Dress Up To Drive Out Human Trafficking

Rotary’s understanding of and involvement in projects to fight human trafficking, modern slavery and child slavery have taken off in the last two years. Much of it began with RI’s official sanctioning of the Rotarian Action Group Against Child Slavery (RACSRAG) three years ago. Taking action against slavery goes hand in hand with a few of the six areas of focus. This is because at the root of human trafficking is exploitation of people who are vulnerable to traffickers because of displacement by war (Peace), lack of education (Education/Literacy) and poverty (Growing Local Economies). Many slaves are women and children (Child and maternal health)
  
This past May, the action group was a partner in holding a World Summit to End Human Trafficking at the Carter Center; both former President Jimmy Carter and RI President Elect Ravi Ravindran (he was still PE at that time) were speakers.
 
One of RACSRAG’s big projects at this time is the Rotary School4Freedom. We just learned that part of the project has been approved for a Rotary District (7170) Community grant (RACSRAG as host and the Binghamton RC as sponsor club).  Thus, it has been approved by The Rotary Foundation, as have our partners (Voices4Freedom and MSEMVS) with a track record and expertise in the area of freeing villages and ending slavery. Other parts of the larger project are supported by clubs and Rotarians in the U.S., England, Australia, Sweden and India. The list of donors continues to grow as we work toward our financial goal of $35,992.
 
When the project is complete—a careful, considerate holistic three-year process—no doubt RACSRAG and Rotary will be quite proud to say that beginning with a school, education and vocational training, it freed an entire village. Through sustainable freedom, it will have reversed the village’s cycle of lack of education and income, and enslavement.