Sex+ Money: A National Search for Human Worth is a profound and moving film that looks at the reality of child-sex trafficking in the United States.  I had the privilege to work alongside members of the crew who authored a book about the issue and have been following their story ever since.

I was able to see the film and catch up with the filmmakers in person when it was screened in Vancouver, BC earlier in the year.  It deeply impacted me.  The film is a must-see.  The filmmakers are humble heralds of a difficult but important message.  I’ve been inspired to follow their journey across the USA as they get the word out that trafficking isn’t just something that happens “over there, away from where we live,” but exists, even thrives, in our back yards.

If you’ve followed my website, you’ve met some of the crew before, via interviews I shared here and on RaiseTheirVoice.com [Check out my Qs with Morgan Perry, Autumn Mason and Timothy Dyk 1 | 2 | 3]

Scott introducing the film at University of North Carolina -- Photo courtesy blog.sexandmoneyfilm.com

I caught up with Scott Martin, one of the 5 journalists who interviewed countless experts and individuals about the issue across the USA for the film.  I connected with Scott via email while he was on the road near the end of the 50-state tour.

Andrew Kooman: How many cities have you visited and how many times have you screened the film? How many more times will you screen the film on tour?

Scott Martin: Well as of  November 16, we have screened the film in 46 states, a total of 77 times. I’m not certain on the city total. I believe we have 11 more screenings left to do on the tour.

AK: What does a regular day on tour look like?

SM: Each day is quite different. Of course there’s always the menial tasks which need to get done. Washing, cleaning, finding food, loading and unloading merch to take to events, and packing up your stuff getting ready to move on to the next location; but there is also meeting with many abolitionists, seeing students across the nation becoming aware of this injustice and answering their questions, getting to know the gracious hosts who let us sleep in their homes.

AK: I know you’re traveling with an entourage. Who have you brought on tour with you and what are they all up to?

Filmmakers Autumn Mason, Timothy Dyk, Sarah-Jo Sampson, Scott Martin and Morgan Perry(from Left to Right --Photo courtesy blog.sexandmoneyfilm.com

SM: We certainly have an entourage. Of course there are the 5 journalists from the film. Tim, Sarah-jo, Autumn, Morgan and myself. We each take turns introducing at the events and moderating the panel discussion which follows at the university events. Tim is also quite busy with keeping up the tour blog for everyone to follow what we see happening on the road. Morgan and Autumn are also the executive and line producers for the film, so they are providing leadership from within in that regard.

Also with us are Andy Hewson and Samuel Taipale, our media team. Samuel takes amazing photographs of the tour and at each event, some of which are posted in the blog; while Andy shoots video to create a film for us which documents the tour. Andy was also one of the videographers in the filming of the documentary.

We also have a worship team traveling with us to lead worship at our faith based events. That team includes Isaac Gill, Megan Perry, Jasen Chung, Chris Conley, and Joseph Swanson. Isaac also is one of the associate producers of the film and provides leadership within the group. Last but not least we have Jeff Ball, Lindsay Diederichs and Sarah Mason. Jeff and Lindsay are also on the leadership team, helping coordinate events and finances while Sarah has been the bus driver for the tour enduring the many long hours on the road to get us from one event to the next.

AK:  What was your role in the film? What is your role on tour?

SM: I was able to provide the motorhome that we used on the initial filming trip, as well as raise a few thousand dollars to help kick off the tour. Personally, I was one of the five journalists who travelled the nation documenting the issue of domestic minor sex trafficking. On tour I was helping with the motorhome daily maintenance before it’s tragic failure in Florida, as well as introducing our film and group at events and moderating panels following the university events.

AK:  Why are you screening the film on college campuses and with faith communities?

SM: We wanted to reach both of these demographics specifically. We know that college students are very interested in social justice initiatives. What a better time to grab someone’s attention and heart for an issue than when they are deciding how to use the skills that they are acquiring through their education. We are also screening the film in churches across the United States. We know that this problem does not just exist outside the Church. We believe we must see a move of repentance and revival of the Church in our nation forsaking participation and apathy to this injustice.

