- And finally, some good news already in progress: The Visayan Forum Foundation is using a grant from Microsoft Philippines to teach computer skills to workers rescued from trafficking. Building skills for economic stability is crucial to rehabilitating victims of trafficking: It keeps them from being vulnerable to re-trafficking and gives them the confidence to build a free, happy, healthy life for themselves.
Be watching for the next installment of Disposable People about Pakistan in the next few days.
We highly recommend that you check out the site Chain Store Reaction! Brought to you by Call + Response, Chain Store reaction enables you, the consumer, to easily email your favorite brands and ask them about their practices regarding human trafficking. They have email templates for over 400 brands - all you have to do is fill in your information and click “send.” The email asks the company to take action to address and end forced labor in their supply chain. If they receive enough emails they will have to respond! You can use their drop down box to see the responses from those companies who have taken this request seriously. Some of those companies include Gap, Inc, Best Buy, Starbucks, HP, Lucky Brand Jeans, Liz Claiborne, Levi’s and Nike. There are also some companies who have returned an insufficient response including Ikea, J.Crew, Microsoft, Ford and Disney.
It’s time to support companies with ethical supply chains and encourage others to make sure their supply chains are free from human trafficking…and it’s never been easier!
Recently Barack Obama visited the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana which was once a major center of the Transatlantic slave trade. A plaque in the castle reads, “May humanity never again perpetrate such inhumanity against humanity.” Unfortunately, slavery does still exist and is thriving in Ghana. A recent LA Times article describes this cycle of child slavery in Ghana.
There have also been recent reports of “baby harvesting” in Nigeria where poor teenage girls are lured into a situation where they are repeatedly raped until they become pregnant. Once the baby is born it is sold. You can read more about it here - Or not. I can barely stomach it.
Does child prostitution happen in America? Yes. You can watch a story by Katie Couric about teenage prostitution in the US here and also read a recent blog post from Change. org about child trafficking in America. The article discusses a recent congressional debate spurred by a report that victims of trafficking who are minors are often arrested rather than rescued.
We’ve been busy trying to get the boutique running smoothly and to get the word out about Stop Traffick Fashion. The site has been up just over a month now and we are thankful to everyone who’s helped us make the first month a success! We’ve already heard stories about how people are starting to think differently about how they shop and what they buy.
We’ll try to post some news and more information from Disposable People soon! In the mean time, if you don’t subscribe to our email newsletter you can read a version on the web (and sign up for the mailing list at the link below). We’ve also recently updated our resources page with new books, movies and websites that we recommend.
Check out this great story from IJM about the recent rescue of 47 slaves from a brick kiln in India. IJM does similar work all over the world working to rescue slaves and other victims of injustice. We also recommend their books, including Terrify No More which tells the story of a rescue in a Cambodian brothel. Also, if you haven’t already use their website to urge congress to pass the Child Protection Compact Act.
The Not for Sale campaign has a huge network of abolitionists across America. Sign up for their email newsletters from The Underground so you can get information about actions you can take right in your backyard. You can also get connected with their regional directors. Sign up now to learn how you can help!
The more you learn about human trafficking, the more you realize it penetrates nearly everything we buy. The problem can seem overwhelming but we shouldn’t let our minds and actions be weighed down. Just by becoming more aware of the issues we can gradually change our thought process and that will translate into what we do and what products we buy. Instead of thinking, “Wow! What a great deal!” I will slowly start to think, “I wonder why this is so cheap? Was it made by slaves?” Companies sell cheap products because we want cheap products. However, the more we can raise awareness about exploitation and injustice, the more we can change mindsets about what a “good deal” is. You can read more about this on the Human Trafficking Project blog.
To get you started thinking about buying from ethical supply chains, check out the Ethical Style blog (All of their tips aren’t related to fair trade but it’s interesting) and Free2Work. You can also rest assured that all products you buy on Stop Traffick Fashion are ethically produced and, even better, they support survivors of human trafficking.
Remember, we can’t change the world today but our small steps will add up!
The Showtime documentary Very Young Girls is soon to be released on Netflix. The girls in the documentary have inspired Beyonce and other celebrities to join the campaign “Girls Are Not for Sale.” After seeing the documentary Beyonce commented:
I didn’t want to just donate money, I wanted them to know that someone really cared about them. My time, my heart, my ears, and my voice are the biggest gifts I could think to give.
I would encourage you to check out the documentary and think about ways you can use your skills and talents to support the movement. We aren’t all Beyonce but we all have unique gifts that can make a difference. On the campaign’s website you can join the Council of Daughters to help create support for the movement, or check out some of the other partner information news we’ve posted.
