12 Characteristics

I returned from a youth retreat yesterday to find that my wife had bought me the book “William Wilberforce: Greatest Works,” edited by Lloyd B. Hildebrand and published by Bridge-Logos.

In a chapter on the Clapham Group, Hildebrand notes a dozen characteristics of this group that accomplished so much in the abolition of legalized slavery in the 1800s:

They set clear and specific goals

They researched carefully to produce reliable and irrefutable evidence

They built a committed support community. The battle could not be carried on alone

They refused to accept setbacks as final defeats

They committed to the struggle for the long haul, even if it took decades

They focused on issues, not allowing opponents’ vicious attacks on their person to distract them or provoke them into similar response

They empathized with opponents’ position so that meaningful interaction could take place

They accepted incremental gains when everything could not be achieved at once

They cultivated grassroots support when rebuffed by those in power

They transcended single-issue mentality by addressing issues as part of [the] overall moral climate

They worked through recognized channels without resort[ing] to dirty tactics or violence

They proceeded with a sense of mission and conviction that God would providentially guide if they were truly acting in His service.

I don’t know if they had the wisdom to incorporate these characteristics right
from the start, or if the characteristics came from lessons learned in the public square, or if the group simply stumbled upon them as they went, but they certainly are the kinds of characteristics that can help win the day. May our group, and all modern-day abolitionists, develop these characteristics as we fight this battle.

Getting Ready

Tomorrow night is the first meeting of the Carolina Claphma Circle. I've been looking forward to this for months—since before I even started formulating actual plans for the group. It started when my son and I saw the film "Amazing Grace" last winter. It was inspiring to see how a group of concerned people challenged one another, gave one another assignments and strategized together about how to end the slave trade and then slavery itself in the British Empire.

Since early May, when I began posting on this blog and actively trying to figure out what God wants me to do about modern-day slavery, I've been meeting (mostly online) other people who feel a similar call to action. I can't wait to see what comes of our meetings!

My friend Burkinator is blogging about this issue, too. Check out her blog—she is insightful and passionate, and she's a good writer.

Burning Up

The past three days I’ve felt like I am going to burn up. More than ever, I can relate to the words of Jeremiah that I referred to in my first-ever post: “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jer. 20:9, NIV).

God has ignited something in me that I don’t think can be extinguished—the sense that He has called me to fight slavery. I still have a long way to go in figuring out specifically what that means in the long term. For right this minute, it seems as if praying and learning are the best ways to proceed. But I still hope to hold a meeting of the Clapham Circle sometime this fall.

By the way, I’m thinking of changing the name to be more inclusive of the Charlotte metro area where I live, instead of seeming to limit the group to Lancaster County, SC.

Maybe it should be called the Carolina Clapham Circle. It’s short and pithy, and it includes two whole states! Since we still have only three members, and one of them (my brother) actually lives in Canada, it seems like a good time to iron this out.

Seriously, if you live anywhere near Charlotte, NC—in North Carolina or South Carolina—and you feel led to do something about slavery, it sure would be neat if we could see about working together. That’s the whole idea of the Clapham Circle—William Wilberforce and his friends met to strategize about defeating the slave trade, and that’s what I’d like this group to do, too. I want to see what we can do both locally (it is said that slavery exists in every major U.S. city) and around the world.

So please fill out the form at the left. There’s no obligation; I would just like to know if anyone might be interested in attending a meeting this fall to think more about how we can take action together, divide up the research, pool our skills and resources, and do what we can to abolish slavery.

I Just Showed Up

Sara Groves has a song that says “And I just showed up for my own life, And I'm standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright.”

That’s kind of how I feel about all this. Again, I don’t feel as if I’ve wasted my life up to now, but I feel like I am moving into a new phase of life. And even though I have no idea what’s in store, I’m excited to see where God will lead.

In the meantime, I’m still praying, reading and corresponding. I’ve had some encouraging e-mail exchanges with people who are fighting human trafficking, and I’m continuing to read through lengthy reports that various NGOs and government agencies have posted online. Currently I’m in the middle of the Transitional Housing Toolkit for Anti-Trafficking Service Providers. I think the information could be crucial if we start some kind of shelter for survivors of trafficking.

I’m overwhelmed by the amount of helpful information at humantrafficking.org.

And I am aiming to hold the first meeting of the Clapham Circle of Lancaster County in August or September. Between now and then, I’ll try to meet and correspond with key people in this area to explain the issue to them and see if they will agree to attend that meeting. I’m thinking that we’ll probably watch a film such as the “Not For Sale” documentary, which I’ve ordered.

