Tag: survivors

Love and Justice

With all the focus on love and romance at this time, I thought it would be a good time to address some concerns in this arena.

First, and I can’t stress this enough, you don’t need a romantic partner to be a whole and healthy person. Our societal stress on relationships and sex builds up false expectations, anxiety about missing out, and can create dangerous situations. According to Polaris, the organization which runs the National Human Trafficking Hotline, “many survivors have been trafficked by romantic partners, including spouses, and by family members, including parents.” This is the overwhelming majority of cases in the U.S. So, it’s important to watch for red flags, guard your heart, and listen to concerns of people you trust.

Second, if you’re into giving Valentine’s Day gifts, or really any gifts for loved ones, you can use your buying power for GOOD! Purchase Fair Trade or Direct Trade chocolates, consider handmade cards by moms in Haiti who are supporting their families, gift flowers from fair trade farms, and look for jewelry from companies who are part of the Fair Trade Federation. Our gestures of love and affection shouldn’t come at the expense of another’s life. When you make these conscious choices, you make a real difference in the fight against human trafficking.

And, finally, let me leave you with this thought. (And, please forgive me for wearing my heart on my sleeve for a moment.) No matter what you’re going through, or how you’re feeling about your love life, “No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

Wrapping up National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Since 2010, January has been set aside as a month of recognition of the dangers and realities of human trafficking in the United States of America. We raise awareness, we share stories, we celebrate victories in the continued fight for justice. It’s a moment for us to collectively look at ourselves as Americans in the mirror and come to terms with how far we have to go toward ending slavery in this day and age. Bring Freedom has a goal of ending human trafficking within our lifetimes. That will take teamwork, connections, education, and above all — PREVENTION. Just a couple days ago, I was smacked in the face with a statistic shared on the Operation Underground Railroad Instagram feed, “Last year, over 50% of trafficking survivors in the U.S. were minors.” (From the Human Trafficking Institute)

I was overwhelmed, once again, by the magnitude of the task before us. Let’s take a closer look at that statistic. They are mentioning trafficking SURVIVORS, which mean that they are including all of the individuals who have been rescued last year. We already know that less than 10% of trafficking victims are rescued. The necessity of preventing this injustice is of utmost importance. We need to protect our children. We need to keep our neighborhoods, schools, and churches safe. It’s going to take each one of us to make the commitment to join hands and be present in our own towns to end human trafficking. Prevention is the quickest and most effective way to do this. As we wrap up National Human Trafficking Prevention Month this week, let’s make that commitment once again. We can do this, we will do this.