AK:  What is your hope as you screen the film – do you have specific outcomes in mind that you want to realize?

SM: We want to see people more specifically educated and aware about this issue through the film. At each screening we are selling merchandise of which 75% of the proceeds are going to a restoration home in Phoenix, AZ. We are also taking offerings for regional restoration homes at our events.

AK:  How have audiences received the film so far? Do you notice a difference in the way people from your different audience demographics respond to the film?

SM: Audiences have been very receptive to the film and it’s message. There is definitely a different response from our faith based screenings than that of our university screenings, but that is also due to the parameters of those events. Overall everyone has been very encouraging after the film and grateful to have it brought to them.

AK:  How are you encouraging audiences, state by state, to further engage the issue after seeing the film?

SM: At each event we are trying to have local organizations represented, so that after the film people are able to connect immediately to local initiatives that they could potentially become involved with.

AK: . What’s a practical next step of action for individuals whose eyes are newly opened to the reality of trafficking in the USA to take to fight trafficking?

SM: A really practical next step is to pass on the word. As you find out about the issue, pass on the knowledge to your community around you. You don’t have to quit your job to become an advocate, you can be raising awareness in your everyday conversations. From there it’s really up to you, there are a plethora of ways you can get involved locally, nationally, or internationally.

The tour bus -- Photo courtesy blog.sexandmoneyfilm.com

AK:  How did your partnership with Exodus Cry develop and why is it important to you to connect the modern abolition movement with a prayer movement?

SM: From the very beginning of production Morgan, who is the executive producer, felt that this film had to be tied with the prayer movement. Exodus Cry is a human trafficking focus within IHOP, the International House of Prayer. We believe that this is not only a physical reality but also a spiritual one, and that we must confront both together. The production of this film was done with an intercessory prayer team traveling right alongside of us. From the very beginning this whole project has been birthed and bathed in prayer.

AK:  What are some major lessons you’ve learned about the nature of human trafficking and exploitation through your work on this project?

SM: Gosh. Well, without writing a book… This is a cultural problem at its roots, there are some major systemic social issues in this injustice. Broken homes, fatherlessness, and the cultural acceptance of the commercialization of sexuality. In many ways we all contribute to the demand for trafficking through our everyday transactions in what we say is permissible through our watching, contributing, and being apathetic to it’s presence. I think what I’ve learned is that we sincerely need to address the demand, and the permissible attitude towards this behavior.

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Purchase the DVD and learn more about the film at the official website

Follow Scott Martin and Sex+Money on twitter

Images courtesy SexandMoneyFilm.com

Read more interviews between Andrew and other artists, activists and bold thinkers here

I’m so proud and inspired by my photogenX friends. If you’re in the States, find out where the film is being played and GO SEE THIS FILM!

www.sexandmoneyfilm.com

Here’s the latest webisode from the documentary filmmakers of Sex + Money: A National Search for Human Worth. The team works with investigators trying to find an American girl kidnapped into Tijuana, fearing she’s been trafficked by a gang. The boys pose as johns looking for young prostitutes. The video highlights the reality of sex tourism from the USA into Mexico.

I was pretty excited today to get two different packages in the mail.  The first was the Swedish translation of the new issue of Eye See Magazine, which is a social justice-focused magazine based out of Colorado.  Published into English and Swedish each issue, it is distributed in seven countries.  This particular issue features one of my reflections from my time spent with a Rohingya refugee from Burma named Noor during a recent trip I took to Malaysia.  Noor’s story is gut-wrenching!  I’m humbled to have heard some of it and to be able to share it with others.

The second translated work I got in the mail was the Dutch translation of 30 Days of Prayer for the Voiceless for which I wrote a number of stories back in 2004 (and a few more in 2009).  The book has gone around the world, which is so exciting, because it means thousands of people from all kinds of places have had a chance to learn what they may not have known about the realities of gender-based injustice.  The book has been translated into a number of different languages… but this is the first non-English version I’ve got my hands on (though I’ve seen it in Japanese and Korean).

Thanks Hanneke for sending me a copy.  I wore my Oranje jersey in honour of the mother tongue.

