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Slavery In Brazil Essay

Decent Essays

Amanda Stabler
Dr. Phillip Fox
Essay II
19 November 2016
Slavery in Brazil
“The new slavery flourishes where old rules, old ways of life break down” (Brazil 121). The old way of life is deteriorating; money is scarce. Now, people will do any type of work. The Brazilian slaves work in dangerous charcoal production plants called batterias. They work with little to no protection; the hot ovens leave the workers’ bodies covered in blistering burns. In the minds of the workers, there is nothing else to do but suffer through. The slavery in Brazil prospers because of the recruitment proccess and the isolated location of the batterias. However, efforts from human rights organizations have had positive effects on the modern day slavery.
First, slavery …show more content…

There are many human rights organizations that push for reform. A major organization in the 1980s was the Pastoral Land Commision (CPT). They would release reports that gained a lot of publicity. Later, in the 1990s, this effort would pay off. “The American investors balked at such clear evidence of slave labor, and the governor was told that there would be no investment until the problem was solved” (Brazil 144). Because of all the publicity created by the CPT, the batterias lost investments. Ultimately, this led to the release of all women and children slaves at the batterias. Another major reform group in Brazil is the Labor Public Ministry (MPT). They use multiple methods to publicize the use of slaves. One method is their bi-annual ‘Dirty List.’ The list is about “naming and shaming companies that have been found to be exploiting workers” (The Rio Times par. 1). If a company appears on the list, there are a number of consequences that could happen. The companies could face “fines, debarment from state benefits, and up to eight years imprisonment” (The Rio Times par. 6). These efforts have had a positive influence in the decrease of slave labor in

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