"What are we all living for, if nothing is worth dying for tonight" - Thrice, Lulluby
This is a place where I post information about social justice issues, primarily focusing on human trafficking. I am passionate about people and I want to spend my life helping others fully experience freedom, both on this earth and with God. Read about my anti-trafficking mission trip to Cambodia here (more info in my archives):
Brief Overview
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4&5
Day 6
Day 7&8
Day 9
Day 10
Anti-Trafficking Resources
Contact me:
cmvk87@yahoo.com
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
let’s think about how men never have to settle for the “geeky” and “nerdy girl” and how there are dozens of movies where the ugly little duckling is transformed to this gorgeous woman so that the male character can be with her
and how there are dozens of movies where women are taught to look past looks and see that those “nerdy” guys are actually really great
(Source: captainsulus)
It’s A Girl!
This week I was able to catch a screening of the new documentary on gendercide called “It’s a Girl!” The documentary was very informative, and is definitely worth watching. It covered many of the systemic issues in India and China that have played a part in human trafficking. I believe that in order to fight trafficking, you have to have a thorough understanding of the underlying issues for why it is happening, and this documentary sums up many of them in Asia. Some of these issues are:
The (illegal) dowry system in India creates an environment in which girls are a financial drain on families, and as a result the girls are often killed or sold into sex slavery
The One-Child policy in China, as well as cultural factors that put a greater emphasis on the value of boys, has created a system that promotes the extermination of girls. As a result, there are now not enough women in the country, so men are trafficking women in from other countries to be their wives.
A lack of action from the police on issues related to violence against women has perpetuated forced abortions and husbands injuring their wives because they did not receive the dowry they decided they deserved.
Females are not the only victims of human trafficking, but in a system where the female is disposable, gender-based exploitation becomes more prevalent. If you want to make an impact in this area, I highly recommend that you hit the books and start studying the underlying issues of trafficking. The factors that play into trafficking are various and involved, but it is worth it to educate yourself thoroughly on the issue.
Check out “It’s A Girl!” at http://www.itsagirlmovie.com/
Dance isn’t just about having a good time, it can also be about saying something, getting a message across to people. I’m amazed that I’ve come across something that uses dance to speak so loudly, highlighting an issue that I believe needs to be tackled and dealt with. Human trafficking is happening everywhere.
Holy crap this is powerful.
The Red Lotus Journal: The ICKY Syndrome: "I Can't Know You"
Human trafficking, specifically sex trafficking of women and children, is now the largest and most profitable criminal enterprise on the planet. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery by Siddharth Kara provides a stone cold analysis of the business model.
Recently, when I…
Problem:
At this moment, while you are reading this, a young girl is being sold into sex slavery. It is estimated that 1.2 million new children are trafficked every year of which only 1-2% will be rescued. In Thailand, extreme poverty drives parents to (sometimes knowingly) sell their daughters to traffickers.
Solution:
This week, your purchase will fund a rescue mission to save the lives of girls who have been kidnapped and sold toprison-like brothels. Through your support, Destiny Rescue will send an undercover team into a brothel to help devise a plan to safely remove a girl from her captivity!
CLICK HERE TO SAVE THE LIFE OF A YOUNG GIRL WHO HAS BEEN SOLD INTO SEX SLAVERY!
This is awesome! Although the real solution is to tackle the demand side of trafficking
I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.
My name is Ela. I am seventeen years old. I am not Muslim, but my friend told me about her friend being discriminated against for wearing a hijab. So I decided to see the discrimination firsthand to get a better understanding of what Muslim women go through.
My friend and I pinned scarves around our heads, and then we went to the mall. Normally, vendors try to get us to buy things and ask us to sample a snack. Clerks usually ask us if we need help, tell us about sales, and smile at us. Not today. People, including vendors, clerks, and other shoppers, wouldn’t look at us. They didn’t talk to us. They acted like we didn’t exist. They didn’t want to be caught staring at us, so they didn’t look at all.
And then, in one store, a girl (who looked about four years old) asked her mom if my friend and I were terrorists. She wasn’t trying to be mean or anything. I don’t even think she could have grasped the idea of prejudice. However, her mother’s response is one I can never forgive or forget. The mother hushed her child, glared at me, and then took her daughter by the hand and led her out of the store.
All that because I put a scarf on my head. Just like that, a mother taught her little girl that being Muslim was evil. It didn’t matter that I was a nice person. All that mattered was that I looked different. That little girl may grow up and teach her children the same thing.
This experiment gave me a huge wakeup call. It lasted for only a few hours, so I can’t even begin to imagine how much prejudice Muslim girls go through every day. It reminded me of something that many people know but rarely remember: the women in hijabs are people, just like all those women out there who aren’t Muslim.
People of Tumblr, please help me spread this message. Treat Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Taoists, etc., exactly the way you want to be treated, regardless of what they’re wearing or not wearing, no exceptions. Reblog this. Tell your friends. I don’t know that the world will ever totally wipe out prejudice, but we can try, one blog at a time.
I had this happen to me when I was cold and wrapped my scarf around my head.
The issue of bonded labor in South Asia effects the entire world. Please make sure the products you buy are fair trade whenever possible!
Child trafficking for guerrilla warfare in Colombia effects around 18,000 children, some of which are used as sex slaves for the commanders of the groups.
Rehabilitating Indian sex slaves
First of all, thank god at least some of these girls are being rescued from the brothels. The fact that people are noticing and trying to solve this problem that faces 300,000 women speaks volumes of the changing times and attitudes in India. HOWEVER, the way in which these organizations are rehabilitating the girls is not appropriate. They say the sex slave trade is prominent in India because of the gender bias that’s engrained in the culture. These organizations may be saving the girls from the manifestation of one gender bias, but they’re putting them right back in another. These transit houses teach girls “vocational trades” - like cooking and how to apply makeup. They’re taking these girls out of sex slave industry only to put them into traditionally women’s jobs where they will be discriminated against and prevented from rising through the ranks. If instead these transit houses and organizations gave the girls an education, supported them in college, or gave them the resources to pursue a higher paying job based on non-domestic skills, they’ll be much better off in the future.
3hree Things: Deadbolt Wine
a) surprised it’s not a 2002 vintage
b) surprised it doesn’t have the stereotypical early 2000’s era distressed-Helvetica “hardcore” font (That goth business is wack.)
c) wouldn’t be surprised if at tastings for the winery, guests yelled out “Deadbolt” every time an alternative wine was introduced.
(Taken with Instagram)
Awesome :)
