Sex Trafficking - Part 1

This afternoon three women from Grace Church, Chapel Hill www.gracelife.com left to travel to India to visit a ministry called Freedom Firm. Freedom Firm www.freedom.firm.in works with local police and governments to free underage girls from sex trafficking in India and also has a home for girls freed from trafficking. These young girls have had their childhood stolen and their innocence stripped away from them in the vilest manner. Some of them are so severely emotional damaged that they will never be able to function in normal society. In India, as well as many other countries, they can not go back to their families, sometimes because it was their families that sold them in the first place.  Their chances of being married and having a family are slim.

The stories the girls tell and the things that have been documented about their lives in trafficking are astounding. Many were 11 or 12 when they entered trafficking. In some cases they are forced to service multiple clients in a night's time. They are treated like property and if they become sick, pregnant or infected with STDs or AIDS they are kicked out and abandoned on the streets.

It is hard to hear about children in India being abused like this, but at least it is happening far away and is someone else's fault and another government's failure to protect the innocent, right?Well, in the US last year about 200,000 women and girls and boys were trafficked in the sex trade. Some statistics suggest that 80% of runaways are picked up by traffickers in bus stations or along the streets within 48 hours of running away. Women from other countries may be trafficked here because they are desperate to find work or sometimes to fill an appetite for a certain race or type of woman, others trafficked are the daughters of average American families who were enticed through the Internet or relationships at school or local hangouts. Many are minors. Like the girls in India some become so emotionally damaged that they can not function in society when they are discarded by their traffickers. Drug and alcohol abuse are almost a given as they seek to self medicate the pain they feel. 

Of course there would be no trafficking if there was no demand for the product. In sex trafficking the girls, women and sometimes boys are abused by both the trafficker who controls them and the man who buys them and demands their "services". 

Shared Hope International www.sharedhope.org works with victims of sex trafficking internationally and here in the states. They have started a campaign to educate the demand side of sex trafficking by creating a educational campaign and having men sign a defenders pledge http://thedefendersusa.org/.

A plug for The Stand a UK concert

This weekend The Stand a UK concert to raise awareness of human trafficking will be broadcast. Here's the report from Christian News Wire:

MEDIA ADVISORY, Jan. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- Centuries after the abolition of slavery, there are now more slaves in the world through human trafficking than ever before - a modern day catastrophe, which many people and organizations are trying to stop. Now GOD TV is joining in the fight as it partners with Hope for Justice to air 'The Stand', a major event aimed at inspiring viewers to take action and see God restore broken lives.

 

Recorded in Birmingham, UK, in November last year, 'The Stand - Freedom to Reign' comprises three programs with performances from leading musicians as well as an address by UN.GIFT Special Advisor on Community Action against Human Trafficking, Steve Chalke.  Top-ranking British bands, Delirious?, YFriday and bandwithnoname are featured, as well as Jon Foreman from the US band, Switchfoot and many other prominent musicians.

 

The three programs will air on GOD TV on Friday January 30th at 10pm; Saturday January 31st at 9:30pm and on Sunday February 1st at 5pm (EST) and can be watched via satellite on channel 365 of DIRECTV or via webstreaming at www.god.tv/stream. The broadcasts will also be made available for video on demand viewing at www.god.tv/god.

 

In addition to being a music concert, The Stand also includes hard-hitting video footage, taking viewers on a journey into the world of human trafficking and showing how it impacts innocent lives. This includes the heart-breaking story of Geeta, a young girl from Nepal who was sold into prostitution in India and a British mother shares her tearful account of how her teenage daughter was trafficked.
 

Founded by Ben and Debbie Cooley, Hope for Justice exists to inspire people to rise up against the injustice of human trafficking and see God restore broken lives -  with the motto 'No one is free until we are all free'. "Trafficking is a global issue and it is our prayer that the Church would continue to unite, and stand for freedom and justice," said Ben Cooley. "It was incredible to have so many top Christian artists and speakers at The Stand supporting the cause and an awesome sight to see the crowd with their arms raised in worship, praying for change and being inspired to make a difference."

