Google is putting up $11.5M towards the fight against modern slavery

One would think that in our modern world things like slavery would be relegated strictly to our history book but unfortunately it isn’t. In fact slavery is very much alive in our world with an estimated 27 million people around the world to be considered as slaves.

Even though we may yank Google’s chain about the tarnishing of their once proud motto “do not evil” the fact is the company is heavily involved in many philanthropic endeavors through it Google.org philanthropic arm with the fight against modern day slavery being one.

In order to help with the fight Google selects organizations it believe to have proven records in this area and this year the company has donated $11.5 million to a group of organizations fighting slavery, To lead its efforts in this area Google selected Washington-based International Justice Mission which is a human rights organization working globally to rescue victims of slavery and sexual exploitation.

Jacquelline Fuller, the director of charitable giving and advocacy at Google says that we would be surprised by the number of people that are trapped in slavery to the degree that there are more people in slavery now than at any other time of our history.

Google.org – the philanthropy arm of the Silicon Valley firm – announced the anti-slavery effort as part of its $40 million in end-of-year giving that brings its charitable donations to more than $100 million in 2011. The grants will also support science, technology, engineering and math education; girls’ education in the developing world; and the use of technology for social good.

Justin Dillon, the founder of Slavery Footprint, said the Google grant would allow the movement to move from “anecdote and emotion,” to tangible action that could make a dent in history.

via PhysOrg