Great New Song for Free

Each week, iTunes posts one free song on their "Discovery Download" page. This week they are featuring a great song by Sara Groves, who I've mentioned recently. The song is called, "When the Saints." It's her response to the continuing problem of slavery.

The song won't be available long, so go to the iTunes store and find the "FREE on iTunes" section at the bottom of the home page and click on Sara's picture.

The entire album will be released next week. I've already ordered my copy.

Sara is one of few Christian singers who can talk about life without being preachy or trite. Even if Christian music isn't your thing, try this song. You won't be sorry.

"Uncoordinated and Inefficient"

"The fact that slavery—in the form of human trafficking—still exists in the 21st century shames us all. Governments, international organizations and civil society are devoting considerable efforts to counter it, but there is still an information deficit about the extent of this tragedy. Only by understanding its depth, breadth and scope can we design policies to fight it. This understanding still eludes us: efforts to counter trafficking have so far been uncoordinated and inefficient. This Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is our first attempt to close the knowledge gap."

—From the Foreword by Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa Report, UN report on Trafficking in human beings: Global Patterns

A commenter on my previous post directed me to the UN site about human trafficking. It looks as though there is some good information. (Thanks, Tushar!)

Just looking at the introduction to the UN report on global patterns in trafficking, a phrase jumped out: "Efforts to counter trafficking have so far been uncoordinated and inefficient."

Today my prayer is that God will help each person fighting this evil to recognize ways to cooperate with other fighters.

Lord, prevent us from duplicating our efforts, fighting one another, wasting time and resources and ignoring the efforts of other people of good conscience. Open our eyes to new ideas and new allies as we seek to save the oppressed.

Another interesting point in the introduction is that there is an "information deficit." Within our local group, many of us are involved in some type of communications, mostly writing. This is probably not a coincidence ...

Some day, some print will come ...

This week has been busy. And this weekend will be just as busy. But perhaps early next week I will be back with something worth writing about.

In the meantime, did you know that in Google's blog reader application, you can set up a search for blog topics? Right now, I have one set to catch posts on human trafficking. It pulls articles from sources all over the world. They're usually heartbreaking, but it drives home the scope of the problem.

It's Everywhere

Slavery, especially in conjunction with the sex trade, is pretty much everywhere. I already knew this, but then this headline popped up the other day. Plovdiv, Bulgaria is one of the cities I visited on a trip to Bulgaria in college. Life is rough there, and there are plenty of vulnerable, financially desperate young women for traffickers to exploit.

Somehow, it's sadder when the location is familiar to you.

For Those in the Buffalo Area

The University of Buffalo has an exhibit. Wish I still lived in the area so I could check it out. Maybe one of ya'll will go and lemme know what you think? You know who you are ...

And I know how full your calendar is ... but come to think of it, I'll be there before it ends. How does Thanksgiving sound? Or Christmas? : )

Another Voice

Singer Natalie Grant is taking matters into her own hands when it comes to slavery.

Yay, Natalie!

Every person who joins this fight encourages me. I liked Natalie's music before, but I'm gonna have to get my hands on a CD now.

Deliver Us!

This past Sunday, my pastor talked about Moses and the burning bush. His message was definitely meant for me. I won't go into all the details, because that's not what this blog is about. The reason for mentioning it here is because the pastor pointed out that the Israelites, the people God chose to be His people, were in slavery for 350 years. And He allowed it, because He wanted to get their attention, to teach them to rely on Him, and to do something that only He would get credit for.

This may sound dumb, but my roommate and I came home and watched "The Prince of Egypt" (the animated story of Moses and how God freed the Israelites from the Egyptians) to give us more time to think about the pastor's message. As the movie rolled, I actually had a few original thoughts about a story I've known for years.

So much of the Bible deals with oppression and enslaved people. In several instances, it's God's people who are enslaved. When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He said that He heard the cries of His people, and now He was asking Moses, the murderer-fugitive, to rescue them.

So no matter how long it seems to be before He acts in these stories, He always acts and He always does something amazing.

It's not any different today.

There Are No Words

I had a Friday evening free and the house to myself, so I decided to watch a movie called "Human Trafficking". There are really no words for what this movie did to me. The brutality of the sex trade and its insidious nature are portrayed so well that it literally made me sick. When the film ended, I was curled up on the couch, crying (which I had been doing for at least 2/3 of the movie). The idea that human beings could do this to other human beings is difficult for me to grasp, but I know it happens. It makes me want to do three things:

1. Vomit. It really is that upsetting. As a woman, all I could think was What if this happened to me or my sister or my friend? And how would you even begin to put your life back together?

2. Go find a place where this happening and bust out all the women. (I know that I am not equipped to do this, but if I ever got a chance ...) Actually, it does make me consider finding out if there are any local groups who reach out to women trapped in prostitution or help them deal with the issues afterward. On the way home from work tonight, I must have passed half a dozen strip joints--so sad.

