September 30 – October 3, 2010
Chisinau, Moldova
In one of the greatest displays of unity ever seen in Moldova, 170 anti-trafficking practitioners from 26 countries came together at the end of September to address the epidemic of human trafficking and how Christians must deal with it. Between plenary sessions, workshops, and networking, it quickly became clear that the only way to effectively combat trafficking is an unprecedented convergence of efforts by like-minded ministries, churches, and organizations. With up to 27 million people currently enslaved and exploited, the traffickers’ networks are both devious and global, and so must be those organizations coming against this horrific crime.
Kingdom Business is one of the critical components only beginning to take shape in the fight against trafficking. Although there are numeous sociological, cultural, and geographical reasons for people to sell themselves or others, the root cause is fundamentally economic. With no hope of finding reasonable work, and the resulting desperation that ensues, many people from otherwise healthy environments end up getting trafficked. Men are typically sent into forced labor while women are forced to be prostitutes. There are also rising numbers of cases involving children and trafficking for organ harvesting. From any angle, whether someone is naively looking for a better life, selling their child, or operating as a criminal trafficker, the system preys upon poverty and lack of economic opportunity.
There is tremendous potential to make a difference through business, by creating jobs which intentionally target hard hit areas and people groups, by offering job training to at-risk groups and those in rehab, and by assisting anti-trafficking organizations to sell goods and services produced by victims trying to work their way back into society. Demonstrating Christian principles and compassion in the partnership with social organizations, businesses are greatly needed, to bring glory to God in every part of life and to expand the Kingdom.