Right now, you might be wondering "What can I do?" College students like you are already making a difference, and so can you! Get a first-hand look at how someone you know could end up in modern-day slavery with the Backstory.
Spread the Word
Human trafficking is a hidden problem, so let's get it out of the shadows. Follow the #AgainstOurWill hashtag on Twitter and like the mtvU Against Our Will campaign on Facebook.
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Tell your social network about the problem of modern-day slavery. Change your Facebook status, tweet, or send an email to your friends.
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Promote the campaign. Post Against Our Will banners.
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Keep up on the issue. Follow @GEMSGIRLS, @FreetheSlaves, and @Polaris_Project on Twitter, and like GEMS' Girls Are Not for Sale, Free the Slaves, and Polaris Project on Facebook.
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Write about it. Free the Slaves has suggestions on ways that the pen can be mightier than you think, like contributing to your college newspaper or performing spoken word.
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Host a viewing party for a documentary on human trafficking.
- GEMS' film Very Young Girlsfollows teenage girls in New York City in their journey to exit the commercial sex industry.
- Free the Slaves' film Dreams Die Hard profiles several people trapped in slavery across the US.
- Call + Response is a documentary that explores slavery throughout the world, featuring performances by like Moby, Talib Kweli, Imogen Heap, and more.
- Not My Life depicts slavery on five continents and includes survivor testimonials.
- GEMS' film Very Young Girlsfollows teenage girls in New York City in their journey to exit the commercial sex industry.
Dial Down Demand
Demand for goods and services produced by trafficking victims is what makes human trafficking a multi-billion dollar industry.
- Ever hear a friend talk about going to the strip club or sorta-kinda-maybe-not joking about buying sex? Talk to them about the way they treat women and the realities of the sex industry. Not sure how to start the conversation? Check out these tips on how to talk to your friends about buying sex, respecting women, and the truth about pimping.
- Find toolkits on how to end demand in your community at CAASE's website.
- Watch videos featuring the poetry of survivors of commercial sex exploitation here.
- Visit the Free the Slaves Congo site, where you can use their online tool to learn if slave-tainted minerals are in your home or campus.
- Choose one item that you use regularly and commit to purchasing it, whenever possible, as a fair trade product. Every little bit helps!
- Work to dial down demand in your daily life by using Slavery Footprint, an online story-driven survey that helps you determine your contribution to forced labor — and then empowers you to do something about it. Take the survey and sign up with your school, and then download the app for iPhone and Android.
Advocate
Because human trafficking is a hidden problem, it's often not a legislative priority. Find out ways to get your representatives to take notice below.
- Thirty-nine states in the US do not have "safe harbor" laws that allow minor sex trafficking victims to be treated as victims. Find out where your state stands on safe harbor and other legislation. Make your voice heard on legislation by signing the Safe Harbor petition and by contacting your representatives.
- The Trafficking Victims Protection Act is a federal law that helps trafficking survivors and provides funds to prevent trafficking. Support the renewal of the act by emailing your members of Congress.
- For more information on current legislation and action alerts, visit Polaris Project's advocacy site.
- Create your own petition on an issue that's impacting your community. Collect signatures and send them to your local representative.
Educate
Encourage your college to adopt one of the following curricula on the issues of human trafficking and modern-day slavery, and ask your professors to include the topic in class.
- Ask your professor to include Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not For Sale during class to discuss the impact that commercial sexual exploitation of children and domestic trafficking have on young girls.
- Slavery and Abolition in the Modern World (PDF) provides cross-disciplinary understanding of both modern slavery and abolition.
- 21st Century Slavery and Abolition (PDF) is a seminar that takes on the issue of modern day slavery and the work people are doing to abolish it.
- Studies in African American Literature — The Slave Narrative: Past and Present (PDF) focuses on the genre of the slave narrative since the 18th century, including narratives by slaves and survivors in the modern-day.
- Stories of Slavery and Freedom (PDF) examines scholarship on race, slavery, and abolition both historically and in the modern world.
- American Protest Literature from Tom Paine to Tupac (PDF) looks at the tradition of progressive protest literature in the United States from the American Revolution to the rise of globalization, hip hop, and modern-day slavery
Volunteer
There are a number of different ways that you can donate your time to help trafficking survivors or prevent at-risk children from becoming victims of trafficking.
- Sign up for Polaris Project's Grassroots Network
- Join the GEMS Council of Daughters.
- Mentor at-risk children. Some places to get started are your local Boys and Girls Club or Big Brothers Big Sisters.
- Polaris Project is looking for volunteers in their Washington, DC and Newark, NJ offices.
- Free the Slaves offers internships and volunteer opportunities in their Washington, DC office.
- GEMS is seeking interns in their New York City office.
Organize
There's power in numbers. Get tips on how to start or join a student group, read blog posts featuring timely actions, and find out how to contact our student organizing team here.
Fundraise
There's a number of ways that you can raise money for organizations fighting modern-day slavery — we've listed a few below.
- Donate money to GEMS for survivors on their website, start a Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Page on Polaris Project's website, or donate money to Free the Slaves.
- Purchase survivor-made products sold by Made By Survivors or Buy Her Bag Not Her Body. For other places to buy survivor-made projects, visit Polaris Project.
- Support the Girls Are Not For Sale campaign by purchasing merchandise at the GEMS Shop, or buy "This Is to Mother You" on iTunes today.
- Host a fundraiser for Polaris Project, Free the Slaves, or GEMS. Show a movie, discuss a book, or invite a speaker.
Report It
If you suspect trafficking is happening in your community, the most effective way to make a difference is by reporting it to one of the below organizations. Remember: never personally intervene in a situation where you suspect trafficking is happening.
- Submit a tip about a potential trafficking situation on Polaris Project's website, or by calling the 24/7 hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
- If you believe a child is being exploited, report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline.