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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact
January 17, 2024
Human trafficking: a global menace everyone can help fight BY REV. DERREK BELASE
T
he month of January is designated as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The United Methodist program calendar designates January 11 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Bishop Nunn and his Cabinet observed that day by beginning their work focusing on how the church in Oklahoma might respond to this horrific situation. Since blue is the color to honor and remember victims of Members of the Bishop’s cabinet wear blue to bring attention to Human Trafficking trafficking, they also wore blue that Awareness Day. Submitted photo. day. There are estimated to be more than 27.6 million people — adults and children — subjected to human • Living with employer trafficking around the world, including being more alert and reporting to authorities situations which seem out • Poor living conditions in the United States. Traffickers often • Multiple people in cramped space of the ordinary is the best way to get take advantage of instability caused • Inability to speak to individual by natural disasters, conflict, or even a involved. alone Churches can mentor and pandemic to exploit others. • Answers appear to be scripted and support vulnerable persons in In 2021, the hotline for human their communities because human rehearsed trafficking in Oklahoma received • Employer is holding identity traffickers often prey on the outcasts 438 signals with 206 of those being of society, those whom others will not documents from victims. Of that, 99 cases were • Signs of physical abuse miss if they are gone. identified involving 180 victims. • Submissive or fearful Much more information can be Nearly 90 percent of those were • Unpaid or paid very little found here. sexually related cases. • Under 18 and in prostitution The General Board of Church The US State Department offers and Society offers a website full If you suspect someone is being the following list of indicators that of information regarding human someone may be trafficked: trafficked, call 911 or call the National trafficking. Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888While not an exhaustive list, these January is a perfect time for are some key red flags that could alert 373-7888. churches to raise awareness of you to a potential trafficking situation responding to human trafficking. By that should be reported:
