National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2015 Reflection

Although the actual day of observation was January 11, I believe it never hurts to be writing about the issue of human trafficking so more people can be aware of this issue and be watchful for signs of trafficking in their community.

Human trafficking is one of many forms taken by modern day slavery. Did you know that there are conservative estimates that there are 27 million slaves in the world today? That's more than at any point in history!!!

For many who are at least aware of the issue, they see it as a problem that is seen in other countries, but there are an alarmingly high number of people estimated to be trafficked within the United States. And honestly, even if one person is being trafficked or forced into slavery, the number is too high!

I have a friend who is doing preliminary research on different forms of aftercare available for victims of human trafficking including homeless shelters, safe houses, and job placement programs. Her plan is to pursue a graduate degree at Princeton to develop a model for quality aftercare. If you are wondering what I mean by aftercare, I’m talking about the long process of rehabilitation and restoration for the trafficked person. These people are often hooked on drugs by their traffickers as well as forced into prostitution. The trauma they undergo is unbelievable.

And this issue is not just a ‘big city’ issue. My previously mentioned friend who is conducting research recently met a woman who was trafficked from Columbus OH to Pittsburgh, PA to Morgantown, WV repeatedly. She was forced into prostitution for years and is currently working toward restoration after years of damage to her body, mind, and spirit.

Want to know a great way you can prevent trafficking? Get involved in the lives of young people. Runaways and young people who do not have a mentor or role model in their life are some of the top targets for traffickers. Support programs in your community that provide mentoring and a healthy environment for at risk young people. Groups that come to mind for me are Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Girls On The Run, and YoungLife. While the focus of each of these groups is slightly different, they provide young people with options and potential role models.

Also, be aware of what is happening in your community. Are there strange vehicles rolling in and out of your neighborhood? Do you know your neighbors? Get to know them! Is there a business in your community that seems suspect? Keep an eye on it. If you see something suspicious be sure to document as much as you can and then call the Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Hotline to share what you observed. As the saying goes, “If you see something, say something.” 

Passion Conference and the #EndIt Movement

My good friend Cameron King, his wife, and about 60,000 other people gathered in Atlanta Georgia earlier this month to attend the 2013Passion Conference. This is one of the best conferences I know of for college students and young professionals who are passionate about their faith as well as serving others. The conference over the last few years has raised milliions to fight global poverty, human trafficking, slavery, and many other issues.

This year, they began a new initiative called #enditmovement. The goal of #enditmovement is to work toward the end of human trafficking and modern day slavery and to mobilize others to take a stand to end slavery. I love the fact that more and more people in our world are being mobilized to take tangible steps to love their global neighbors as well as their next door neighbors.

May we each continue to take steps to make a difference in this world, and look for opportunities to truly love tangibly. I'm proud of my friend Cameron and the growing movement of people I've been able to connect with over the last few years who are dedicating their time, their talents, and their resources toward ending slavery, trafficking, systemic poverty, and choosing to pursue justice in this world. 

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2013

For the last few years, I have attempted to dedicate a post on my blog to National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The reason for this is simple. I know about the issue, and I want to insure that I am doing some small part to keep this issue on other people’s radars.

You see part of the reason modern day slavery and human trafficking not only exist but thrive is because many people don’t know or don’t care. The problem is made worse by a number of factors including demand by slave traders as well as desperation on the part of many of the poorest people on the planet. People in desperate situations do desperate things like sell themselves or their family members into slavery. And because of the fact that few people realize that slavery still exists (even in the United States), slavers and traffickers continue to do their nefarious work.

What hurts is that without exposing this problem, more and more people will continue to suffer. People forget about issues if they aren’t brought to confront them. Just this past Congressional session, the TraffickingVictims Protection Reauthorization Act (which was initially passd in 2000 and reauthorized unanimously by Congress three separate times) did not get passed. Three senators put anonymous ‘holds’ on the bill, preventing it from moving forward.  In spite of this set-back, it has been largely the efforts of concerned citizens that have kept this issue in the forefront of Congressional work as something that people can agree on regardless of their partisan persuasions. 

