My Introductory Thoughts:
There is a documentary on the subject put out by Exodus Cry, a movement to end trafficking. I am especially grateful to this document and organization because it's what got my home church to wake up to the issue I've been praying over for a few years now. A member of my church who knows I'm interested in the issue heard from a friend that a local church was screening the documentary and offered to go with me to see it because I was interested. After seeing the documentary, her own heart broke on the issue and she walked away changed and unable to ignore the problem any longer. She shared it around to a few other people in our neighborhood and church, which got more people aware and involved. She shared the documentary with our Missions Chair, and I shared it with my father, our Senior Pastor, and the film did what our words alone could not do. Our church offered a screening of this documentary not long after, and the congregation as a whole decided to partner with Out of Darkness to raise awareness and help stop slavery from happening.
The documentary, Nefarious: Merchant of Souls, is a hard hitting, eye opening look at the issue of human trafficking globally, begining in Moldova ("Breaking Grounds"), moving to the states, and ending in Sweden, a country they have lauded as taking extremely effective measures at preventing the issue and reducing the statistics based on aggressive legislation. I will break it down by section and include both my notes on the film itself and statistics and quotes from the official materials printed to accompany the screening.
The Trailer:
Warning, trailer is not ideal for work and parental discretion is strongly advised.
A quote from the trailer that breaks me is this, "The CIA would say that the sale of women, not pornography or prostitution, just the sale of women, is the 3rd largest industry in the world."
Impact on Legislators:
The documentary is making a huge impact on everyone who sees it. It has even made its way into a meeting of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs. During a meeting regarding human trafficking, Representative Kinzinger is quoted as saying, I always knew this [human trafficking] was an issue, but I really had my eyes opened by a documentary... called Nefarious... I would recommend that to anybody who is watching this today or is in the audience." (I will attempt to get a transcript or recording of the meeting and post notes for it online if possible.)
Words from the Director:
The film's director/producer/writer, Benjamin Nolot, founded Exodus Cry as a response to what he saw while documenting the issue. He writes an open letter to viewers of his film. In it, he expresses that he, "quickly discovered that the issue was broader in scope and complexity than [he] had thought." He says that, "There is not a day that goes by that [he] is not mindful of the horrific tragedies [they] uncovered. However, [he] has also become anchored in a profound sense of hope by seeing the authentic transformation of some of the most broken people on earth. Amidst the dark abyss of abuse and exploitation, [he] encountered a God of emancipation and salvation." This quote, to me, defines what many of the faith-based nonprofits exist to do. We are working to end the issue, yes, but we are also working to restore the broken and offer salvation to the desperate, as our God restores us.
When asked what his most shocking discovery was during filming, Nolot replied, "As we began to travel, I was faced with the reality of entire cultures - religious, social and governmental - feeding the sex slavery industry. Seeing the trafficking problem from this vantage point was extremely difficult."
Synopsis:
Reading through the synopsis, a few more quotes jump out at me. "Regardless of nationality, victims are systematically stripped of their identity, battered into gruesome submission and made to perform humiliating sexual acts with up to 40 strangers every night. Held against their will, most are forced to take illegal drugs and are kept under constant surveillance. On average, victims are thrown into such ghastly oppression at age 13. Some are abducted outright, while others are lured out of poverty, romantically seduced, or sold by their families."
"You'll see where slaves are sold (often in developed, affluent countries), where they work and are confined. You'll hear first-hand interviews with real victims and traffickers, along with expert analysis from international humanitarian leaders. From initial recruitment to victim liberation - and everything between - the previously veiled underworld of sex slavery is uncovered in the groundbreaking, tell-all Nefarious: Merchant of Souls."
Facts on Slavery:
Human trafficking (sexual, domestic, industrial, and agricultural) is a 32 billion dollar per year industry, bringing in more revenue than the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB combined. -United Nations
161 countries of 192 are involved in human trafficking. - United Nations
There are nearly 2 million children involved in the international commercial sex trade. -UNICEF
Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. -United States Department of Health and Human Services
98% of all victims of sex trafficking worldwide are females. - International Labor Organization, 2012
Most sex trafficking is regional or national and perpetrated by traffickers who are the same nationality as their victims. -United Nations, Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 2009
There are fewer than 30 safe homes nationwide for trafficking victims. -Streetlight Tucson, 2012
Showing posts with label nefarious. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nefarious. Show all posts
Monday, May 20, 2013
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
My Calling
I will very rarely tell my story on this blog, except as it pertains to training and ministries I have been a part of and women and children I have met who have permitted me to share, but as this is the beginning, I thought that I could make the statistics more personal by letting you all know how I became aware of this issue.
I went to a Christian leadership conference called Catalyst in the year 2010. The conference brings many diverse speakers to one location to preach and teach. One of the speakers there changed my life completely, although it would take a while for everything to fall into place. Although she was not the main speaker, and they brought her in to highlight a ministry, Christine Caine was the main event of the conference for me. She introduced me to the topic of human trafficking and opened my eyes to an entire world of hurting people.
I still remember vividly one of the stories she told about the conditions. Women are packed into crates with air holes, like livestock. They are placed on cargo ships and must use the restroom in that small, dark cage. Most of them don't survive the trip, but there is such a huge supply that it doesn't concern the ones who are trading them. In fact, if the ship ends up being subject to a surprise inspection, the crew will simply throw the crates of women overboard, without unlocking or releasing the captives. The story was so horrifying that I didn't want to believe it happened anywhere. She is one of my heroes, because she, through her A21 Campaign, has contributed a great deal to fighting the demand, changing legislation, healing women, and raising awareness.
