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	<title>Poverty &#187; International Justice Mission</title>
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	<link>http://blog.compassion.com</link>
	<description>Releasing children from poverty in Jesus&#039; name.</description>
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		<title>Today Is the Day to Do Something About Human Trafficking</title>
		<link>http://blog.compassion.com/today-is-the-day-to-do-something-about-human-trafficking/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.compassion.com/today-is-the-day-to-do-something-about-human-trafficking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brianne McKoy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Join the Cause]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2 Corinthians 4:10]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[58:]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genesis 9:6]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human trafficking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human trafficking awareness day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Justice Mission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slavery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slaves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zach Hunter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.compassion.com/?p=29113</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<img width="165" height="99" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/human-trafficking-awareness-day-165x99.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="human trafficking awareness day" title="human-trafficking-awareness-day" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" />How can we (and so many people we know) be so overwhelmed and so outraged about human trafficking and have it still exist in our world today? <p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="165" height="99" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/human-trafficking-awareness-day-165x99.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="human trafficking awareness day" title="human-trafficking-awareness-day" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" /><p><img src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/human-trafficking-awareness-day.gif" alt="human trafficking awareness day" width="10" height="10" /> According to the United Nations, human trafficking is:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>When I was in Thailand working with an organization that rescues girls purchased from their families and sold into prostitution, I was unaware of this definition of human trafficking.</p>
<p>When I spoke with the girls, my heart broke at the hopelessness filling their hearts. They were owned. And their captivity was the only thing providing food for their impoverished families living hundreds of miles away.</p>
<p>I don’t like thinking about it because the hopelessness creeps back into my heart. It was one of the darkest places I have ever entered.</p>
<p>Each night, after immersing myself in the lives of these trafficked girls, talking to them, not having an idea about what to say, I went home and sobbed. I have never experienced anything so evil.</p>
<p>I could not, and cannot, possibly understand how one human being can exploit another like this.</p>
<p>How can I (and so many people I know) be so overwhelmed and so outraged about human trafficking and have it still exist in our world today? <span id="more-29113"></span></p>
<p>Part of the answer is knowing God.</p>
<p>That sounds simple, but I think it’s why this verse in Genesis came to my mind when I heard that today is Human Trafficking Awareness Day (in the U.S.).</p>
<blockquote><p>“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image.” &#8212; Genesis 9:6, ESV</p></blockquote>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29116" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/human-trafficking-awareness-day.jpg" alt="human trafficking awareness day" width="425" height="282" /></p>
<p>The people in my life who know me best, know God … really well.</p>
<p>My husband is becoming an expert in all things Brianne. It probably helps that we live together ☺ but I think it is deeper than that. I know he talks to God about me. Which makes sense, because God made me.</p>
<p>I believe the same about my best friends. They talk to God about me too. And He tells them about me. He made me.</p>
<p>And the people who know Him and love Him look at me and see Him.</p>
<p>He made me in His image.</p>
<p>I think this verse came to mind not so much as a reminder of a law that God laid down several thousand years ago. I think this verse came to mind as a reminder that we are to deal lovingly with all human beings because “God made man is His own image.”</p>
<p>We can honor the children and human beings who are victims of human trafficking by committing to see every individual, every single human being, as a person made in God’s image. To truly treat other human beings with respect and to show love and mercy.</p>
<p>But how do we do that?</p>
<p>It’s just a matter of doing something.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738" target="_blank">Sponsor a child.</a> Get involved with <a href="http://www.ijm.org/" target="_blank">International Justice Mission</a>, our partner in the <a href="http://www.live58.org/" target="_blank">58: Alliance</a>, or simply join us tonight at 7 p.m. MT for a Twitter chat with <a href="http://www.zachhunter.me/" target="_blank">Zach Hunter</a>, the teenage abolitionist and founder of Loose Change to Loosen Chains. (Follow the hashtag #cichats)</p>
<p>[<em>1.12.12: If you missed out chat with Zach, here's a <a href="http://storify.com/compassion/human-trafficking-awareness-day-chat-with-at-zachj" target="_blank">summary</a> of how it played out.</em>]</p>
<p>I believe human trafficking exists because someone looks at a child, a woman, a man and doesn’t see God’s image. And the consequences of that are grave and heartbreaking.</p>
<p>The second part of today’s One in Spirit devotional verse is quite fitting for today. Don’t you agree?</p>
<blockquote><p>“We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” –- 2 Corinthians 4:10, NIV</p></blockquote>
<p>As Zach says, “You are the someone. Today is the day.”</p>
<p>Especially today.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Our world is a messed up place. People are hurting. Suffering is everywhere . . . . Where is the help?</p>
<p>. . . This morning when you woke up, there were people around the world and in your own community who were hoping that today might be the day. The day someone stepped in between slaves and their oppressors. The day relief from suffering begins. The day they could feed, clothe and educate their kids. The day someone showed kindness to them, or let them know they had value . . . .</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t wait for someone else. Don&#8217;t wait for someday. Because, YOU are the someone and TODAY is the day.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8211; Zach Hunter</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
