This past week, on Jim Clancy’s The Brief, we have focused on young activists who are serving as role models in the fight against modern day slavery. Our guests included Bradley Myles, the Executive Director and CEO of Polaris Project; Zach Hunter, author and founder of the Loose Change to Loosen Chains campaign through IJM; and Cheryl Perera, Founder and President ofOne Child.
Polaris Project, IJM, and One Child are excellent sources of information on the topic and accept donations as well as provide suggestions as to how you can get involved. But most importantly, these three young activists exhibit the power this generation can exert. As Cheryl Perera said, “Young people, our generation today, has the power, the intellect, the talent, the creativity, the know-how, the technology and the resources to actually see slavery go down in this generation. … I think that young people who have been exploited in the sex trade themselves would feel a sense of empowerment, they are an invaluable insight into what can be done to challenge this.”
Tina Frundt, featured later in the week, was herself a victim of trafficking. She is an excellent example of someone who has overcome her tragic past and now puts her energy into doing good for other victims. Frundt is the owner and director of Courtney’s House, a shelter for recovering child sex slaves.
ECPAT (End Child Prostitution Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes), another group working against human trafficking has dedicated itself to many projects, including working with the hotel, retail, and travel industries to prevent this awful crime. On Thursday, we spoke with Carol Smolenski, the Executive Director of ECPAT-USA, about these efforts.
And finally, on Friday, we presented one of the youngest fighters to you: nine-year-old Benjamin Sherman, who wrote a book, Gregory’s Paper Airplane, on the subject of human trafficking. Proceeds from sales of the story are being donated to Agape International Missions and IJM.
Throughout the week, we have shown that sometimes the least expected individuals can have an impact - in this case, the young as well as former victims of slavery. The Frederick Douglass Family Foundation is another organization working to end human trafficking. The group accepts financial donations and encourages more young people to join in the fight through their educational projects. You can find out how to get your school involved by visiting their website.
You can also check out the CNN Freedom Project blog’s Educator and Parents Guide.
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