I met John Paul Vicory a few years ago in Hawaii.  He was part of a troupe of photographers compiling a book of their experience traveling the globe.  I was impacted, especially, by a story he told of the time he and his team spent in conversation with sex workers in the Red Light district of Amsterdam, a story featured in the book Sex + Money: A Global Search for Human Worth. [View John's stunning photography here.]

John Paul’s honesty about his life and experience is disarming; his genuine concern for those who suffer is informed not by pity, but with genuine love.  I was intrigued to learn that he was embarking on a trip to Africa to work with children orphaned by AIDs, something he has done before.

John Paul travels to Mbiko, Uganda and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 29 June, 2010 to reconnect with two orphan care centers in order to help establish sustainable and transparent Child Sponsorship Programs.  Born in Denver, Colorado, John Paul is pursuing a Master’s Degree in International Care and Community Development.  I caught up with John Paul  (via email) before his adventure to learn more about his project.

Andrew Kooman: You describe, in your recent project proposal for an orphan center, hearing a young choir of orphans in Uganda sing about their parents’ death to AIDS. The thought of that moment sends chills down my spine. Describe what it’s like to encounter young children who have suffered much?

John Paul Vicory: I sat listening to them singing that song for the first time with my hand over my mouth in disbelief. I couldn’t believe that these beautiful children had experienced so much tragedy. It makes me sad. It is such a humbling experience seeing so much pain in these little children. They don’t deserve it at all. I was shamed almost because I walk around so often thinking that my problems are so important. It was, and continues to be, an experience that changes my life.

AK: Can you recount the moment when you decided you had to do something to help orphans in Uganda?

JPV: I remember the exact morning. It was one of the most emotionally charged days in my entire life. I had been in Uganda for about a month, Africa for 3 months, and I was kind of depressed. I didn’t feel like I had any purpose being there and I was tired. Tired of the mundane work I was doing and tired of feeling useless. I wanted to make a difference. A series of divine appointments landed my friend Alex and I at St. Ameria’s [Orphan Care Center] to hear the children sing. Later that week God dropped a vision bomb on my head and changed the course of my life. He told me what to do, He gave me the path. I was wrapped in a Masaai blanket, sitting on a porch looking over the sugar cane fields and Lake Victoria having my quiet time. I literally started crying because the feeling was so heavy with joy. It feels like the scene out of a movie or something.

"Florence" photograph © John Paul Vicory

AK:. The numbers you detail in your proposal are, quite honestly, unfathomable to me. You cite a UNICEF report that estimates the number of orphans in Uganda will reach 2.5 million by 2010 with an unthinkable 53.1 million orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa alone (more orphans than there are people in my homeland Canada)! How do you place your work and position yourself in the shadow of such a towering problem?

JPV: I can’t even comprehend the magnitude of the work to be done. 53.1 million really makes it seem like whatever I do with my tiny little time here won’t really make a difference at all. But, there is beauty in that too because I serve a God that knows each and every one of those children and loves them with an unreal love. I hope that I can get a glimpse of that love and can share it with as many people as He puts in my path. My place can seem insignificant in the shadow of the issue, but I know that God uses the willing, and I am willing. Even if He only uses me to touch a few lives, it’s all more than worth it.

AK: In your view, why does it matter that people in North America help African orphans?

JPV: It matters because these children matter and we are all connected. We are all God’s sons and daughters. It matters because North America has so many resources to be able to make a difference. Not only do the children need people to advocate for them, but, as North Americans, we need to look outside of ourselves to see the needs of the world and use the gifts that God has given us to share His love. Jesus said that He is the naked, imprisoned, and destitute. If we truly want to seek Him, we need to go where He is… that includes the poor and needy in North America and in Africa as well.

AK: What do orphans have to offer the communities where they live?

