I'm not gonna rant about how long it's been since I've last blogged... But I would like to share something that God has laid on my heart lately. This summer/Fall God has been teaching me about His love, and showing His love to others on a deeper level. I want to do what God wills for my life, and I'm trusting that He is good, and sovereign. This life is for Him!
This fall I took a class called Diversity in America. I barely tolerated the class for truth, and political reasons... But it taught me that it's a good thing to hear what others think, and search out matters on your own time too. The last project I had to write was an "Action Plan" paper. Now, my attitude was one of defeat, because the teacher's causes to support I didn't agree with, or I wasn't passionate about. God plopped the "minority group," slaves on my heart to write about. In researching, and learning more at the Rescue Run (http://www.therescuerun.blogspot.com) today, God has touched my heart. I want to show His love to people. Please pray for these trafficked girls and women.
This is what has been happening with me lately. I posted my "action plan" below if you're interested... It was for school, so it's not written geared for blog post writing. But I wanted to tell you about what's been on my heart!
~Cal
Anti-Slavery Movement
- Individual Change
My understanding and knowledge of the existence of, and ongoing exploitation of children and adults around the world and in the United States was nonexistent for all practical purposes. I didn’t have the understanding of the organizations that help girls and women get back on their feet. They actually help people that were hurt in REAL ways, in REAL place of the world, in MY lifetime. In other words, slavery, and the fight to help those who are in bondage to it, are not a made up story, or something out of the history books. But to my westernized mind, it didn’t seem possible, and in my day to day conversation, the subject was not brought up.
The beginning of my personal realization to this group of people probably had it’s very first spark of awareness when my mom bought a necklace, made magazines that were up-cycled into beads. That necklace wasn’t just a neat innovation (I appreciated the creativity of the design-making lasting use of magazines!), but it was also, and more importantly, made by a rescued woman in a different country. I didn’t think that much of it at that time, but I thought it was a cool concept. I later purchased a couple of small cloth makeup bags, through the same organization that my mom bought the first necklace from. The best way to describe my view of slavery was apathy, probably because I wasn’t educated in the situation.
Fast forward to last semester, I was at UNI for a Navs meeting, it was Justice week (pretty sure thats what it was called) on Campus. There was a walk through display showing facts, living conditions, and ways to make a difference. I walked though it with a few friends, shocked, and rather silenced by the depth of the situation at hand. It’s an awkward subject to talk about, even after seeing something like that display. I probably felt distant, the people that this effects are so far away, what could I do? I felt very helpless, I had been exposed, and I didn’t know what to do, or how to react in a good way, or care enough to do so... There were other things to occupy my time, I was concerned with my own problems.
How do I change my lack of passion to help these oppressed children, and adults? Already through just the hour or so I’ve researched the subject, learning about the injustice, and about how different organizations, journalists, and activists are standing up for human rights, inspires me to get involved in making this global social change.
So first, I will continue to learn about the victims of this terrible injustice, further fueling the fire of my passion for the cause. I have, like I said earlier, supported organizations that rescue women that have been trafficked, through buying some products they made. I could continue to show that I care about these people by putting my wallet where my mouth is. Thirdly I can get involved in fund-raising events. This Saturday I am registered to run a 5K to support Rapha house, the organization alluded to above. Getting to know people who are passionate about overcoming this social injustice could spur me on in my own journey of advocacy. And lastly, and probably the most radical agent of personal change about my view and role for this people group, would be to go travel to a safe house, a Rapha house, and serve and get to know these people of former captivity.
2. Institutional Change
The civil rights denied this group of people who are slaves... Can’t be more obvious or heart wrenching. Children that are enslaved are forced to do many activities with no pay. They are sometimes sold into slavery by their own families. They are in the cases of sex trafficking victims, they are repeatedly forced to have sex with men, against their will.
Even though people are being exploited around the world and even in our own country, people don’t know much about them I don’t think. I think telling people in developed countries about these victims would change the scene for these people. It is so unthinkable that children and adults even today are still subjected to physical and emotional exploitation.
One organization that fights for the political action for this group is International Justice Mission. http://www.ijm.org Where their vision is “To rescue thousands, protect millions and prove that justice for the poor is possible.” “IJM seeks to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law.”
3. Cultural Change
If these people are to be helped, people need to hear their voices, how will they be heard if they are still held in bondage? Who will be their voice? Probably the biggest way this group is mistreated in society today is that they are unseen. Maybe there are people like me, who just didn’t know about modern day slavery, and if they did know about it, they were too busy, or felt to distant and useless to try to help. I hope to take a stand for these abused people by raising awareness among the people I come in contact with. Facebook is one tool I will use to do so. The more people that can do some research on the topic for themselves, and become familiar with the injustice taking place, will in turn, challenge people to be involved in taking the action required to make positive change a reality.
After I get back from running the 5K for Rapha House, on Saturday I can tell people about the mission of the organization. Why Rapha House, and organizations similar to it, exist. And what simple ways they can take action against slavery.
I could make a presentation, and speak about how people can be an agent of positive change in the human trafficking arena today. I could do the presentation for my college group or for a future speech class. I could get involved in UNI’s Justice week, and volunteer my time to raise awareness and introduce small ways average people can help. There are many ways I could be involved in this important movement, but the statement that matters is the action that actually takes place in my life. With this research fresh in my mind, I hope to take action soon to support the fight against the invisibility of, and occurrence of human slavery today.
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