This House would compensate the descendants of slaves

Slavery is the use or the threat of violence to make another do work without compensation, and usually involves the ownership of one person by another. It was abolished in the USA in 1865 and was universally abolished by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, although it has persisted in some countries to the present day. Given that their ancestors were abused, ought governments and/or corporations to be made to make reparations for slavery? There are different types of slavery. The traditional form of slavery (the one most people immediately think of) is chattel slavery, in which the person is viewed as personal property of the 'owner'. Humans are bought and sold as commodities. It is, however, the least common form today. Another type is debt bondage, in which a person can agree to be used for unpaid labor in the event of being unable to repay a loan. There is not always a definite period of time given and the debt can be passed from one generation to the next. This is the most prevalent form of slavery today and usually occurs in developing countries. Human trafficking can involve being tricked or kidnapped into slavery. Forced labor tends to occur in war zones, where the threat of violence coerces people into slavery and it can include forced conscription, usually into militias and child soldiers.

This debate focuses on reparations for slavery in the trans-Atlantic trade, because it is the area of trade for which African countries, Caribbean countries and African Americans campaign for reparations.