Whereas, at the age of 21, William
Wilberforce was elected to the House of Commons of Great Britain;
Whereas
Mr. Wilberforce and his colleagues actively engaged in many initiatives with
the sole purpose of renewing British culture at the turn of the 19th century in
order to bring about positive social change;
Whereas
Mr. Wilberforce advocated prison reform that equally respected justice and
human dignity, and encouraged reconciliation;
Whereas
Mr. Wilberforce sought to improve the conditions for, and minimize the use of,
child laborers;
Whereas
Mr. Wilberforce dedicated his life to ending the British slave trade and the
abolition of slavery despite forceful opposition;
Whereas
Mr. Wilberforce was mentored by former slave trader and author of the hymn
Amazing Grace,
John Newton, on the horrors and inhumanity of the
slave trade;
Whereas
approximately 11,000,000 human beings were captured and taken from Africa to
the Western Hemisphere to be sold as commodities and forced into slavery and
bondage;
Whereas
Mr. Wilberforce fought for 20 years in the House of Commons to pass legislation
banning the slave trade;
Whereas, on February 23, 1807, Parliament
passed a bill banning the slave trade in the British Empire as a direct result
of the efforts of Mr. Wilberforce;
Whereas
Mr. Wilberforce inspired and encouraged those who opposed slavery in the United
States, including political leaders like John Quincy Adams, and spread a
message of hope and freedom throughout the United States;
Whereas
Mr. Wilberforce labored for 46 years to abolish the institution of slavery in
the British Empire, ceaselessly defending those without a voice in
society;
Whereas, in 1833, Mr. Wilberforce was
informed on his death bed that the House of Commons had voted to abolish
slavery altogether;
Whereas
section 102(a) of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101(a)) states that human trafficking is a contemporary
manifestation of slavery whose victims are predominantly women and
children
;
Whereas
the scourge of human slavery continues to pollute our world and assault human
dignity and freedom;
Whereas, in 2006, the United States
Department of State estimated that between 600,000 and 800,000 men, women, and
children were trafficked across international borders for use as bonded
laborers or sex slaves, or for other nefarious purposes;
Whereas
the International Labour Organization estimates that there are more than
12,000,000 people in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, and sexual
servitude around the world, a number that is greater than the number of slaves
that existed at the time of Mr. Wilberforce’s death;
Whereas
all people must continue to fight, as Mr. Wilberforce fought, for the true
abolition of slavery and for respect for human dignity in all aspects of modern
culture; and
Whereas
the people of the United States should carry on the legacy of William
Wilberforce by working to end the modern slave trade, human trafficking, and
the degradation of human dignity: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)observes February 23, 2007, as the 200th
anniversary of the ban of the slave trade in the British Empire;
(2)recognizes the positive impact William
Wilberforce had on renewing the culture of his day and ending the inhumane
practice of human slavery;
(3)commends to the people of the United States
the example of William Wilberforce and his commitment to the values of inherent
human dignity and freedom, which reside in each and every human being;
(4)encourages the people of the United States
to—
(A)observe the 200th anniversary of the ban of
the slave trade in the British Empire;
(B)reflect on William Wilberforce’s selfless
dedication to the fight against slavery and his commitment to the neediest in
society; and
(C)commit themselves to recognize the value of
human life and human dignity; and
(5)unequivocally condemns all forms of human
trafficking and slavery, which are an assault on human dignity that William
Wilberforce would steadfastly resist.