What if we could harness the rage against injustice, to help human victims?

What if we could harness the rage against injustice, to help human victims?

Earlier this week, news broke that a trophy hunter had killed one of Zimbabwe’s most famous animals, a lion named “Cecil.” As the story goes, the lion was lured out of Hwange National Park, where it was protected, shot with a crossbow and 40 hours later, as it was still dying, killed with a gun, beheaded, and skinned. It is believed the hunter paid approximately $54,000 to kill a creature that would have brought millions of dollars’ worth of tourism to the park and the struggling nation of Zimbabwe.

After being identified in the media on Tuesday, a dentist from Minnesota admitted to killing the lion, but said he believed the hunt was legal at the time. Within a day Dr. Walter J. Palmer had become an internet sensation, for all the wrong reasons. The public was enraged. The level of vitriol was shocking. The dentist received death threats. One of many protestors picketing Palmer’s office screamed into a megaphone, “Murderer! Terrorist!” Continue reading “What if we could harness the rage against injustice, to help human victims?”

Human Trafficking – What to do when you feel helpless to help the victims

Human Trafficking – What to do when you feel helpless to help the victims

A few days ago, Free the Slaves posted a story from IndiaTimes.com to social media. It was about Air India ground staff being arrested for trafficking Nepalese women to Dubai. The organisation wrote:

One of the worst fears of human rights organisations – that the recent#Nepal #earthquake would lead to massive #humantrafficking from the country – seems to be coming true. 

In the comments below the Free the Slaves post, some readers expressed despair because of their desire, as “average people,” to get involved “helping victims or working to eliminate” human trafficking but having little information for how they might make a positive difference. There are ways the public can contribute to assisting people who may fall victim to human trafficking. One way is to contribute to organisations that work towards alleviating the poverty that makes people vulnerable to human trafficking, through building sustainable livelihoods. These organisations also provide humanitarian relief when disasters like the earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25th occur. Continue reading “Human Trafficking – What to do when you feel helpless to help the victims”