Modern Day Slavery (Traffic Jam)

This month marks the 200th anniversary of the end of the British slave trade. The fight was won by William Wilberforce, who steadfastly labored for 20 years to see the shackles broken.

With the release of Amazing Grace, we get a glimpse into the life of Wilberforce and celebrate his achievement. We marvel at his tenacity and rejoice in his accomplishments.

Lurking just outside the movie theatre is another reality, though.

Most people are woefully unaware that slavery still exists today and in numbers far greater than ever before – approximately 27 million people currently suffer in global bondage. That equates to almost 10% of the present population of the United States. Trafficking in persons trails only drugs and arms dealing as the third largest income-producing criminal activity worldwide.

In other words, the traffic is really flowing.

Here are some sobering facts to consider:

The Relative Value

In 1850, the average cost of a slave in today’s money was a considerable $40,000. The average cost of a slave today is a measly $90.

The Vulnerability Factors

Over 3 billion people (one half of the world’s population) live on less than $2 per day. Vulnerable.

More than 1.3 billion people live in absolute poverty, living on less than $1 per day. Vulnerable.

Approximately 1/3 of the world’s labor force is either unemployed or underemployed. Vulnerable.

There are almost 45 million refugees and internally-displaced people globally. Vulnerable.

The Child Victims

There are greater than 150,000,000 children on the streets of the world today. Most are orphaned and abandoned. They represent the greatest ‘at risk’ group for all forms of slavery.

Somewhere between 600,000 and 2 million people, mainly women and children, are victims of human trafficking each year.

As many as one million children are sold each year into sexual slavery alone. This number doesn’t include other forms of slavery such as family debt bondage.

Some prostituted children are under the age of five and are forced to have sex with as many as 30 men per day for as little as 25 cents per ‘client.’

In excess of 8 million children are currently ensnared by the most despicable forms of child labor and slavery, including debt bondage, forced prostitution, pornography and related activities.

Did you know that this is the reality of the world that you live in?

Did you know that this is the reality for millions of suffering orphans and street children?

May our hearts be broken by the things that break the heart of God!

We have to put a stop to the traffic! We need to create a traffic jam!

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade of Great Britain (my home territory and land of citizenship), and to take advantage of the visibility on the issue created by the release of Amazing Grace, I'm expanding the TRAFFIC JAM Campaign that I set up in 2004 through Orphan Lifeline.

The primary purpose of TRAFFIC JAM has been to open up a Highway of Prayer (HOPE) to the ultimate Traffic Cop, the only One with the power to jam up the traffic globally. After all, He's in the freedom business, isn't he? Now, TRAFFIC JAM is providing a lot more - materials and prayer points to assist you in interceding on behalf of the enslaved, and to help you in hosting small gatherings, parties and events (with traffic jammin' music of course) to create forums to share and pray with others.

Let's bring the traffic to a halt, folks. You can learn more about TRAFFIC JAM at Orphan Lifeline.

Comments

[Carol]

My observation of today's society is that most people don't care to discuss heavy issues like this. They don't want to read about it; they don't want to talk about it. It's too huge for them. But, as you know, I'm a bottom-line type of person and I see the bottom-line being the enemy's desire to keep us overwhelmed, over-indulged, self-centered, extremely busy in our own issues. The world is shouting all kinds of issues at us today so we turn it off or else we tune into what we want to hear -- something comforting. "I deserve a break today" may be an old slogan but it's alive and well.
Those of us who follow Christ have to learn to listen to His whisper in the midst of all the noise. We have to make ourselves stop and listen and hear the heartbeat of the suffering. And we have to come to the Scriptural understanding that God calls us to make a difference. Paul, I want to be part of that difference and help to open deaf ears. I look forward to seeing the new things you are doing with Traffic Jam.

[Sarah]

I can't believe the numbers.
You ask:
Did you know that this is the reality of the world that you live in?
I answer:
NO!
It is so easy to forget this reality, so tempting to pretend it doesn't exist. So difficult to imagine, so painful to comprehend.

[Cheri]

Father, my heart cries out for the situation of your helpless children held in slavery. Lord please comfort and call blessed these mourning ones as you equip us for the fight to rescue them.
My King, raise up an mighty army for this cause, teach us the strategy to overcome the enemy, cause a massive traffic jam in the trade of women and children, thwart the devil and his abuses on these who you call precious.

"Bless the LORD, who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle." Psalm 144:1

We stand ready Lord, to fight for the freedom of these precious children.

Come Holy Spirit and break the bondages as we look to you.

In Jesus' name, Amen

[Marcello]

This one was hard to swallow but yet so true.
m

[Scott]

Our country adds to the problem. American men traveling to places like Thailand, Cambodia, Costa Rica and Brazil on "sex tours" to have sex with children in anonymity. It's wrong, it's illegal, it breaks His/my heart.

[John Mullen]

Well slavery was not abolished by William Wilberforce fundamentally. A combination of three forces abolished slavery

1) slave revolts - on the ships, and in the West Indies
2) A mass movement in Britain, started by Quakers, but taken up by many thousands of men and women, especially textile workers in the North of England.
3) Political opposition to the West Indian planters, for other reaons which had little to do with slavery