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		<title>11 Reasons Extreme Poverty Will Disappear by 2035</title>
		<link>http://blog.compassion.com/11-reasons-extreme-poverty-will-disappear-by-2035/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.compassion.com/11-reasons-extreme-poverty-will-disappear-by-2035/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 07:05:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Web Team</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Join the Cause]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[58:]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christian Reformed World Relief Commitee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ECHO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme poverty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food for the Hungry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HOPE International]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Justice Mission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Isaiah 58]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[list post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Living Water International]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Micah Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plant With Purpose]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the poor will not always be with us]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Relief]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.compassion.com/?p=21104</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<img width="165" height="99" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/58-165x99.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="58" title="58" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" />Is eliminating extreme poverty possible or is it heresy? Is it just a matter of interpretation or a matter of priorities?<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="165" height="99" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/58-165x99.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="58" title="58" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" /><p><img src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/58.gif" alt="" width="10" height="10" /> What do you think of that title?</p>
<p><a href="http://blog.compassion.com/eliminate-poverty-can-we-do-it-or-not/">Is it possible or is it heresy?</a> Is it just <a href="http://blog.compassion.com/eliminate-poverty-is-it-just-a-matter-of-interpretation/">a matter of interpretation</a> or <a href="http://blog.compassion.com/eliminate-poverty-just-a-matter-of-priorities/">a matter of priorities</a>? <a href="http://blog.compassion.com/the-meaning-of-poor-as-used-in-the-bible/">What do we mean</a> when we use the word <em>poor</em>? And are we even talking about <a href="http://blog.compassion.com/the-poor-will-not-always-be-with-you/">the same thing</a>?</p>
<p><a href="http://live58.org" target="_blank"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-21118" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/58.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="142" /></a>If you&#8217;re still with us and you&#8217;re wondering what this is about, the answer is <strong><a href="http://live58.org" target="_blank">58:</a>.</strong></p>
<p><strong>58:</strong> aspires to become the largest, most unified effort ever by the global Church to help the 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty (income of less than $1.25 a day).</p>
<p>It’s a revolutionary, worldwide response to the call of <a href="http://blog.compassion.com/what-does-isaiah-58-have-to-do-with-poverty/">Isaiah 58</a>.</p>
<p><strong>58:</strong> is an initiative founded on the Bible’s call to care for the poor and the shared conviction that the global Church has the capacity to relegate extreme poverty to the history books.</p>
<p>And we are halfway there.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21112" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/half-way.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="185" /></p>
<p>Generosity and new engagement by the Church will propel us to the finish line.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21113" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/how-fast.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="402" /></p>
<p><strong>So, what are the 11 reasons that 58: will be successful and extreme poverty will disappear by 2035?</strong><span id="more-21104"></span></p>
<p>There are actually two perspectives on this. The reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li>Economic progress is already rapidly reducing extreme poverty rates.</li>
<li>Global health advances have cut child mortality rates in half.</li>
<li> School enrollment and literacy rates are climbing rapidly.</li>
<li> Transparency in government and rule of law are gaining ground globally.</li>
<li> International travel is allowing millions of North Americans to have direct experiences with the poor – changing the relationship.</li>
<li> There is a groundswell of new intentions, new expectations and new optimism that is fueling action.</li>
<li> Business is rapidly increasing corporate philanthropy and billionaires are making incredible pledges.</li>
<li> 58: has formed to galvanize effective, unified action.</li>
<li> Christians are praying, fasting, giving and working for it.</li>
<li> With God all things are possible.</li>
<li> God wants it.</li>
</ol>
<p>And the poverty-fighting organizations committed to making this happen:</p>
<ol>
<li>Christian Reformed World Relief Committee</li>
<li>Compassion International</li>
<li>ECHO</li>
<li>Food for the Hungry</li>
<li>HOPE International</li>
<li>International Justice Mission</li>
<li>Living Water International</li>
<li>Micah Challenge</li>
<li>Plant With Purpose</li>
<li>World Relief</li>
<li><strong>THE CHURCH!</strong></li>
</ol>
<p>Do you believe us? Are you with us?</p>
<p>No? You&#8217;re not sure?</p>
<p>Then please watch <em>The Poor Will Not Always Be With Us</em>. </p>
<p>If your answer is yes, then please <a href="http://live58.org/" target="_blank">join us</a>, and choose your fast.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7uZV90fsoCY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>You can also view <em><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7uZV90fsoCY">The Poor Will Not Always Be With Us</a></em> on YouTube.</p>
<p></center></p>
<hr />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://notalways.live58.org/media/pdfs/read_the_strategy.pdf">Read the 58: strategy.</a></li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
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		<title>The Value of Churches Working Together</title>
