A Christmas Carol

 

Charles Dickens wrote the lovely Christmas novella called ‘A Christmas Carol’. It was published just before Christmas in the year 1843 . However he began thinking about it in the middle of the Summer and his first idea was to write a pamphlet of protest on the main abuses of his day.  These included, want, hunger, the greed of employers and the downtrodden lives so many working class people lived.  So hard were their lives that many could not even adequately feed their families no matter how many hours a day they slaved for their employers. 

He soon realised, that it would be far better to weave a story round these protests because he said that in that form it would be twenty times more effective than a dry-as-dust pamphlet. 

Those of us who have read his book will agree with him. 

So what has that got to do with the modern  21^st century slavery that goes on in every country in the world? 

Just this, that a story about such slavery will be 20 times more effective than any amount of dry statistics or TV discussion programmes.  

One such novel already exists.  It is  called ‘The Garden of Sparkling Delight’ by Deborah Varen. 

As with ‘A Christmas Carol,’ if you read it, your eyes will be opened not only to what is happening, but to how the people involved in the slave trade actually feel even as I am writing this last word.  

Please read it and lend it to others so we can begin to start an abolitionist movement against this modern version of slavery as our forebears did against the slave trade from Africa in the 19th century.  

'The Garden of Sparkling Delight' on Amazon

You can download a free audio version from this site just use the link to the free audio, or go to the links at the top of this WEB page and select 'Tis The Podcast'.  There you will find access to the 21 half hours episodes to listen on-line or download for later listening and sharing.  The novel can be obtained from Amazon for a modest sum in paperback and on the Kindle e-reader.  

The novel tells the story of one young girl as you travel with her through the situation that caused her to be tricked into sexual slavery and the dreadful life she had thereafter, until her rescue.

No money is made out of this book and you can also listen to the novel for free from this site or on You Tube.  The novel can be obtained from Amazon for a modest sum in paperback and on the Kindle e-reader.  You can use this link to the free audio, 

The Podcast 

or go to the links at the top of this WEB page and select 'Tis The Podcast'.  There you will find access to the 21 half hours episodes to listen  on-line or download for later listening and sharing.  

For up to date information from those working to end this trade and support victims contact:-

ECPAT  www.ecpat.org.uk [End Child Pornography and Trafficking] is active in the UK and several other countries.  It specialises is lobbying, campaigning and supporting rescued slaves. 

The A21 Campaign www.thea21campaign.org - this is a global NGO that fights to abolish injustice in the 21^st century. Its focus is on those affected by human trafficking  and it runs prevention and protection schemes throughout Europe, Australia and USA. 

The Salvation Army  www.salvationarmy.org.uk/modern-slavery/am-i-safe-now

Stop the Traffik www.stopthetraffik.org - A global movement of individuals communities and organizations fighting to prevent human trafficking around the world. 

Meninadanca www.meninadanca.org - This society fights child prostitution along the remote arterial highways of Brazil. They also provide a place of safety where rescued girls can go and be rehabilitated.  

Thank you for reading this blog and please share with others.

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