Action Trick no 1: Freedom Day – 25th March

The 25th of March 2007 is Freedom Day, which this year will mark the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Today twenty-seven million men, women, and children are still enslaved around the globe, so I am kicking off the Action Tricks series with a look at the things planned to commemorate the tireless work of William Wilberforce and Olaudah Equiano, amongst others, who were central to the abolition of the slave trade in Britain.

Perhaps the biggest is the release of Amazing Grace the film – based on the life of William Wilberforce, whose mentor was John Newton, the slave-trader -turned-song-writer, who wrote the hymn, Amazing Grace – the film website – has lots of resources, including film clips, discussion guides and church study guides on the issues raised in the film and modern day slavery.

In conjunction with the film there are plans for Amazing Grace Sunday – when churches around the world are invited to sing Amazing Grace and in praying for the end of slavery once and for all on Freedom day – 25th March. Again the website has lots of resources.

‘After all, what makes any event important, unless by its observation we become better and wiser, and learn ‘to do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly before God’? Olaudah Equiano

Stop the Traffik, a global coalition, has lots of resourse on organising an event for the day, including an organiser’s pack, to help raise awareness of the problems of people trafficking today, with practical ways in which you can mark Freedom Day.

The bicentenary has a special connection for CMS, as William Wilberforce was one of the founders of CMS. They have lots of resources to help mark the event and focus on fighting slavery today: the current CMS Yes magazine is devoted to slavery; the CMS Lent Guide focuses on it; Free For All – unique events in schools across the UK run by CMS; African Snow play – a play sponsored by CMS to mark the anniversary and inspire new acts of abolition today. The play is based on the meeting of John Newton, the converted slave-trader who wrote Amazing Grace, and Olaudah Equiano, the former slave turned abolitionist whose extraordinary story has often been confined to a footnote or totally ignored.

Other websites with resources: Tearfund Freedom day resources, Amazing Change campaign; Set All Free – Act to End Slavery website; The Truth Isn’t Sexy campaign – exposing the truth between human trafficking and prostitution.

*Update* Also see the related slave tree video post