On Saturday night James and I joined his parents and lots of other people at church for a preview of Cargo, Paul Field's new musical production looking at slavery. It tells the story of the end of the slave trade but then turns its attention to slavery today.Stop the Traffik, an international charity focused on ending people trafficking, estimate that there are 12 million people in slavery today. A large proportion of these are children under 16.
I'm angry, and upset, and annoyed, and disturbed, and shaken.
Cargo was amazing. It wasn't fun or frivolous but it rocked me to my core, challenged me and nagged me. I spent a large proportion of the evening on the verge of tears, trying to comprehend the facts, trying to understand the feelings of the slaves, both of 200 hundred years ago and now. God was challenging me, nagging me to DO something.
It feels quite hopeless, and a strong sense of apathy creeps up on me, an apathy that infects too many of us today. I find myself asking the question 'What can I do?' 'What difference can I make?'
Well I'm going to try and find out. The worst offence I can commit is to do nothing.
The visual presentations that accompanies the music and spoken words of Cargo included this quote from the anthropologist Margaret Mead:
‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world’
Gosh. Now there's a challenge.
H x
3 comments:
Hi Han,
A while ago, Pete and I got some literature from Amnesty International about the trafficking of sex slaves from Eastern Europe and other parts of the world. Like you, I was absolutely appalled by it (I know its a slightly different issue but along similar lines) so I wrote a letter to my MP asking him why Britain hadn't signed a European act banning slavery (I can't remember its full title!). I didn't think that my letter would make any difference at all, and that he would probably just ignore it seeing as we are in the backwaters of Caerphilly - not exactly the sex slave trade capital! I was reallly wrong though! He wrote back to me a few weeks later saying that he had raised it in the house of commons, and then I received another letter a few weeks later telling me he had referred it to the European parliament. I don't know if it really made a difference, but I did feel that my voice had been heard, so I would definitely recommend making a start by lobbying your MP.
Beckie xxxx
I felt similarly to you Hannah and have just sent out an e-mail to all my friends urging them to: 1. Go and see Cargo if it comes near them, 2. Have it put on at their Church if its not coming near them, 3. Look at the Stop the Traffik website and sign the petition. (Could you put a link to that on your blog?) I'm puting up a display at work about the abolition of slavery and will put "Stop the Traffik" information on that. Its going to be up over Easter so I am praying it will make an impact. There is also going to be a a walk of witness to mark the anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade: see here http://www.makingourmark.org.uk/index.html
I hope this helps,
Liz
There are lots of things that everyone can do, as an individual, a member of a church, a school or any other group. All we have to do is speak out and speak loud telling the world that any form of slavery will not be allowed to stand.Just Google slavery or trafficking and follow the links.
Love,
Daddy
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