More research

OK, so now we have two members in the Clapham Circle of Lancaster County. But one member will need to drive about four days each way to make it to meetings. So it would be good if more people would join who live nearby!

I've continued to try to make contacts the past couple of days. The woman I wrote to in Ohio has responded with a couple of research ideas, and she also pointed me to two other helpful reports:

Hidden Slaves: Forced Labor in the United States

Florida Responds to Human Trafficking

I'm trying to approach this research in a focused way; I think it deserves the kind of effort I would put into research when I was in grad school. I'm taking notes, printing key sections and following up by contacting people mentioned in the documents.

The biggest frustration I'm facing right now is that although the grassroots movement against human trafficking has some really creative ideas for publicizing the issue and getting people to join the cause, it feels as if most of the ideas still leave the rank-and-file volunteer isolated from the front lines. For example, churches are beginning to declare themselves "abolitionist churches," which means, in part, that they are willing to provide housing for victims. I think that is really cool. But it is one thing to make a declaration; it is quite another thing to actually get plugged into the system in such a way that you would ever actually provide housing for a victim. If local law enforcement doesn't even recognize the problem, can we ever truly help?

The "Hidden Slaves" report (above) says that human trafficking has largely been relegated to federal, not local, law enforcement, so I'm hoping the FBI contacts my neighbor gave me can help.

Meanwhile, as I plow through these big documents, I'm praying that God will continue to keep my heart broken over the plight of these victims.

First Steps

My younger son and I were at a grocery store in early April, and we came across a bin of $5 DVDs. One caught my eye--"Human Trafficking." I remembered seeing part of it on Lifetime TV several months earlier, and it had made enough of an impression that I bookmarked a Web site about it. It seemed to be a pretty accurate portrayal of the problem, and nothing I've seen since then has convinced me otherwise. I decided it would be a worthwhile purchase.

I had a week off work, and during that week I began to immerse myself in the issue. I watched the movie (it's three hours long) twice.

I also read a book called "Terrify No More," by Gary Haugen, president of the International Justice Mission. The book details how IJM rescued a bunch of young girls from forced prostitution in Cambodia. Along the way, the book tells other stories, of people rescued from slavery in brick kilns and other situations. It is powerful stuff.

IJM is staffed by lawyers and people with law enforcement backgrounds (there are others, of course). I wanted to see if a regular person like me could get involved.

Lots of Web sites are springing up as a grassroots movement grows among people who are dedicating themselves to fighting human trafficking. Some helpful sites I've found are:

International Justice Mission
Not for Sale Campaign
Polaris Project
Free the Slaves

I've read documents such as the U.S. State Department's "2006 Trafficking in Persons" report and the "Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons," by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

I've begun to tell friends, co-workers and people on airplanes about the problem.

I read the book "Not For Sale," by David Batstone. He tells of many people around the world who are fighting human trafficking.

I called my county's sheriff's department, but they said they know of no human trafficking in our county. We are quite close to Charlotte, NC, though, so I can't imagine that there is nothing going on around here. I wonder if it just isn't on their radar screen yet.

I e-mailed the state representative from SC who authored the bill to ban human trafficking in our state. She says she might be able to give me names of others in my area who are involved.

I've begun to read the book "Amazing Grace," by Eric Metaxas. The recent movie of the same title is based on this book, which tells the story of William Wilberforce's battle to end the slave trade in England.

I called the SC Attorney General's office to congratulate them on their recent statements that they are beginning to see how to deal with victims of trafficking--treating them as victims, not as criminals. I asked if they knew how a church or an individual could become involved, perhaps by providing housing for a person who has been rescued from trafficking. They suggested that I call Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

I called ICE, but the guy didn't seem to understand what I was asking. He seemed to think that I was asking how my church could provide sanctuary for someone his department wanted to deport! When he finally understood what I was asking about, he had no real suggestions.

Tonight I spoke with a neighbor who is an FBI agent, and he gave me a couple of places I might be able to contact.

I e-mailed a woman in Ohio who reportedly produced an 80-page document detailing instances of human trafficking in her state. I wanted to ask for pointers on how I can research the topic as well. She is out of the country for several weeks.

I started this blog!

And tonight, with this post, I hereby announce the formation of the Clapham Circle of Lancaster County. So far, I'm the 0nly member. At least when I was a kid, my brother and I could form a club and have two members right away. So I'll need to figure out how to publicize this thing.