Ending Human Trafficking and Slavery
Six ways your church can make a difference now
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Every church can do something in the battle against these evils.
Start by learning more about the problem. Learn the signs and how to report, and then find the frontline in your community. You may be surprised to discover it in the most mundane places, such as the produce section at your local grocery store.
1. Educate Yourself
Learn to recognize the indicators of human trafficking. The presence of unreasonable security measures or an individual who seems to repeat coached phrases are two examples.
Be sure you’re using correct terminology when you talk about these issues. For instance, there is a difference between human trafficking and smuggling. Smuggling ends at the border when a person pays to enter the country illegally. Human trafficking involves force, fraud or coercion. (When someone is offered a job and told they can pay off the smuggling fee, it is fraud because the trafficker continues to control and use the victim through debt bondage.)
Speak up about ending the demand for human trafficking and slavery.
2. Make Community Connections
Invite someone from your police department or district attorney’s office to come and speak to a group at your church. Start a relationship that shows you want to work with your community.
3. Use Free Resources
The U.S. Office on Trafficking in Persons website offers an informational video, Look Beneath the Surface, as well as posters and other resources. The video is just under three minutes long, short enough to show in a church or community gathering.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign is another place to find resources. Post the hotline numbers for reporting suspected human trafficking and receiving help.
If you’re planning a Super Bowl party, also plan to join the National Center on Sexual Exploitation for the #TackleDemand campaign.
A variety of resources, including a podcast, are also available at Vanguard University’s Ending Human Trafficking website.
4. Raise Awareness
Speak up about ending the demand for human trafficking and slavery.
According to the principle of supply and demand, if there is no demand, these businesses end. Greed drives demand. When teaching on greed in church settings, talk about human trafficking and slavery.
We are often blind to our own part in driving demand for slavery because we want cheap products and services. The How Many Slaves Work for You online game is an eye-opening resource.
The Sweat & Toil app from the U.S. Department of Labor can be a starting point to empower yourself with knowledge about child labor or forced labor around the world.
5. Pray
Prayer is a must! Plan a Pray for Freedom community gathering, or join Vanguard University’s prayer event on January 26 from 12 to 1 p.m. PST, broadcast on Facebook Live.
6. Take Strategic Action
Put together a study group to plan a sustainable anti-human trafficking strategy in your church.
Get involved in prevention in your community. Volunteer in an afterschool program. Launch a Live2free club. Offer a series of free Cyber Safety classes for children, youth or parents using resources from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Netsmartz website.
See also:
Trending Articles
Influence Magazine & The Healthy Church Network
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