Christian organisations are using the World Cup football finals to encourage churches and believers to join the fight against the exploitation of workers.
The International Justice Mission, Tear Fund and Compassion have teamed up to launch the Justice United initiative.
The charities aim to better protect people at risk of exploitation through organising World Cup-themed fundraising events.
It follows documented evidence that thousands of workers died during construction of the World Cup facilities in Qatar.
The Christian ministries want to raise awareness that forced labour and other types of exploitation don’t only happen in Qatar, but around the planet.
The International Labour Organization reports 28 million people are trapped in forced labour.
Writing in Christian Today, the charities claim that the world is at a critical juncture in the journey towards eradicating slavery, with the situation rapidly getting worse.
They describe forced labour as a form of modern slavery which includes forced work in construction, hotels and other industries connected with sporting events.
They add that it’s also rife in the supply chains of the smartphones we use and the clothes we wear.