 

Founded by Rory & Wendy Alec, GOD TV reaches almost half a billion people worldwide with several different regional GOD TV feeds, each of which will be screening The Stand this weekend.
 

"Human trafficking is a horrific reality so many people are unaware of, yet statistics show that some 27 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery across the world," said Wendy Alec who is Director of Television at GOD TV. "It is time for God's people to join the fight against this. We all have to play our part and I encourage the GOD TV family around the world to tune into these important broadcasts this weekend and find out how they can make a difference."
 

For more information about GOD TV visit www.god.tv 
For more about Hope For Justice visit www.hopeforjustice.org.uk

Ten things to do if you Want to Help Stop Trafficking

Here's my top ten list for things to do if you are serious about being a part of the solution to trafficking. This is a list I'm working through myself.

1. Check out web sites and blogs on Slavery and Trafficking.

2. Watch the videos and slide shows on the sites or on U-tube. A picture is really worth a thousand words.

3. Read a good book or two on trafficking - check out the reading list in the side bar.

4. If you live near a major university see if they are going to sponsor any conferences on trafficking.  Conferences are wonderful ways to get a lot of information in a short time.

5. Connect with others in your area who are interested in trafficking by typing trafficking and your city into a google search. You are likely to find groups and churches that will have already created their own lists of resources.

6. Meet with those of like interest in your church to share information and resources.

7. Present your collected information to the leadership of your church - they might be interested in becoming actively involved as a church.

8. Pick a few ministries that are working in trafficking to support with your dollars. 

9. Come up with some creative ways to raise funds. Our church is doing an improv night this week to raise money for a group in India we have partnered with.  

10. Connect with a ministry that works in an aspect of trafficking that especially tugs on your heart and pray specifically for their needs and the needs of the people they rescue. 

Thoughts on the Relationship of Abortion to Slavery

Tomorrow is the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade the Supreme Court case decision that in 1973 made abortion legal. As I contemplated what to write about slavery or trafficking today I kept coming back to the thought that an unborn baby whose mother is choosing abortion is a lot like a slave. The child is innocent and helpless, caught in a situation not of it's own making, it's life in someone elses hands and considered disposable. The largest difference being of course that at least at this point in America the child does not bring financial gain to it's mother or those who may be trying to influence or control her decision. That's not to say that in a future America a child might be conceived purely for financial gain through the sale of tissue or organs.

As a Christian who believes that human life is made in the image of God I feel challenged to be deeply saddened any time someone tries to cheapen or redefine the worth and equality of another human's life whether they be a baby at 15 weeks gestation, a 12 year old caught in sex trafficking or a 40 year old man caught in slavery in the rainforest. 

Below are links to several groups that work with women in difficult situations.

http://www.optionline.org/ 

http://www.pregnancysupport.org/

http://www.safehavenministries.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Slavery in the United States - Good News

Along with all the hard to take, gut retching information on trafficking and slavery in the US is the seed of hope that someday we as citizens of the United States can say that we know that our government is truly doing all that it can to protect it's most vulnerable and weak citizens from harm in the area of trafficking and slavery. This decade has seen significant laws passed, intensification of efforts by the Justice Department along with state governments that have become actively involved in passing laws and educating law enforcement. There is still much to be done, but an effort is being made.

Below is some information from the Department of Health and Human Services report on the Campaign to Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) called for the creation of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to coordinate anti-trafficking efforts among various U.S. Federal government agencies. The following Federal government agencies are implementing programs to protect and assist victims of human trafficking and to capture and prosecute their traffickers.

U.S. Department Health and Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for certifying victims of human trafficking once they are identified. This certification allows victims to receive Federally funded benefits and services to the same extent as refugees. To read more about what HHS is doing, click here.

