27 Million Slaves Today

Dear friends,

There are ‎27 million slaves in the world today.  That number is completely mind boggling to me.  Try to imagine that many people in one place.  Try to wrap your mind around the unbelievable suffering they experience, so many of them with no hope in sight.  Try to imagine you are one of them. Just try.  It breaks your heart, doesn't it?  It should.  Mine isn't broken nearly enough.

Yes, there are slaves even here in the USA.  Right here in my hometown Orlando, due to the tourist industry, human trafficking (especially for the sex trade) is a serious problem.  

Human trafficking it also quite a hot button social justice issue among young evangelicals, and even middle aged ones like me.

January 13 was International Human Trafficking Awareness Day, as proclaimed by President Obama.  In honor of that, I posted links on Facebook all evening,  I thought I'd collect all of my links and combine them into one blog post. If you know of more links, please send them along!

College kids vow to end slavery CNN reports on the Passion student conference that raised over $3 million to fight human trafficking.  (They reported $2.6 million, but more has come in!)

International Justice Mission International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to secure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to ensure that public justice systems - police, courts and laws - effectively protect the poor.  I have read the book Just Courage (subtitled God's Great Expedition for the Restless Christian) by IJM's founder Gary Haugen and highly recommend it.

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls is the first of three hard-hitting, feature-length documentaries that expose the disturbing trends of modern sex slavery and offer hope for its abolition.

Rahab's Rope exists to give hope and opportunity to women and girls that have been forced into the commercial sex trade of India. By creating a safe and loving environment, they are enabled to grow and develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. Our work provides basic education and vocational training for each girl and woman who come through our centers; ultimately, allowing them to integrate into their communities in a positive and constructive manner.

Florida Abolitionist (FA) is a non governmental organization established to campaign against modern day slavery. FA is a sister organization of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking (FCAHT). This organization was created as a result of encouragement by Anna Rodriguez, the founder and president of FCAHT. FA’s approach is a focused strategy to educate, equip, and empower the faith community. Tomas J. Lares, the founder and president of FA is passionate about ending modern day slavery. As a child he was captivated by the life of Harriet Tubman. Lares believes that a 21st century abolitionist revival movement has begun. 

And, one that my cousin Elizabeth sent to me today after I posted on the blog...

Stop Traffick Fashion  provides opportunities and hope for survivors of human trafficking while offering unique clothing and accessories. Survivors who have been rescued from their captors make almost all of our accessories and receive income from STF sales. In addition, a portion of all sales revenue is donated back to our partner organizations that rescue victims and provide rehabilitation and training. 

Please note that I am providing these links for your information.  I am not endorsing everything about these organizations.