Forum posts to 'Justice'

Re: Link between media on poverty/human trafficking and taking action?

Tori — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:20:08 +1200

And while we're on the subject of media... What about all the images exposed to us that FUEL trafficking?? Our culture is saturated with sexual imagery and the concept of self-gratification. You only have to turn on the T.V. or walk down the street to notice that female bodies are used to sell everything from cars to clothing, holidays, mobile phones, fragrances... And whether you consciously notice it or not, they all scream: women are products for sale and consumption. Sex sells.
How can this change??

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Re: Link between media on poverty/human trafficking and taking action?

Tori — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:16:52 +1200

This media topic is a difficult one. It feels like everyone is competing for our attention: to buy their product, wear their clothes, use their service. We are soaked in advertising. And because we're so exposed to it all, it becomes a social norm. We expect to be blasted with images wherever we go.
So it's not surprising that charity's & funds like World Vision use the same types of media that everyone else does. But is it still working? I agree with Aaron here. Our generation isn't really shocked by anything anymore. We have so much information to process that we've developed a coping mechanism - apathy.
So how can we change this? I think our generation needs to EXPERIENCE it. See it with our own eyes. And once we have, share our experiences with our friends... The old fashioned way, talking face to face! I think we underestimate the power of our personal stories. We're longing to hear something real.

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Re: poverty link with trafficking?

Beckah — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:22:33 +1200

Totally. Human trafficking is not a quick fix or something you can just throw money at. I think that's why I'm so passionate about understanding this problem, talking about it, learning, creatively responding, blogging here....this will ultimately lead to addressing human trafficking more effectively. I wanna talk about Europe....... What is the main drive for human trafficking there? Poverty?

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Re: Link between media on poverty/human trafficking and taking action?

Beckah — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:18:22 +1200

Good thoughts... I agree! It's almost like we become desensitised to everything because there's too much information. That's why I think it's important to LEARN about something. If you learn about it, interact with it, it becomes more than a face and a sad story.... My question... is media stuff in your face effective? What's the best alternative??

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Link between media on poverty/human trafficking and taking action?

Aaron — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 23:10:16 +1200

We are exposed to images, movies, news reports and stories of human trafficking and or poverty quite often these days. As a kid I remember seeing the World Vision ads, or the tear fund commercial on TV and being awestruck by what I saw. The first time was powerful but now with so much of it being sensationalised in the media it has lost the impact it once had. If it was a particularly sad story I may feel sad for the person for a while, or at least until the next thing comes up on my screen and the message is promptly forgotten. When the memory of the image, movie, news report or story has gone out of my mind does that change the fact something still needs to be done about what I saw? No of course not. What needs to change? What will motivate me to do something? What will cause me to be passionate about something bigger than myself? These are my questions, does this resonate with others? Any ideas/thoughts on this topic?

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Re: poverty link with trafficking?

pete — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:54:12 +1200

There are some fantastic ideas here, and "not giving up" is definitly one of those. There is something to be said about persistance and stamina. I feel that because we're dealing with such a huge issue here, we are needing to build up some momentum before we are going to actually see things happening, and they will be BIG, I'm sure of it.
The thing with momentum is, the heavier the object, the more force it needs. So by talking about it, generating awareness, getting people thinking about these ideas and issues and people taking active steps to rid the world of this barbarous act, this thing will gain the momentum it needs. What a movement this is going to be!

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Re: poverty link with trafficking?

Tori — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 09:35:35 +1200

I've been thinking on this topic a lot lately & have been doing quite a bit of reading on the subject. I'd been finding that the more I dive into the subject, the more overwhelmed I get by the sheer scale of this human trafficking issue. Sometimes I begin to wonder, can we really eliminate this? William Wilberforce worked so hard to fight against slavery, but it has just returned in another form. Will this just happen again? Are we too selfish? Has mankind become so ugly that it can't turn it's back on such an evil? While I was mulling over this a Newton Faulkner song came on, here are some of the lyrics...
"Because we're capable of so much more, than the statistics on the news. If we don't want to fight anymore, well then it's up to us to choose. That's why I'm not giving up yet. No, I'm not giving up yet".
And as simple as it was, it gave me hope. NO, IM NOT GIVING UP.

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Re: poverty link with trafficking?

Beckah — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:07:47 +1200

I think I would be and I'm stoked to see that there are more moralistic choices when buying...especially FOOD. But for example, in New Zealand, there are only a handful of equitable shops where you can buy fair trade clothes and often they're not even that cool. It would be awesome if we had more morally conscious options available, but at the same time, would we really shop at them if it meant we had to curb our spending or not look quite as trendy........?? I completely agree. Human trafficking is selfish acquisition. It centers around demand for self gratification whether that be material possessions or sex. But it's one thing to SAY that we'll live unselfishly and another to do it... I love Joel Houstens quote where he says "it's time for a revolution.. fuelled by a dissatisfaction with self-centred living and complacent faith.. driven by a desire for truth, love and justice.. " But what does that actually mean and how does it affect us as individuals? How does it affect the wider scope of human trafficking?

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Re: poverty link with trafficking?

Tori — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:45:42 +1200

I completely agree with what's being said here. I think chronic poverty makes people take unwise risks & it's heartbreaking that others take advantage of their desperation. Human trafficking as a global trade (which unfortunately it is) has fed off our obsession with acquisition, whether cheap food, clothes, employees or sex. We are a society of consumers that need to feed our own selfish greed. At the very minimum we (as consumers) need to be aware of where our purchases come from. Are we prepared to put others before our own selfish desires??

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Re: poverty link with trafficking?

Beckah — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:01:24 +1300

I agree that poverty is not the "main cause" of trafficking. I think you're right about vulnerability being the main cause. Human trafficking varies on a country specific basis. In SE Asia factors such as poverty, gender, family customs etc all contribute to why parents sell their children. In the west, it is often trickery and lack of knowledge that leads to human trafficking. My question is, how do we change perceptions on sex? If there is such a demand for this how do we change demand?? Do you have any ideas?

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Re: poverty link with trafficking?

LoveRoots — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:31:32 +1300

Poverty is not "the main cause", but vulnerability is. Sometimes vunerabilty comes from poverty- but there are other factors that go into it. Why is there human trafficking to begin with? It's about DEMAND, and it's about making a PROFIT. Since the beginning of time, slavery has existed, and people have been exploited. Whether it is for cheap labor or the sex industry, traffickers make money by exploiting other people. The scary thing is, they make so much money, it is the fasted growing illegal trade industry in the world. Because sometimes poorer people are in such need, traffickers target them. In the U.S., traffickers often target vunerable youth who are not necessarily poor, but who are in a fragile state either physically, emotionally, or both.

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What is human trafficking?

Bex — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:38:11 +1300

What is human trafficking in plain terms we can understand? How is it different to the slave trade of William Wilberforce's day?