21 Ways to help stop human trafficking

1. SPREAD THE WORD

Memorize some of the statistics about human trafficking and tell your friends. You can also download posters from www.callandresponse.com or ask us for brochures you can pass out to people at your work, school or church.

2. USE YOUR TALENT

Write a blog about why we should fight human trafficking; paint a picture and display it publicly; use a sports event to raise awareness and funds; write a song or talk about human trafficking at a concert; create a short film and post it on www.youtube.com. Use what you do best to make a difference!

3. INVEST IN FREEDOM

One way you can join The A21 Campaign is through financial support. Your donation will be used to fight human trafficking through legal fees, as well as costs related to healthcare and housing for rescued victims. If you would like to join The A21 Campaign by making a financial contribution or becoming a regular monthly partner, please click here.

4. LOBBY POLITICIANS

Often times adjusting laws and policies surrounding the issue of human trafficking can help make it easier to identify and convict traffickers in a court of law. For more information on how to inform your elected officials, check out www.polarisproject.org.

5. ORGANIZE A FUNDRAISER

Join the A21 Abolition Program and be equipped with the information and resources to organize your own fundraisers. Also, for ideas and inspiration, check out the A21 Heroes.

6. SUPPORT SURVIVORS

You can support survivors by donating items for newly rescued victims at our shelter in Greece. One suggestion is new clothes such as pajamas, socks and other essentials as survivors often come to us with only the clothes on their back. If you would like to make a donation directly to the survivors in Greece, please contact us. Another way to support survivors is to buy products made by survivors of human trafficking. Here is one place you can find jewelry that is hand-made by survivors:http://www.nightlightinternational.com.

7. FAST ON THE 21ST

On the 21st day of every month, fast for the work that The A21 Campaign is doing in Greece, the Ukraine and around the world. Fasting is a personal reminder throughout the day of your commitment to see breakthrough in injustice. Together, on the 21st of each month, we can stand in agreement to see the injustice of human trafficking abolished and set aside this day to focus on making a difference.

8. VOLUNTEER

You can also join The A21 Campaign by becoming a volunteer. Some of the areas that you can get involved are: research, web design, photography or graphic arts. If you would like to volunteer with The A21 Campaign at some capacity, please contact us.

9. START AN AWARENESS GROUP

Start an awareness group at your local high school, university, or workplace. Get your friends involved in spreading the truth about human trafficking to your community. For more information on A21 abolition groups, or to download abolition resources, click here.

10. BUY FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS>

Find out how you or your company can support fair trade and help reduce the demand for products made by slaves. Visit www.fairtrade.org.uk for more details.

11. SPONSOR THOSE AT RISK

Because poverty is a major contributor that can lead to human trafficking, sponsoring a child or woman in poverty-stricken areas that are also ranked as high origin countries for trafficking can help make a difference. Check out this organization,www.compassion.com, to see how you can start sponsoring someone in need today!

12. INTERN FOR A SUMMER

A21 offers both summer and winter internships at our Greece location. For more information, click here. Also the Home Foundation has a summer internship program for college students. For more information on how you can serve next summer, visit:http://www.thehomefoundation.net/internship.html.

13. EDUCATE YOURSELF

Download the United Nations toolkit to combat trafficking:http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/publications.html. You can also watch a movie or read a book to learn about real stories of human trafficking.

Recommended reading material:

1. Not For Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade--and How We Can Fight It - by David Batstone.
2. The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade - by Victor Malarek
3. Terrify No More: Young Girls Held Captive and the Daring Undercover Operation to Win Their Freedom - by Gary A. Haugen and Gregg Hunter
4. The Road of Lost Innocence - by Somaly Mam
5. Ending Slavery - by Kevin Bales

Recommended movies (for mature audiences only):

1. Human Trafficking (2005)
2. The Jammed (2007)
3. Trade (2007)
4. Taken (2008)
5. Lilya 4-Ever (2002)

14. STAY CURRENT

Human trafficking is in the news and making headlines every day! Visit our newsroomregularly to stay up to date with the latest news articles about human trafficking.

15. WORK THE WEB

Get the word out by posting the A21 awareness video on your website, Facebook, MySpace or personal blog page. You can also join The A21 Campaign's Facebook Cause and invite your friends to help spread awareness. Click here to join right now.

16. PRAY

Never underestimate the power of prayer! If you would like to obtain a prayer guide with specific scriptures you can pray, please click here to download or contact us to request a hard copy.

17. MOTIVATE THE MEDIA

Encourage your local newspaper or television station to cover stories about human trafficking, as well as what your community can do to help stop it.

18. STAY ALERT

If you see something suspicious in your area, make sure you speak up by informing your local law enforcement. To find out what to look for, click here. For emergency contact information, click here.

19. WORK FOR FREEDOM

Consider a career as an abolitionist. There are many great organizations that are in need of skilled and trained professionals to help advance the cause of justice. Here is just one of many to consider: http://www.ijm.org/careers.

20. MAKE CONNECTIONS

Please contact us with your feedback, ideas, possible contacts, and important information. The more we all connect, the more of a threat we become to injustice.

21. HELP VICTIMS ESCAPE

Leave local rescue hotline numbers in public places around your city. For ideas and free downloads, visit http://nhtrc.polarisproject.org/.