It is the plight of millions of people around the world who still suffer at the hands of modern-day slave owners that spurs on Charlotte Wilberforce.

Along with others, the great-great-great granddaughter of British slave emancipator William Wilberforce, is determined to do all she can to stamp out the vile trade in slaves once and for all.

She was the driving force behind the Run for Freedom last year in Bermuda after helping to organise the inaugural run in London in 2007, which marked the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Ms Wilberforce became involved after meeting representatives from international anti-slavery coalition Stop The Traffik at a preview of 'Amazing Grace', the film which told William Wilberforce's story.

At that time, she was horrified by what they had to say about people trafficking. She knew about guns and drugs, but not people trafficking.

"It's a shocking realisation to find out human beings are being either pushed into some kind of forced labour or taken hostage against their will," she told The Royal Gazette.

"That's children, women and men. Whether it's sex trafficking or for men in the military, all kinds of things."

Last year, Run For Freedom took place in London and Bermuda, but this year there are two more cities hosting the event.

"Currently the run will be held in London, Bermuda, Florida and Vancouver," added Ms Wilberforce. "A group in New York City is also hoping to hold a run this year."

"Slavery was abolished over 200 years ago, yet today, many trafficked victims are forced into slavery, the second fastest growing criminal activity of our time," said Ms Wilberforce.

According to Stop the Traffik, trafficking is "to be deceived or taken against your will, bought, sold and transported into slavery for sexual exploitation, sweat shops, child brides, circuses, sacrificial worship, forced begging, sale of human organs, farm labour or domestic servitude."

The group's website says trafficking is where family members and friends deceive parents to release their children or sell them for as little as $20 each, selling them on to local gangmasters or serious organised international trafficking rings.

It says trafficking is where victims usually suffer repeated physical abuse, fear, torture and threats to families to break their spirits and turn them into saleable commodities. A person can be sold and trafficked many times.

And it says that trafficking is growing with between two and four million men, women and children being trafficked across borders and within their own country every year. The website adds: "More than one person is trafficked across borders EVERY MINUTE, which is equivalent to five jumbo jets every day. a trade that earns twice as much worldwide revenue as Coca-Cola."

One of those who took part in Bermuda's Run for Freedom last year was Debbie O'Doherty and she says she will be running again this year, in St. George's on March 22.

"My good friend Charlotte Wilberforce explained the abhorrent reality of human trafficking to me. I just knew I had to participate in the event and help in some way.

"I had previously read of one instance of modern-day slavery in a British newspaper, where women from Eastern Europe had been tricked into travelling to the UK with promises of a better life, only to be forced into prostitution."

But even with this in mind, she added: "I had no idea that the problem was so widespread, and that children were forced to work in sweatshops, or forced to become sex slaves.

"I was unaware of the practices of forced labour and domestic servitude, and that criminals were making billions of dollars every year from their abominable crimes against humanity.

"Men, women and children are still being bought and sold, exploited, and abused 200 years after the abolition of the slave trade."

Human trafficking or modern-day slavery is more common than people think and it is a global issue, said Ms O'Doherty.

"It is currently estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked every year, and it has to be stopped." she said. "I was more than happy to take part last year, and I am looking forward to doing it all again this year."

There are many anti-slavery organisations, people can raise funds to help victims of trafficking by taking part in the Run For Freedom, including: http://www.mtvexit.org, http://stopthetraffik.org, http://www.antislavery.org

¦ For more information and related links visit http://www.facebook.com/runforfreedom, www.runforfreedom.com or write/enter to info@globalrunforfreedom.com.

¦ Are you taking part in this year's Run for Freedom? E-mail news@royalgazette.bm to let us know and to tell us why.