Internationally renowned anti-slavery speaker Kevin Bales discussed his latest book, “Blood and Earth,” Wednesday night and urged St. Thomas students to get involved in what he called the fourth great anti-slavery movement in human history.

“We are right at the beginning. So you are like the Harriet Tubmans. You are like the Frederick Douglasses. You are like the first people who are just starting this out,” Bales said.

Bales’ book aims to make his readers aware of the global crisis of modern slavery and human trafficking.

“I want to get these ideas out there and circulating, and when you launch an idea, it is like a germ. Once it is out, it spreads itself,” Bales said. “I also want people to know that, yes, slavery is a big problem, trafficking is a big problem, but it isn’t a problem that is insoluble.”

A London leaflet started it all for Bales. What first began as a scholarly investigation became a lifestyle focused on the anti-slavery movement.

“When you get up close to people in slavery, and you see the suffering and the hopelessness and the brutality, it does something to you,” Bales said. “I want to approach this as a scholar, but I also have to approach this as an organization to get people out of slavery because I couldn’t just study people like butterflies or something and then just walk away.”

According to Bales, there are roughly 35.8 million people in slavery, with slaves being found in every country.

Freshman Andrew Mohama was surprised by what he learned while attending Bales’ talk.

“I had no idea that worldwide there is some sort of slavery,” Mohama said. “It is horrific, it is scary. It really opened my eyes to something I think not very many people know.”

Bales’ speech emphasized that slavery is not solely a human rights issue, a point that really stuck with freshman Rachel Hickman.

“Not only does it have to do with human beings suffering, but it has to do with the whole entire global economy,” Hickman said. “It has to do with everything. I do not know how we can ignore it any longer.”

Bales is convinced that everyone can make a positive change, even the St. Thomas community.

He urged the faculty, students and community members to be conscious of the products they purchase, food they buy and stocks they invest in.

This fall St. Thomas launched its own chapter of The FREE Project in an effort to help address slavery as a complex, broad issue. This collective group is open to the students, faculty and the community.

Carolyn Meyer can be reached at cameyer@stthomas.edu.