so i think im proabably really really late on this new music alert* but just incase your out of the loop too i thought i would share how stinkin' incredible it is : ) the album is called white flag and i cant take it off repeat.. i love albums like that.. you know the ones that make hitting traffic AWESOME, because you now get to jam out for a little while longer... anyone else or just me?? anyways here is a song list.. i highlighted some of my favs! just click on em' to listen!!
Students around the world loving God and fighting hunger.
Not your average group activity.
This is your chance to join other groups of students all over the world in learning the truth about hunger, poverty, and injustice — then overcome it all with love.
Worldwide, 925 million people are hungry. Every day, as many as 11,000 children under age 5 die due to hunger-related causes. That’s one kid every 8 seconds.
The Famine gives your group a chance to do something about it — to rise up and serve the hungry.
Going hungry — so others don’t have to
Every year, hundreds of thousands of students do the Famine. They go without food for 30 hours. They learn what it takes to overcome hunger. And they raise funds to help feed hungry children and families around they world. They refuse to be told they can’t make a difference.
Every $30 raised by your group can help feed and care for a child for a month. And because the Famine is powered by World Vision, you’re not just feeding kids for today — you’re helping them and their families overcome poverty for a lifetime. Learn more about how the Famine works.
A life-changing experience
When your group does the Famine, you’re doing more than raising money for a good cause. You’re stepping outside yourselves — to help save lives . . . and change the way you see the world.
Along the way, your group will learn about hunger and make a difference in the lives of children living in poverty. And to top it all off, you’ll be drawn closer to God and one another as you experience hunger firsthand.
Fact: A child dies from hunger-related causes every 8 to 12 seconds.*
That’s as many as 11,000 children younger than 5 — killed every day. Some actually starve. The immune systems of others are powered down by malnutrition, leaving the door wide open for deadly diseases.
And hunger is only one threat facing kids. In all, more than 22,000 die every day — almost all of them from simple causes with existing cures: diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia, hunger, and more. That’s the real injustice — that the vast majority of these deaths are 100% preventable.
Fact: Globally, 925 million people are hungry.
That’s roughly 3 times the population of the U.S. going to bed hungry every night. Why so hungry? Many families depend entirely on what they can grow, so they’re never more than one natural or manmade disaster away from hunger. Others work day and night, but still can barely afford enough food for their children
Fact: The poor spend most of their money trying not to starve.
Around 2.6 billion people live on less than two bucks a day. They’ve got to feed their families on this — not to mention pay for shelter, school, healthcare, and clothes. And guess what? Food prices just hit their highest level in history.
Faced with these realities, the poor are often forced to make difficult decisions. Buy medicine for their 3-year-old who has malaria, or food for the whole family? Send the kids to school or have them work to help earn money? Go from two meals a day to one? For many, these aren’t one-time choices. They’re life sentences — and the prison is poverty.
Fact: We can overcome hunger.
Hunger is bigger than us, but it’s not bigger than God. Jesus fed thousands of people with one boy’s small lunch. Imagine what he can do when we come together in his name to fight hunger.
You see, there is enough food in the world. But there’s also injustice, because that food is not equally available — even when people work hard for it. The poor need an advocate — someone who is willing to rise up, speak out, and serve the hungry. That’s where we come in. Together, our voices and actions can make a difference. And that’s why we go hungry … so others don’t have to.
*According to UN estimates, hunger is a direct or contributing cause in one-third to one-half of preventable child deaths.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
—Matthew 5:6 (NLT)
here are a couple of girls from my old sunday
school class in beaumont, who are
participating in World Visons 30 hour fast. will you consider
supporting this team?
you can make checks out to world vision and send them to
In Oklahoma, a movement is gaining momentum among churches.
As of January of 2011, there were 8,308 children in Oklahoma who because of abuse, neglect or abandonment needed adoptive homes. And with more than 6,000 churches statewide, an Oklahoma-based ministry called the 111Project works to pair at least one family from each church to commit to adopt at least one child through the Department of Human Services.
This comes after DHS and community faith leaders met in December of
2010 to figure out a way to recruit foster families. The result was a plan that affirms the belief of many in the faith community that church-based missions don’t have to happen just overseas. There is a field of children needing hope and healing in our own streets and cities. To that end, 111Project.org was launched with the premise of one church recruiting one family for one purpose: “To Leave No Oklahoma Child Without a Family.”
Within five months, “278 new foster families have been pledged by 42 committed local churches statewide. Of those families pledged, 119 have pursued the foster family certification process through the 111Project.” Robin Jones, Director of Faith-Based & Community Initiatives for FaithLinks, is thrilled. “As a person of faith,” she says, “I believe the unfolding story of the 111Project.org is divinely orchestrated and being used to change the face of foster care in Oklahoma.”
When a fostering or adoptive family accepts the call to step into the life of an orphan, the love of God becomes tangible. And when children are brought into a healthy, Christ-centered home, the impact is forever imprinted on their lives.
