Inspired pledge against slavery ... Grace Forrest, 21, witnessed the signing of the document at the 16th-century Casina Pio IV villa in Vatican City. Photo: Nick Miller

Vatican City:An extraordinary gathering of world religious leaders, including the Pope, a Zen Buddhist master, Sunni and Shia clerics,the archbishop of Canterbury and a South American rabbi have signed a pledge to eradicate slavery by 2020.

The signing marks the beginning of a five-year push in churches, mosques, synagogues and temples across the world to send the message that slavery is forbidden by God every God.

But perhaps most extraordinary was the fact that this historic meeting, which overcame traditions of religious suspicion and enmity amid the manicured gardens and marble columns of Vatican City, was largely inspired by the determination of a Perth schoolgirl - now a confident young woman.

Pope Francis signs a joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery, at the Vatican as Andrew Forrest watches on. Photo: AP

Grace Forrest, 21, sat proudly in the front row at the 16th-century Casina Pio IV villa as the pledge was signed in front of her, after an hour of speeches in five languages.

Advertisement

It is six years since the daughter of mining billionaire Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest first witnessed the evil of child slavery, she told Fairfax after the event.

She was 15 when she arrived on a school trip to Nepal, having chosen to work in a refuge home for children that had been rescued from sex slavery.

Pope Francis, front row, third right, poses with religious leaders on the occasion of the signing of a joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery, at the Vatican. Andrew Forrest and his daughter Grace stand in the second row on the left. Photo: AP

Read the original here:
Australian girl Grace Forrest inspires Pope Francis and other world religious leaders to sign pledge to eradicate ...