Happy New Year!
January 11th was National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. January is also known as Human Trafficking Awareness month. It's a time for all of us to educate ourselves about the issue and hopefully inspire action. Here are a few helpful resources, practical ways to help shutdown this multi-billion-dollar industry, and what our response is.
Resources:
What is human trafficking? Click on any of the links below to learn.
Myths, Facts, and Statistics-Polaris
The United States Of America is a Tier 1 country.
Thailand is a Tier 2 country
*A guide to the different tiers can be found in the TIP report.
Practical Ways to help:
- Beware of spreading false narratives that can cause more harm than good.Example
- Practice Ethical Storytelling
- Shop responsibly - Buying guide
- This Valentine's Day, don't just buy any chocolate
- Stay well-informed. There are lots of resources.
Our Response
"The single best way to end human trafficking is to prevent human trafficking, in part by ensuring that services and supports are available for vulnerable and at-risk populations." - Polaris
At Creative Life Foundation, we connect people to critical resources that create a path to freedom and prevents human trafficking. We provide:
Access to education
Whether it's a parent who can't afford to send their child to school, a girl with a dream of going to university, or a mother who never learned how to read and write—we make access to education possible.
A path to citizenship
In Thailand, a small piece of plastic can change someones' life. For many Hill Tribe families, Thailand is the country of birth. Thai citizenship is their legal right. However, obstacles are preventing them from getting the required documents to prove their citizenship.
Holistic care
Education and citizenship are foundational to creating paths to freedom and preventing human trafficking. But, in our experience, just meeting the physical need is never enough. Creating safe space, mentorship, and sometimes just being fully present with someone who is struggling, is the missing element that equips people along their journey.
If you're interested to know what upcoming social justice events are coming up, I found this social justice calendar online. It's free to download here.