How Can I Help to Stop Human Trafficking?

Posted by Matt Friedman
As I continue to post stories related to modern slavery, I have had many people message me directly asking “what can I do?” There are so many things. And many of them can be done very easily. Below are some suggestions.

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.
 
We must use individual talents to fight slavery. Artists can create a human slavery project for public display. Filmmakers can create movies on modern slavery. Writers can write about the issue. Whatever you do, do it in the direction of freedom. Raise your voice if you are a teacher, social worker, doctor, lawyer, or anyone else. It is that simple.

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