		<link>http://blog.compassion.com/the-value-of-churches-working-together/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.compassion.com/the-value-of-churches-working-together/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:22:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Edwin Estioko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Country Staff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sponsors and Donors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cebu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cebu City Alliance Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cebu Shalom Family Ministries Assembly of God Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Justice Mission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loving My Neighbor Student Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mabolo Evangelical Free Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philippines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[red light district]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNICEF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[why we love the church]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.compassion.com/?p=15167</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<img width="99" height="99" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/philippines3-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Pastor Romy Villarta is very comfortable and natural with the sponsored children." title="philippines3" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" />Compassion Philippines is partner to 320 evangelical churches from 17 Christian denominations. While normally denominations such as Baptists and Pentecostals in the Philippines would not see eye to eye in matters of doctrine and practice, our church partners work together very well regardless of denominational differences.<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="99" height="99" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/philippines3-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Pastor Romy Villarta is very comfortable and natural with the sponsored children." title="philippines3" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" /><p><img src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/churches-working-together.gif" alt="churches working together" width="10" height="10" /> Compassion Philippines is partner to 320 evangelical churches from 17 Christian denominations. While normally denominations such as Baptists and Pentecostals in the Philippines would not see eye to eye in matters of doctrine and practice, our church partners work together very well regardless of denominational differences.</p>
<p>“We used to feel superior over the other denominations,” says Romy Villarta, pastor of the Cebu Shalom Family Ministries Assembly of God Church, a Pentecostal church in Cebu City. “But now our church is very close with several Baptist churches and Alliance churches, especially those that are also partners of Compassion.</p>
<div id="attachment_15174" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 410px"><img class="size-full wp-image-15174" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/philippines3.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Pastor Romy is very comfortable and natural with the sponsored children. </p></div>
<blockquote><p>“We felt superior because we believe in the gifts of tongues and healing, but other denominations don’t. But now we respect other faiths and find it excellent that we can cross barriers with other denominations.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Ian Aloy is pastor of the Mactan Cathedral of Faith, a church partner of ours in Cebu since 2000. He has heard of worse conflicts between denominations. </p>
<blockquote><p>“I knew that about 30 years ago evangelicals and Pentecostals killed each other. For me, interdenominational cooperation is very good. I have learned a lot from other denominations.” </p></blockquote>
<p><span id="more-15167"></span></p>
<p>Pastor Wenefredo Po agrees with Villarta and Aloy. Po is the pastor of the Mabolo Evangelical Free Church, a partner of Compassion also in Cebu since 1984.</p>
<blockquote><p>“God is using Compassion to break the barriers of denominationalism. I know of Baptist churches fighting with Pentecostal churches, but I know that that will never happen to us [church partners of Compassion].”</p></blockquote>
<p>Our church partners in Cebu have bonded together to conduct several interdenominational activities, which include seminars, fellowship, sporting events and child protection efforts.</p>
<p>“We are especially united in child protection issues,” Pastor Po adds. “We banded together side by side in fighting child abuse cases. We were organized by Beth Tabasa as we linked up with UNICEF Philippines, which is now focusing their child protection activities in partnership with faith-based organizations.”</p>
<p>Beth Tabasa is the director of Loving My Neighbor Student Center for the Cebu City Alliance Church. The Cebu City Alliance Church is located at the center of Cebu City’s “red light district.” They minister to drug pushers, sex peddlers and prostitutes.</p>
<p>Beth believes that because of these societal influences, “it was inevitable for a few of our registered children to be tempted into entering the flesh trade.”</p>
<p>From the discussions they have had with UNICEF Philippines, our church partners have learned that the Philippine government has identified Cebu City as one of the country’s top five areas for child prostitution and sex tourism. It is a leading destination for trafficking children as young as 11 to 17 years of age.</p>
<p>Two years ago, Loving My Neighbor Student Center rescued a 14-year-old sponsored girl who was lured into prostitution. With the help of International Justice Mission (IJM) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the young lady is now recovering in a shelter for abused women and children. After much counseling, she finally opened up to Beth and admitted that it was really poverty that pushed her. Nobody forced her, but she blamed herself.</p>
<p>Beth was moved and decided to encourage other student centers to learn and engage more in child protection issues. She later learned that another center in Cebu had five cases of child abuse.</p>
<p>Today, church partners in Cebu feel that they are more equipped in handling child abuse cases.</p>
<p>Pastor Po said, “We now stand side by side, united in protecting our children.”</p>
<p>They believe that they can accomplish more for the children if they work together because if they work alone, Beth believes that “our ministry is limited.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“We don’t need to create anything new. We just need to connect with other groups or denominations that are very good in things that we can’t do. We should help each other out.</p>
<p>“I am very happy. I know I can’t do all. I know Compassion can’t do all. That’s why we help each other. I was able to meet different organizations and tap many networks in order to save children. Connecting with other denominations is very helpful.”</p></blockquote>
<p>We have 22 church partners in Cebu, representing seven different denominations. These churches minister to about 6,000 children, and the load becomes lighter as they join hands in interdenominational cooperation.</p>
<p>They come together to tackle issues that are as serious as child protection and as light as sharing a cup of coffee. Pastor Villarta revealed that he has agreed with Pastor Alfafara (a Baptist pastor) and Pastor Tabasa (an Alliance pastor) to meet at least once a week for coffee.  </p>
<blockquote><p>“We just agreed to enjoy each other’s company and not talk about anything serious.”
