There's a call to end trafficking that has been around since the dawn of civilization. And that throughout history has lead to several abolitionist movements across the globe. And now it's our turn to answer the call, what are you going to do to help end trafficking today?

This month on the podcast, I've been sharing about the unseen world around us named human trafficking, or in some cases more accurately - modern-day slavery—as part of my participation in the month-long fashion challenge Dressember.

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Dressember is a social campaign to raise awareness and funds for anti-human trafficking efforts. If, after listening to this episode, you feel called to donate to support the fifteen organizations that have partnered with Dressember, please do so via the links to my campaign page. They can be found here in the episode show notes and in my Instagram bio.

This year, I have a goal of raising $1000 for Dressember and its partner organizations to support programs that aid in the prevention of trafficking, as well as the rescue of victims and the holistic aftercare programs for survivors of trafficking.

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On this last episode of the Dressember series, I want to invite you to join me, and the many other campaigners out there, in answering the call to end trafficking.

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There's a call to end trafficking — and it's an invitation for us to do something about the pain of 40.3 million people in the world.

And everyone who is listening to this knows it. We have to decide how to answer it for ourselves because the way that each of us answers it will be different for everyone. From the student in college just wanting a voice in the world to the mother who needs to step away from the crazy world to live her way.

The path to ending human trafficking is one that will be taken by as many as there are trapped within its reach. It has already been taken by millions who have helped end it in the past, but now it's our turn. Let's answer the call that Dressember and many others have shared with the world.

In this final episode of the Dressember series, I want to share some of the many ways that you can fight human trafficking in your life and our world - starting today.

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Number 1. You can support Dressember, and in turn, support organizations working to end trafficking.

For some, the easiest way to act against trafficking is to help others do the work. This doesn't mean that you aren't helping; it's delegation. It means you are providing the fuel that another's engine will use to do work.

By supporting these organizations financially, you fuel the global movement that directly helps other humans by helping those harmed by trafficking and preventing others from becoming involved.

Here are some of the organizations that Dressember supports and their mission in the fight:

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• International Justice Mission provides rescue and aftercare support of victims of trafficking around the world while working with local law enforcement agencies to bring criminals to justice.
  
• A21 works in 12 countries throughout the world to reach out and educate people, rescue current victims, and restore and empower survivors with direct support in the ways that they need it.
  
• Cast, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking, is a Los Angeles-based organization focused on services for survivors and advocating for anti-trafficking policies and legislation.
  
• Truckers Against Trafficking is working to educate the millions of individuals working in the trucking, bus, and energy industries about trafficking. And to empower them to report potential instances of trafficking that they see while out on the road.
  
• And, Love146 which provides prevention education for youth in schools and aftercare programs for survivors to help end child trafficking and exploitation.
  

Any support you can give will help them carry out their missions and bring our world one step closer to ending trafficking today.

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Number 2. You can look out for possible victims and report any potential cases to the national entities working to investigate the reports. So that they can rescue the victims and, ultimately, prosecute traffickers to bring justice for the victims and survivors.

In the last episode, number four of the Dressember series, I shared a list of signs of trafficking. I'm not going to reread the list here, but it is written in the episode blog post, and I will link to the page on the Polaris Project website for the full list.

Recognize the Signs | Polaris

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• The individual is not free to leave or come and go at will
  
• Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts or is not under 18 and appears to have a pimp or manager overseeing their work
  
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or getting paid only through tips
  
• Works excessively long or unusual hours
  
• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous
  
• show signs of physical or sexual abuse, physical restraint, or confinement
  
• Shows signs of poor hygiene, malnourishment, or fatigue
  
• Has few or no personal possessions
  
• Is being frequently monitored
  
• Is not in control of their own identification documents
  
• Shares scripted, confusing, or inconsistent stories
  

By reporting possible instances and cases of trafficking, you can contribute to the rescue of victims and the arrest of traffickers that not only will end one situation. But will also continue drawing attention and awareness to the issue.

The numbers for reporting to the National Human Trafficking Hotline are 1-888-3737-888 or text the word "help" to BeFree (or the number 233733).

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Number 3. You can speak up to share what you know and act on what you value and believe to get rid of the slavery in your lifestyle.

Anti-trafficking efforts aren't just prevention, rescue, and support programs run by non-profits or governmental organizations. You can make decisions and take actions that show you don't want to support trafficking in your life.

I chose to be deliberate about where I got new items for my life by choosing ethically-manufactured products whenever possible. By buying ethically, I show support for a different type of manufacturing industry where the lives of everyone involved are valued and supported.

And this is where I want to address the challenge that kept me from acting for years. There are sooo many issues with our world and societies today; how can I, as one small person, impact the world?

And here's the answer, one small person can impact the world by making small decisions that send a big message. And will eventually, just like a snowball rolling down a hill, grow into a more significant movement that can build on the decisions and actions of others.

When I realized this answer, I had one more question - but how do I know where to start?

And I realized that you know where to start by understanding what you care about and what issues impact those cares. And that's what you start with.

For me, I value and care most about the other humans in my world, and so human trafficking was where I started. I could have started with reducing my environmental impact, but that, though very important, was not the most important for me. I had learned in my research on human trafficking that the supply chains which use slavery are the same ones that make the most significant negative impact on our environment. While those supply chains that used ethical-manufacturing often had supply chains that cared about sustainability as well. And so by focusing on the one issue of trafficking, I was going to be voting for and impacting global sustainability practices along the way.

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And with that, could you do one thing?

Choose one way to impact trafficking today either from this list or from just what calls you.

Justin Dillon, who founded Made in a Free World which created and runs the Slavery Footprint survey, wrote in his book that to start making an impact, you need to "find your riot." You need to understand what makes you upset and what makes you fight. For me, that was human trafficking and the slavery we interact with every day. For you, I don't know, but it's something - go and find it.

The call to end trafficking has been out there since the dawn of civilization and throughout history, lead to several abolitionist movements across the globe. And now it's our turn to answer the call, what are you going to do to help end trafficking today?

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And if you're having trouble "finding your riot," I want to invite you to join the waitlist for my first online course. This course will give you my workbook guiding you through my process for discovering core values along with detailed explanations of the question prompts. These values are the core values that guide you toward your actions, whether you know them or not. Uncovering these values will help you understand what issues are the most important to you. And this understanding will guide your future decisions and actions to build a life that is better for you, better for our society, and better for our planet.

This course will be a little more than one section of a more extensive course that I will be launching soon that will be about how to live according to those values.

When you sign up for the waitlist, I will send you a copy of my Roadmap to Conscious, which gives an overview of the process that will be covered in the future course.

I will share more information on the course soon. But for now - let me know what you think about this series, human trafficking, and the course over on Instagram at A Life More Conscious.

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Thanks for joining me on this final episode of the Dressember series. I hope you gained value from these shows and now understand human trafficking a little bit more.

I hope you continue following along with A Life More Conscious here on the podcast and on Instagram. I'm looking forward to sharing more with you in the coming episodes.

Love y'all, and hope this episode helps make your life a little more conscious.

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Resources:

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• Our Work | International Justice Mission
  
• Where We Work | A21
  
• Cast LA | Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Human Trafficking | About Cast - Cast LA
  
• Truckers Against Trafficking • TRUCKERS AGAINST TRAFFICKING
  
• Programs | Love146