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. 

Martin Luther King Day 2013

For the last few years, as this holiday approaches, I like to take time to read speeches watch videos and reflect on the outcome of the efforts and life of Dr. King and other activists and ambassadors for justice in our world.

I remember reading a few years back that Dr. Martin LutherKing Day was initially meant to be dedicated as a day of service in our communities and in our world. And as I write this note, it is my hope that more people will take the day as an opportunity to either serve actively immediately or begin reflecting on where they may be called to serve.

In the words of Dr. King, “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Those words echo the teachings of Jesus, “The greatest among you will be the servant of all.”

So today, I encourage you, look for opportunities to serve. As we celebrate the life, mission, and vision of Dr. King, may we each find a place to serve. There are many great needs in this world, including extremepoverty, slavery, and the environment. The world needs passionate and purposeful people who will make daily commitments to justice and to service.

You and I may never have the platform, the reach, or the impact of Dr. King, but that isn’t why we should ever do anything. We should pursue justice because it is the right thing to do, and, again in the words of Dr. King, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

May we all be people who resolve to follow the example of Dr. King and others, and to strive to faithfully live out the words of the ancient Hebrew prophet, Micah and “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

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.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2012

For the last three years, I have written a post about National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. And as I write a post about the day this year, I'm excited about the growing number of people who are committing their time and efforts toward working toward an end to human trafficking, and for the steps taken last year to eradicate modern day slavery.

Just a week ago some of my friends attended the Passion Conference in Atlanta, GA. Over 40,000 college students attended the event and raised over $3 million dollars to fight human trafficking. They also made a commitment to work toward the end of human trafficking and modern day slavery. Did you know that there are over 27 million slaves in the world today? Did you know that this is more than at any other point in history?

Numbers like this can be overwhelming, but I would love to share some more positive numbers from an organization my wife and I proudly support, International Justice Mission.

• More than 1600 men, women, and children were rescued from violent oppression, like sex trafficking, forced labor slavery, and illegal detention.
• Nearly 1000 members of Thailand's hill tribes received citizenship documentation critical to protect them from trafficking and other violence.
• More than 100 traffickers, rapists, and other criminals were convicted as a result of IJM casework; hundreds more were charged or face trial.
• More than 4000 men, women and children were served by IJM aftercare.
• A dozen bars and brothels were ordered to shut down permanently for human trafficking crimes.

But there is more work to be done. Will you consider taking a step this year to help bring an end to human trafficking?

• Support an anti-slavery or anti-trafficking organization like IJM, Not For Sale, or Polaris Project.
• Write your congressional representatives and encourage them to support the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 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.

May we each take steps this year to help make this world a better place.

Help International Justice Mission and Write President Obama

Hey there!  As you probably know, I'm a big fan of International Justice Mission.  They are a great organization who are dedicated to fighting slavery, trafficking, and other forms of injustice.  Will you consider visiting this link and signing their online petition?  Or, taking the content of the letter below and drafting your own letter to the president or to your congressional representatives.  Thanks so much!  By the way, as a reminder, January is anti-trafficking month--this could be your one significant gesture to reduce human trafficking this month. :)

We Urge You To Help End Modern-Day Slavery

Dear President Obama:

We applaud the words of your proclamation of January 2011 as anti-trafficking month, when you stated: "From every corner of our nation to every part of the globe, we must stand firm in defense of freedom and bear witness for those exploited by modern slavery." As you know, millions of men, women and children remain in slavery around the world, and we appeal to you to make the eradication of modern-day slavery a priority of your Administration at home and abroad.

We urge you to strengthen our government's anti-slavery policies, institutions and diplomatic tools, including the following specific steps:

- Provide funding and full-time staff to the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) to allow it to scale up and replicate projects that have successfully reduced the prevalence of labor or sex trafficking abroad.

- Increase funding for victim relief and perpetrator accountability, and provide tangible support for police, prosecutors, and courts to deter this crime and secure relief for victims.

- Urge Congress to include additional resources for the TIP Office when the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act is considered in 2011.

- Insist that TIP Office diplomacy is amplified throughout the State Department and U.S. Embassies, and the concerns reflected in the annual TIP Report are raised at the highest levels.

- Provide adequate funding in your budget not only for fighting slavery abroad but also for confronting the crime at home. Increased resources to support survivors of labor or sex trafficking as well as for police, prosecutors and investigators, should be included in your forthcoming budget.

- Enforce current law that prohibits the importation of slave or child-made goods into the U.S.