</p></blockquote>
<p>The need for churches to join hands in interdenominational cooperation is true in Cebu as it is all over the islands. While Christians are not persecuted in the Philippines, the main challenge of the church in the Philippines is the rift brought about by denominationalism.</p>
<div id="attachment_15176" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-15176" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/philippines4-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Pastor Ian Aloy with staffers of Sonshine Student Center</p></div>
<p>“Philippine evangelical churches are not as united as we hope them to be,” said Rosalinda Cosico, Program Director of Compassion in the Philippines. “This is why we have initiated pastoral wellness trainings to encourage our church partners to unite, especially in advocating for the children.”</p>
<p>Our country office recently facilitated a series of Church Leadership and Development Trainings for its partner pastors all over the country.</p>
<p>Noel Pabiona, the country director said, “My vision is that the country office will serve as a catalyst for unity that breaks down the invisible barrier of denominationalism.”</p>
<p>Church partners appreciate what we are doing for them. Pastor Romy Villarta declares, “Because of interdenominational cooperation, we are convinced that Compassion operates with the Body of Christ, and not just for organizations.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Assisting Burmese Refugees in Thailand With International Justice Mission</title>
		<link>http://blog.compassion.com/burmese-refugees-ijm/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.compassion.com/burmese-refugees-ijm/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:31:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Moye</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Partners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Burma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[child abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[child protection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Free Burma Rangers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Justice Mission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kareeni]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thailand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNHCR]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.compassion.com/?p=13103</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With an internal war in Burma tearing at the country for more than 50 years, refugees have been pouring into northern Thailand, seeking some way to survive. In response to this need, Compassion and International Justice Mission have partnered to help support the refugees as they begin a new life.<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/burmese-refugees.gif" alt="burmese refugees"  width="10" height="10" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13122" /> With an internal war in Burma tearing at the country for more than 50 years, refugees have been pouring into northern Thailand, seeking some way to survive. In response to this need, Compassion and International Justice Mission (IJM) have partnered over the past two years to help support the refugees as they begin a new life.</p>
<p>The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) states that over the last four decades, 1.3 million refugees have emigrated from Burma to Thailand.</p>
<p>Thailand has been willing to help refugees by providing shelter, schooling and basic survival needs (e.g., food, shelter and medical care) via nine refugee camps along the border. Currently, Thailand hosts 112,000 registered refugees, of which an estimated 50,000 are not in a border camp.</p>
<p><span id="more-13103"></span></p>
<p>According to the humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers, “The Regime’s army has built roads and camps in ethnic homelands forcing people to relocate or flee into the jungle. There is documented forced labor and the use of rape as a weapon &#8230; The Regime’s army lays land mines down to keep villagers from returning home and supporting resistance. They aim to dominate the population, assimilate them and exploit them.”</p>
<p>The Burmese refugees are mainly ethnic Karen and Kareeni. They&#8217;ve been in exile longer than many other groups in the world. Returning home seems unlikely.</p>
<p>Compassion Thailand has 13 child development centers located along the Thai-Burma border, where Karen children are receiving support through child sponsorship. But among these children, there have been many issues of non-citizenship and child rights.</p>
<p>We equip the center staff with knowledge and understanding about child protection, but one form of child protection training is offered by IJM. Every staff member from our 201 child development centers in Thailand attended IJM’s training last year. The training taught the center staff how to provide a safe environment for children, discussed forms of abuse, and addressed ways to educate both parents and children on how to treat one another.</p>
<p>The staff also learned how to recognize the physical and behavioral signs of child abuse, along with how to respond properly.</p>
<p>For the center staff working along the Burmese border, citizenship was another training topic conducted. Many of the refugees have not received Thai citizenship because they don’t know how to apply. The staff learned the proper procedures from the town baliff and a citizen specialist.</p>
<p>IJM is also helping Compassion Thailand through the legal process of obtaining citizenship for refugees. The centers along the Thai-Burma border are in the process of surveying and collecting the documents to prove that the children were born in Thailand and have a right to Thai citizenship. After the staff collect the documents, they send a report to the Compassion Thailand office and IJM assists our office staff with the next steps.</p>
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		<title>Human Trafficking in Thailand</title>
