«No one is born a slave, nor a master, nor to live in misery, but we are all born to be brothers»; these words by Nelson Mandela perfectly introduce the theme of this article: the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, celebrated on December 2.
Why December 2?
On this same date, in 1949, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (which entered into force on March 21, 1950).
A Day that speaks of today
It may seem to us that this Day is about something that belongs to the past, but unfortunately that is not the case: human trafficking, expressly prohibited by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is still particularly active. The latest available figures speak of approximately 50 million people reduced to slavery, especially women and minors. Pope Francis emphasizes: «Even today, millions of people are deprived of their freedom and forced to live in conditions comparable to slavery. Workers, including minors, enslaved in various sectors, from domestic work to agriculture, from manufacturing to mining». The many migrants «who, on their dramatic journey, suffer from hunger, are deprived of their freedom, stripped of their belongings, or physically and sexually abused».
A Day that speaks to us
Slavery, therefore, is a current issue, but we may still be tempted to think that, ultimately, it does not concern us… However, all it takes is to broaden our perspective and understand slavery in an inner sense to realize that this Day also speaks to us, affects us, concerns us. Today, we may have the opportunity to think about everything that makes us slaves; indeed, we are aware of the many forms of slavery that sadly run through our world: the many forms of addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling…; inner prisons such as resentment and anger that trap us and, without our realizing it, take our breath away and clip our wings.
Yes, because all this diminishes our inalienable dignity as human beings, born to be free and capable of recognizing one another as brothers and sisters: “Together, we are all called to build a renewed society oriented toward freedom, justice, and peace,” Pope Francis reminds us.
A shining example: Saint Josephine Bakhita
What we have just outlined may seem like a journey of darkness alone, but we Christians are always called to be bearers of light, pilgrims of hope, according to the motto of the 2025 Jubilee, which is about to come to an end.
An undisputed witness of hope was certainly Saint Josephine Bakhita: born around 1869 in an African village in Darfur, she was kidnapped and sold to slave traders; she experienced a life of deprivation and violence until she arrived in Italy, came into contact with the Canossian Sisters of Venice, and joined this Order.
Her life story teaches us to see what happens to us from a higher perspective that knows how to find light even in the darkest darkness. Looking back, Bakhita can say: “If I were to meet those slave traders who kidnapped me, and also those who tortured me, I would kneel to kiss their hands, because if this had not happened, I would not be a Christian and a religious sister now.”
Jesus invites us to discover the truth about ourselves, in which our freedom also resides: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32).
Let us not forget it; let us not forget that we are all (and each of us) precious in the eyes of God.
