Religious leaders to initiate eradication of slavery by 2020: Global Freedom Network

VATICAN CITY: Thirteen world religious leaders, including Pope Francis and India's Mata Amritanandamayi, would participate in an initiative here to eradicate modern slavery by the year 2020.

They will also sign a Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders tomorrow to underline that modern slavery in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, organ trafficking, is a crime against humanity, and must be recognised as such by everyone and by all nations, according to a statement issued by Global Freedom Network.

Apart from the Pope and Mata Amritanandamayi, others world religious leaders, who will sign the declaration, include Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh from Vietnam, Rabbi Abraham Skorka from Argentina, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew from Greece, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi from Iraq, and the Archbishop of Canterbury from the UK, the statement said.

Mata Amritanandamayi is the only one representing Hindu religion at the meeting.

GFN is a faith-based global network with a vision and purpose to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking throughout the world.