in bondage. Below is information on the buy-back campaign.

How does CSI purchase slaves?

The possibility of rescuing slaves from bondage and reuniting them with their families first arose from a 1994 peace agreement between Dinka chiefs and Arab clans in the borderlands of northern and southern Sudan. In return for grazing rights, Arab nomads are expected to help return slaves to their families for 50,000 Sudanese pounds per slave. While some families with enslaved relatives could raise the redemption fee, most were unable to do so - having been left destitute after destructive slave raids. Since October 1995, CSI has raised enough resources to free over 2,400 slaves. The guiding policy has been to work through local African and Arab community leaders to help the poorest families buy back their loved ones.

Why can't slaves be freed for free?

The slaves "belong" to masters. They would not be released free of charge: the traders must first pay their "owners" and then incur the costs of food and supplies for the long trips back south. These are relatively substantial costs. They also take serious risks doing this: if the owners or the government knew the purpose of their obtaining slaves was for redemption, they would be killed. They need an incentive to take such a risk.

What is the price of a slave? Has that price increased since CSI began purchasing slaves?

One black slave costs 50,000 Sudanese pounds (between $50 and $100, depending on the exchange rate). That price has remained constant since CSI began redeeming slaves in 1995. CSI will only pay 50,000 Sudanese pounds per slave. Any inflation would mean the suspension of its slave redemption program. (In addition to the cost per slave, CSI incurs significant operational expenses simply to gain access to this remote and prohibited part of Sudan.)

Does buying back slaves encourage more raids?

So far, no. CSI refuses to pay more than the "market" rate it first used in 1995. More important, the raids are launched for military - not economic - reasons, and slave booty is a reward for achieving the government's military goals.

Since slavery is part of an on-going war, how can we be sure the slaves we free won't be taken again?

There is no guarantee that an emancipated slave could not be recaptured during a future slave raid. Unlike in the antebellum United States, there is no legal framework within which the slave trade functions. As a result, redeeming an individual cannot secure a legal guarantee of perpetual freedom. On the other hand, most redeemed slaves are not recaptured. Moreover, the possibility of future captivity should not become a sort of blackmail, causing one to take no action.

Is there any other motivation behind buying the freedom of slaves?

Buying people out of slavery is a moral act. In addition to actually saving a person's life and liberty, it makes a statement: Americans will not stand idly by as blacks continue to be enslaved in the modern age. We can all be abolitionists, we can all combat evil.

What You and Your Group Can Do

As stated above, your goal should be to educate yourselves, your school, and your community about modern day slavery. Raise awareness, demand action from your political representatives, and, if you can, raise funds to support our work. We can provide you with newsletters, articles, handouts, posters, and videos. These materials are tools to be used creatively and effectively. Find innovative ways to take action. Here are our suggestions:

• Teacher's Packet: First, you should read the packet we have prepared for teachers who want to introduce materials into their classrooms. The packet includes important information, including addresses of celebrities and leaders you can write to.
• Slavery Mural: Using materials from our website, magazines, newsletters, and other sources, make a mural with information on modern day slavery. Get permission to place the mural in a central location at school. Make sure to include information on your chapter.
• Petition Drive: In November of 1998, we launched a petition that demanded the freedom of 103 Sudanese slaves, mostly women and children. These slaves are listed by name and age on the back of the petition, which is addressed to the President, the Secretary of State, and the U.N. Secretary General. The first person to sign the petition was Congressman Donald Payne of New Jersey, the former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Over 50,000 people have followed his example, either signing on our website or at various petition drives. Download the petition and collect signatures outside the cafeteria or in another central location. Have materials on slavery in Sudan with you. This is an excellent way to inform fellow students and provide them with a simple but effective way to take a stand.
• Letter Writing-Campaign: Make sure your congressional representatives know about your concern over modern day slavery. You can find all House of Representatives or Senate addresses on-line. Let your representatives know what your chapter is doing, and ask them to explain what they have done. Get as many students as possible to write and sign letters.
• Candlelight Vigil: A simple, effective, and essentially cost-free event is a candlelight vigil. Held in a central, public space, the vigil begins as participants light one another's candles, and invite passersby to join in. Speakers then read the stories of people enslaved around the world today, and reflect on the fact that no one is free when people remain enslaved. The event is moving and powerful — and we have prepared a full template. Read our candlelight vigil action guide.
• Speakers: Several members and officers of the American Anti-Slavery Group tour around the country speaking on modern day slavery. For instance, our Outreach Director, Moctar Teyeb, has spoken to hundreds of students about his own experience as a slave and the dynamics of slavery in Mauritania. Your ability to have speakers come to your school will depend on your location, as well as several other factors. Click here to learn more about our speakers.
• Media: Whatever you do, publicize your efforts in the press. The school newspaper should feature your work. Guest speakers should be profiled in the town paper, as should the activities of your chapter. Local radio and cable television shows have also invited student activists on as guests. Some students might even write an article for the local newspaper on the topic of modern day slavery.
• Adult Outreach: Student chapters should actively seek to involve adult groups as well. As many adults simply do not know about modern day slavery, you can work to build awareness in your community by presenting to local civic groups, including congregations, civil rights groups, and political organizations. Meet with community leaders, local officials, professors, and clergy. Show photographs of those in bondage and present human rights reports. Tell the stories of victims who have been silenced in slavery.
• Fundraising: Chapters are of course encouraged to raise money to support our work. Read our step-by-step fundraising guide for more information on fundraising for the American Anti-Slavery Group.
• Involve Other Schools: As the chapter grows, look to inspire and involve students at other schools -- even if they are cross-town rivals. The more student chapters, the stronger your local abolitionist network.

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