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June 12, 2007
Prevent slavery by reading this blog...
... and making a donation to the International Justice Mission.
How much money do you make per hour at your job? Break it down, figure it out! Chances are you make at least a dollar in the time it would take you to read this blog and the associated links. Hopefully more right?
Here's the thing, kids are still sold as slaves in the modern world. People in general are still sold as slaves. Even more are forced laborers both children and adults. Who's guilty of it? It's not just in some place in the farthest reaches of India... it's right next door in some cases. Countries that do little or nothing to stop human trafficking include Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Malaysia. China and India are even noted as being deficient in making attempts to stop this appalling act. Almost a million people are trafficked as slaves each and every year.
What if you were being sold or forced to work for free? I know several of my friends complain that they don't make enough for what they do as it is. Imagine if you worked 10- 12-hour days with no weekends making nothing, zero, zilch! What if your country turned a blind eye to it, or become a world power because of the commerce that came their way due to the implementation of slavery or forced labor?
It defies one of the most basic human rights, but most people don't care. Unfortunately, Americans are more concerned with other problems.
What's your vice? Is it a Starbucks every morning? Is it a Snickers bar from the office vending machine on your break? Is it a pack of cigarettes? A Coke every day?
Alright then, I know everybody has their vices, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Yet, is it something you could give up for a day so that you could focus that minor expense on rescuing an enslaved child?
Could you have focused the same amount of time you spent reading this on showing less fortunate people how much you care and want to ease their suffering? If it was your child, sister, brother, mom, dad in this situation would you care?
Of course you would!
There's an organization called the IJM or International Justice Mission. They work at freeing those enslaved as mentioned above. They are a non-profit organization that gets annually reviewed by a third-party accounting firm on how their money is spent. You even get a tax break for donating! How often do you get to make a difference in the life of somebody who's been enslaved and save a little money out of the deal. They accept as little as a dollar. That's right folks, a dollar!
If you can't do it now, keep it in the back of your mind for your next payday! You'll find the link below, but it has also been added to my blog's "Recommended Links" section at right in case you need it later.
Click here to read more about the International Justice Mission
Click here to learn more about giving to the International Justice Mission
Read more about the human trafficking happening right now on CNN or The Washington Post
Read the US Department of State's Annual Report on the worst human trafficking offenders
Posted by Decemberice at June 12, 2007 11:21 PM