Human trafficking awareness became a reality Saturday as the Women’s Ministry Conference at Tabernacle Baptist Church in New Bern looked at it head on.
It is a story the women want to take to members and men’s groups.
Missionaries and experts spoke about parents who sell children into sex slavery for drugs, rent and food. The sponsors of the program said the event at the church was held to ignite awareness.
Pam Strickland, founder of Eastern N.C. Stop Trafficking Now, headquartered in Greenville, listed the venue for human trafficking. She said in Eastern North Carolina agriculture workers are the biggest source in human trafficking.
Along with modern day slavery, Strickland said commercial sex slavery and labor trafficking is prevalent. She urged the Christian women in the audience of the church sanctuary to become involved and help eliminate the problem.
“We must end the demand for sex trafficking. We must urge men to stop watching pornography, visiting prostitutes, and engaging in immoral activities,” Strickland said.
Among the data provided on human trafficking:
♦ There are at least 30 million slaves worldwide, more than any other time in history. Eighty percent of the victims are exploited for sex.
♦ Over 50 percent of child pornography websites originated from the United States.
♦ More than 200,000 youth are the victim of commercial sexual exploitation within the United States.
♦ A trafficking victim is brought into the United States every 10 minutes.
Former New Bern Police Chief Frank Palombo, recently retired and stressing he was not speaking for the current police department, said there was not a large problem on exploitation in the city.
“It is not a problem yet,” Palombo said. “However, it is a serious problem throughout the country and fortunately, we have not seen it in our area. It needs to be addressed and we must handle border security responsibly.”
One of the organizers said the conference at Tabernacle Baptist Church was a “baby step” in getting organized in an effort to make the public aware of the problem.
Julie Maas a missionary in Belize, South America, told of work being done in that developing country to stop the trafficking of children.
She said awareness groups have been formed throughout the country to combat human trafficking.
Maas said there are three ways to pray for human trafficking victims.
♦ Pray that the victims will be rescued.
♦ Pray that the men and women who are caught up in pornography will be set free.
♦ Pray that the pimps, customers and victims will be saved.
More information is available by calling the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-3737-888.
Francine Sawyer can be reached at 252-635-5671 or at fsawyer@freedomenc.com
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