Made In a Free World

Today, I want to feature "Made In a Free World". I guess you could call it an organization or a ministry, but I like the description of "disruptive network" because of the way they connect individuals, groups, businesses, etc. to disrupt slavery and spread freedom.

Justin Dillon

I heard the founder, Justin Dillon, speak at the Free Austin summit hosted by Allies Against Slavery in October 2013. He is a creative, musical artist that has harnessed some energy and resources to do impressive things in the fight against human trafficking and slave labor.

As a newbie to the world of the modern day abolition movement, it is sometimes confusing to understand the real problem and even more difficult to realize the best solutions. What I appreciate about Made In a Free World is the job they do of breaking down the problem into understandable parts, and then giving people practical steps to make a difference. 

Please consider checking out their additional website resource, Slavery Footprint. Here you can take a survey to find the answer to a most uncomfortable question: How many slaves work for you? I have done this, and I will be the first to confess that I have too many working for me. (I know one is too many, but I have many more than that, and I don't even drink coffee!)

If you are like me, then there is a part of you that would rather not do things like this. It is easier for me to live in denial about some things. It is better to not know. "Ignorance is bliss," they say. But I can guarantee you "they" aren't slaves.

I have come to accept that I won't be able to change the world with just knowledge, but neither will I help it with guilt. So, feeling guilty is not the aim. My hope is to spread awareness. With a growing awareness comes more options. It is what offers us a vision of freedom for more people than have it now. Information alone changes nothing, but nothing changes without information. So, let's just start there.

Somebody's "Emerson" (aka. Why I am Becoming a Modern-day Abolitionist")

Recently, my family and friends surprised me with a birthday celebration. Boy, they got me good! I never saw it coming!

In addition to the event itself, another surprise was the collection of donations toward a personal interest I had of trying to raise enough money for a slave rescue operation with International Justice Mission (IJM). Due to their generosity, I needed to find a way to organize these efforts so I could track funds and progress toward the $5000 goal. So, I went to the IJM website and started a FreedomMaker campaign called Somebody's "Emerson". (You can check it out here.)

My daughter was naturally curious about the name, "Somebody's 'Emerson'." So, I explained to her the reason I am becoming a modern-day abolitionist. Here is what I told her.

"Every night I get the honor of tucking you in at night and praying with you. Many times, we read together and talk about our day and laugh. I look around your room and I see stuffed animals that you can hold in a comfortable bed, a nightlight, a dresser full of clothes, and shelves covered with books.

Emerson with her daddy

"You are my Emerson. You have a lot of nice things and are protected in a home with a family that loves you. Your mommy and daddy get to kiss and hug you and tuck you in safely each night.

"But did you know there are children like you all over the world, and there are some of them that don't get to be in safe homes at night? Some of them don't get to sleep in comfortable beds. They don't have even one stuffed animal to hold on to. They are hurt by people stronger than them. They are told lies. And the worst part is that they don't have a mommy or daddy they can go to for help. Some of these precious kids don't have someone to hold them and love them and do what is best for them.

"If you, my Emerson, were ever in a situation like that, I sure do wish someone would do something to help you. And if that is what I would want someone else to do for my Emerson, then it is right and good for us to do something to help someone else's "Emerson".

Every hurting, exploited or trafficked child is "Somebody's Emerson"!

Baby Step: In Case You Ever Have to Make That Call

Admittedly, this post is not all that romantic for being posted right after Valentine's Day. But hey, just be glad I am not writing about all the forced labor that was probably used to produce most of the chocolate we ate on Valentine's Day!

What I do want to share quickly is one of the "baby steps" anyone can take to help make a difference. Simply enter the National Human Trafficking Hotline phone number into your contacts. That way you will always have it if you ever need it. Then, hope you will never need it.

It only takes a few seconds. Above is a screen shot of my phone. 

The number is 888-373-7888.

One Step at a Time

I have to confess that I am totally overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem of human trafficking in our world. There are enough statistics and stories to make my head spin. On top of that, the organizations and efforts to fight against it are too numerous to keep up with, as well. How in the world can I know which is most effective? Most efficient? Operating with the most integrity?

In the early stages of learning about the human tragedy of modern day slavery, I have encountered new vocabulary and acronyms, data I don't even know how to process, and places I didn't even know existed. 

It is easy to feel like there is just too much out there. It is easy to throw my hands up and believe I cannot make a difference. I mean, really, this vile practice of enslaving humans is more prevalent now than at any time in our recent history, possibly ever. 

Who am I to change that?

To call this discouraging is the understatement of the century. It is unfathomable that we find ourselves facing this mess.

So I am left confronted with the reality that I don't know the best way to overcome it, which leads to a question. If I don't know the best way to fix a problem, do I ignore the problem? 

Justin Dillon
Founder of "Made in a Free World"

Fortunately, I attended the Free Austin Summit last October and heard Justin Dillon speak. Dillon reminded me (and everyone there) to not get misled into allowing "perfect" to be the enemy of good. Just because I cannot do something perfectly does not prohibit me from doing good, no matter how small.

Thank God! Because I need manageable, realistic steps that I can take. 

A step like writing a blog post. 

A step like attending an Allies meeting.

A step like using an App. (and then telling others about it)

A step like reading an article online. 

A step like exposing my children to this topic.

A step like making a donation.

A step like sharing a hotline number.

A step like buying a Fair Trade product.

And I am writing this because I am betting that there is someone who will read this that is just like me. Someone who does better taking baby steps in the right direction then trying to run as fast as you can in every direction. And I feel like this is a cause in which direction is more important than pace.

Don't get me wrong. If there is any issue that demands a sense of urgency, it is this one! 

Still, I don't want to get so caught up with trying to move so fast that I don't move at all.

So, for now, I will work on little steps. More importantly, I will share those little steps with others because I can't help but think that many of us taking little steps in the same direction is much more powerful than one person trying to take a leap by himself.

It is with this perspective that I invite you to read (even subscribe!) and share these blog posts that are associated with this topic. They usually come out on my blog on the weekends. (Mondays and Wednesdays tend to focus on reform in education and reform in the church, respectively.)

In these weekend posts, I will share some of the simple steps I am learning about.

Maybe we can walk together.

(Be ready for a simple step next week.)

Why the Golden Rule is Key to Freedom

I could pretend to be really smart and try to write about the topics to which I am going to refer here, but it is much better and easier to just defer to people who can articulate it better. That being said, for those interested, check out these two articles.

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/9-three-rules-of-human-conduct

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harm_principle

In short, the Iron Rule is about might. Bigger and stronger rules over smaller and weaker. The Silver Rule is a negative principle. It says, "Do not do unto others what you would not want them to do to you." It operates on the principle of reciprocity, and is the basis for much of the law in our society.

The Iron Rule can keep people in bondage. The Silver Rule is a step up because it at least says that we should not enslave others. However, neither of these rules prompt us to "set the captives free" if there is no harm to us.

The Golden Rule is set apart as a positively stated directive. It tells each of us to do to/for others what we would want done to/for us. Jesus issues the Golden Rule to dictate how we live because it is the rule of Love, not the rule of law. Ultimately, it requires His divine love to set people free, spiritually and physically. 

This concept of the "three rules" ties in directly with the issues related to modern day slavery because it is hard to see that we are in any way complicit in the problem. We are distanced from the anguish of human trafficking and forced labor by supply chains, business practices, policies, underground activities (even in our own backyard), and other factors. 

I know I am. 

Sometimes, it makes doing the right thing even more challenging. 

It is so uncomfortable. It is so inconvenient.

It is so Jesus. 

So, I pray that it will become so me.