Dear Humane Friends!
Heartfelt gratitude for showing interest in contributing to the cause.
Today is the 'World Day Against Trafficking in Persons'. Although I am not very happy with the fact that we need to have a day now for such a horrendous crime, but it is good in a way because it gives us a sense of the magnitude and scale of the problem, as well as the urgency to address it without delay.
Firstly, you need not contribute to the cause if you are not convinced as to what it is about or why you should be bothered about it. So if you are not convinced, kindly refer to this blog entry - Why do I dream of a world free of human trafficking?
This might give you a glimpse into the urgency of the problem and might motivate you to join the battle with people like me, for I can assure you that human trafficking is a human rights issue and it affects all of us in some ways.
If you are already convinced, welcome to the clan of change makers!
To start with, let us first get away with the myth that fighting against human trafficking can only be done by social workers or the Government. We all, from any walk of life, can be a part of this.
Here are 9 ways (amongst many others) through which we can contribute to the cause safely and in minimal time.
1. BE A CONSCIOUS HUMAN BEING – The least we can do is to ensure that we do not employ a child at home or work and, do not let anyone around us work under inhuman and exploitative conditions.
2. SIGN ONLINE PETITIONS – Recently, a lot of petitions have been successful in ensuring justice for victims and survivors of human trafficking. All we need to do is spend 5 minutes in signing an online petition. We can enter your email ID and receive regular emails for signing petitions. Scroll down to see the current petitions, click on any of them and sign. If we want to go further, share them on Facebook with your friends. YOur 5 minutes can go a long way in saving lives. Here is one trusted website which is making an impact through online petitions - Walk Free - Sign Online Petitions
3. JOIN ONLINE CAMPAIGNS – Online campaigns are similar to signing petitions. The only difference is that they are in existence for a long time because they generally fight against decades long established practices. Here is an organization which has been running online campaigns.
Just click on any campaign, scroll down to the end of the page, click on ACT NOW, enter your details and there we go in making a difference!
4. LIKE FACEBOOK PAGES OF ORGANISATIONS AND HELP THEM SPREAD THE WORD BY SHARING THEIR POSTS
a. Polaris
b. Walk Free
5. SPONSOR A CHILD ONLINE - We can give a one-time donation or a regular monthly donation to support a child’s education. They send you periodic reports on the child’s progress and you can even write letters to the child. Education helps in reducing vulnerability to exploitative situations, like getting trafficked.
a. World Vision
b. Deepalaya
6. DONATE – We can give donations that directly go in supporting anti-human trafficking efforts at:
7. VOLUNTEER/MENTOR – Volunteering to teach or mentor a child in any organization can reduce the vulnerability of the child to exploitative conditions. 2-4 hours per week is all that is required. We can find local NGOs in your locality who need volunteers.
8. USE YOUR TALENTS - People use photography, writing, public speaking and other forms of talents to spread awareness on the issue. For instance, one can learn about the issue and write on blogs about it, we can also open clubs in your college and workplace to tell people about ways they can try to contribute to the cause, fundraise for NGOs etc.
9. LEARN – If you would like to specifically learn about the issue through formal education, here are some courses you can pursue online or otherwise.
b. 'Certificate in Anti-Human Trafficking' by the Indira Gandhi National Open University, India (Distance learning course. Can be completed in at least 6 months and maximum 2 years).
Both the above courses will equip you with a basic understanding on human trafficking, it's related dimensions and laws.
Needless to say, this is not an exhaustive list. I am learning too. Therefore, if anybody has any other sources or websites, keep adding to this list.
Besides, if you have any doubt regarding the authenticity or the ability of these sources to really make an impact or you are not able to access any of the above mentioned ways or you have queries and doubts, do not hesitate to contact me at pankhuriagarwal45@yahoo.com.
When I started, I thought that signing online petitions or sharing stories and helpline numbers online, will not make a difference. But gradually I realised that every small act does. So we can remove our misconceptions, doubts or assumptions, by sharing our apprehensions with each other.
With hope and faith that each one of us will take up at least one of these ways to make an impact.
With a heart full of gratitude and faith,
Pankhuri :-)
Congratulations Pankhuri! I really like the way you have listed simple steps that each one of us can take to make a difference to end trafficking. We can't become cynical and assume that nothing is going to change. Every effort counts, even the smallest ones. Trafficking is slavery and must stop.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anju ji. You are right every small effort counts and therefore I thought that these simple steps can be taken by all of us.
DeleteEven if one of these is taken by each one of us....we are crating a whole new revolution.
Thank you for the encouragement always. 😊
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ReplyDeleteSigning petitions does help. :) So glad at Tata's response to Walkfree's petition on human trafficking in their tea estates. Thank you for sharing these sources and avenues. :)
ReplyDelete:-)
DeleteSmall steps does help. The Tata's was a great example. Recently, the UN also agreed to include a goal against slavery in their Sustainable Development Goals. And who made this happen? All of us, through signing petitions. :-)