Shedding Light on the Darkness

This month marks National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month—a time dedicated to shedding light on the lives of nearly thirty million men, women, and children worldwide whose survival is determined by acts of forced labor or sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking knows no boundaries, existing in the far reaches of Southeast Asia to the streets of California. The plight of its victims often remains in the shadows of neighborhoods of both affluence and poverty.

In his speech at the Clinton Global Initiative last fall, President Obama declared that the U.S. would lead the fight against human trafficking, while challenging all Americans to do more against this “debasement of our humanity.”

As Americans, we have the responsibility of commemorating this month by learning more about human trafficking. More importantly, our history compels us, at times, to gauge the depth of our commitment to democracy and freedom by liberating those who endure the yoke of forced labor and sexual bondage.

And though it may seem daunting, we can all do something to end this oppression.

Here are some suggestions.

First, find out how many slaves work for you by visiting the website, slaveryfootprint.org. You’ll be asked eleven questions primarily based on your lifestyle and consumer habits. At the end of the survey, a number will appear based on your responses (I discovered forty-five slaves work for me). The site will then suggest ways to minimize your impact on modern-day slavery.

Next, visit Not for Sale (notforsalecampaign.org). Started by David Batstone, the author of Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade—and How We Can Fight It (2010) and a modern-day abolitionist, this organization offers plenty of resources, including an academy to train modern-day abolitionists and an interactive map (slaverymap.org) that allows you “to learn how to map documented cases of human trafficking in your community and around the globe.”

Or visit the Polaris Project (polarisproject.org). Taking its name from “the North Star ‘Polaris’ that guided slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad” this organization provides a voice for the voiceless, encouraging lawmakers to enact tougher anti-trafficking legislation, while also providing a multilingual, 24/7 resource hotline.

Finally, as the new session of Congress begins, write your representatives and prod them to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims and Protection Act (TVPA)—the federal law that serves as the metric for Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report, the U.S. State Department’s annual, comprehensive study that ranks countries, including the U.S., based on their compliance to the TVPA’s minimum standards.

As this day ends and light turns to darkness, let’s help liberate those who are shackled and chained, and whose nightmarish existence dreams of a peaceful sleep.