A regional division of

August 6, 2009 - North Carolina , Will You Join Me in the fight to end human trafficking?

Maybe you are like me. You've heard stories of child soldiers from countries like Sierre Leone and Uganda, and your eyes swelled with tears. You've heard stories of young girls, many children, in Asia being forced to perform any number of sexual acts at any time without a choice. Your blood boiled. You watched Slum Dog Millionaire and you simply had to be alone. The numbers are too much to comprehend; millions of child beggars live in India alone. Maybe you, like me, have felt helpless against the magnitude of such evil and retreated to the comforts of a daily routine work, food, entertainment. What, after all, can a little girl (or boy) in North Carolina do? So I did nothing.

Three things have changed this for me. (Scroll down to find out)

First, I realized that these evils are all forms of modern day slavery. The victims in each of these situations are forced to work, not allowed to leave their situation, and are providing untold profits for someone else. Over more than 27 million people are enslaved in our world and they are being denied the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Many pets receive better treatment.

Second, when I retreat into my daily routine I still cant get away from the issue. Our world is so connected. Just about every product I wear or consume seems to have ties to the slave industry. The more I know, the more frustrating this truth is. My two favorite things, chocolate and coffee, are industries tainted with the blood of forced labor. Not to mention the textile industry that used to prosper in this great state, has outsourced itself to the cheapest deal. Unfortunately, free labor always yields the cheapest price. So when I buy chocolate, coffee, and clothes without knowing the ethics of a company who made the product, I very well could be encouraging the modern day slave trade.

Third, slavery exists right here in North Carolina. Not too long ago I asked a vendor at the NC Farmers Market if he had heard of slavery happening in NC. He told me that I would be shocked. He didn't know anyone personally, but he knew of places where women are forced to work the fields of NC and to provide sex for the men. Then he shared something interesting that belied a belief that somehow made it okay. He said from the perspective of a young, poor girl from the mountains of Mexico, its better to be here in the US even if she has to lay down 4 times a day. Now this gentleman could have been my grandpa, and here he was rationalizing the existence of slavery on Tarheel soil!

So whats a girl to do. First of all, I recognize that we need to join forces. The problem of slavery is overwhelming and has revealed itself as a systemic evil in every part of the world. So in order to make change in the system, we must have folks working for change in every part of that system. We need students, researchers, journalists, designers, business owners, consumers, people of faith, health care workers, counselors, law enforcement, politicians, artists, teachers, fundraisers, athletes, coaches, factory owners, and workers of all kinds. NC I want to do all that I can to empower you to use your brains, voices, talents, and creativity to create a world that truly is slave free. If you want to join NC Not For Sale, please email me and feel free to share your thoughts and ideas. Bookmark www.notforsalenc.org where we will be posting abolitionist activities in our state, so we can support each other.

We are on a journey to change. Working together we can free those who are enslaved in NC, the US, and the World.

Tammy Smith, Director NFS-NC

NORTH CAROLINA