The truth is starting to peak out from under the covers. As patrons flocked to theatres last fall, rock stars used their celebrity status for good, and the truth is spilling into the streets. The recent documentary, Call + Response, exposes the dirty laundry of the world: Slavery still exists, and it’s ugly.

In an article by Kathryn Hawkins it was reported that, “In India, children as young as five are forced to spend their days from 5 AM until midnight weaving carpets by hand, with no access to the outside world. In Sudan, more than 11,000 people have been abducted since 1983; most of them are now enslaved by Northern Arabic militia groups. More than 35,000 young girls—and sometimes boys—are forced into prostitution in Thailand, where they often become infected with the HIV virus, and die within just a few years. And even the United States isn’t innocent: a recent report estimates that around 10,000 people have been illegally smuggled into the U.S. to work as slaves.”

What some undercover agents, social workers, International Justice Mission staff, and missionaries have known for ages, has now reached the tipping point and brought awareness to the common citizen. Something like 27 million slaves exist in the world today. Some of it’s forced labor, some of its forced prostitution, and much of it falls under the umbrella of  human trafficking- taking one against their will and trafficking them like common goods, all for a little something we call a quick buck.

Little girls in hidden brothels become nothing more than a number as local men and foreigners take their pick. Love146.org reports that, “Often, captors will threaten, beat and starve new recruits to condition them for the fate that awaits: sex with multiple customers every day. Eventually this abuse ‘breaks’ the children. They learn to force a smile for the pedophiles, sex tourists and others that frequent their establishments.” Who could possibly be responsible for putting innocent kids in this situation? It’s a tricky issue. Poverty and a need to survive place families in a tempting situation: Shelter and food in return for selling themselves and their children in work. And the cycle continues as little girls grow up without knowing any differently, and poverty hasn’t left them. The unfathomable becomes acceptable. There is also the kidnapping avenue, where children or adults are promised jobs in neighboring countries, only to discover their papers are taken and they find themselves trapped in a commonly inescapable position.

I can remember walking through Thailand with my family after a meal out in town. We were vacationing, and I was 12. A man lingering on the side of a building called out to my dad as we walked by, “I like your daughter.” I didn’t really understand what that meant. I thought maybe he a brazen local who was just complimenting me. Dad kept us walking on by. I didn’t know then the suggestive darkness that lay behind that comment.

Then there is forced labor. Meet Iqbal Masih, a boy who, at the age of four, was sold into bonded labor at a carpet factory in Pakistan. Kathryn Hawkins writes, “For six years, he was forced to work 12-hour days in a dark room, tied in place to the carpet loom he worked on. He was never permitted to go outside, and was fed so little that he looked like a boy half his age.” At some point, he ran away to hear a speech by the Bonded Labor Liberation Front, when he decided to take a risk. He did not return to his job and became an activist instead. But his story didn’t have a happy ending. He was tragically killed at the age of 12. Why? It is believed the “Carpet Mafia” was behind the murder plot in order to keep knowledge of the whole industry to a mum. Read more here. http://www.razoo.com/articles/Five_Former_Slaves

Become a modern-day abolitionist

I recently attended a Human Trafficking Awareness Conference in Denver. The message: You can get involved and be a part of the solution. So the typical question is raised, “This is a huge problem! What can I possibly do to help?” The first simple answer is awareness. Spread the word. Movements start when the voice of the people is raised. Research and share what you find out with your community, your church, your workplace. So then what?

A few weeks ago my house church gathered to discuss this issue. Someone asked the question, “What can we do?” Our guest speaker, Greg Althoff, who went to Cambodia to work on a documentary, answered it best, “I know it seems overwhelming, but hey, we can each use what we are good at to be a small part of the large, complex solution. I am good at art and web design, so something I want to do is make a networking site for people working on this issue,” (my paraphrase). A light bulb went on. We each can contribute something. It is easy to get overwhelmed at enormous problems, especially when they feel far from home, but in reality, each small effort we make combines to make a huge global impact.

Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski did their part, winning an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Born into Brothels. This eye-opening film follows Briski around the red light district of Calcutta, as she teaches a group of brothel-born children the art of photography. The film allows us to see the dark corners of their dank and volatile life, while showing us the glimmering spirit of childhood that peeks through.

Two friends of mine are currently doing their small part for change-participating in an intensive bike ride through Cambodia to raise funds for the Futures ’09 Project for the Somaly Mam Foundation. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting the sex-trafficking industry- all started by Somaly, a formerly trafficked woman herself who now helps rescue, house and educate former sex-workers. Somaly published a book and has recently gained world-wide recognition for her efforts.

Can’t travel that far? A friend of mine, Jesse Marble, along with friends began BuyWell Fair Trade Coffee. Some local women here threw together a Human Trafficking Awareness Conference. My friends Matt and Molly stopped shopping at stores that support sweat-shop labor. Some of my house church family posted a helpline phone number around downtown for trafficked prostitutes to call.

There are millions of stories, millions of tears, millions of people awaiting rescue. With our help happy endings are beginning to pop up all over the place. Be a part of the rescue and recovery plan. Pay attention to the clothes, sugar and coffee you buy. Know where your shoes are made. Buy fair-trade goods. Be aware of the people around you. Blog about the issue. Raise funds. Host movie nights for documentary viewings. Volunteer. Pray. Go give your life away to save the lives of others. As Shane Claiborne says, be a part of the solution you are crying out for. There is no time like now.

More Resources:

Polaris Project- http://www.polarisproject.org/

International Justice Mission- http://ijm.org

Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking- http://www.castla.org

Shared Hope International- http://www.sharehope.org

Somaly Mam Foundation- http://www.somaly.org

US Association of International Migration- http://www.usaformigrants.org

Buying Guide

http://store.madebysurvivors.com/ Goods Made by Survivors of Human Trafficking

http://www.globalexchange.org/index.html Global Exchange Fair Trade

http://www.fairtradefederation.org  Fair Trade Federation