I wasn’t planning on posting about this, but the issue is too important and close to my heart to stay silent.

Today is World Day Against Human Trafficking.

Mothers, Fathers, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Sisters, Brothers, Friends, I implore you to turn your eyes to this issue.

Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring of persons, by means of THREAT or use of FORCE or other forms of COERCION: abduction, fraud, deception, and abuse of power to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of EXPLOITATION. Exploitation includes the prostitution of others, forced labour or services, slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs.

– UNODC

Today, of those overwhelmingly exploited, are children. Our children NEED us. They need our voices to speak up for them.

As a child who has experienced sexual abuse, and who has known and held the traumas of many others who have had similar painful experiences, I relate deeply to the power of coercion, shame, and threat within the psychology of a young child who not only holds very little self agency, but innocently believes first and foremost in a general goodness of the world they inhabit.

We as adults, parents, and caretakers are responsible for the world they inhabit — for making it a safe place. As a parent, it’s easy to believe, “It will never happen to my kids”, until it does.

We cannot remain complacent.

Resources:

End Human Trafficking Day
https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-human-trafficking-day

Blue Heart Campaign
https://www.unodc.org/blueheart/index.html

@ourrescue
https://ourrescue.org/

@savethechildren
https://www.savethechildren.org/