Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000

Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000

Here is a fact sheet based on this Act.

I am happy to say that The Salvation Army has endorsed this act. Here's a quote from our US National website:

The Salvation Army (TSA) endorsed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, a law which passed the U.S. Congress in October of 2000. TSA was among a coalition of faith-based and other organizations which worked zealously to obtain its passage. TSA's role in the effort to pass TVPA has been highlighted in the book Freeing God's Children by Dr. Allen Hertzke.

The Salvation Army has also taken a strong, leadership position, along with other allied groups and individuals, in efforts to shift U.S. policy on sexual trafficking.

This includes:

• maintaining the link between sexual trafficking and prostitution;
• emphasizing strategies that reduce demand;
• emphasizing the link between sexual trafficking and HIV/AIDS;
• opposing efforts to legalize prostitution in the U.S. and abroad;
• affirming a "report and rescue" strategy in humanitarian efforts to assist women and children in brothels;
• support for the End Demand for Sex Trafficking Act of 2005;
• support for a sufficiently strong Reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2005.

In regard to these issues, TSA has participated in and initiated letters to prominent political and faith leaders outlining numerous policy concerns and appealing for their help. These efforts are meeting with success, as illustrated by a National Security Presidential Directive linking sexual trafficking and prostitution issued by President George W. Bush, a new policy announced by the U.S. Agency for International Development which rules that nongovernmental organizations that support legalized prostitution are not eligible for federal anti-trafficking funds, as well as increased attention to human trafficking pledged by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Work is also underway on an internal Salvation Army position statement on human trafficking.

W.T. Stead on "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon" - The Story that Awoke the Giant of The Salvation Army to the Injustice of Child Slavery

W.T. Stead, the famous journalist, was a great friend to The Salvation Army. In 1885, he wrote in The Pall Gazette an incredible (and scandalous) expose of child prostitution in Victorian England.

The W.T. Stead Resource Site has republished these articles - which I link here:

The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon (Introduction)

Part One
Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Also to situate it in the context of The Salvation Army's reforms:

The Salvation Army's History in Fighting Sexual Trafficking

I would encourage all to take courage from the daring spirit and determination of these 19th century reformers as we seek to tackle similar issues in the 21st century - unfortunately living in a future day sadly does not ensure that progress has been made in this regard...

I hope that we all will do our part in helping to rid this world of the curse of human trafficking.

Optional Protocol to the Convention of the Rights of the Child

For those who are interested (and the Railton students), here is the "Protocol to the Convention of the Rights of the Child."

Stop the Traffik - Promotional Videos

Friends, these are some amazing commercials that "Stop the Traffik" have put together to help address the injustice of Human Trafficking. Paul and Kirsten Mergard (from The Salvation Army in Austrailia) just sent these to me.

Please do all you can to help raise awareness of what's happening with modern-day, child slavery. Check out Stop the Traffik.

Check them out on YouTube:

Hannah More: Sunday School, Education and Youth Work

Infed is a great website for information on the history of youth work. They explore issues related to informal education, lifelong learning and social action.

Click here to read about information on Hannah More - a Wesleyan philanthropist and educator who is considered to have set forth one of the first models for the modern Sunday School movement.

Here's the introduction:

"Hannah More was initially famous for her play writing and involvement in 'blue stocking' circles. Later her evangelicalism led her to philanthropy, writing popular religious tracts and to pioneering work in Sunday Schools. Here we examine her contribution and her involvement in the development of youth work."

Lifehouse's Everything Skit

Some of our students viewed this drama on YouTube and were deeply moved by it. I watched it and can see why!

The Future of Children: A Report on the State of Children in Poverty in Post-Katrina America

Here's an interesting report from "The Future of Children" on the state of child poverty in America after Hurricane Katrina.

Free Indeed: The Modern Church's Opportunity to End Slavery, Again

Free Indeed: The Modern Church's Opportunity to End Slavery, Again
Click on this link for a wonderful document on the church's responsibility related to the child slavery movement.

It states, "The transnational nature of the church is perfectly suited for the global engagement of this issue from the grass roots to the world stage. It also has access to vast economic and human resources and is able to mobilize extensive networks to affect government policies and social programs."

Anti-Slavery International

Friends,

I have been so deeply moved by the issue of child slavery - that I will do all in my power to raise awareness of this issue. Please take a look at the organization called "Free the Slaves." [Also known as Anti-Slavery International]

It is the coalition that "Stop the Traffik" is a part of.

Free the Slaves works to end slavery by:

1. Supporting grassroots anti-slavery organizations around the world who are literally kicking down doors, freeing slaves and helping them rebuild their lives; we provide funding and technical assistance and enable local movements to learn from each other.

2. Conducting social science-based research on the nature and scope of modern slavery in order to formulate targeted ways to combat it.

3. Increasing awareness of contemporary slavery to empower Americans and others to help. We utilize a video library, web site, educational materials for schools and community groups, and public presentations to engage thousands of people in the anti-slavery movement each year.

4. Working with businesses, labor unions, human rights and consumer organizations to eradicate slavery from product supply chains and building a consumer movement that chooses slave-free goods.

5. Working with governments to enforce effective anti-slavery and anti-trafficking laws, and where necessary, help create improved laws.

Mapping Out Modern Slavery

Videos on Ending Slavery

Important Research on Slavery

Teens, Parents Are Talking to One Another More

Check out this report from Reuters:

The family meal may be threatened with extinction but "High-Tech" parents are now communicating much better with their teenagers and giving them more freedom, says child psychologist Richard Woolfson.

Long gone are the days when parents were much more dictatorial and children were to be seen, not heard.

"The consultation, negotiation and mutual respect that goes on between parents and teenagers in families today would probably shock the mums and dads of 50 years ago," Woolfson said in a study of how family communication has evolved.
Sitting round the table together for a meal was once the bedrock of family life. It is now becoming a thing of the past but Woolfson stressed that was not the end of the world.
"Now we have today's high-tech family where family communication takes place by e-mail, Internet, Webcam and mobile phone as well as face-to-face of course," he said.
That has another beneficial side-effect, Woolfson said in his survey for the T-Mobile phone company.

Parents are now able to contact their kids much more easily and children have become more confident and communicative.

"This means that parents are less worried about their children's safety because they feel reassured," Woolfson said.

And the generation gap is not suffering.

"Even grandma and grandpa have entered the world of cyberspace to keep close contact with their children and grandchildren, all of which can only be good news for everyone," Woolfson concluded.