By Glenn & Rebecca Fadner
You'd think that an event about Human Trafficking would be a "downer", wouldn't you? Well, nothing could be further from the truth. No, it certainly wasn't an occasion for partying, and there were plenty of sobering and somber statistics, but the prevailing mood was one of hope and optimism, mixed with a dogged determination that slavery MUST be wiped out and CAN be in our generation.
When the folks at Not For Sale Campaign conceived of this Forum, they were hoping that 250 people would attend. Oops! As of the first session, over 750 were expected.The final number pushed 800! That posed a few logistical challenges, but the staff an NFS and North Coast Calvary Chapel did a great job of accommodating everyone.
It was amazing to see people from around the world, from a wide variety of political and religious backgrounds, all united in the belief that there MUST be an end to global slavery in all its forms.
Speakers such as Lou de Baca (US Ambassador-at-large for issues of Human Trafficking) and David Arkless (Manpower President for Global and Corporate Affairs) were among the keynote speakers. US representatives and a Canadian MP sent video greetings and encouragement. Breakout sessions covered topics ranging from changing justice systems to the use of entrepreneurial models as means of combating trafficking.
There's a great recap of the Forum online. Click here to access it.
No comments:
Post a Comment