Introduction

Modern slavery gathers various types of oppressive and dehumanizing behaviors, including human trafficking, forced labor, sex trafficking, organ harvesting and trafficking, forced marriage, debt bondage, and forced migration. It may be found in various industries (such as fisheries, agriculture, hospitality and tourism, fashion, apparel, mining, and domestic work etc.). Modern slavery is not only a multidimensional concept, it is also a multifaceted reality that has its own historical roots, regardless of the country concerned. Preventing and fighting modern slavery practices need to accomplish a paradigm shift, since a traditional paradigm built in patriarchy, eurocentrism, the colonialist mindset, and neoliberal economy is prone to impose the status quo. Identifying a paradigm shift is defining a holistic view of modern slavery practices that could be the basis for various kinds of intervention against those dehumanizing behaviors. Modern slavery is a global phenomenon that affects innumerable victims and survivors on the five continents. The international community has thus its own responsibility to eradicate modern slavery practices, whatever their form may be. On the national and international level, humanitarian responses to modern slavery must solve some problems of consistency. Laws and regulations against modern slavery must be improved for better tackling the different forms of modern slavery offenses and to make all social, economic, cultural, political, and even religious/spiritual actors assume their ethical and humanitarian responsibilities.