The question I get asked most often is, “What can I do to fight human trafficking?”  The reality is that we can all do something.  Many stop right there thinking that they don’t know enough.  That said, we are all able to learn so don’t let that be a roadblock.  Really the first question to ask is, “How much time do I want to give to it?”  I mean, do you want to give 10 minutes a week or are you wanting to dedicate your entire career to this work.  Are you willing to make adjustments in your life to make room for fighting human trafficking?  Once you know the answer that you can decide how you can contribute. Here are some things you can do depending on how much time you have to give. 

1. Get informed - It’s pretty easy to get yourself informed.  We have a free 30 day email course that makes getting an initial understanding easy.  It only takes 5 minutes a day.  There are also books/movies/documentaries you can watch that give you an understanding.  We recommend watching Nefarious as a great place to get started.  We list some reviews of great books and movies here.  If you search online you’ll also find a plethora of webinars and websites that can help you.  We recommend starting at Trafficking In Persons Report to find out the main issues in your country.

2. Tell others about human trafficking - There are so many people that don’t even know human trafficking exists.  Take the time to share with others what you are learning.  Who knows, you may just influence someone enough that they are at less risk of being trafficked or join the fight.

3. Put the hotline number in your phone - Most countries in the world have a hotline number you can call if you see something.  Police need all the evidence they can get to fight organised crime.  You may just be the person that gives them what they need to rescue someone or put a trafficker in jail.

4. Give - Giving only takes seconds but it really does make a difference to organisation working to fight human trafficking.  The traffickers we are working against are cashed up so every dollar counts.  Find an organisation you trust and make a donation.  Even better, make a monthly commitment to give so they can plan ahead and really make a difference.

5. Organise a fundraiser - If you love a project or are the outgoing type this can be a great way to bring attention to the reality of human trafficking as well as raising funds to help the cause.  It can be as simple as getting a few friends to come over for dinner and asking them to make a donation or all the way to organising a gala event that raises thousands.  

6. Get social - Spend just 10 minutes most days highlighting, discussing and commenting on the issue of human trafficking on your social media channels.  Like, share and comment.  Maybe even create your own artwork that can be shared around to make an impact.  It all counts towards more people having an understanding of this crime against humanity.

7. Buy slave free products - Whenever you can choose to buy fair trade or slave free alternatives.  They might be a little more expensive or even not quite as hip but at least nobody’s freedom was stolen for them.  Choose not to support slavery with the things you buy.

8. Ditch pornography - A touchy subject I know, but with the rise of pornography on the internet more and more people are being trafficked to cater for demand.  Just because someone in photo or movie has a smile on their face, it doesn’t mean they want to be there.  Would you really want your body all over the internet for people to peer at?

9. Help the vulnerable in your community - It might not seem like it directly relates, but traffickers often prey on the vulnerable in our communities.  If you spend time helping the vulnerable (loners, homeless, struggling kids) in your community, you are essential helping to reduce the likelihood of them being trafficked.

10. Teach parents and kids about being safe on social media - Many traffickers make initial contact with children over the internet through Facebook and gaming communities.  Why not get your local community together to discuss how to have conversations with kids about being safe.  Check out our video on Safe Social Media.

11. Make your local organisations accountable - ask the schools, clubs and organisations that you know to demonstrate how they actively protect children in their care from paedophiles.  If they are unable to show they they take precautions, hold them accountable to make changes.  Make calls to their board.  Help them to set something up.  If they don’t respond then report them to authorities or the newspaper.

12. Talk to your children about sharing information online - Many children give out way too much information online.  Make sure they know who they are allowed to talk to or accept as friends online and what kind of information they can share.  Talk especially about strangers asking for photos online.  Some children say yes to sending photos of their private parts in order to get credits for games.  Once predators have the photos they begin to threaten children.  The child will often feel ashamed and will hide what has happened instead of asking for help.

13. Treat men and women equally - As long as our culture allows for men and women to be treated unequally, gender differences can be used as a weapon.  Let’s change how society thinks about women, starting with ourselves and our families.

14. Complain about movies and advertising that promotes the sexualisation of young women and children - Our marketing is a huge voice in creating our culture.  Do you really want advertising around that promotes a 12 year old girl as sex object?

15. Ask your local school to do a seminar of human trafficking - Even offer to organise the event for them if you can.  Many organisations have options to request speakers that are more than willing to speak on the subject.

16. Be a volunteer - Volunteer a chunk of your time with an organisation working to fight human trafficking.  These hard working charities need all the help they can get.  Who knows, you may have the professional skills or the elbow grease that they need.  Many organisation even offer internships for die hard volunteers.

17. Buy a gift for a survivor - Many organisations allow you to preselect or send gifts to survivors.  You can expect these gifts to be screened for safety reasons but what a great way to let a survivor know that someone cares for him/her.

18. Donate your birthday - Instead of getting a bunch of presents you don’t need, why not ask your friends to give to your favourite anti-trafficking charity on your behalf.  Some people have raised thousands of much needed dollars this way.

19. Help research - If books and knowledge are your thing, why not assist practitioners in researching human trafficking and gathering much needed information that can make a new way in the future.  Maybe you could even start your own research project.

20. Write - Write blog articles for your own blog or even for other people’s blogs about human trafficking.  Find out if your local newspaper accepts  articles and write away.

21. Make friends with people in prostitution - Take time to go with a friend and befriend / understand the prostitutes in your neighbourhood.  They probably won’t trust you at first, but if you keep showing up they may begin to confide in you over time.

22. Make a career of it - Take a look at the skills and passions you have and work out how you can use your career to fight human trafficking.  You could become a lawyer fighting for human rights, a social worker or psychologist caring for survivors, a part of the police force doing rescue, a blogger dedicated to raising awareness, a film maker creating documentaries, a researcher helping others to understand the problem, a fundraiser getting funds to the cause or even a business owner employing survivors or at risk individuals.  The list goes on! 

So go on, begin fighting human trafficking today.