GUEST POST:

So far this November we fought for Easy Laundry, for souls with a Battle Cry, and for A No-Fuss Christmas.

Today we are fighting human trafficking. My friend Leah is championing an important message in this blog post. While this subject is heartrending there is HOPE in the five practical ways Leah encourages us to engage in the fight.

Learn more about Leah Rempel in her bio at the end.

Imagine this: You are getting ready for the day, putting on a dress or tie and “Eye of the Tiger” is playing on a loop. It is the only permission you need to walk down the hallway like a runway with the ferocity that the day deserves. You are ready to fight the good fight and take down human trafficking.

Does that sound crazy? Maybe.

For me, it is just another day in December.

For the past three years, I have participated in an anti-human trafficking campaign called “Dressember.” Every day in December you wear a dress (or tie), raise awareness and raise some funds to take down this horrific reality of our broken world. It has been an eye-opening experience for me, one that has in fact changed my life forever. 

Before Dressember, I was extremely unaware of the global state of slavery and human trafficking. I was oblivious to the 40 million people who were being enslaved through sex trafficking, bonded labour, slave labour, forced marriage among many other types of slavery. I had no idea that out of that 40 million people, one-quarter of those were children or that the average age of being manipulated in sex trafficking is between 12 and 14 years of age.

I learned that this is not just an ‘international’ problem but one that is in the very city I live in and I can almost guarantee in yours as well.

I could tell you the many things that I have learned in the process and how this campaign has fundamentally changed the way that I live, learn and love but today, I am going to give you five practical ways that you can fight trafficking TODAY.

1. Lean in, Listen and Learn:

The more educated we are on any topic, the more impact we can have and the more power we have to stop it. The more we know who is directly impacted by this horrific crime, the better we can serve them in love.

 To begin your journey, listen to the Lab I:68 Podcast and our “Advocacy” series, a total of four episodes. 

2. Pay attention, Know the Signs:

Take the time to learn about what to look for to spot human trafficking in your community. Those that are trafficked do not typically look like victims from the movie, “Taken” but their signs will be more subtle. While each type of trafficking may have unique signals but let’s start here:

Here are a few signs you might see.

An individual in a human trafficking situation might:

• Appear noticeably inappropriately clothed compared to their companions (i.e. clothing may be ill-fitting or seasonally uncomfortable).

• Have few or no personal belongings.

• Have unusual tattoos of barcodes, or the words “Daddy,” “Property of…,” or a man’s name.

• Use communication that sounds “rehearsed” or scripted as though they have been told specifically how to respond to questions.

• Appear unable to give details of travel plans or be restricted from moving about an airport/station as he or she wishes. 

(Dressember Blog, written by G Okuma)

Now that you know the signs, put the “Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline” phone number into your phone contacts:

1-833-900-1010

3. Be Generous

There are hundreds of organizations that are doing incredible, on-the-ground work to stop all forms of human trafficking. They are all in need of help and we all have resources that can bless them.

Be generous with your time, talents and finances.

4. Stop or Decrease Demand:

Whether we want to believe it or not, we all play a part in trafficking and slavery. There are no known supply chains that do not have some form of trafficking associated with it. The best we can do is to play our part by decreasing demand for products and services that are produced by the hands of the enslaved, abused and exploited. 

Three Personal Ways to Decrease Demand: 

• Stop watching porn

• Buy ethically sourced products 

• Fight for legislation in your area that could decrease demand.

Note: Stop Watching Pornography: While we can complain that the secular world is saturated in sexuality, the research shows that the percentage of men and women do not significantly differ when it comes to porn consumption and viewership.  There is an undeniable link between porn and trafficking, so one of the best ways is to stop trafficking and decrease demand is to stop watching porn.

This is a complex problem and I am not here to shame anyone who watches pornography. I am here to suggest that there are great resources to support you as you walk away from porn and the grip that it may have on you: physically, emotionally and spiritually. “Fight the New Drug” and “Fight for Love” are resources that I will recommend every single time. 

Listen to this episode of “Lab I:68 Podcast” with Rosie Makinney to learn more about how pornography affects the brain and our relationships!

5. Join Dressember

Dressember is near and dear to my heart, so I am ALWAYS going to suggest that you join the fight through becoming an advocate or participating in one of our fundraisers.

1. Become an Advocate: Join us in the 31 day fashion challenge, wearing a dress or tie every day in December! Take the month to be intentional, raise awareness and a little funds.  All of the money we raise from being advocates in Canada, will go to IJM Canada. E-mail me at lcbrempel@gmail.com for more information!

2. Join a fundraiser for our team, Team Dress to Protest with Dressember Canada:

   Trivia Night - November 29 ($18): Join our online trivia party to play for prizes and enjoy an activity together with family or alone at home! If you are in Edmonton, we have an upgrade available with “In Home Date Night Packages” that can be used with the event or as a Christmas gift!

   Christmas Digital Download ($15): This download has a beautiful, symbolic art print from Clara Cecilia Design  and TWELVE Christmas discount codes from some amazing, generous, Canadian small business owners. 

If you are at all hesitant about fighting for human trafficking or even more so, advocating for any cause that God places on your heart, remember this:

Jesus cares deeply about justice.

It is undeniably all over the scriptures that as believers we are to care for the vulnerable, the poor and the marginalized. 

We all have a part to play.

What will be yours?