Actions for the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

UN Resources:

• Slavery Abolition Day
• Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking
• Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking

PC(USA) Resources:

• PC(USA) Human Trafficking Roundtable
• A Toolkit for Action

Prayer:

Prayer (Jer. 31:15-17 adapted)

A voice is heard in Ramah,

     lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

     she refuses to be comforted for her children,

     because they are no more.

But God, you say to us:

Keep your voice from weeping,

     and your eyes from tears;

     for there is a reward for your work.

God, as you have promised, so we pray,

     that exiles shall come back from the land of the enemy.

For there is hope for the future,

     that children shall come back to their own country.

God we pray for justice;

     we pray for those oppressed, enslaved and maltreated;

     we pray for oppressors, enslaved to sin and greed;

     and we pray for ourselves, our nation and our world,

     we pray that you would banish greed and lust,

     and that you would overcome systems and agents of oppression.

Inspire and strengthen us to be your children,

     to stand alongside others who are also your children,

     that we might love

     and recognize them as our sisters and brothers.

Tweets:

• Throughout the world, 2.4 million people are held in forced labor.
• 80% of the victims of human trafficking are women and girls. A fifth of trafficked people are children.
•  Pray for trafficked persons

Actions for the Day:

1. Contribute to the Human Trafficking Extra Commitment Opportunity. The fund facilitates the work of Human Trafficking Roundtable to lift up the issue of modern slavery, provide resources and advocate for further action to eradicate human trafficking.
2. Read “Hosting a Human Trafficking Awareness Training” to find out how to host a training for social service providers, law enforcement, and pastors in your presbytery, offered free of charge by our partner Freedom Network USA. 
3. Post the “End Modern Slavery” poster with the toll –free hot line number in a prominent place in your church.
4. Use the “Human Trafficking =Modern Slavery” bulletin inserts (to order multiple copies, contact HTRoundtable@pcusa.org).
5. Participate in the Red Hands Initiative against the use of children in armed conflict. Order Red Hands Action cards from Presbyterian Distribution Service, PDS #24-354-10-001. 
6. Participate in the campaign to implement the Code of Conduct supported by PC(USA) and ECPAT-USA (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes). The Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct is the only voluntary set of business principles travel and tour companies can implement to prevent child sex tourism and trafficking of children.  Find out more about the Code, and order cards to distribute to tourism businesses from the Presbyterian Ministry at the UN.  Contact Ryan Smith at ryan.smith@pcusa.org.
7. Support the Campaign for Fair Food against modern slavery in the fields. Learn more by reading, “Call on Grocery Chains to End Poverty and Slavery in the Fields.”  Send postcards to the CEO of the corporation whose grocery store is in your neighborhood (Kroger, Ahold or Publix) by contacting the Rev. Noelle Damico at noelle.damico@pcusa.org. To find out about farm labor slavery cases, read “Slavery in the Fields and the Fast Food We Eat”. To learn more about the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Fair Food Program, read “The Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Fair Food Program: Bringing Dignity and Justice to Florida’s Tomato Fields.”

Thanks to Alexander Haines, Field Education Student from Princeton Seminary for contributing this prayer and blog.