		<link>http://blog.compassion.com/human-trafficking-in-thailand/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.compassion.com/human-trafficking-in-thailand/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:58:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Arada Polawat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Country Staff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bangkok]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[child abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chonticha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exploitation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human trafficking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Justice Mission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nongki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pattaya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phitsanulok]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prostitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ratchaya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sai Tan Rak Child Development Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Supattra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thailand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[violence]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.compassion.com/?p=5751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A middle-aged woman was riding her motorbike roaming the streets of Nongki village. Everything about her appearance looked ordinary and did not illicit any suspicions. She looked around. Suddenly, her eyes fixed on one small house near a barren farmland. The woman drove to the house and greeted the young girl who was sitting at&#8230;<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img border="0" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/human-trafficking.gif" alt="Human trafficking" width="10" height="10" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5754" /> A middle-aged woman was riding her motorbike roaming the streets of Nongki village. Everything about her appearance looked ordinary and did not illicit any suspicions. She looked around. Suddenly, her eyes fixed on one small house near a barren farmland. </p>
<p>The woman drove to the house and greeted the young girl who was sitting at the front of the house alone. She asked the young girl questions that are typically asked among the people in this area.</p>
<p>“Do you want a new cell phone?” “Do you want to live in a bigger and nicer house?” </p>
<p>The young girl was surprised by the lady’s questions and remained silent. </p>
<blockquote><p>“If you are interested in these things, I can give them all to you. All you have to do is come work with me. You will earn a lot of money so that you can have pretty clothes to wear and you will have a nice car to drive. It is a very easy job. C’mon. Trust me and come with me.”</p></blockquote>
<p>“No, thank you,” replied the young girl, Supattra, a 14-year-old Compassion-assisted child. This situation is repeated over and over. <span id="more-5751"></span></p>
<p>Nongki is a town in northeastern Thailand. It is very close to some of the major cities in Thailand including the capital city of Bangkok and Pattaya. It is no surprise that Nongki has quickly transformed from an agriculture town to one that increasingly resembles surrounding nearby cities like Bangkok and Pattaya.</p>
<p>“One of the significant issues in Nongki is prostitution,” says Ratchaya, director of the Thai Children Development Center. </p>
<p>&#8220;Prostitution has crept up silently in our community and has become a very significant source of income over the past three years. There are so many nightclubs, pubs and restaurants that have opened up here, and it is increasing. These places are targeted toward and service the local men who work at the factories or as daily workers in this area.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote><p>“Marriages between Thai women and Westerners working in Bangkok and Pattaya have become increasingly common. It is becoming a major problem, and our center is deeply concerned. </p>
<p>&#8220;There are too many cases of poor, working Thai women becoming rich suddenly. They ride in nice cars and build big houses over their small former shelters. These women’s rapid rise to wealth has resulted in influencing young girls from this area to follow these women in their professional footsteps to pursue material wealth.” </p></blockquote>
<p>A common problem is older Western men moving to Thailand and taking young women as wives. They move to Thailand in their retirement because of the low cost of living, and meet young Thai girls in a club, who become their companion or wife. The Westerner gets a companion, and the girl gets money. </p>
<p>Another problem is the gangs that seek to lure girls into prostitution. It is very easy for gangs to seduce and persuade young girls to drop out of school to work at night in local bars or pubs. </p>
<p>The gangs approach poor, young girls from the early age of 12 or 13, who do not live with their parents. They lure these young girls by talking about the significant amount of money they will earn so that they can buy the luxuries they desire.</p>
<p>Being born and raised in a poor family often makes young children feel they are unworthy, and frequently causes their self-confidence to diminish. They respond to their feelings of worthlessness by turning to material things to reaffirm their identities and self-worth in society.</p>
<p>About half of the young girls from the Thai Children Development Center do not live with their parents, who work in factories in big cities. Often they stay with an extended relative such as an aunt or grandmother. This creates a gap or distance between the young children and their caregivers. Ratchaya says,</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the center’s duty to vaccinate our children and warn them about the seduction and danger of prostitution. We cannot stay calm while these issues are corrupting and ruining our community. It is harming our children. We have to take action.”</p></blockquote>
<p>The child development center has always emphasized the importance of social awareness both locally and nationally. The center leaders read the news to the children, updating them on what is going on in Thailand every Saturday before the children attend their activities. It helps the children gain a wider perspective of what is going on and what steps they need to take to be prepared to protect themselves and make better choices for their lives.</p>
<blockquote><p>“We know that many of our children struggle with low self-esteem, so we encourage and teach them that the value of their life does not depend upon how much they have or the amount of money they earn. Rather, we encourage the children to stay grounded in dignity and to do what is right.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Chonticha, a sponsored child, says,</p>