3. Pray, pray, pray! This is a world wide evil, and we are all kidding ourselves if we think we are smart enough to bring it down ourselves. Only God can stop something this evil. Then there are the victims. How do you ever live a normal life after being exploited like this?! It seems that healing in these situations really comes by miracle only.

For the time being, I think I am done watching any kind of dramas about modern-day slavery. Another one might push me over the edge. If you want to get a feel for the real evil of slavery, especially the sex trade, this movie does that. But be careful; it is explicit and hard to watch.

Things That Make Me Angry

... and then reduce me to tears.

Tonight our local Clapham Circle met to pray, watch a short movie and brainstorm about things that our group could do.

The movie we watched is the sort of thing that fills me with rage and then tears. Even after reading a few books about the sex trade and what happens to women and girls all over the world, I wasn't prepared for how angry a dramatization could make me. The film was called Fields of Mudan If you're interested in this topic at all, find a way to watch this film.

And now for the post I've been trying to write for weeks.

Working as a writer for a Christian organization, I've been sent all over the world. Often, I go to third world countries and meet some of the poorest people in the world. I've been in sweat shops, orphanages, slums, homeless centers and soup kitchens. I've seen defenseless people firsthand. Some are defenseless because they have no opportunity to go to school or find a job. Some are defenseless because their families died or abandoned them. Some are defenseless because of the economic realities of our world that allow corporations to pay people pennies for hours of toil, all in the name of profits. I don't know for sure that I've seen enslaved people, but I probably have, as I have seen hundreds of street children and women doing whatever they could to survive.

After a few years of this, I got tired of doing nothing, of feeling helpless, of feeling guilty for not using my own resources and buying power to do something. But the problem always felt too big for me to make a difference. I've prayed about these situations and given some money, but it never felt like a complete response.

When modern-day slavery came to my attention, I had the same feeling. But I told God that if He showed me what to do, I would act. For months, this was just a thought in my mind. Eventually, I came across people who were also concerned. They were everywhere, even at work! Over the past few months, we've been putting our heads together and some ideas have come to the surface. There are local people for us to support. There are some ventures for us to consider. God is moving to do something and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Still here ...

No, I haven't disappeared. Just went home to spend time with my family for the week. TimeWarner Cable was having some issues in their area, so I wasn't able to get online much.

Welcome to any newcomers! There will be some new material this week, I believe, and maybe even the explanation of why I'm suddenly so passionate about this issue of modern-day slavery.

Thanks for dropping in!

An Open Letter to Sara Groves

Some of you gentle readers may identify with this letter:

Dear Sara,

Please stop stalking me. I know you are doing it. This is the only way I can explain how your music describes my life, down to the very detail; how, when I am at my lowest points and stonewalling God, your music points me in the direction that leads out of the funk without surrendering my intelligence; and why I have spent innumerable commutes to work and church listening to you with tears pouring down my face.

And now I understand that you are getting involved in the fight against slavery.

Copy-cat.

Seriously. Have you been following around behind me the past five years as I've traveled and seen the despair, the evil, the darkness—then witnessed how the hope of Christ rises above it all, giving peace and joy to the most destitute when I expect them to curse God and wish for death? You can't look away and do nothing, either?

This quality of yours is why I have loved every CD you've produced, since you brought "Past the Wishing" to your first concert at my college. How I wished I had $15 that night. How I mooched that CD off of people who did until I scraped the cash together for my own copy. And now, I pre-order your CDs ASAP. I am an online groupie. And I am thrilled to see that modern-slavery has pushed you to act. We're happy to have you on board. I'm pretty new here, myself.

Now, please tell me how you knew about my life now when you wrote "The Other Side of Something" album some 3-odd years ago. Still can't figure that out ... . Also, have you been handing your notes on me to my pastor? He's been suspiciously prescient lately, too.


Sincerely,
Burkinator

Letting Go of the Big Things

“I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
—Martin Luther

“The taking up of the cross of Christ is no great action done once for all; it consists in the continual practice of small duties which are distasteful to us.”
—John Henry Newman

Funny how when we fail to learn these two lessons—or just forget them—God makes sure we get the point. As I try to be obedient and take action about slavery (as well as deal with other situations in my life) I want to be so careful not to do what seems right to me and miss God's greater plans. Also, I need to remember that God works through small, daily acts of obedience as much as He does through the big, showy steps we would rather take. ... Especially when we think people are watching.

God, help us to recognize how the small and unremarkable tasks of life—when combined with faithfulness, obedience and reliance on Your Spirit—can accomplish more than our boldest, loudest declarations.

My many thanks to the bloggers from whom I've borrowed these quotes! You've inspired me.

