September 2003

We invite you to speak your mind on these hot topics and global issues plucked from the pages of National Geographic magazine. For more on the subject go to the online feature page, or read the September issue of NGM.

21st-Century Slaves

The numbers are shocking. Today about 27 million people all over the world are bought and sold, kidnapped, held captive, brutalized, and exploited as victims of an underground, profit-making slave trade. In 2000 the U.S. Congress passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, designed to combat the sale and transport of men, women, and children; ensure fair and effective punishment of perpetrators; and protect victims of modern-day slavery. Each year since, the Department of State has compiled a report that characterizes how different countries are addressing the issue. With the 2003 report, some countries listed in the bottom tier—the worst offenders—may be subject to sanctions as well as U.S. opposition to specific forms of assistance from international financial institutions. How effective would sanctions be? What more can be done? And how should the problem of the 150,000 or so slaves in the U.S.—mostly domestic workers, farm laborers, factory workers, and prostitutes—be addressed? Enter>>

Saving Africa's Eden

The idea of combining a conservation opportunity with an economic opportunity in the form of ecotourism so appealed to Gabon's President Omar Bongo that he set aside 11 percent of his country—remote mountains, inland and coastal waters, and trackless forests—as protected national parkland. But the prospect of ecotourism presents a challenge: Once this vast pristine acreage is open to tourists, how will it remain pristine? Enter>>

Diary of a War

The war in Iraq has been declared over, and the slow, daunting task of rebuilding is underway. Since that time the Iraqi people have turned out in celebration as well as in protest. Some have taken to looting. After so much death and destruction—and with ongoing violence against troops, how can rebuilding move forward? Enter>>

Hip Zips

Nominate your favorite zip or postal code for coverage in the pages of National Geographic. Our magazine series—ZipUSA—takes a periodic peek at special corners of the country by zip code. We like the concept so much that we're going global and extending our stories to include international postal codes as well. So describe a weird, wacky, wonderful locale of your own choosing—it just might make it into the magazine—and read postings from other folks too. Enter>>

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