<blockquote><p>“A lot of my friends want to have pretty clothes or nice shoes from the latest fashions they see in magazines. They ask money from their parents to buy those things or work in restaurants at night in order to earn more money, which causes them to drop out of school. </p>
<p>&#8220;I feel really sorry for them. Before they decide to quit school, I tell them to think twice about their decision and try to stop them. I have learned from the center that when young girls ended up working in a restaurant and neglecting their education, it often leads them into a life of prostitution. </p>
<p>&#8220;I want them to come back to study. I asked a friend of mine who quit her school if she was happy and she said no. She has many things she wanted but they mean nothing to her now.”</p></blockquote>
<p>And Supattra agrees.</p>
<blockquote><p>“I will not let myself get involved in a risky situation like prostitution because I don’t want to degrade myself. I know that my body is worth more than material things. It is not worth it to trade myself in order to get the latest cell phone or a big house. If someday I ever chose the wrong path, I know I would lose everything, including my pride.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Compassion Thailand realizes that child trafficking is a crucial issue that needs to be resolved immediately. We&#8217;ve worked with International Justice Mission, and they conducted training sessions and workshops on “Child Rights and Child Protection” for all 220 child development centers in Thailand in 2008.</p>
<p>The training taught the staff who work directly with children how to prevent children from being abused and how to protect them from being taken advantage of.</p>
<p>At the workshops, they discussed the common problems of children at risk, abuse, exploitation, trafficking, sexual abuse, domestic violence and lack of citizenship. </p>
<p>They wanted to reinforce the knowledge and skills of the staff to help uphold children’s rights. The workshops were a success. Those who attended gained a deeper understanding about these issues and were able to use the information to write plans on how to protect registered children at their centers. </p>
<p>They created a Child Abuse Protection Network for every center, linking with organizations that can provide help in child protection and child abuse situations. Most important, they now know what to do and who to contact if something happens to any of the children.</p>
<p>Sai Tan Rak Child Development Center is located in the city of Phitsanulok, in an area with a high rate of prostitution. Often, groups look for young girls who hang around an area in the park at night. They persuade and take these young girls into the evil prostitution cycle.</p>
<p>After the center staff attended a training workshop, they brought back useful materials and information to regularly conduct activities for young girls to fight the prostitution. Valia, the center director, says,</p>
<blockquote><p>“The center teaches young women about sexuality, virginity and how to protect themselves from a risky situation. </p>
<p>&#8220;Whenever we learn that our children are in a risky situation, we personally talk to them and do everything to help them from making unwise choices.</p>
<p>“I see changes in them after we train and talk to them. Groups of registered young girls who used to hang around the park at night are decreasing. Girls who are who are at risk of being exploited come and tell me that they will not go to the park at night again because they are scared and they don’t want to be victims.” </p></blockquote>
<p>Jenjira, a sponsored child, says, </p>
<p>“My village is in a danger zone for prostitution. I see too many young girls being lured into prostitution because they desire more money, but they go into it without knowing the consequences. </p>
<p>&#8220;Attending the center has been very good and helpful for me because the center teaches me, and now I know how to protect myself from this prostitution. </p>
<p>&#8220;If someone were ever to try and persuade me to become a prostitute, I would tell my family or the center staff at the church because they always have good advice and would help me out.”</p>
<p>Parents also play an important role in a child’s life. </p>
<p>At Sai Tan Rak, parents often do not have time to educate or teach their children. They are busy working to earn money day and night. Some parents are not even aware of the prevalence of prostitution in their area. It is the center’s responsibility to inform the parents of the children about relevant issues such as prostitution that could affect their child or children, so that even busy parents can keep an eye on their offspring. </p>
<p>The center staff members regularly visit the children’s homes to raise awareness and have personal time with the parents. If the center knows that a child is in high risk, they will visit quite often.</p>
<p>Unlike the parents of children in Sai Tan Rak, some parents of children in the Thai Children Development Center actually encourage their children to work at a restaurant in Bangkok or Pattaya because working there earns them a lot of money. </p>
<p>“We cannot talk openly to parents about this issue. We made the mistake of doing so in the past and do not want this to happen again. Instead we teach, talk, play videos and give materials for the children to address this issue,” explains Ratchaya.</p>
<p>In the past, if the center learned that a young girl was involved in prostitution, the staff would make several attempts to visit and talk to the  parents at home to try and explain the devastating effects prostitution can have on the life of a young girl, and help the child get out of the situation. </p>
<p>Then a few weeks later, the child’s mother would come and ask to take her child from the center. Unfortunately, this would result in the child dropping out of school and working at night.</p>
<p>Some parents work in Bangkok or Pattaya and request that their child stay with them during the summer, when the children are out of school. Even though it may only be two or three months, it can change a child’s life if they are exposed to the world of prostitution.</p>
<p>“If they are ever confronted with having to make difficult choices in their future, I hope that in attending the center it will help them make the right choices for their future,” says Ratchaya.</p>
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		<title>Rwandan Genocide: Where Were God&#8217;s People?</title>
