October 2009

In the last newsletter we discussed ethical consumerism and how the purchases we make can have far-reaching effects all around the globe. Not only did we highlight the consumer opportunities that are available to us (http://www.1865continued.org/consumeropportunities.html), but we also encouraged you to sign a petition to the department of labor to release the Congress-mandated list of slave goods by country. I am proud to say that the department of labor released the list shortly after, and while it may not be extremely useful to the average consumer, this type of research and information is invaluable to organizations that are trying to clean up product supply chains. The report can be found at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft/PDF/2009TVPRA.pdf.

For this month’s newsletter, I would like to highlight a new website, http://humantrafficking.change.org/. In previous newsletters I have mentioned the importance and power that political activism can have in the fight against modern slavery. Change.org streamlines this process by gathering petitions by category and sending them directly to politicians or companies. Furthermore, they have paid staff members who write blogs and stay informed about the issues. One of their more popular sites is their human trafficking branch. Signing a petition on change.org only takes a minute and doesn’t require an account.

To get you started, there is currently a petition to encourage an increase in funding for human trafficking victims in the US. Funding for trafficking survivors is very important, because if they are not reintegrated into society they will often become victims again. It is crucial that we take care of them and help them start their new life. While the Senate subcommittee has already authorized 15 million dollars, the House committee hasn’t decided yet. By signing this petition you can let them know how important you think funding for survivor recovery is. The petition is at: http://www.change.org/actions/view/action_tell_the_house_to_fund_crucial_services_for_human_trafficking_survivors.

I encourage you to explore the rest of the site and learn more about human trafficking as well as some of the other important issues on change.org. Once again, thank you so much for your concern and support. Never forget that the collective actions of our generation will shape the world for those that follow.

Kelsey Snapp

1865 Continued: The Fight against Modern Slavery

www.1865continued.org