Great Resources on Human Trafficking

by Elouise

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Three Videos – the quickest way to get the big picture.  Of all that are out there, here are three first-class possibilities.  I’ve used all three in formal and informal settings (seminary, church, small groups).

  1. Not My Life – a film by Robert Bilheimer, narrated by Glenn Close.  International in scope; first-class photography and handling of subject.  Comes in two versions:  full-length (83 minutes) and abridged (30 minutes).  Both are outstanding.  Click here for the trailer and more information.
  2. Not for Sale – a two-part documentary on the fight against human trafficking.  Also global in scope.  Part 1 is an 83-minute documentary based on David Batstone’s outstanding book, Not for Sale (mentioned below).  Undercover footage, and interviews with front-line women and men making a difference.  Compelling and inspirational.  Part 2 (32 minutes) highlights five modern-day abolitionists working here and abroad.  Click here for trailer and more information.
  3. Chosen – a feature film (about 22 minutes) for young people, their parents and friends.  An outstanding resource for children, young people and adults.  Focus:  stories of two young women who find out the hard way about domestic minor sex trafficking.  Empowering, with immediate ways to take action locally.  Package includes two discs.  One with a leader’s guide, adult pack and student pack with age-appropriate material for each audience.  The second disc has the 22-minute feature film plus a 2 1/2 minute trailer.  Click here for more information and the trailer.

Three Books – I’ve routinely recommended these, in the order given.  Never a dull page!  Sometimes difficult to take, and well worth the effort.

  1. In Our Backyard:  A Christian Perspective on Human Trafficking in the United States.  Author:  Nita Belles.  Not for Christians only!  Each chapter covers the basics about various forms of trafficking that take place right now in the United States.  A quick read, extremely well written, and a great resource for older youth and adult study groups.  Packed with information and true stories.  Includes discussion questions for each chapter.  Click here for more information.
  2. Not for Sale:  The Return of the Global Slave Trade – and How We Can Fight It. (revised and updated)  Author:  David Batstone.  A beautifully crafted narrative about modern-day slavery and the courageous abolitionists fighting it.   Thailand, India, Uganda, Europe, Peru, The United States.  Riveting, sometimes heartbreaking; impossible to put down.  Click here for more information. 
  3. Girls Like Us:  Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale:  A Memoir.  Author:  Rachel Lloyd.  Intertwines the author’s story with the stories of young women with whom she works in New York.  Lloyd is the founder and executive director of GEMS, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services.  Another page-turner and eye-opener.  By the end you’ll know more than you wanted to know about what it takes to work with young girls, and the upside-down world where they live daily.  Click here for more information.

© Elouise Renich Fraser, 6 January 2015