Gifts that Keep Giving: Music

Just kidding, we decided to start with our first gift suggestions a day early.

So, do you have a friend or family member who is really into music? A number of artists have chosen to partner with the International Justice Mission (IJM) this Christmas, by coming together to compile an album of various classic Christmas songs. 100% of all proceeds gained from this album, will be given to help rescue victims of human trafficking. Check out the video below to find out more about this album or here to purchase it.

Not quite what you were looking for? Try looking here at the “We are the World: 25 for Haiti” official website or here for a song by Jenny & Tyler (all proceeds from this song will go to fight human trafficking) for other some other ideas.

A Red Round Problem

Written by Elisa and reblogged from The Average Advocate.

Sign the Petition here!

Ever wondered whether the tomatoes in your salad, sandwich or soup were grown and picked by modern-day slaves? Um, no? Well neither had I. Apparently, though, this is something we should think about. We don’t like modern slavery (human trafficking). We consider it wrong. Then add to this that we actually get a lot of our tomatoes from Florida, produced by migrant workers who in some cases are pretty much just slaves. This equation doesn’t add up, does it? 

Not to sound weird, but essentially, but our tomatoes need to be where our heart is.  Thankfully, we can actually do this. We just have to stop getting tomatoes from slave owners.

So, um . . . how do we do that? Thankfully, there are people on top of this problem who actually know what they are doing! These guys, The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and The Fair Food Standards Council (FFSC)have been raising awareness about injustices in U.S. tomato fields. They have set up some standards in the agricultural industry.There have been over 1000 slaves in sunny Florida freed! And now they are also trying to get grocery store and restaurant CEOs to only sell us tomatoes that come from good sources.

As usual, this stuff only happens when more people do it. Hence, the CIW and the FFSC have been working with International Justice Mission (IJM) to pull off the summer campaign, Recipe for Change. Then The Giving Table jumped in, as smart as they are, calling for bloggers to tell everyone about slave-free tomatoes TODAY.

Ideas for Action

So, what exactly can we do about this?

IJM Benefit Dinner

This past weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend International Justice Mission’s (IJM) LA benefit dinner. Although I am a poor law student without much to give, I was able to sit there surrounded by some of LA’s most affluent citizens, and display my commitment and support to IJM’s cause through my presence. I also had the opportunity to hear Gary Haugen, IJM’s founder and current president and CEO, talk about some of the things IJM was able to accomplish this past year . Regardless of how much I learn about IJM or how many times I hear Gary Haugen speak, I will never cease to be blown away by the passion and dedication of the IJM staff and in their unwavering mission to eradicate the worldwide practice of human trafficking.

As I sat there listening to Haugen’s speech, I felt the frustration and the urgency the IJM staff in India must have felt as they sat and waited years, for the local police to do something to do with the evidence they had gathered, which proved that a local businessman was brazenly using slaves to operate his brick factory. I also felt the monotony and the unwavering determination members of an IJM staff working in Asia must have felt, as they drove hundreds of miles and spent thousands of hours waiting in conditions akin to waiting in the DMV (Haugen’s analogy not mine), in order to obtain justice for a young girl who had been trafficked.

I left the dinner that night with the conviction that my respect for IJM, and the irreplaceable work they are doing around the world to end human trafficking is unsurpassable. I am eagerly awaiting the day when I will be able to contribute more than just my presence.  To learn more about IJM and to find out how to support them as they work to end human trafficking, click here.

A Cup of Freedom

If you live in Northern CA close to Rocklin (about 30 minutes outside of Sacramento), you should pay Origin Coffee and Tea a quick visit and grab a cup of coffee while you’re at it. Origin Coffee was founded as a response to the atrocity of human trafficking and with the “belief that people have priceless worth.” It is a “place where everyone works for free to set victims free.” 100% of all Origin Coffee’s profits are given to the International Justice Mission, which is currently the largest organization working towards abolishing human trafficking. Origin Coffee is a great testament as to what can happen when a community comes together and says, “enough is enough.” The community of Rocklin discovered an injustice, identified a way to combat it, and then choose to act. Wouldn’t it be great if more communities followed Rocklin’s inspiring example?

Love Wins.

This is a story about a girl named Suhana. “She was found and rescued not once, but twice.” Learn more about IJM, and the work they are doing to end human trafficking by clicking here.

5 Things You Need to Know About Human Trafficking

1. Human Trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or any form of modern day slavery.

2. It is estimated that there are approximately 27 million slaves in the world. (UNICEF)

3. According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation.

4. Around half of trafficking victims in the world are under 18.

5. The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of 32 billion. (UN)

cited from www.ijm.org

International Justice Mission

Human Trafficking. Slavery. Oppression. It’s happening here. It’s happening in India. It’s happening in Thailand. It’s happening in Rwanda. It’s happening in Columbia. It’s happening in Mexico. It’s happening EVERYWHERE. “But it’s 2012…this can’t really be happening…can it?” The solemn truth? “Yes, it is happening.” The sad reality however is that most are unaware or indifferent to the occurrence of these tragedies. We turn our heads, avert our eyes, and hope that avoiding the issue will make it go away. Thankfully, there are a growing number of organizations committed to raising awareness of these injustices and making a difference. The International Justice Mission (IJM), founded and headed by attorney Gary Haugen, is arguably one of the largest and most well-known of these organizations. IJM’s mission is “to rescue thousands, protect millions, and prove that justice for the poor is possible” (Cite). Made up of lawyers, social workers, human rights professionals, investigators  and public officials, IJM “is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression” (Cite). They work in over 13 countries worldwide bringing support to victims and prosecuting perpetrators. In 2010 alone IJM rescued over 178 women and girls from sexual trafficking, over 638 from slavery, and many others from all sorts of different oppressions. To learn more about IJM or to find out how you get involved in the fight against these injustices, please visit their website here.

“Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”–IJM