I have read "The Locust Effect" by Gary Haugen and Victor Boutros.  I encourage every person who is interested in fighting trafficking to read it.

The Locust Effect is years of experience, tears that have been wept and lives that have cried out for justice, all rolled up into one script for the world to take notice of.  I hope we all learn the lesson that the violence the poor face on a daily basis needs to be addressed or the aid and development work we do can be completely undermined by those that use terror as their tool of choice.

Haugen takes you deep into the slums of Africa, the mountaintops of Peru and the brick factories of India.  You get to see the scars and the torture that you’ll never see on normal visit there.  The subject of violence that Haugen deals with has largely been ignored because it is hidden by shame and fear of repercussions that the poor live with on a daily basis.  Haugen uncovers the corrupt or non-existent legal systems that do nothing to protect the innocent, but instead rob them of justice and their life savings trying to find it.

This is not just an incredibly passionate book, but Haugen has done his homework too.  He intellgently backs up his arguments with well researched statistics and draws in material from all over the world. Every page speaks of experience and thought that has become a life work and a cry against injustice. Haugen does not argue that all aid and development should be replaced with a focus on violence and law enforcement but he does argue that you will not have long lasting change without addressing these issues. He also brings a sense of hope, telling the stories of places where true transformation has occurred to entire communities.  This is a fight that can be won. 

The Locust Effect should find itself on every university humanitarian course required reading list, in missionary training and on the must read list of anyone who is interested in seeing poverty ended. The Locust Effect is an uncomfortable and challenging read but it’s message is too important not to be heard.

Help Get This Message Heard

This book is being launched on Monday February 3.  There is a donor who will donate $20 for every book purchased up to the amount of $40,000.  These funds will go directly towards funding International Justice Mission projects as do all the proceeds of the book.  I encourage you to buy the book this Wednesday.

Where to Buy the Book

The Locust Effect can be purchased in hard copy or in Kindle format at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.