There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. Edith WhartonThe quote was in the back of my mind when I read this article (two pieces of anti-trafficking coverage in a row for Forbes, btw): How to End Sex Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery. It's an article interviewing Siddharth Kara, a well-known author and fellow at the Carr Center. It's an educated and informed look at the evolution of awareness about human trafficking and the subsequent public response. Kara observes:
[A] primary challenge has to do with the inability of activists in the field to catalyze a more unified grassroots movement to combat the issue. The antislavery movement remains highly fragmented, and as a result, its ability to mobilize social opinion and lawmakers on the issue has been hampered.It frustrates me when people want to spend time criticizing and belittling other organizations' efforts instead of recognizing their common desire--to end trafficking and modern-day slavery--and using that as an impetus to work together. It's true that some people, no matter how good intentioned, are doing more harm than good. It's true that sometimes stories are sensationalized and blown out of proportion. However, I think that as a whole, abolitionists need to put politics and personal vendettas aside in favor of greater partnerships. Let's keep in mind who the real adversary is here.
I know--easier said than done. Maybe a united resolution for 2012?
Because, let's face it: mirrors that have become "highly fragmented" simply aren't going to reflect the candle the way that they should.
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| Photo by Artnow314 |
2 comments:
Totally agree Emily. One of the biggest aha moments I had at the first human trafficking awareness conference I went to was that there was no collaboration, no shared resources, no admitting that perhaps another organization had a better foothold in an area of human trafficking or better skilled at a certain part of the fight. At our Power Of One event we had last year, we brought together twenty organizations which was great buty hope this year is that we can bring them together no just to sell merchandise or get the word out about their organization and mission but that we can spend time collaborating and partnering together to fight this battle as one army.
Adam Young
Love146 Dayton Task Force
Thanks for the insights, Adam. Keep me posted about your Power of One event this year. I'd love to hear more about what it entails--and funny enough, I had coffee with Matt Miller this weekend and he wanted us to connect. So it was good timing for you to comment. We should catch up sometime about what's going on with your L146 Task Force. Would be interested to hear more about it as we start planning our first Hartford TF event! - Emily
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