JPV: They are the future of their nations and communities. 2.5 million is a lot of people. Given the opportunity, they could become doctors, teachers, community leaders, lawyers, and prime ministers. They are bright individuals who know about suffering. They know what its like to have less than nothing. Because of their experience, they have a greater understanding of what it would mean to cause a real change for the poor people in their communities. They are the ones that can break the negative cycles because they are in them. They can do far more than I could ever do because I am and will always be outside of the system. Even if they don’t become prime ministers, they can still make a big difference in their communities. Take Edith, the director of St. Ameria, as an example. She is an orphan herself and now directly cares for over a hundred children.

AK: How much of your development work for orphans will involve addressing the issue of AIDS/HIV?

JPV: Initially, addressing HIV/AIDS is going to be related to the direct and immediate care of orphans who are HIV positive, and whose parents have died from AIDS. I would like to focus on the immediate care until that has reached a level that can be reliable. After that, HIV/AIDS will be particularly addressed from a community development standpoint. If HIV is going to be something that generates more orphans, then it is going to be a priority. I don’t know how that is going to work yet, but I have thought about using the orphan care centers as places where the community can come and learn from each other, learn about prevention, hear guest speakers, take votes on the issues that are most pressing, etc.

Markato; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - photograph © John Paul Vicory

AK: You’ve done work documenting and addressing the reality of children trafficked for sex in Africa. How are orphans particularly vulnerable to traffickers?

JPV: Orphans are vulnerable on a variety of different levels. Since they don’t have families to care for them, they are disregarded by the general population. Who would miss them if they are gone or being taken advantage of? If they are not being cared for, they often end up on the streets trying to survive any way they can. They can fall victim to prostitution and trafficking due to the fact that they need to eat and pimps and traffickers can provide that for them. I have even heard cases of illegal adoptions, which is trafficking as well, and orphan care centers selling children to make money or to keep the doors open and the lights on. There is some really terrible stuff that happens hiding behind a facade of care, which is why accountability and transparency is so important.

AK: What are your goals for your upcoming trip to Uganda and Ethiopia?

JPV: The overarching goal of the trip this summer is to begin the formation of a Child-Sponsorship program at 2 orphan care centers. I need to gather a lot of information and a lot of pictures and video in order to do so. I will also spend a lot of time talking with the directors of the orphan care centers to establish methods of communication, accountability, organizational structure, and general vision for the future of their ministries. The child-sponsorship program will set the stage for future involvement.

AK: What will a successful trip look like to you?

JPV: Hmm. I guess I haven’t thought about that one too much. I would love to bring back compelling footage and get all of the stories of each of the children at each center. I would also like some great ideas for partnering with the directors to come up with sustainable solutions for each of the centers.

AK: You describe a decisive change in your life where you abandoned the pursuit of your own greatness and realized you had a calling to become an advocate for others. What triggered this switch?

JPV:Wow, that makes me sound much cooler than I actually am. I still really live for myself way too much, but I have had a change of heart. The switch was triggered during my conversion actually on a November night in Kohala, Hawaii. Pursuing my own greatness had left me with absolutely nothing except for darkness and death. I didn’t want to live anymore. In the silence of the night I had a conversation with God. I didn’t want to live and He asked me why I was living? At that moment, I realized that I had been selfish. I realized that I needed a Savior, and that Jesus was the only one that could save me. I asked Him to come in and change the way I lived. I woke up the next morning and felt transformed. Everything that I saw, read, and heard, it was as if I was experiencing it for the first time. I was born again.
Soon after that, He gave me the opportunity to spend six months in Africa and showed me who I was to become and the people that I would advocate for. Since then, I have gone places, done things, and met people I never thought possible, and it’s just the beginning.

AK: What advice would you give to people who are touched by the plight of orphans and, beyond giving money, aren’t quite sure what to do?

JPV: I would encourage people to go spend time with my friends in Uganda and Ethiopia. I guarantee that their lives would be changed. Beyond that, there is so much that people can do besides giving money. God has created each of us with gifts. In fact, I believe that we all are uniquely created unlike anyone else and can do things that no one else can do. They can use those gifts to uncover the beauty of God’s creation and to bring Hope where there is none. We need each other to make the biggest change. No matter how smart or dumb I am, I need all kinds of help. I don’t know how to run businesses or construct buildings, but other people do and can provide their gifts for the enrichment of little children that God deeply loves.

