Tuesday, January 11, 2011

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

27 million. That’s how many slaves exist in the world today. Not the usual kind you think of from 150 years ago, but a different kind: mothers, children, girls, & boys from every nation, ethnicity, & walk of life, held captive by sex, labor camps, drugs, & emotional bonds. This global issue of human trafficking is a hidden one, and being underground makes it difficult to track. Thankfully, in the past few years, this issue has become more prominent in the media, with movies such as Taken & documentaries such as Call & Response.

Today is about spreading awareness of this issue. As large as the problem is, some people do not even realize that it exists. I did not even know that it existed until a year and a half ago-I heard about it from a band dedicated to raising awareness for this problem by writing songs that exposed the problems & aftermath of human trafficking. So, what can be done?

  • EDUCATE yourself
  • PRAY
    • For the victims
    • For the ministries, non-profits, & NGO’s that are rescuing and providing aftercare for them
    • For the governments in these countries, that their eyes would be opened and cooperation would take place to continue to stop and deter these evils.
  • GET INVOLVED in your area
    • The I-Heart Project- www.i-heart.org provides local opportunities to get involved with issues that interest you.
    • IJM- The International Justice Mission has internships, fellowships, & job openings for those looking into a career in bringing justice to human trafficking victims. They also have chapters on many college campuses across the country.

27 million. That doesn’t have to be such a big number after all.

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