3071-The political economy of new slavery

2 Introduction
as slavery in order to call for more resistance and to distinguish slavery
from intense exploitation. On the other hand, the authors are aware
that creating justice involves more than combating slavery and even
more than implementing fundamental human rights. The violations
of other rights are not less deserving of campaigns and policy change.
Yet, there is something especially baffling about the fact that slavery,
outlawed since the nineteenth century and one of the first human
rights violations to become the subject of an international convention,
is still continuing to this day. Most of the measures suggested to combat
slavery will protect human rights more widely.
What are the aims of the book?
The present volume results from a unique workshop at the Centre for
the Study of Global Ethics at Birmingham University in May 2002,
bringing together academics and campaigners on issues related to contemporary
slavery. The book’s foremost aim is to contribute to ending
contemporary slavery. To that end, the book provides several analyses
of current forms of slavery in the context of globalization, migration
and a variety of local factors (Part I). In addition, it introduces the
results of recent empirical research on various current forms of slavery
in different parts of the world (Part II). The final aim of the book is to
provide strategies and frameworks for change (Part III). All chapters
show the complexity and diversity of specific forms of slavery in countries
and regions, while at the same time teasing out parallels and links
between types of slavery. In order to design effective policies to combat
contemporary slavery, this work is crucial. The chapters introduce and
clarify distinctions between slavery and other worst forms of (child)
labour and exploitation. Most chapters provide an up-to-date overview
of international law and policy-making on combating contemporary
forms of slavery and provide an assessment of existing strategies to
combat slavery. To make the book forward-looking and to strengthen its
impact on reality, most chapters list practical goals to adopt in policymaking
and the chapters in Part III critically assess wider directions of
international policy-making, such as Fair Trade, development ethics,
global taxation and reparations for past forms of slavery.
Who is the book for?
The book is written for an audience in universities as well as the general
public. Our multidisciplinary approach will provide something new for