- Strengthen the TIP Office by making its coordinator, Ambassador Lou CdeBaca, the equivalent of an Assistant Secretary of State.

We appreciate your stated commitment to protecting freedom and look to you for leadership in eradicating slavery at home and around the world.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]

Thanks again for visiting my blog, and for pursuing justice. May you see lasting change in the world as a result of your efforts to be the best version of yourself you can be today!

German Artists Fighting Injustice

One of my friends shared this video with me and I felt like it was only fitting that I pass it along to you.  The focus of the video is the issue of human trafficking and slavery, and since this month is national human trafficking and slavery awareness month, I pass this video along to you.  The video was created by a collaboration of artists in Germany who are dedicated poverty fighters and justice seekers.

About a year ago I found out about this collaboration of artists in Herrnhut, Germany through a woman named Rebecca Meinhard, who is a great supporter of Nuru International's work. Rebecca and her team use the arts to spread awareness about issues of injustice such as poverty, slavery, and human trafficking, and although we haven't formally met, I am personally just blown away by the passion and talent she and her friends possess. Just a little bit before last Christmas, she shared this video that members of her team created as they set-off to travel to Peru with the Not-For-Sale Campaign to care for rescued victims of human trafficking.

Will you consider ways you might work toward stopping human trafficking and slavery in your community, and in the world at large?  I know I shared this link to tips for ending slavery earlier this week, but I thought I'd make it accessible again.

Will you join me, Rebecca, and others in pursuit of justice, relief, and opportunity for the oppressed?

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Last year January 11^th was recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the month of January was recognized as National Human Trafficking and Slavery Prevention month.  Last year, I started off my blog with some great information about trafficking which you can read here.  Will you click over and read, and then come back to this post?  There are some great links with some practical steps you can take to help end human trafficking.

It’s 2011, and a new year, and still trafficking and slavery are huge concerns.  People are being bough and sold for less than $100 and there have been documented cases below $30—for a HUMAN BEING!!!  I get angry and sad when I think about it.  This isn’t the way this world was meant to be,  and there are an estimated 27 million people in our world today who are suffering in slavery.  Many of them are trafficked to another country where they don’t even speak the language.

The majority of the individuals who are trafficked are women and small children.  They are sold, enslaved, and forced to work for next to nothing. 

I’m writing this post for much the same reason as I did last year.  I believe that the first step to combating a problem like this is greater awareness that the problem exists.  I feel like most of us live life believing that slavery died with the American Civil War, but today the problem is worse than any point in history.

There may be people trafficked in your own town.  As I mentioned in a blog post last year, my friend Charles Lee gives 11 tips for ways you can take an active role in combating slavery and trafficking.

If you’ve got a few minutes, read up on the issue a little more, and then, start a conversation with someone about the issue.  Talk to a classmate, a coworker, a family member or a friend.  Resolve to do something beyond reading.  Invest some of your time and resources into supporting organizations that fight human trafficking.  Report suspicious activity to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. 

May we never tire of fighting injustice.  As Martin Luther King once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Just One

A couple years ago, while I was serving as the director of social justice at a local Morgantown, WV coffee shop, Sozo, we hosted a series of events called Another World Is Possible. The purpose of the events was to inform people of injustices in this world as well as tangible steps individuals could take to combat these injustices.

It was during this series of events that I met a man who has become a good friend. His name is Charles Lee, and he has a gift for making ideas become reality. In the image above, my brother captured Charles and I greeting each other at a Conference called Catalyst West this past April. One of the ideas he produced was developed with a friend named Greg Russinger. It's called Just One.

The concept of Just One is really simple. These guys have come up with creative initiatives that allow regular folks like us to make a tangible difference in their local community as well as globally with a handful of initiatives that involve simple things like trash cans and laundry. When Charles came to Morgantown, he shared information about the issue of human trafficking and slavery with a packed room of people who were eager to learn more about how they could begin to combat some of the injustice that they knew existed in the world.

Since that initial meeting, I've seen even more of Just One's projects, including one called Laundry Love. Below is a short video explaining how this particular project works and how you might implement it in your own community.



I'm writing about Just One because I really believe in the work they are doing. They are creating some very simple, tangible initiatives that people can do anywhere to help make their community a better place, and to care for friends and neighbors.

Take some time to visit their website, and get creative about how you can begin to impact your community and your world. And if you decide to try one of these projects, tell me about it, and DEFINITELY tell the folks at Just One about it.