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Follow John on his blog.

Learn more about how you can donate to his important work here.

A number of weeks ago I published a conversation I had with visual artist, filmmaker, and photographer Timothy Dyk, a friend of mine who is currently up to his elbows in paint, creating a series of art pieces he will exhibit in June 2010.  The project ties into another one his life has been consumed by for the last few years: the published book Sex + Money: A Global Search for Human Worth and a Nationally-focused film of the same name that explores the reality of the sex trade in the United States.

Tim is based in Ellensburg, Washington, where he’s currently balancing his commitments to the film and the art project.  He’s also working to nail down a place to exhibit his work.  He has his eye on a warehouse space that was once a milk factory.

I caught up with Tim via email to see how the project has taken shape.  He generously provided some video (see below) to give a sense of his creative space, the colour scheme, and some of the paint-soaking work the project entails, before he heads off for a few more months of filming.

AK: I was wondering if you could describe your technique.  The video you’ve graciously offered reveals some of the process and shows that you’re working with more than paint, but fabric as well.  What other materials can we expect on the canvas, and why are you using them?

TD: It sounds funny to imagine it as ‘technique’ as it seems a very sloppy and unruly thing to do, but I really wanted to capture the idea of the patchwork of a flag.  I felt like using different layers of fabric was a good way I could try to do that, to try and accentuate the different colors that comprise a flag, specifically that of the United States.  It makes me feel like a Betsy Ross of sorts…

AK: Some artists compare the creative process to a jet taking flight.  The runway is the starting point, but what matters is getting the plane off the ground.  What has been your runway?

TD: I think it would be accurate to say the runway has been the experience of traveling around the United States, hearing and sometimes seeing what human trafficking looks like in the country.

Hearing different individuals’ stories of being trafficked has had a big influence.  Looking back, a lot of the stories I hear can blend together, but I really believe the art that I am currently working to produce is a way I can process the harshness of all that I’ve heard.  In the moment, hearing someone’s story of being exploited, it was usually hard for me to make any sort of sense of such brutal experiences.  In this case, I think my art is a way I can question the ideas and values that led to such unimaginable brutalities.

AK:. Within the metaphor of take-off, something that is discussed (often passionately) among creatives is what to do with the runway: is it forgotten, is it for the artist only, does the audience need it?  Is there anything (ideas, technical elements) that you thought you might use that you’ve left behind now that that the project is up and running? If so, what have they been and why?

TD: More and more I’m thinking the runway will be a very important one for the audience being able to make sense of what I am trying to say (or ask) with the art.  If the viewer doesn’t understand the stories and interpretations of human trafficking that have influenced the pieces, the messages of certain pieces might seem a bit foggy.  On a broad scale, I think the final product of the film (set to release in the fall) will eventually provide that context; but for the actual art show I think I will need to do some creative explaining in order for the paintings to have sufficient context.

As far as ideas I’ve left behind…mainly they’ve just had to do with ways I thought I might do the paintings.  I threw around the ideas of making linocuts for certain parts, but I figured out that might not be the most efficient technique.  For certain parts I considered using screen printing, but that would have been a bit more expensive – so I figured out ways to get similar looks with resources that were more available to me.  These sorts of ideas I think were OK to drop, as they just didn’t suit the project.  I’ll certainly keep them filed in my brain though…

AK: To expand the metaphor (trust me – this is the last flying-related question), as you continue to develop the project, what does it mean for you to see the project take flight?

TD: I think taking flight is getting to the place where the art is being made, and completed.  Some people might say that flying is getting it to a place where it is being seen by other people, and that makes sense – but for this project, just seeing the pieces come to completion is a big step for me individually, because for so long they have only been nothing but concepts and ideas.

AK: What have the challenges of the project been so far?

TD: The painted fabric is taking a lot longer to dry than I would have planned.  Learning to multitask is a big challenge for me, because I would much prefer to simply finish a painting and move onto the next, but having to allow time for paint to dry on different layers of different pieces has forced me to have a lot of pans on the grill, so to say.

AK: What have the surprises been?

