{"id":2350,"date":"2012-12-28T09:24:47","date_gmt":"2012-12-28T14:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/activistfaith\/?p=2350"},"modified":"2012-12-20T09:25:14","modified_gmt":"2012-12-20T14:25:14","slug":"how-to-stand-against-human-trafficking-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/activistfaith\/2012\/12\/how-to-stand-against-human-trafficking-9.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Stand Against Human Trafficking"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I speak about stopping human trafficking, people often ask, \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have all of the answers, but in our book and DVD Not in My Town<\/a><\/em>, Charles Powell and I include a chapter that shares many of the solutions we are discovering along the way. These include ideas we have implemented, along with many we have picked up from our friends and partners in this effort. Choose one or more from the list below and work to help end human trafficking.<\/p>\n

1. Start (or Sign) a Petition. <\/strong>\u00a0With the ease and proliferation of electronic petitions, we ae finding direct results from such efforts. A myriad of options can be found in an online search.\u00a0 I recommend http:\/\/actioncenter.polarisproject.org\/<\/a>. The Polaris Project, an antitrafficking organization in Washington, D.C., provides direct links to major initiatives at the public policy or corporate level.<\/p>\n

Specific successes we have been involved in directly or indirectly in the past two years include the removal of the erotic services section at Craigslist.com, the ending of massage parlor and spa ads<\/a> in The Washington Post <\/em>, Choice Hotels\u2019 policy change regarding child prostitution<\/a>, and recent legislation regarding human trafficking in Alabama and Georgia.<\/p>\n

In fact, 2010 became a major year for increased legislation<\/a>\u00a0regarding human trafficking, with more than 40 new state bills enacted and more than 350 introduced nationwide.<\/p>\n

2. Hold Corporations Accountable:<\/strong> Ever wonder what your favorite brands are doing to make sure their products are slave free? There is a great tool available to send preformatted letters to most major brands at http:\/\/www.chainstorereaction.com\/<\/a>. Your two minutes might help a company choose to cut off slavery from their supply chain. As the late Neil Kearney, former president of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation, once stated, \u201cIf a business cannot afford to be ethical, then they cannot afford to be in business.\u201d Another service, http:\/\/www.free2work.org\/<\/a>, allows users to view \u201cratings\u201d of major brands by name or product type. And check out the interactive map at http:\/\/productsofslavery.org\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Prevention:<\/strong> There are many ways you can serve that not only help end trafficking, but also prevent it before <\/em>it takes place. Some areas you can get involved in that could help keep future individuals from trafficking include:<\/p>\n