I recently had dinner with the former District Governor of District 5950 who was the District Governor when I was President of my local Rotary Club. Bob was the person who asked me to lead, what became the Rotary Initiative to End Human Trafficking in Minnesota in 2017. As we were reflecting on what has happened with this initiative which started five years ago as a three-year project in Minnesota amazed us both.
Bob’s wisdom, leadership and commitment gave power and longevity to this important initiative. It was Bob who had the vision to know that something as important as this initiative would take longer than one year to get going, so he worked with his successors AND three years of leadership in a neighboring District (District 5960) to make a three year commitment to support the work of our team. A year later, District 5580 which serve northern Minnesota, North Dakota, northwestern Wisconsin and part of Ontario joined the effort so we expanded the mission of the initiative which became known as the ”Tri District Rotary Initiative to End Human Trafficking.
Two years ago, knowing that the three-year commitment was completing, I approached our District leadership asking for their assistance. I knew that work was just beginning, and we needed to establish a model that was more sustainable than the model that had been created for the initial initiative. THUS the Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking was born with the support and assistance of yet another District Governor, Tom Gump.
As I now look to end my tenure as the Charter President of the Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking, I am excited to see a club that not only is sustainable but is expanding in its influence within Rotary and in communities around the world. In the two years since this club was formed, 5-6 other clubs focusing on ending human trafficking have been formed. Many traditional clubs have also started project in their local communities focusing on educating young people on avoiding becoming victims. We have established a great relationship with the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) and with other non-profit organizations. We have members from four continents who are committed to expanding influence in their countries/continents. And we continue to expand the awareness at Rotary International about this critical human rights travesty.
This will be my last letter to you as I will be ending my tenure as President of the club. Michelle Seets will become President as of July 1 and I know that this club will continue to grow and thrive under her leadership. Thank you for the honor of being your President for the last two years.
Continue to learn about today’s slavery and help educate your friends and family. Consult the internet for up-to-date information on this topic. Every person reached potentially adds another soldier to the fight. Even sharing my posts can help raise awareness.
You can become a responsible consumer. Before buying a name-brand item, go online to see if the company has a policy statement about modern slavery. If so, send a quick email to congratulate them. If not, send an email requesting that they post such a statement. These interactions should be positive. A company under attack often pulls back. Encouragement can open up a company and get them to take the steps needed.
Raising money for the cause ranks as necessary heroism. Even small amounts to the right organization can make a tremendous difference in the life of a trafficked person. For example, it costs between US$2 and US$3 a day – the price of a cup of coffee – to support a deeply traumatized person at a shelter in India. Many organizations, both at home and abroad, fight slavery. Before contributing money, contact the organization and ask them to explain how they will use it.
Volunteering is a great way to contribute. You can work at a local NGO office or from home. To identify an organization, go online and review options. You can find a group that will appreciate your skills and efforts. Here are some examples of how people have become involved:
- A housewife wrote letters to newspapers, magazines, and television stations to encourage them to publicize human trafficking and slavery issues, and they did.
- A faith-based group ran a songwriting contest titled ‘Battle of the Bands’ to create awareness among music lovers.
- A mother of three convinced her library to make books available on this subject.
- A college student set up a film festival that reached 5,000 students.
- A father of three got the hotels in his city to put the anti-trafficking hotline number in every office.
- A student group sent letters to their state lawmakers, asking them to focus on this issue.
- A fifth-grade class encouraged their local school board to partner with students to include the issue of modern slavery in their curriculum.