TD: The materials haven’t always responded quite the way I had imagined.  I didn’t realize fabric would absorb so much paint, so things have taken a long time to dry.

AK: How involved are the people around you – family and friends – in this or your other creative projects?

TD: I would say they are very involved – not so much necessarily in the making of the art, but family and friends are most always supportive in that they allow me to do what I do without calling me crazy or thinking I’m wasting my time, or my parents allowing me to use space in their garage.  Sometimes they’ll ask questions about what I’m trying to make or communicate, and answering those questions helps me to clarify my vision, and understand more how other people might interpret my work.  It’s almost like a continual test-flight so to speak (I know you like those flying metaphors…)

AK: As a non-US American I want to ask you about the politics of your colour scheme.  Perhaps it’s ridiculous of me to do so.  It seems politics in your country are especially polarized right now.  How do you think the patriotic palette you’ve chosen will inform how your work is received?

TD: Not ridiculous at all, my friend.  I think growing up as an American, the red, white, and blue color scheme has a kind of sentimental/iconic feel to it.  To me those colors have stood for all the good and honest values that I was taught our country is supposed to stand for.  Putting these colors in the context of all that is happening with human trafficking is a big contrast, at least in my mind, and hopefully it will be for the others who see it.  Contrasting the crimes of abuse and exploitation to the values of truth and justice should be a big contrast.

AK: How do you, personally, envision the red, white, and blue, and how does it weave into your project’s theme?

Red, White, Blue - A snapshot of the upcoming exhibition

TD: I think the red, white, and blue is something that reminds me of the respectable values that our country was intended to stand for.  Since our country was founded, a lot of people have sacrificed a lot to preserve those values – and I want to respect that sacrifice – but I also want people to realize that the values which we tried so hard to preserve are once again under “attack”, this time in the context of human trafficking.

AK: Something that stood out to me from our last email conversation was that through your artistic exploration of human trafficking with this project you hope others will be motivated to consider to embark on similar journeys engaging the issue, and not only through art.  What things have been revealed to you about engaging the issues as you’ve set your hands to work on this project?

TD: I’ve realized a lot,  that even though I don’t know the entirety of everything that is going on, I have seen and heard enough to say something, and that is what I need to do, even if I haven’t fully arrived at solutions myself.  I want to say something that will encourage others to join in the process of ending these crimes within our borders and around the world.  The  more minds that are in on this, the better.

AK: Why do you think the physical, hand-dirtying (see the video!) work of shaping something creatively matters?  What does the realm of creative expression do that a purely intellectual approach cannot?

TD: The act of putting the art together is time consuming, and it’s hard not to think thoroughly about the message you’re saying, because you’re taking so much time to actually produce it (at least in my case – I take forever to actually get something done…) Thinking might not always cause you to take as much ownership of an issue, because when you tire of thinking of one thing, you can just start thinking about something else.  With creating something artistically, if you are to complete your work, you’re almost required to come to a place of understanding, on a deeper level, what you’re actually trying to say.

AK: I’ve been tuning into the weekly webisodes for your upcoming film Sex+Money: A National Search for Human Worth.  How does the edited footage of your experience inform your view of yourself and your project?

TD: It’s a new experience to see myself in video footage.  I often forget the experiences that have brought me to the place of working on an exhibit about human trafficking in America.  The footage brings me back to a place of remembering why I am doing what I am doing.

AK: How does the footage inform your view of the over-arching issues of trafficking?

TD: When we were filming, all the stories we heard seemed so scattered – from truck stops to legislation to former victims to sexuality in the mainstream media.  Having the webisodes put together helps me have a more organized understanding of the different ways trafficking is happening in America.

AK: What’s the scoop on the film project: where does it go from here and what’s in the line-up?

TD: Pretty soon actually I will be leaving Ellensburg, flying out to Virginia to meet up with the rest of the crew to begin our final months of filming.  Throughout May and June we’ll be capturing our final footage before post-production begins in the summer months.  We’ll be capturing some interviews that weren’t able to fit into the schedule last fall.  Also we’re trying to find more footage of the other side of the story – people who are proponents of the sex-industry and all that it entails – to help give viewers an understanding of both sides of the argument.  And also, we’ll be in Ellensburg in early June to film the first public showing of my art – so it will be interesting for us as a group, and also something new for myself.

