Journey to Freedom

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center recently released a film that in a very interesting way presents the stories of two men who lived more than a century apart to illustrate the many similarities between the old world slavery and the so-called modern-day slavery. I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a screening of the film here in DC at an event to honor one of the Trafficking in Persons 2012 report heroes, Gary Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission and featured in the film. The best part about the screening was that it was followed by a panel discussion that included one of the makers of the film.

The title of the 40-minute documentary is Journey to Freedom and the film, as well as additional information on it, could be found here.  

-      Krasi

Time

This is how my desk area has looked like for the past several weeks:

Lots of reading and lots of writing are certainly the most devoted companions to every graduate student. What prompted me to write this post, however, is not the level of work required in a graduate school, but the thoughts I caught myself having about wanting the quarter to be over. Who hasn’t had those thoughts? Many people go through their daily lives wishing for work to be over, for school to be over, for the mandatory meeting to be over, for chores to be over, for anything mundane to be over. What we don’t realize is that what we truly ask for is for our lives to pass us by as quickly as possible. As unpleasant as the completion of some activities we engage in might seem, they are not simply a part of our lives; they are our lives, our experiences, and make us the people we are. Consequently, even though it is going to be hard, I am planning to do my best to not wish ‘things’ to be over (even if 'the thing' is a statistics class…:) and would rather enjoy and cherish every little boring happening in my life! Maybe then I'll realize that nothing is as boring as we make it out to be.

A great example of what really happens when we wish for so-deemed unpleasant events and occurrences to be over is the movie Click. Adam Sandler is funny and he presents another full of jokes production, but what makes me love this movie is the underlying message of the danger of wishing our lives away. So if you have not already done so, and even if you have, I encourage you to watch the movie. And what better time to do this than right now:)

- Krasi

The Whistleblower

Ready for another great movie based on a true story about a woman who stands for what’s right and fights for justice for those who have no one else to rely on? Well, the Whistleblower should be your next pick. I am greatly interested in seeing the movie and will do so as soon as I find out where it’s showing. Or I might just have to wait for the DVD (which I don’t want to do). 

Women like UN policewoman Kathryn Bolkovac inspire me and their stories convince me that if one person can do so much damage to traffickers, if everyone joins, modern-day slavery will surely be eradicated. 

For more on the story behind the movie: An Ordinary Woman Doing Extraordinary Things

 - Krasi

The Help

If you haven't read The Help yet, I highly recommend you do! While watching Oprah's last show (*tear) I saw a preview and was *literally* squealing with delight (don't judge). While I know that it will not be as good as the book (when are they ever?) I am looking forward to it! August 12 has been earmarked in my Blackberry (again, don't judge).

The Help follows three courageous women and some not so nice *bleep bleep bleeps* in pre-Civil Rights Mississippi. Skeeter, a young unmarried *oh the horror* woman decides she wants to write a book on the experiences of the African American house maids. Two brave maids choose to participate even though it is extremely dangerous to talk about. Events in the book illustrate what happens when good people stand by and do nothing and the inevitability of good to win (not without some casualties though). The book made me cry, made me violently angry, and made me hopeful that we can all affect change individually. It may seem like 'those times' are behind us but look around: there is always injustice in the world. Opportunities to stand up for what is right are abundant. What are you going to do about it?

Have you read the book? What did you think? Will you be watching the movie?

- A

TAKEN

I recently saw the movie Taken and was reminded once again of the great obstacles facing human rights activists fighting against the nefarious practice of human trafficking. The movie itself did not portray any human rights activists or organizations seeking the elimination of the practice. Moreover, the story presented is not what truly happens in real life (Although, secretly, I’d like to believe that if one individual can cause so much damage to the traffickers, then just imagine what all of us joined together could do). The movie, however, exposes the criminal activity, serves as a warning to potential victims, highlights some of the major aspects of the criminal activity that make it hard to eradicate, and becomes an eye-opener to those denying its existence.

One aspect of the trafficking in persons that makes it extremely hard to eliminate is the wide-spread involvement of high-ranking officials and law enforcement officers, the people who should be protecting the victims. Even those who are not directly involved in the trafficking and refuse to realize the true nature of the activity contribute to its continued presence by simply closing their eyes. Another important aspect is the outrageous amount of money criminals make off of the kidnapped/forced/coerced women and girls. The cost of obtaining the merchandise is petty; the revenue is mountainous. 

It is very important to note that the girls kidnapped are not necessarily homeless and alone. The common errors, as revealed in the movie, that young women and girls make are not simply talking to strangers (men or women) but allowing that person to find out where they live (by sharing a taxi) and informing them of the fact that they are on their own. The moment they have done this, they have become the perfect preys.  

Regardless of the victim’s background, however, the common denominator is lack of knowledge and awareness on the side of the victim and the strict organization of the trafficking operation. The girls are taken and 96 hours later, they disappear for all those who have known them. 

I think the most heart-breaking moment in the movie was when it was evident that the main character will save his daughter, but all the other girls remained behind. No one came to save them. We can only suspect what their fate would be, but by the looks of it, there was probably no happy ending for them. This is the reason it is of utmost importance that all people are educated about the nature of human trafficking, the signs to look for to notice victims, and the steps to be taken towards the eradication of the practice. Information on how to do that is available at many of the links provided on this blog. If you are interested in making a difference, I would strongly recommend that you review them and learn how to become a modern-day abolitionist.

- Krasi