International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
December 2

Read:
D&C 101:79

Explain:
Though slavery is banned by international law and often thought of as a thing of the past, forced labor survives in various forms. Because forced labor is illegal and therefore hidden, it is hard to know how many people work under such conditions, but estimates range from 27 million to 200 million. These include child laborers, many migrant workers (especially those brought into a country illegally), and women and children in the sex trade. The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery highlights the continuing problem of forced labor. The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others was adopted on December 2, 1949.

Pray:

• Give thanks for the gift of freedom and for the official abolition of slavery.
• Pray for people who are trapped in forced labor.
• Pray that governments will be able to put a stop to forced labor.