Incidentally, a movie was released locally around the same time. This movie is called Stop the Candy Shop, and it's an allegory about the trafficking industry. I'll write up a separate review of this film, along with Street Grace, and post the PBA Documentary on the issue that accompanied the local release, but seeing that film made me realize that the issue was taking place in my own backyard. This broke my heart even further, however I was still unsure about how to really get involved and find my space.
The next year, when I returned to Catalyst, I learned about the International Justice Mission and their abolitionist movement to free slaves in all industries, from sex trade to waitressing, and I also met a volunteer from Wellspring Living. The people at Wellspring were asking conference attendees to tweet. For every tweet that went out with their hashtag, someone was donating $1 to their organization. Being a broke student who was overcommitted, there was little I felt like I could do... but I could certainly tweet. I sent out hundreds of tweets that weekend and encouraged others to do likewise. Finally, I had found something I could do and I was so very fired up and ready to make a difference.
As the next year went by, I kept hearing signs and words from God. I'd get an idea about a way to raise money here, or a full fledged 501c3 idea that I am still praying about beginning. I would hear a word from a wise friend about the possibility that God seemed to be calling me to make a difference, because out conversations went from social chatter and talk about my career in music to social justice issues. All I would talk about was these women and children, and how they needed help, and what could we all do, and that something had to be fixed.
The final straw was Catalyst this year. The woman I'd met the prior year actually remembered me a full year later, despite the thousands of people she must have met that weekend alone, much less at the other conferences she'd worked. It amazed me that she remembered me, and I couldn't believe I'd made enough of a mark. It couldn't have been simply anything I'd said or done, but rather God positioning me to take a more active role in this fight.
Wellspring has recently published a fantastic book called The White Umbrella. (http://www.thewhiteumbrellacampaign.com/) I'll write another entry about this book as well. I received a copy of this book at Catalyst. The copy is currently underlined, highlighted, and scrawled through the margins with words like "FIX THIS" and "SICK AND WRONG" throughout. It rocked my world. I have been unable to stop and return to the inactive apathy any longer.
I saw a showing of a DVD called Nefarious: Merchant of Souls recently, too. (Yes, another entry.) There were a couple other organizations there. I began talking to a representative from one of them, and realized that their twice-annually training was happening the next weekend. That's all I needed to know to realize that God was pushing me into this issue and saying NOW! No more waiting!
So, here I am. Beginning a blog about the things I have learned and trying to make more people aware of the huge issue and how to become involved in fighting.
Thanks for reading!
I went to a Christian leadership conference called Catalyst in the year 2010. The conference brings many diverse speakers to one location to preach and teach. One of the speakers there changed my life completely, although it would take a while for everything to fall into place. Although she was not the main speaker, and they brought her in to highlight a ministry, Christine Caine was the main event of the conference for me. She introduced me to the topic of human trafficking and opened my eyes to an entire world of hurting people.
I still remember vividly one of the stories she told about the conditions. Women are packed into crates with air holes, like livestock. They are placed on cargo ships and must use the restroom in that small, dark cage. Most of them don't survive the trip, but there is such a huge supply that it doesn't concern the ones who are trading them. In fact, if the ship ends up being subject to a surprise inspection, the crew will simply throw the crates of women overboard, without unlocking or releasing the captives. The story was so horrifying that I didn't want to believe it happened anywhere. She is one of my heroes, because she, through her A21 Campaign, has contributed a great deal to fighting the demand, changing legislation, healing women, and raising awareness.
Incidentally, a movie was released locally around the same time. This movie is called Stop the Candy Shop, and it's an allegory about the trafficking industry. I'll write up a separate review of this film, along with Street Grace, and post the PBA Documentary on the issue that accompanied the local release, but seeing that film made me realize that the issue was taking place in my own backyard. This broke my heart even further, however I was still unsure about how to really get involved and find my space.
The next year, when I returned to Catalyst, I learned about the International Justice Mission and their abolitionist movement to free slaves in all industries, from sex trade to waitressing, and I also met a volunteer from Wellspring Living. The people at Wellspring were asking conference attendees to tweet. For every tweet that went out with their hashtag, someone was donating $1 to their organization. Being a broke student who was overcommitted, there was little I felt like I could do... but I could certainly tweet. I sent out hundreds of tweets that weekend and encouraged others to do likewise. Finally, I had found something I could do and I was so very fired up and ready to make a difference.
As the next year went by, I kept hearing signs and words from God. I'd get an idea about a way to raise money here, or a full fledged 501c3 idea that I am still praying about beginning. I would hear a word from a wise friend about the possibility that God seemed to be calling me to make a difference, because out conversations went from social chatter and talk about my career in music to social justice issues. All I would talk about was these women and children, and how they needed help, and what could we all do, and that something had to be fixed.
The final straw was Catalyst this year. The woman I'd met the prior year actually remembered me a full year later, despite the thousands of people she must have met that weekend alone, much less at the other conferences she'd worked. It amazed me that she remembered me, and I couldn't believe I'd made enough of a mark. It couldn't have been simply anything I'd said or done, but rather God positioning me to take a more active role in this fight.
Wellspring has recently published a fantastic book called The White Umbrella. (http://www.thewhiteumbrellacampaign.com/) I'll write another entry about this book as well. I received a copy of this book at Catalyst. The copy is currently underlined, highlighted, and scrawled through the margins with words like "FIX THIS" and "SICK AND WRONG" throughout. It rocked my world. I have been unable to stop and return to the inactive apathy any longer.
I saw a showing of a DVD called Nefarious: Merchant of Souls recently, too. (Yes, another entry.) There were a couple other organizations there. I began talking to a representative from one of them, and realized that their twice-annually training was happening the next weekend. That's all I needed to know to realize that God was pushing me into this issue and saying NOW! No more waiting!
So, here I am. Beginning a blog about the things I have learned and trying to make more people aware of the huge issue and how to become involved in fighting.
Thanks for reading!
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