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Read my first Interview with Tim here: Towards a Creative Vision

The Sex + Money: A National Search for Human Worth documentary crew hit up Vancouver, Washington with the Defenders, picketing at a truck stop to raise awareness about the reality of child trafficking.

See what Demi Moore is tweeting about:

Learn about trafficking and sex slavery in the United States.  Follow the Sex + Money film crew as they travel across the States learning about the reality of modern day slavery.

Did you know most prostitutes in the USA enter the life of prostitution, trafficked as small children?

You can help this must-see film crew continue their work to end modern day slavery by casting a vote for their cause HERE.  It’s 2 of the best minutes you’ll spend all day!

A number of my friends are working on the film Sex + Money: A National Search for Human Worth.  It’s a documentary about sex trafficking in the United States and the Abolitionist movement that is fighting it.  They’re producing weekly webisodes to highlight that I’m thrilled to feature on my site.

Week One

About the Film:

A National Search for Human Worth is a feature length film that documents a group of students as they travel in an RV across the United States, seeking to understand how the sexual exploitation of children has become the nation’s fasting growing form of organized crime.

As the students encounter the brave men and women who are fighting on the front lines of the modern abolitionist movement, they begin to consider what further action can be taken to bring an end to such obscene forms of injustice.

A common question I ask and am encountered with when I talk with others about issues of global justice is, “What do I do?”

I decided one thing I could do to answer that Q is to put together an annotated list of organizations, causes, resources, and other justice-related work that I think worthwhile and useful.  It’s a work in progress.

Please let me know what you think I should add to the list, which follows in no particular order:

International Justice Mission | ijm.org

IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.  They have downloadable advocacy resources on their website, as well as helpful fact sheets about issues like slavery, sex trafficking, and illegal detention.

Books by IJM President and CEO Gary Haugen that I’ve read and found helpful in understanding more about the world of injustice and the work being done and required to secure justice for victims of slavery and sexual exploitation:

The Good News About Injustice

Terrify No More

The Life and Influence of William Wilberforce

Like many others, I’ve been deeply impacted by learning about the life and work of William Wilberforce, a British Member of Parliament who led the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for 26 years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807.  He did not work alone, but was surrounded by people from all levels of society committed to the same cause.  Here are a few works about him that have made impact:

Amazing Grace, dir. Michael Apted

The Wilberforce Connection, Clifford Hill
The book is an important read for individuals, especially Christians, interested in social justice issues, who not only want to be connected to the heritage of effective vital faith and social activism, but want both a model of vibrant missional community and a blueprint by which to initiate strategy for effective change.  Read my book review here.

Amazing Grace, Eric Metaxas
A sobering and enlightening book upon which the film above was based.

Canadian-based Organizations Addressing Justice Issues

Raise Their Voice Against Justice Red Deer
In 2007 I helped to found this society, which exists to creatively and effectively address different issues of injustice.  Since its inception RTV has done work in print, film, for the stage, and television to affirm the value of life and the dignity of the whole person and to raise awareness about specific issues of global injustice.  Read our inspiring 20 Qs with Modern Day Abolitionists.

Alberta Coalition on Human Trafficking (ACT)
ACT Alberta is a coalition of government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, survivors of trafficking and the general public who are concerned with identifying and responding to human trafficking in our province.

Scarlet Cord
A ministry out of my church in Red Deer, Scarlet Cord assists ministries in Ethiopia, Thailand, and Romania giving care and support to women and children rescued from trafficking.

My Canada
A national organization committed to educating young Canadians on how they can shape Canada in a positive way for generations to come and practically mobilizing them to do it. My Canada focuses on legislation, justice issues, especially human trafficking.

Justice Organizations with Great Resources

ECPAT UK (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes).

A leading children’s rights organisation, ECPAT UK campaigns against the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the UK and on its international aspects. It focuses on the protection of trafficked children and children exploited in tourism and the prevention of such crimes.

