World Hunger: Crisis and a plan of action






Plan of action



Looking after our own


We can help







Human trafficking: 36 million victims

In 2014, the Global Slavery Index (GSI) found that worldwide there are nearly 36 million victims of human trafficking. This practice, which is especially prevalent in Asia, shows no signs of disappearing and a solution to the problem is far from clear.

South Africa
At the end of November, South African businessman Lloyd Mabuza was found guilty of imprisoning and raping five girls aged between 10 and 16. For his crime the punishment was 8 life sentences, handed down by Magistrate Andre Lambrecht. His accomplice, Violet Chauke, was found guilty of Human Trafficking for sexual purposes and handed to home affairs for deportation back to Mozambique. The shocking details of the case, where children were left to live in squalor, threatened, and repeatedly raped has shocked South Africa and has the potential to make a severe impact worldwide.

Trafficking in Africa
The GSI report found that the African continent is awash with countries that are home to human trafficking and modern slavery. Of the countries on the continent, South Africa was considered to be one of those where the practice is less common. Because of its ties with Europe, and relative wealth in sub-Saharan Africa, the news that there is human trafficking going on in South Africa will impact the international community, and maybe even elicit a response.

Global law
In Western Europe and the USA the laws on Human Trafficking are strict and carry severe penalties. Nonetheless, the practice still goes on, with trafficking of girls for sexual exploitation an issue that is in and out of the press regularly. This begs the question, are we doing enough to fight this criminal practice?

Bringing down the traffickers
Admittedly, because the occurrence of human trafficking is not as common in the UK, we may find it easy to overlook what is happening elsewhere. Is this attitude cowardly, or should we watch our country first? As a country carrying such immense influence, is it our duty to work with poorer countries to fight the traffickers and criminals who still enslave others?

The next steps
The arguments for ignoring the problem are weak, with the only clear reason being the financial implications of undertaking such a mammoth task. What are the options? More support for victims and potential victims? Clamping down on perpetrators? Relieving the pressure on smaller governments by introducing international tribunals for repeat offenders? The global community is suffering at the hands of those who exploit the weak and underprivileged, and there must be something we can do to fight it.

The death of 43 missing Mexican students

On the 26th September this year, 43 student teachers travelled to the town of Iguala, Mexico to raise funds, and disappeared after violent clashes with municipal police. In the six weeks following that day, evidence has been unearthed to prove that police, the mayor, and gang members were all involved in the mass kidnapping. On 7 November, three gang members confessed to the killing of all 43, explaining how the bodies were then burnt at a landfill site, and the remains thrown in the river.

Human rights abuse
Decades of drug related violence has made this Central-American country one of the most dangerous in the world to live, and it was always a matter of time before such an incident took place. In this case, the most shocking factor is that the police, whose primary function should be to protect civilians, seem to have been heavily involved in the supposed murders – with eyewitnesses reporting that the students were bundled in their cars after the initial altercation.

The mayor of Iguala, Jose Luis Abarca, has been arrested along with the town’s police chief – and the governor of the Guerrero region has also resigned. The repercussions are being felt at the highest level, with protestors setting fires outside the presidential palace in Mexico City. The Mexican people have had enough of the continued corruption and violence, and the government needs to act decisively in dealing with the core issues of the crimes.

Continued violence
The story has shocked the world, shining a spotlight on the issues seen in the country on a daily basis. How can Mexico change? What will fix this country which struggles with its burden of being the centre point between North and South America? Is there an answer?

Strength in power
There is no simple solution: the drug cartels are ruthless and have terrifying power over politicians and police throughout the country. The answer lies at the top of the political hierarchy, President Peña Nieto has to be stronger. He has to make sure his appointments are morally sound and he must remove the elements of outside influence from any position of power.

Global assistance
The rest of the world must support him in order for this to happen, as the cartels have become too strong for the state to handle alone. Violence and corruption have grown immeasurably because characters such as Abarca, with links to organised crime, are able to sit in positions of power and neglect their responsibilities. Purging the system of corrupt politicians and fighting the cartels is likely to be a long and difficult project, but with the support of the world Mexico can at least try to reach that goal and give its 122 million citizens renewed hope.