		<link>http://blog.compassion.com/rwandan-genocide-where-were-gods-people/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.compassion.com/rwandan-genocide-where-were-gods-people/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:14:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Van Schooneveld</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Partners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Committed to Conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[East Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gary Haugen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genocide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[injustice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Justice Mission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laurent Mbanda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[questions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rwanda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Where are God's people?]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.compassion.com/?p=3737</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At the time of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, Gary Haugen, a senior trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, was given an assignment to serve as the Officer in Charge of the U.N.&#8217;s genocide investigation in Rwanda.  He had seen a lot of injustice in the past, working to combat human rights abuses around the&#8230;<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img border="0" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/rwandan-genocide.gif" alt="Rwandan genocide" width="10" height="10" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3925" /> At the time of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, Gary Haugen, a senior trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, was given an assignment to serve as the Officer in Charge of the U.N.&#8217;s genocide investigation in Rwanda. </p>
<p>He had seen a lot of injustice in the past, working to combat human rights abuses around the world. And in Rwanda, he stood amid it. He led a team in gathering evidence against those who perpetrated the genocide. He didn&#8217;t just fight a legal battle from afar; he stood at the sites of mass murder and mass graves, and looked into the ugliness of this world. </p>
<p>And his response to it was quite surprising to me. <span id="more-3737"></span></p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;When you are standing in a mass grave in Rwanda, the question that came to my mind was not the question that was coming to everyone else&#8217;s mind perhaps. I&#8217;ve had people ask me, &#8216;<a title="Read - Rwandan Genocide: Where Was God?" href="http://blog.compassion.com/rwandan-genocide">Where was God</a> in the midst of all of this?&#8217; But I could sense, at least from Scripture, what I knew of my heavenly Father, was that I knew where God was: He was right in the midst of all that incredible suffering. The more relevant question for me was, &#8216;Where are God&#8217;s people?&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;&#8230; What I also saw so clearly was the biblical mandate, because when you go through Scripture with an eye for that, all of a sudden there are these very clear commands: Micah 6:8, &#8216;He has told you, O man what is good and what the Lord requires of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God,&#8217; or Isaiah 1:17, &#8216;Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.&#8217;&#8221; <em>(Excerpted from RELEVANT magazine, &#8220;A Call to Justice,&#8221; March/April 2007 with permission.) </em></p></blockquote>
<p>Rather than raging at God, like I sometimes feel tempted to do, Haugen knew that this was a matter for the church. It was <em>our</em> responsibility to do justice, to rescue the oppressed, to plead for the widows and orphans.</p>
<p>Laurent Mbanda is the Vice President of the Africa region for Compassion and also a native Rwandan. He wrote the book, <em>Committed to Conflict: The Destruction of the Church in Rwanda</em>, about the church in Rwanda and how it was involved in the genocide. &#8220;Rwandans had a common saying: &#8216;God spends the day somewhere else, but spends the night in Rwanda.&#8217; To many, God left Rwanda on 6 April 1994 and did not come back until the final defeat of the Rwandan army by the RPF soldiers.&#8221; </p>
<p>But not only did God seem to have left, some church leaders seemed to have allowed, blessed and even participated in the slaughter. According to Mbanda, a history of prejudice and political involvement in the Rwandan church, dating back to Belgian colonial times and early Christian missionaries, set the stage for the unthinkable. Where were God&#8217;s people in the Rwandan genocide? Unbelievably, some were right there, supporting it.  </p>
<p>What did Haugen do in response to what he saw? I would have despaired. But fueled by what he saw, Haugen knew what he must do. He knew it was the church&#8217;s responsibility, <em>our responsibility</em>, not to wink at the injustices of the world, but to stop them. He founded the <a title="International Justice Mission" href="http://www.ijm.org/" target="_blank">International Justice Mission, </a>an organization that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and violent oppression in 12 countries around the world. This organization partners with us to help protect children who might not otherwise have someone to speak up for them. </p>
<p>What is your response when you read about the ugliness of the world? Do you want to close your eyes or just despair? It sure is tempting. But rather than giving up, Haugen went to the Scriptures to see what God&#8217;s call was on him, and he obeyed. He is now mobilizing the Church to be the ones who don&#8217;t look away, but who show up when the world needs it most.</p>
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		<title>Throw-Aways</title>
