3071-The political economy of new slavery

200 The Global Framework for Development
But we should not just look at the challenge of reducing the incidence
of active enslaving. There is the challenge of reducing the incidence of
those drawn into being enslaved – and that is the ethical challenge of
addressing extreme poverty. The nature and extent of our responsibility
is very broad indeed. The challenge is precisely (going back to the issue
I raised with Beitz) to reduce the layers of insulation which normally
protect us from the world. If development ethics can help us be more
morally exposed to the realities of the world, then it will help us tackle
one of the root causes of new slavery, namely extreme poverty itself –
which is itself for many of us reason enough to act anyway.
While I have never advocated a Singer-like account of relentless obligation,
I do think it is precisely openness to the world and acceptance
of a global dimension of personal moral responsibility that are needed.
Though many ethical challenges – like economic exploitation, including
economic slavery, and corruption – face development in poor (and rich)
countries themselves, changes in the global framework within which
development occurs are also vitally important. These will not take place
without the input of individuals everywhere. Those of us who are
privileged to think and talk about these issues as academics from the
security of affluence need to remember this – and act as well.
Note
1. See for example N. Dower, ‘Poverty’, in Singer, 1991; on the aspect of disempowerment
see O’Neill, 1989.