World Evangelical Alliance Tackles Trafficking
Published August 14, 2009 @ 07:30AM PT
This week the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) announced the creation of a new human trafficking task force, bringing the weight of its 420 million members against this global scourge. This decision has the potential to bring throngs of new Evangelical activists and abolitionists into the fight against slavery.
Evangelical Christians as a group have had a long history of activism around human trafficking. In many countries, the first shelters for trafficked persons were run by Evangelical churches or organizations, and in some areas they remain the only refuge for trafficked persons. The WEA's commitment to this issue is commendable, and I hope will mobilize Evangelical Christians around the world to increase their own awareness of this issue and take action to help end human trafficking. However, there are three things I would like the WEA to keep in mind as they begin their fight against trafficking.
- Remember labor trafficking and trafficking of adults. The exploitation of children in prostitution in morally reprehensible, and I can understand why Evangelicals who have strong moral convictions gravitate toward this population of victims. But I hope the WEA sees the bigger picture and does not focus on child sex slaves to the exclusion of others. Slavery is just as real in the field or the home as it is in the brothel.
- Trafficking isn't about sexual orientation or abortion. Other than the relatively rare cases when a trafficking victims identifies as LGBT or is seeking an abortion, these issues are separate and shouldn't be lumped together. I hope that WEA can work with folks who agree with them about human trafficking, even if their views on other issues are different. We are all in this to end slavery.
- Reach out to other faith-based groups. People of all faiths care about this issue. I hope WEA works with other faith-based groups in partnership and mutual support. It can be hard to work with people who believe different things from you, but we all believe that people have a right to be free.
Good luck with the task force, WEA, and I hope you keep my three points in mind. We abolitionists need people of faith fighting with us, but even more so, we need people of faith who are thoughtful, educated, empathetic, and open fighting with us. I hope in the WEA those people are easy to find.
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Comments (2)
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Amanda has been a full-time abolitionist for six years. During that time, she has created reports, documentaries and training materials on human trafficking in the United States and around the world.
In regards to this: "Trafficking isn't about sexual orientation or abortion. Other than the relatively rare cases when a trafficking victims identifies as LGBT or is seeking an abortion, these issues are separate and shouldn't be lumped together."
Actually if you consider, and I'm thinking you do, that homeless and runaway youth who are commercially sexually exploited to be trafficked then huge numbers of trafficked youth are LGBT. Many people involved in the sex trade in many ways (including being trafficked) identify as LGBT or are, in practice, intimate with same sex partners by their own decision.
Additionally I've worked with many, many individuals who have considered or had an abortion in response to pregnancies, some as a result of sexual assaults while being trafficked or involved in the sex trade somehow.
As you point out, the WEA will have to consider this but in my view, their hostile attitudes about LBGT communities and reproductive justice will be barriers to effective support for trafficked people.
/example on WEA's website of the lack of support for LBGT communities and rights: http://www.worldevangelicals.org/news/article.htm?id=388
Posted by Claudine O'Leary on 08/15/2009 @ 04:48AM PT
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As a mother of 2 teenage girls, I'm particularly interested in educated (and protecting) them on this subject. Faith based groups are mentioned above. Both of my girls are active in their faith especially by attending church sponsored mission trips (over seas) and extended out of town trips. One thing I've tried to instill in them, besides awareness, is for them to not become a target when participating in the activities, especially away from home. They need to be particularly aware and not have a false sense of protection by being with the church. Letting their guards down with a false sense of protection provides more opportunity for those looking/focusing on their "targets". Just a thought...
Posted by Natalie Adams on 08/19/2009 @ 03:23PM PT
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