U.S. Department of Justice
DOJ investigates cases of trafficking and prosecutes the traffickers. DOJ has also contributed to the construction of a network of trafficking victims service providers via their grant programs, and facilitates the complaint process for persons wanting to report a case of trafficking.

U.S. Department of Labor 
DOL offers programs such as job-search, job-placement assistance and job-counseling services as well as educational and training services and referrals to supportive services such as transportation, childcare and housing, through its One-Stop Career Center System - which victims can access after HHS certification. The Wage and Hour Division also investigates complaints of labor law violation, and is an important partner in the detection of trafficking victims. To report a possible violation, please call 1-866-487-9243.

U.S. Department of State
State is responsible for coordinating international anti-trafficking programs and efforts.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, investigates cases of trafficking, and is an important partner in victim identification. ICE also adjudicates continued presence status, which makes a victim eligible for HHS certification. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, another division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, awards the T visa, which also makes a victim eligible for HHS certification.

Slavery in the United States - Domestic Slavery

When I first got interested in researching slavery and trafficking I had no idea that slavery (apart from sex trafficking) is still an ongoing issue in the US. I had read a few newspaper reports of young women who had been trafficked into the US by relatives or others as domestic slaves, but did not realize the scope of the problem and that it is believed to be even more wide spread than the data suggests. 

In the US domestic slavery is usually found in impoverished immigrant populations. The Justice Department estimates that over 4700 people  (usually young women and girls) a year are trafficked into the US to serve as domestic slaves. Remember these are per year numbers not the total found in the US. We don't really know how many are perpetually trapped here in domestic servitude. Many of these girls and young women have been lured here with the promise of good jobs, education and money to send home. A high percentage of those trafficked for domestic slavery also end up being sexually abused. The stories that girls and women who have fled their captors have told are harrowing. Below are several stories of domestic slavery.

http://www.workingimmigrants.com/2007/12/domestic_slavery_in_america_am.html

http://captivedaughters.org/2008/12/ca-child-domestic-slavery-spreads-to-us.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/18/AR2006041801520.html

What can we do?

1. Keep your eyes opened. Many times in domestic slavery trials there are witnesses that saw something strange going on but didn't report it.

2. Support awareness education for school, medical and law enforsement personnel that may come in contact with victims.

3. Be dangerous with your prayers. Pray that evil things done in secret in your community would be revealed in public.

 

Slavery in the United States?

Are you aware that the Justice Department estimates that about 18,000 people are trafficked per year into the US and that over 200,000 people are trafficked within the boundaries of  the United States in that same year?

The slave population here originates in 35 different countries with most being trafficked from China, Mexico or Vietnam.   46% of those trafficked will be found in prostitution and sex trade, 27% in domestic servitude, 10% in agriculture, 5% will be in sweatshop labor (especially in the garment industry) and factory work and 4% in restaurant/hotel/motel work.

 Sex trafficking in the US is a growing problem that has just recently started to be assessed by groups like Shared Hope International (www.sharedhope.com) at the behest of the Justice Department. Increasingly, underage girls are being trapped in some kind of sex trafficking which may include prostitution, pornography, Internet pornography, massage parlors and strip clubs.  Many of these girls are minors (the average age is 12-14 according to the Justice Department) when they are initially entrapped and although some are trafficked from Mexico, China or other countries a growing number are American teen runaways and foster children that slip through the cracks or minors that are enticed through the Internet. Shared Hope Internationale's assessment of Las Vegas reported that 1,496 children from 40 states were trafficked into and arrested for prostitution in Clark County, Nevada between January 1994 and July 2007 showing that sex trafficking of under aged minors is truly an American Problem. 

Our children and teens need to be educated at home and at school about trafficking and how to asess whether they are being approached by a trafficker either online or in person. One study estimates that 80% of all runaways are trapped in trafficking within 48 hours of leaving home.