So what can you do as part of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day? Here are just a few ideas to consider.

• Support an anti-slavery or anti-trafficking organization like International Justice Mission, Not For Sale, orPolaris Project.
• Write your congressional representatives and encourage them to support the TVPRA and other anti-slavery and anti-trafficking legislation.
• Commit to learn more about the issue. There are tons of resources on the web, and if you can make time to visit, I highly recommend a trip to the Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH.
• Also, if you suspect a potential slavery or trafficking operation happening in your community, report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline

Thanks for taking time to make your voice heard and contribute to making a difference.  And may we all look forward to a day when we don’t have to worry about legislation like TVPRA getting passed because we will have pushed back the darkness together!

Tune In To This Google Hangout about Modern Day Slavery

I know this is a bit last minute as a blog post, but I just wanted to encourage folks who have Google+ accounts to take some time and tune in to this Google+ Hangout featuring New York Times columnist and author NickKristof, along with Somaly Mam and Rachel Lloyd. The forum will be moderated by Luke Blocher, General Counsel for the National Underground Railroad and FreedomCenter in Cincinnati, OH. Luke is both a good friend and a determined advocate for ending modern day slavery and human trafficking. The actual hangout starts at 10AM on January 10, 2013.

I’m excited for the fact that more and more people are becoming aware of the issue, and mobilizing others to end human trafficking and slavery. I’ll keep this post brief—just take some time out of your day to tune in if you can.

"Nefarious: Merchant of Souls" Tour Screening at Chestnut Ridge Church

Last night Jamie and I were invited to watch a documentary called Nefarious at Chestnut Ridge Church in Morgantown. We were unsure whether we would go as we were both pretty tired and we are both a fairly well informed on the subject. Jamie and I have both served with ministries in the Red LightDistrict in Amsterdam, and we even went into a facility in the states to try to gather evidence of a suspected illegal operation. We keep our eyes peeled any time we travel for signs of potential trafficking or slaving operations existing even here in the US.  We also have a good friend who is legal counsel for the Freedom Center in Cincinnati,OH and a few friends at International Justice Mission.

 As the start time approached, we decided to go to watch the documentary because we knew from the trailer that it talked about Amsterdam’s Red Light District, and because we like to show support for initiatives to raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking. As I mentioned, the film was being shown at Chestnut Ridge Church, so we had a bit of a drive to get there (30 minutes), but the trip was definitely worth it.

I was really impressed that the church was choosing to get involved in modern day abolition activities, and the organizer, Karen Haring, had told me that she was trying to take steps to get more involved personally in issues like this. We saw a number of friends in attendance at the event, including another couple with whom I had traveled to Amsterdam for a short-term service/mission trip in 2005. So the event also served as a reunion of sorts.

As far as the film is concerned, it is fairly graphic in its portrayal of sex slavery, sex trafficking, and prostitution, and is filled with heartbreaking statistics and stories, but in the end shares hope and some success stories. Benjamin Nolot, the founder of a group called Exodus Cry which was started by members of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, created the film, and it documents four years of his travels to learn more about and bring awareness to this multi-billion dollar industry that is destroying millions of lives.

My own journey with Nuru has been launched because I see extreme poverty as a strong catalyst for trafficking in some parts of the world. Desperate people do some pretty horrific things in an effort to survive sometimes. It’s also true that wicked people do some very wicked things in the name of greed or lust. The world needs more passionate, results-oriented activists working to break the bonds of injustuce in our world.

Whether or not the film comes your way, I highly recommend that you learn more about modern day slavery and human trafficking. GaryHaugen, the founder of International Justice Mission has written a couple of great books on the issue that document what people can do about it Good NewsAbout Injustice and Just Courage). Another great book is called, Not ForSale by David Batstone.  Get informed and get involved.

This world needs more people who are willing to move past talking about issues to start taking tangible action to make it a better place. Will you take a step?