Bear With Me ...

... I'm still finding my way through the world of the blog.

When I first decided to resurrect this blog and focus on the abolition of modern-day slavery, I had planned to chart a course for myself first, jot down some initial topics, write down a strategy. Instead, it took off almost immediately and took on a life of its own.

I still want to write about why I feel so strongly compelled to be involved in this fight. But that story will take time and editing I haven't stumbled across yet. In the meantime, here's what you can expect.

1. I will give suggestions to combat slavery that the average person can manage.
2. My day job does not allow me time to post as often as I want. Figure on 3-4 times a week.
3. Sometimes, something will make me mad, and I'll just fire off a response about the injustice.
4. My links will point you to organizations and bloggers that are making a difference (as far as I am able to determine).
5. I won't be able to reply to every comment, but they are appreciated and help me judge if the content is helpful and/or thought-provoking. Remember, bloggers are people, too, and we get discouraged by silence.


Deep thanks to those who have linked to and blogged about this site. Every mention helps and I'm honored that you think the site is worth reading. Let's hope I can keep the bar as high as it's been set.

A Fair Halloween

My friend Bob forwarded to me the following e-mail. This is a wonderful idea and makes me glad that I skipped the cheap, monstrous-sized bag of chocolate at Target this afternoon. The following suggestion seems so much better:

Halloween will soon be upon us. Chocolate is a favorite Halloween treat. But you may not know that MOST chocolate that arrives here in the U.S. comes from child cocoa laborers that work on family farms, even as slaves. The U.S. chocolate industry says it's working to end abusive child labor on cocoa farms, but so far little has been accomplished and their plan does NOT guarantee farmers a fair and stable price for their cocoa. There is a solution -- Fair Trade Certified Chocolate! Fair Trade guarantees farmers a fair price for their cocoa, so they can feed their families and keep their kids in school. Fair Trade does not allow abusive child labor or forced labor.

I want to share with you an opportunity to participate in making certain that farmers get fair compensation for their goods. Would you consider giving out fair trade chocolate with an accompanying note this Halloween? Click here to learn more. At this global exchange web site, you can even download Halloween cards explaining fair trade chocolate!

No one loves chocolate more than me!!! But as I consider more and more the abusive conditions under which the cocoa is harvested to give me a pleasurable treat, I want to make a difference in the process.

This Halloween campaign is a small, but significant, effort toward a day when all is REALLY fair in the world. Take a look at the website. And I hope you will choose to make a difference.

That website again is: http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/halloween.html
--------------

If nothing else, I will be making a trip to Trader Joe's before the kiddies ring my door bell.

UPDATE (9/27/07): I think the links had issues, but they should be correct now.

I Was Wrong

Wow. This blog rarely picked up hits. But in the last few days, there's been some real activity. This tells me that I'm just one of many who feel the pull to DO SOMETHING about slavery.

Do you feel helpless, overwhelmed, angry? I did when I first became aware of the scope of slavery, that it wasn't just in a brothel in Asia, but everywhere. It's probably here in this Bible Belt suburb. You know where this is going: "I'm just one person against a global evil. There's not much I can do!"

And that's where I was completely wrong. My friend, Bob, of Bob's Clapham Blog, had listed some organizations involved in this fight. Some were legal groups that work through the justice systems of various countries to free the oppressed. A few work in aftercare for victims. Others do job training or advocacy. The list goes on. And each organization is crying out for individuals to educate themselves about the problem and then do something—anything—to help. It became clear that one person could do a lot.

I am a print communicator and researcher at heart, so the natural place for me to start is by getting the word out. There might be something drastically different for you.

In the coming days, I'll begin putting up links to some of these organizations, listing some things to be aware of in your corner of the world, and explaining how I got here and where I hope to go. In the meantime, please visit the International Justice Mission's excellent site and the equally excellent Free the Slaves site. If you want more after that and I'm still not up to speed, Bob has more great links on his blog.

Will we ever see slavery completely abolished? Well, you've probably discovered that I believe in Jesus and His calling to minister to the oppressed in His name. I also believe that our world is hopelessly twisted and infected with an evil that will fight against good until the day Jesus returns to earth. As long as evil is in the world, some people will be so dark that they will enslave others. Right now, it's just too easy for them, and we need to make it much, much harder. This is part of my commission as a believer in Jesus. With His help, we can beat back this evil.

At the very least, if you pray, please pray about this issue. Pray for protection for the enslaved and for those who are literally kicking in doors to rescue them. Pray for the local group I've joined, that God will protect us from distraction, discouragement and disunity. Ask God to tell you if you need to act. Just tell Him your willing. He'll do the rest.

You can do something. It all starts with the step of willingness.

