Resolution on Human Trafficking
Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including the United States. Human trafficking is a crime and a human rights abuse that is a form of modern day slavery. Specifically, human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel someone into labor servitude or commercial sexual exploitation. Every minor exploited for commercial sex is a victim of human trafficking, even without force, fraud, or coercion.
President Barack Obama has proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This proclamation coincides with the 150th Anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation that stands as a powerful reminder and incentive to continue to work to eradicate human trafficking.
Two years ago, the Department of Homeland Security developed the Blue Campaign. The Blue Campaign unites the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) components to combat human trafficking through a variety of efforts, such as enhanced public awareness, training, victim assistance, and law enforcement investigations. At the Blue Campaign website resources for training, a directory of Human Trafficking Awareness resources, and a means to report suspected trafficking are available.
Whereas human trafficking violates norms of Christian morality and human decency, the Council of the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey resolves to encourage our churches to consider their call to end modern day slavery and human trafficking by:
Calling for our region’s churches to become more educated on this matter of social concern.
Proclaiming the month of January to be a dedicated period of intercessory prayer for the victims of human trafficking.
Partnering with International Ministries and their missionaries who focus their energies on this issue.
Endorsing the Blue Campaign and supporting its work.
Presented to the ABCNJ Council on January 26, 2013, and passed unanimously.