The Hull Daily Mail has launched a global campaign against slavery. Taking its inspiration from the city's most famous former MP, William Wilberforce, who led the fight to abolish the slave trade almost 200 years ago, the paper has started a petition to end modern forms of slavery. The paper's "Fight for Freedom" campaign supports the work of Anti-Slavery International, the world's oldest international human rights organisation and has been launched in the run-up to the Wilberforce 2007 celebrations, due to take place next March.
The first signatory on the Mail's petition was Wilberforce's great-great-great-great-grandson, also named William Wilberforce, who lives near Harrogate, north Yorkshire. He said: "The anti-slavery movement is as relevant now as it was then. It is time for global organisations and people throughout the world to recognise and tackle the problems of slavery." It is estimated there are now more than 27m people across the world living in slavery. Mail editor John Meehan said: "Two hundred years ago people in East Yorkshire rallied behind William Wilberforce in his campaign to end the transatlantic slave trade. Today our readers can follow their example and play their part in combating modern-day slavery." (Via Hull Daily Mail)
