Human trafficking is a growing crisis in our world.

And many of us aren’t even aware that the problem exists.

Human trafficking occurs in three main forms:  sex slavery, forced labor, and child soldiers.  Many of you may know that our church and youth ministry are supporters of Rapha House, an organization that strives to end sex trafficking in Cambodia and other Asian countries.

But what about the other forms of slavery?  How do we combat those?

One opportunity is by partnering with Invisible Children.

Invisible Children was founded by three young filmmakers after a trip to Africa.  While there, they learned about the longest running war on the entire continent.  It is a conflict started by one man, Joseph Kony, who now terrorizes four countries with his LRA, the Lord’s Resistance Army.

It is the longest running conflict on the continent, and the soldiers are children abducted from their homes and forced to fight.

We are a movement seeking to end this conflict and bring them home. We seek to rebuild schools, educate leaders, and provide jobs in Northern Uganda. We are the motivated misfits and masses redefining what it means to be an activist.

The LRA has been abducting children for 25 years and forcing them into war as child soldiers.  For 25 years.  Thousands of children have been taken.  Countless families have been devastated.

For the last 25 years, thousands of people in central Africa have been silenced by the LRA. So for 25 hours, thousands of participants around the world will go silent so that the victims of the LRA are heard. Money raised from the 25 event will fund The Invisible Children Protection Plan and bring life saving communication and rehabilitation projects to the victims of the LRA.

Invisible Children is hosting an event on April 25 called 25.  The goal of this event is to be heard around the world by being silent for 25 hours.

What 25 is all about

• Who:  Everyone.  Me.  You.  Get involved.
• What:  Silence. Stop talking so the victims of Africa’s longest running war (25 years) can be heard.
• When: April 24 7:00 p.m. through April 25 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Wherever you are. School. Work. Home. Grocery store. Practice. You name it.
• Why: To help end 25 years of war started by one man in four African Countries.
• How: Click here to sign up for the event.

What you can do to get involved

• Get your Action Kit. You can purchase one for $25.  The “25” Action Kit equips you with the exclusive “25” t-shirt to wear on April 25th, a set of small cards explaining why you’re raising money (to hand out to friends and strangers), another set to use on the 25th explaining why you’re being silent (acting as your voice), and a lanyard to hold those cards for you.
• Start your page. Raise funds and awareness for the Protection Plan.
• Share your page. Voice your commitment to friends and family.
• Stay silent. On April 25th, stay silent for 25 hours to help put an end to 25 years of war.

This is a great opportunity to get involved.  Too many of us aren’t.  We don’t even notice that stuff like this is happening, or we think it’s an African problem, or a Cambodian problem.

No.

It’s a humanity problem.  You and I have to get involved.

It’s time to step up and end human trafficking… of any sort:  sex slavery, forced labor and child soldiers.

I’m stepping out and shutting up on April 25th.  What about you?  Join me and let’s put an end to human trafficking.  Let’s give the victims of the LRA a voice with our silence.

If you would like to join Invisible Children, you can do so here.  If you would like to sponsor me as I speak out through silence, you can do so by on my fundraising page.

Are you willing to join me in this and be an advocate against human trafficking? Or would you be willing to support me in this endeavor?