Something that is very much on my heart is the the sad reality of Human Trafficking. (sad really doesn’t do it justice) Human Trafficking is the modern day slavery of our time. Over 27 million people are enslaved today. What a shocking number. It is hard to even imagine or comprehend. Many people ask “why” there is a market for such a thing. The trafficking of persons has an annual global market of $42.5 billion, with the majority of victims being women and children forced into sexual exploitation. The second most common form of slavery is forced labor. Slavery exists because someone is making a LOT of money off it.
We are constantly faced with the burning question “What can I do?” Can one person really make a difference? My belief is yes!! My husband and I recently attended the Collective Shout in New Haven, CT. Along with a plethora of information, we were so inspired and encouraged by the many people who are standing up for the rights of so many who have lost their freedoms. While it is so staggering, especially as a mother, to think of a child being raped 20, 30 or more times a day, I also find hope in the stories of survivors. That a little girl who simply wanted to bury herself into the ground, can one day laugh, dance and dream again. What an amazing transformation! God truly is the healer.
So much of the time, North Americans believe that this is simply a “foreign” issue. I think many would be surprised to hear of the huge market within the US and Canada. Don’t be fooled into believing Domestic Trafficking is non existent. It is sadly alive, and growing.
A team of individuals set out to expose the untold story of Human Trafficking in the U.S. Their documentary entitled “Sex+Money” is set to be released in the U.S. in the Spring of 2011. I wanted to share this trailer with you.
It is so hard for me to hold it together when I am surrounded by these stories- faced with the reality of a “statistic” These are people, just like you or me… They deserve a chance at life. They deserve to be protected and empowered.