I was scouring the web today, and I came across an interesting story about R.A. Dickey - that awesome knuckleballer that the Mets let slide over to the Blue Jays.
Source link: Blue Jays ace R.A. Dickey fights child sex trafficking in India
So anyways, I read this article and it got the wheels turning. I went to the Passion Conference in Atlanta back on January 1st through 4th. It was an incredible event with a lot of great things said. Also, at the conference, was the small kickoff to the End It Movement (which nationally launches tomorrow, 2/1). The entire premise of the End It Movement is to over the next few months, shine a light on slavery. Ultimately, making people aware that modern day slavery not only exists, but is a way of life for 27,000,000 people in the world today.
To continue, they built this giant cube of screens, and had people take a picture of themselves with Twitter/Instagram and the #enditmovement tag to be added on there as a way of saying "I'm in it to end it." All great and something that needs to be done, because the quickest way to end it, is to make it known. Upon poking around on Twitter, I have seen several famous people who have stuck their mug shot in the feed with a logo (Carrie Underwood, Steve Wozniak, Kyle Korver, to name a few).
If you have any Gen-X or millennial generational cynicism, you probably have the same thought as me, "It's nice you used your multiple millions of dollars to take a picture with a big red 'X', and I appreciate your help in building the knowledge base (especially prior to the national launch), but you could probably do a lot more with your platform and resources than a silly photo." Now once my cynicism recedes, I really have an affinity for these people doing this still, but it still just seems like the hip thing to do. No one on a platform like that is out there saying, "Yep, I am all for slavery and so happy that it exists." Apple even recently pledged to clean up child labor in their supply chain. It's popular to want to end slavery.
Back to R.A. Dickey. This is a guy doing his part. I am blown away by the generosity this guy has. He is raising awareness and actually taking an active part. He raised money by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. R.A. Dickey is the antithesis of what my cynicism sees in celebrities. A man, who as a child was marred by sexual abuse, has become a beacon of light when he stands up and shines a light on slavery. He is doing exactly what we should be doing.
I am not saying we should all go to Mumbai, or climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. What I am saying, is we should all do our part, to help those in need. It's about being loving, caring, and generous; because at the end of the day, that's what is expected of us. Going a little bit out of your way, can go a long way for someone else.
“If the organization rescues one human life from that hell, then it has done it’s job in some way,” Dickey said.
In the same manner, if we can go a little bit out of our way and say one human's spiritual life from hell, or their physical life from hell on earth, we have done our job in some way.
#ENDIT
BGann
P.S. Random facts on modern day slavery from the End It Movement Twitter.
1 - 27 million enslaved is equal to the population of Florida and Georgia, combined.
2 - Slavery is a $32 billion industry. Making more money each year than Google.
3 - Half of those 27 million are children.
4 - Slave traders will trade people for $90 or less.
5 - 600,000 - 800,000 people are trafficked internationally EVERY year.
6 - Almost 48 people a day are trafficked into the UNITED STATES.
7 - 80% of today's slaves are female.
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