Chab Dai
Founded in Cambodia in 2005, Chab Dai aims to bring an end to trafficking and sexual exploitation through coalition building, community prevention, advocacy and research. With offices in Cambodia, the USA and Canada, Chab Dai provides useful research and resources you can download online.

The Heritage Foundation | Seeking Social Justice
Problems like poverty, addiction, and homelessness are serious and complex. Passion alone won’t solve them. Seek Social Justice is a six-lesson DVD small group study guide that provides a framework for understanding and engaging human need. Combining real-world examples of effective action with the wisdom of Christian leaders like Chuck Colson, Al Mohler, and Marvin Olasky, it will challenge your ideas about social justice and how to transform lives in need.

Dalit Freedom Network
The Dalit Freedom Network partners with the Dalits in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by mobilizing human, intellectual, and financial resources.

US State Department Trafficking In Persons Annual Report | Read the Report

A thorough and informative document, the TiP report places nations on one of three tiers to rate how well countries are battling trafficking.  The document includes victim stories, country narratives, law enforcement data, maps, and much more.

Aftercare programs for Trafficked Children

Love 146 combats child sex slavery & exploitation and restores survivors with excellence.

Hagar is an international Christian organisation committed to the recovery, empowerment and reintegration of women and children in Afghanistan, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Somaly Mam Foundation
Sold into slavery at the age of 12, Somaly Mam later escaped and made it her mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and reintegrate victims. Her organization has transformed the lives of thousands of victims of the illegal trade since its inception in 1996. Somaly is now regarded as one of the most prolific activists fighting sexual slavery.

photogenX | photogenx.net

I’ve had the privilege to work with Paul and Susi Childers, founders of photogenX, a justice ministry out of Kona, Hawaii.  photogenX trains and disciples believers and equips them to document injustice. The work is expanding to include books, publications, DVDs, and documentaries that highlight global issues of gender-based injustice with an emphasis on trafficking.  I’ve had the opportunity to teach in their schools (on creative writing), and contribute to a few of their publications, some of which can be purchased through my store.

30 Days of Prayer for the Voiceless
A look at 30 issues of global gender-based injustice.

Sex and Money: A Global Search for Human Worth
A photographic coffee table book that highlights the world of human trafficking and the people vulnerable worldwide to the horrific trade in human lives.

Hakani, dir. David Cunningham
A film about infanticide among tribes in the Amazon Rainforest – a project that has influenced law and lawmakers in Brazil.

The Plight of Refugees

In 2009, I was invited by YWAM Penang to collaborate on a project highlighting the plight of migrant workers and refugees in Malaysia.  The book that resulted from my time there Disappointed by Hope: Migrants and Refugees in Search of a Better Country (forthcoming 2010) sheds light on the realities of exploitation refugees face, a story repeated in different forms all over the world.  Here are links to organizations I connected with during my time, doing important work in different parts of the globe.

United Nations High Comission for Refugees
The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.

Suaram, Malaysia
Working for Human Rights in Malaysia, Suaram is doing important activist work to lobby the Malaysian government to change its policies on the treatment of refugees and migrants from South East Asia to Malaysia.

YWAM Penang
Migrant workers are abused and lied to by employers, thrown into a foreign culture while working long hours for low wages, and looked down upon by local Malaysians. YWAM Penang Migrant Workers Ministry seeks to be a hand of compassion and justice.

Products Whose Proceeds Go Directly to Support Justice Work

The Body Shop – Soft Hands Kind Heart Skin Lotion ($6 goes toward ECPAT)

Read their report on Trafficking

Toms Shoes – for every pair purchased, one pair of shoes is given to a child in need.

Justice Advocates on Twitter

The following people are worth following on Twitter to get up-to-the-moment updates about their work to combat injustice around the world.  Please add me too!  @akooman

Aaron Cohen | @AaronCohen777

International Justice Mission Headquarters | @IJMHQ

Rob Morris, President of Love146 | @ROBLOVE146

Charity Water | @charitywater

The A 21 Campaign (Australia) | @TheA21Campaign