The Role of Religion in Anti-Slavery Efforts

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cameron-conaway/the-role-of-religion-in-a_b_3427574.html

Cameron Conaway
Social Justice Editor, The Good Men Project

Posted: 06/12/2013 9:09 am

The most cursory glance at websites of organizations working to combat human trafficking will make one thing clear: the role of religion plays a vital role. Some groups place their religious beliefs front and center; some prefer to call themselves "faith-based." Some groups subtly lace the language of their mission with their particular denomination; some make it clear that they are "non-religious." Every group working in the anti-slavery sector has made a conscious decision about (1) what their religious affiliations are or are not and (2) what this means in terms of their brand. So what are the effects - good, bad and otherwise - of religion and faith on the global movement against human trafficking?

Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and an influential socio-political activist in his own right, said "faith-based organizations, across the board, have played a very negative role in the human trafficking movement because of their obsession with dividing humanity. The Hindus, even to this day, continue to propagate caste distinctions that are fundamentally racist; Christians used to outright justify slavery and even today they work hard politically and otherwise to make clear the distinctions between believers and non-believers. The same can be said of the Muslims."

His words paint a dire picture that seems to stand in direct contrast to groups like Chab Dai, a Christian coalition of over 40 organizations spread throughout Canada, Cambodia and the United States. Though Chab Dai makes it known that their work is Christian-driven, their name literally means "joining of hands" in Khmer, they've exhibited their openness to join hands with secular organizations. In fact, their work to create The Freedom Registry, a nascent-stage website with the goal of allowing all anti-slavery groups around the world to collaborate, has the potential to entirely change the game when it comes to how we address this complex crime.

For the most part, "faith-based" has become synonymous with Christianity. Their organized missions and their ability to generate finances means that they can make a tremendous impact on whatever cause with which they align themselves - especially when dynamic leaders like South Korea's Eddie Byun, lead Pastor at Onnuri English Ministry in Seoul and the founder of Hope Be Restored, are at the helm. Eddie believes that "setting the captives free is the biblical mandate" of all followers of Christ. According to Pastor Byun, "Slavery is not just a legal or economic issue - it's also a spiritual issue. For example, in the world of sex trafficking, the industry is driven by the lust of the "Johns" and the greed of the traffickers. At their core, these are spiritual issues. We can put everyone involved in jail, but it won't change the desires that drove them their in the first place. Incarceration may modify behavior, but it can't change a person's heart. That is why the spiritual community of faith needs to be involved to bring change."

more at link