by Elyse Dobney
“The Salvation Army believes in the biblical principles of the inherent and equal value of all persons and the duty to care for one’s neighbour. The exploitation of human beings commodifies and dehumanises the individuals who are trafficked, rewards the inhumanity of the traffickers, and weakens the moral, social and economic fabric of society. The Salvation Army is opposed to the abuse of power against other human beings that is inherent in modern slavery and human trafficking.” (The Salvation Army International Position Statement on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking)
The Salvation Army has expressed a global commitment to prioritizing our response to human trafficking. Within that commitment, we recognize an inherent need to establish a strategic, local response and want to ensure in the Central Territory we are creating holistic, trauma-informed strategies to address the issue in our communities.
To support this priority, the Central Territory’s Center for Social Justice and Urban Mission (CSJUM) is excited to announce its inaugural Justice Week: Responding to Human Trafficking in Our Communities,
April 4-8, 2022, with no cost to participate.
This event will focus on equipping and mobilizing Salvationists and those desiring to come alongside The Salvation Army to respond locally to human trafficking. The week-long, intensive training will cover general human trafficking identification and engagement, trauma-informed care and response, and collaboration with community partners.
Delegates will explore the type of response they would like to build in their location through working groups on training and public awareness, congregational development, and establishing a local antitrafficking program. The week will conclude with them developing responses into a potential action plan for consideration by their local Salvation Army leaders with the goal of engaging their corps in a more intentional role in anti-trafficking efforts in their communities.
Following the event, the CSJUM will provide support and technical assistance as we navigate our roles in comprehensively addressing human trafficking.
For more information or to register, visit sajusticecentral.org.
