Messiah College Takes A Stand Against Human Trafficking
Various Chapels and Organizations Raise Awareness
Sarah Fleischman
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: News
On Tuesday February 16, David Batstone spoke in chapel about human trafficking and the Not For Sale organization. Over the past few weeks, students have led many events to raise awareness of human trafficking.
According to notforsalecampaign.org, over 27 million people are slaves today. "Not For Sale believes that everyone has a skill to contribute that can free an individual living in bondage, and together we can stop human trafficking and end slavery in our lifetime."
Students in many majors, with different skills and talents, have united since Batstone spoke in chapel. In addition to the Theatre for Social Change project taught by Valerie Smith, there is a chocolate "buycott," the Human Wrong Campaign, and various alternate chapels.
Batstone also spoke in an alternate chapel the night of February 16. He showed students tangible ways to get involved. Batstone encouraged students to be informed about where the things we buy come from.
In the alternate chapel, Batstone introduced free2work.org. Free2work is still under development, but it provides information on where certain brands stand on the issue of human trafficking. Hershey, Godiva, Skechers, and Hanes are among the worst brands.
Sophomore theatre major Michael O'Donnell created the Campus Wide Fair Trade Chocolate "Buycott" group on Facebook. Most popular brands of chocolate scored very low on free2work.org.
O'Donnell says that Batstone was the catalyst for the Facebook "buycott." Batstone also "raised a lot more awareness," says O'Donnell.
The chocolate buycott simply asks students not to buy any Hershey, Godiva, Mars, or Cadbury chocolate.
"People are much more likely to help if you give them something they can do about it," says O'Donnell. Instead of asking for donations, many campaigns against human trafficking involve time or making responsible decisions.
"College students can actually help," says O'Donnell. He is getting the chocolate "buycott" to spread to other college campuses in the area, such as Temple and Gettysburg. O'Donnell says that if one in five people "buycott" these brands, it will make enough of an impact that the companies would have to confront the issue.
According to notforsalecampaign.org, over 27 million people are slaves today. "Not For Sale believes that everyone has a skill to contribute that can free an individual living in bondage, and together we can stop human trafficking and end slavery in our lifetime."
Students in many majors, with different skills and talents, have united since Batstone spoke in chapel. In addition to the Theatre for Social Change project taught by Valerie Smith, there is a chocolate "buycott," the Human Wrong Campaign, and various alternate chapels.
Batstone also spoke in an alternate chapel the night of February 16. He showed students tangible ways to get involved. Batstone encouraged students to be informed about where the things we buy come from.
In the alternate chapel, Batstone introduced free2work.org. Free2work is still under development, but it provides information on where certain brands stand on the issue of human trafficking. Hershey, Godiva, Skechers, and Hanes are among the worst brands.
Sophomore theatre major Michael O'Donnell created the Campus Wide Fair Trade Chocolate "Buycott" group on Facebook. Most popular brands of chocolate scored very low on free2work.org.
O'Donnell says that Batstone was the catalyst for the Facebook "buycott." Batstone also "raised a lot more awareness," says O'Donnell.
The chocolate buycott simply asks students not to buy any Hershey, Godiva, Mars, or Cadbury chocolate.
"People are much more likely to help if you give them something they can do about it," says O'Donnell. Instead of asking for donations, many campaigns against human trafficking involve time or making responsible decisions.
"College students can actually help," says O'Donnell. He is getting the chocolate "buycott" to spread to other college campuses in the area, such as Temple and Gettysburg. O'Donnell says that if one in five people "buycott" these brands, it will make enough of an impact that the companies would have to confront the issue.
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