Slave Chocolate

When it comes to treats, nothing makes me smile like a block of seriously dark chocolate. So it broke my heart to hear that most of the chocolate for sale is produced by slaves, and mostly children at that.

Boycott chocolate? Will that solve the problem? Maybe not according to some articles I've read. (Click on this post's title to read one of the articles.) Still how can I eat chocolate when I know this? Just before I learned about "slave chocolate" a friend gave me a large bag of a favorite kind of chocolate. Each time I ate a piece, a mental image popped up of a child working in a field when he or she should be in school or out playing. Time to quit chocolate?

Enter free trade chocolate.

I thought it would be difficult to find, but the new Trader Joe's in town carries an affordable house brand of free trade chocolate, produced under standards similar to those that ensure coffee is grown and sold in a socially responsible manner. This means good growing practices, living wages for crops and fair worker policies.

Phew! I still get to hoard dark chocolate in my desk drawer, and it might even taste better ...

Quote

The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.
--George Eliot

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

There is a desperate hope brewing behind this blog. A hope that there will be new readers from among old friends. Many of you have known me for years and we've connected again on myspace. You know that I get worked up about things that aren't fair. I can't help it. Firstborns have an overdeveloped sense of right and wrong.

Over the past few months, God has been pointing me to pick up a cause of ultimate "unfairness."
Would you believe that 200 years after the abolition of slavery in the British Empire and the end of slavery in the United States some 60 years later, there are 27 million people enslaved?

It's true.

It makes me sick. It makes me sad. And it ticks me off.

With the help of other like-minded folks, I am getting involved in the movement against slavery. Like William Wilberforce, the man who worked to end slavery in the British Empire, I know that God defends the widows, the orphans and the defenseless--through His people.

I am one of them, and it's time to get moving.

Very soon, I will blog about some things I have seen with my own eyes. To get you started in the meantime, I strongly suggest reading, "Amazing Grace" a Wilberforce biography (or at least rent the movie) and "Not For Sale" by David Batstone. See notforsalecampaign.org for more. If you live near me, let me know if you're interested in doing something on a local level.

If this isn't your thing, that's fine. Check back once in awhile, as I'll probably post on other topics occasionally.

If this piqued your curiosity, thanks for reading! I will only post when I've come across something worth mentioning. Please drop me a line if you find anything worthy of note.

Much love,
Burkinator

(FYI: trying to keep my name and location somewhat anonymous, so don't be offended if I remove comments that give away too much. : ) )

Like a good neighbor?

Not to start a fight, but I'm really confused. State Farm, one of the many insurance companies involved after Hurricane Katrina, et al, has just sent me a dividend check and a letter that essentially says, "We made a lot of money from car insurance last year, so here's some back."

Now, home policies and car policies are two different things, but how can a company that--from what I've heard--left a lot of people in the cold and complained about how hard Katrina hit them, be giving out cash to policy holders two years later? The money is all a part of the same company, no?

The check, although very welcome after a week's vacation, is making me queasy. Perhaps it's not accurate to say that it comes on the backs of Gulf Coast folks, but there's still a feeling in my heart that says this money should go to those who still are living in rotting homes. I will send my check to Convoy of Hope . During a church missions trip to Mississippi in February, we worked with COH. They are one of the organizations still doing work in the Gulf Coast, as well as assisting at disaster sites across the country and around the world. The folks we worked with were amazing ... tough, compassionate, bold and willing to fight for the defenseless. In short, my favorite kind of people.

So what, right? Well. If you are a State Farm policy holder who received a dividend check, or you just feel for those in the Gulf Coast, please find a similar worthy non-government group and make a donation. That's all the begging I'll do.

This concludes Burkinator's soapbox post of the day. It just bugs me that we're all getting back nickels and dimes that would mean so much more as a lump sum on the Coast.

Back and mostly rested ...

I am back in town for at least a couple of weeks. The break was good, and I now need to recharge my life, i.e. buy groceries, pay bills, do laundry, put suitcase away, check bank balance. Probably should do those in reverse order, but the eating seems so much more pressing after a week of constant buffets and good friends.

The break created enough mental space for me to sense a prompting to write more about slavery and the generally pathetic response of Western Christians to this and other human rights issues. Most days, I couldn't care less about politics. That hasn't changed, and in fact, I feel compelled to act because government so often fails those who are most powerless. The cruise (with its international staff working long hours to keep cranky Americans happy) reminded me that in the world's eyes, I am a rich, entitled, well-educated person who is only using a fraction of God's blessings to be His hands and feet in a world destroyed by sin.

It appears that more thoughts will follow this post once I've caught up to life again. Please join me in finding the way from pathetic to engaged. And comment a lot. I know that my logic isn't flawless, so challenge me. And if you want to join in this battle (for we are fighting true evil here) please, please, please comment. Many thanks to those who have read and sent encouragement.