Red Thread Movement
http://www.redthreadmovement.org/
Hey everyone, this summer I went to a benefit concert that I heard about at school supporting something called the Red Thread Movement. I knew it had something to do with raising awareness of human trafficking and slavery, but honestly, before I went to the concert I was completely in the dark about...well, all of it. The ticket was $10 and they gave you a red thread bracelet that, I later found out, were made by women who were rescued from human trafficking. These were the facts that were told to me, and can be found on the website above:
1. More people are in slavery today than at the height of the Atlantic . (Kevin Bales; Free the Slaves)
2. Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world (United States Department of Health and Human Resources)
3. Human trafficking is the world's 2nd largest criminal enterprise behind narcotics (U.S. State Department).
4. There are 12.3 million adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution around the world (Trafficking in Persons Report, 2010).
5. Approximately 80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls... up to 50% are minors (U.S. State Department).
6. Child trafficking is an over $12 billion a year global industry, with over 2 million child victims (UNICEF).
7. The average age of entry for children victimized by the sex trade industry is 13 years old. (U.S. Department of Justice).
8. There are nearly 300,000 children at risk every year for commercial sexual exploitation (U.S. Department of Justice).
9. It has been estimated that 100,000 minors are in the commercial sex trade in the United States alone (Polaris Project).
10. By age 16, approximately 60% of Nepalese girls in the brothels in Mumbai have contracted HIV (K.I.NEPAL).
...I had never felt so helpless, and I still do. I wanted to help so badly but I don't know how to. Every fact felt like a new stab of a knife. I had absolutely no idea this went on...or at least to this extent. We know the right thing to do, which is to help, but we don't. It can be ended, but it won't. People don't realize that these facts, numbers and statistics are PEOPLE. People who are living a life that is not their own. I can't image living even one day of these peoples lives. Its not fair...but its a sad reality that most people won't understand. These people don't have a voice to speak out with, but we do. Find a way to help.
Hope you enjoyed this read ladies and gents, and took something to heart...
2. Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world (United States Department of Health and Human Resources)
3. Human trafficking is the world's 2nd largest criminal enterprise behind narcotics (U.S. State Department).
4. There are 12.3 million adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution around the world (Trafficking in Persons Report, 2010).
5. Approximately 80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls... up to 50% are minors (U.S. State Department).
6. Child trafficking is an over $12 billion a year global industry, with over 2 million child victims (UNICEF).
7. The average age of entry for children victimized by the sex trade industry is 13 years old. (U.S. Department of Justice).
8. There are nearly 300,000 children at risk every year for commercial sexual exploitation (U.S. Department of Justice).
9. It has been estimated that 100,000 minors are in the commercial sex trade in the United States alone (Polaris Project).
10. By age 16, approximately 60% of Nepalese girls in the brothels in Mumbai have contracted HIV (K.I.NEPAL).
...I had never felt so helpless, and I still do. I wanted to help so badly but I don't know how to. Every fact felt like a new stab of a knife. I had absolutely no idea this went on...or at least to this extent. We know the right thing to do, which is to help, but we don't. It can be ended, but it won't. People don't realize that these facts, numbers and statistics are PEOPLE. People who are living a life that is not their own. I can't image living even one day of these peoples lives. Its not fair...but its a sad reality that most people won't understand. These people don't have a voice to speak out with, but we do. Find a way to help.
Hope you enjoyed this read ladies and gents, and took something to heart...
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