The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, have signed a joint declaration condemning modern slavery at a meeting in Istanbul this week.
In the declaration, the two church leaders not only condemned all forms of human enslavement but repented for not doing enough to combat modern slavery, urged members of both of Orthodox Church and Church of England to take action on the issue and committed to establish a joint taskforce on modern day slavery which will look at ways the two churches can work together to tackle the issue.
They also undertook to pray for all victims of modern slavery and, while commending the efforts of the international community to address the problem, they appeal to the world’s governments to implement strict anti-slavery laws.
The International Labour Organisation and the Global Slavery Index estimate that between 20.9 and 45.8 million people are caught up in slavery globally.
Archbishop Welby said the tragedy of slavery – which he described as “an abomination to human dignity” – is that it is a “human condition of our own making”. “It is driven by human greed and those that would make a profit from excessively cheap labour. Slavery persists for no other reason than it is highly profitable. It is one of the most profitable international criminal industries. It feeds on human vulnerability. The majority of those who find themselves enslaved come from marginalised and impoverished communities.”
UK Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed the declaration, describing modern slavery as “one of the great human rights issues of our time, subjecting people around the world to experiences that are horrifying in their inhumanity”.
“We have a duty, as human beings and as Christians, to bring it to an end,” she said, adding that while UK was “leading the way in helping to tackle this vile and barbaric crime”, governments alone will not be able to stop it. “It is vital that all parts of society do their part.”
The declaration was signed at a forum held on Monday and Tuesday entitled ‘Sins Before Our Eyes’ which looked at various dimensions of modern slavery – everything from labour exploitation, domestic servitude, prostitution, cyber exploitation and organ trafficking – and how it affects the most vulnerable including children and young people, migrants and refugees. Those at the forum also heard accounts of slavery taking place in the world today.