		<link>http://blog.compassion.com/throw-aways/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.compassion.com/throw-aways/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:42:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amber Van Schooneveld</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children in Poverty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amsterdam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bangladesh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Burma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[child advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Honduras]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human trafficking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Justice Mission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slavery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slaves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thailand]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.compassion.com/?p=487</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’ve been putting off writing this post. There are some things that are just easier not to think about. They’re called &#8220;throw-aways,&#8221; people whom the world has no use for. Children who don’t have anyone to feed them, youth with no identification papers, people with no options. So the world finds a use for them.&#8230;<p><a href="https://www.compassion.com/Account/login.htm">My Account</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=96738">Sponsor a Child</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm?referer=96738">Help Babies and Moms</a> l <a href="http://www.compassion.com/where-we-work/crisis-updates.htm">Crisis Updates</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img border="0" src="http://blog.compassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/human-trafficking.gif" alt="Human trafficking" width="10" height="10" /> I’ve been putting off writing this post. There are some things that are just easier not to think about.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They’re called &#8220;throw-aways,&#8221; people whom the world has no use for. <span id="more-487"></span>Children who don’t have anyone to feed them, youth with no identification papers, people with no options. So the world finds a use for them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are more slaves in the world today than there were in the <em>entire</em> trans-atlantic slave trade of the 1800s. Approximately 1.2 million children are trafficked each year into exploitive labor, such as agriculture work, prostitution, or child soldiers. 2 million children currently are forced to work as prostitutes. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I first heard about this several years ago, I found it hard to believe. I was living in Amsterdam, and I’d walked many times down the narrow canals of the Red Light District, known for the prostitutes standing and advertising their wares in the windows. </p>
<p>It would make my skin prick to see the European and American businessmen grouped outside the windows in their button-ups and ties, jeering and leering at the women. Amsterdam is one of the destinations for young women trafficked into prostitution. Some of those women who keep the red lights burning in Amsterdam are slaves.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Around the world, the situation is bleak. In Asia, countries like India and Bangladesh and Burma and Thailand are from where many pimps get their wares. There are plenty of poor here, children no one would care or notice if they were to go missing. Little girls and boys whose parents can’t feed them, who are from minority races or tribes that aren&#8217;t valued in the larger society. The parents are offered money in exchange for their children. Sometimes the children are promised jobs working in restaurants or as maids. A better life. Many children aren’t sold, but kidnapped. As children walk, as they do each day, several miles to go to school or get water, they are an easy target.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whether children are kidnapped or sold, some are then transported to brothels in big cities. They are abused and raped and sold as “companions” for western tourists over and over again. </p>
<p>Other children, in places like Africa, become soldiers, sex slaves of warriors, or workers in fields. I’d like to think that this only happens in faraway countries, but America is not exempt. Not only are American tourists some of the consumers of such “goods” abroad, human trafficking and <span class=hdynlink onmouseover="this.style.color='#9E3039'" onmouseout="this.style.color='#0039A6'" onclick="window.open('http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/25/child.prostitutes/','new');">sex slavery is alive and well in America</span>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>What are we to do with the knowledge of such atrocities?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Abroad, Compassion promotes child advocacy. Country offices and projects promote advocacy and hold advocacy events to raise awareness of the value of children with parents and in the community. </p>
<p>For example, Compassion Honduras held events throughout the country this spring to educate children about their rights and how to respond to abuse and to educate parents, the church, the community, and local leaders about the value and rights of children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I first heard about these advocacy events, I didn’t really get it. Children are valuable — seems like a no-brainer, so why do we need an event to tell others that? But clearly not everyone knows and practices this message. Through community advocacy efforts, Compassion-assisted churches are bringing Christ’s message that children are infinitely valuable to transform communities.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Compassion International Asia has also developed a masters program in holistic child development to train and support those who work on the frontlines of children at risk, which is being implemented in seminaries throughout Asia. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At home, we can be child advocates ourselves, continuing to raise awareness of the needs and value of children in this country and abroad. </p>
<p>If you’re an American male, you can <span class=hdynlink onmouseover="this.style.color='#9E3039'" onmouseout="this.style.color='#0039A6'" onclick="window.open('http://www.thedefendersusa.org/take_pledge.asp','new');">Take the Pledge</span> to not participate in any way in the sex trade and protect the women and children around you. </p>
<p>If you want to learn more about human trafficking, visit <span class=hdynlink onmouseover="this.style.color='#9E3039'" onmouseout="this.style.color='#0039A6'" onclick="window.open('http://www.ijm.org','new');">International Justice Mission,</span> one of Compassion&#8217;s ministry partners.     </p>
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