One such child who has been impacted by this campaign is Baby Boy. A 2-month-old Cherokee baby boy in northeastern Oklahoma was critically injured after repeated blows, delivered by his biological mother, to his tiny body left him hospitalized for two weeks. Alone, with no parent to comfort him as he fought for his life, Baby Boy desperately needed a safe home and a family to love him and help him heal.
Once the Department of Human Services was called from the hospital, the hunt began to find a place for the baby and his older brother and sister. When none of the children’s biological family stepped up to take the children from the shelter, the Suggs family received the call.
Previously, Mike and Dana Suggs, were busy raising their three children ages 5-16. But a few years ago, something changed. Dana recalls: “I told God one day I was ready to sell it all and move anywhere in the world and start an orphanage ... [and] there was this little tiny voice that said simply: ‘You have that [need] right here where you are.’ I was thinking that missionaries are only in scary places of the world, and yet ... we have children right here in the United States that need homes.”
After months of paperwork, background checks and training, the Suggs received a call about the three small Cherokee children. Within two hours, the Suggs family brought the children, whom they now lovingly call the “Littles,” into their home.
It has been months now since the Littles joined the Suggs family, and though the road has been bumpy at times, following God’s plan has given them peace. Each child came with their own set of challenges and medical and emotional needs. Baby Boy is a medical marvel who continually overcomes amazing odds.
A favorite Scripture that motivates the Suggs’ family is James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”
While not everyone is called to foster or adopt, every follower of Christ is called to bring justice to orphans and can do something to change the outcome for these kids.
In 2006 there were 510,000 national children in foster care, and of that number 127,000 (25%) were waiting to be adopted. So the potential lives that could be forever impacted nationwide by projects like 111 is enormous.
When the Suggs family signed up at111Project.org, they helped reduce that big number by three. Because they know that while the road toward fostering or adoption is not easy, bringing love, faith and justice is worth the challenges they have faced.
this makes my heart happy and my joy overflow
JAMES 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Here is Invisible Children's official response to the negative reaction and those supporting figures.
Critiques
Thank you for reading this and doing further research about Invisible Children (IC) and KONY 2012. In response to this explosion of interest about the KONY 2012 film, there have been hundreds of thousands of comments in support of the arrest of Joseph Kony and the work of Invisible Children. However, there have also been pieces written that are putting out false or misleading information about these efforts.
This statement is our official response to some of these articles and is a source for accurate information about Invisible Children's mission, financials and approach to stopping LRA violence.
Invisible Children's mission is to stop LRA violence and support the war-affected communities in East and Central Africa. These are the three ways we achieve this mission; each is essential:
1) Make the world aware of the LRA. This includes making documentary films and touring them around the world so that they are seen for free by millions of people.
2) Channel energy from viewers of IC films into large-scale advocacy campaigns to stop the LRA and protect civilians.
3) Operate programs on the ground in LRA-affected areas that provide protection, rehabilitation and development assistance.
As you will see, we spend roughly one third of our money on each of these three goals. This three-prong approach is what makes Invisible Children unique. Some organizations focus exclusively on documenting human rights abuses, some focus exclusively on international advocacy or awareness, and some focus exclusively on on-the-ground development. We do all three. At the same time. This comprehensive model is intentional and has proven to be very effective.
We are committed, and always have been, to be 100% financially transparent and to communicate in plain language the mission of the organization so that everyone can make an informed decision about whether they want to support our strategy.
Re: Financials
Invisible Children's financial statements are online for everyone to see. Financial statements from the last 5 years, including our 990, are available at www.invisiblechildren.com/financials. The organization spent 80.46% on our programs that further our three-fold mission; 16.24% on administration and management costs; and 3.22% on direct fundraising in Fiscal Year 2011. Invisible Children is independently audited every year and in full compliance with our 501(c)3 nonprofit status.
Below is a screen-shot from pages 35 and 36 of the 2011 Invisible Children annual report that detail our total expenses for Fiscal Year 2011. An expense statement by class is the way nonprofits present their expenses to the public because it's the clearest way to show the purpose of different organizational expenses vs. a line item expense statement such as the one on page 6 of our Audited Financial Report.
Re: Charity Navigator Rating
Charity Navigator gives Invisible Children 3 out of 4 stars. It's gives our Programs its highest rating of 4 stars. Our Accountability and Transparency score is currently at 2 stars due to the fact that Invisible Children does not have 5 independent voting members on our board of directors--we currently have 4. We are in the process of interviewing potential board members, and we will add an additional independent member this year in order to regain our 4-star rating by 2013. We have been independently audited by Considine and Considine since Fiscal Year 2006, and all of our audits have resulted in unqualified opinions on the audit reports. An unqualified opinion means that the auditors believe the financial statements are free of material misstatement and are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles of the United States.
Re: Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Participation in BBB's program is voluntary-- we are choosing to wait until we have expanded our Board of Directors, as some questions hinge on the size of our Board. The current Board is small in size and reflects Invisible Children's grassroots foundation. We have now reached a juncture of success that has astonished even our greatest supporters. While it is important to retain a presence on the Board that reflects Invisible Children's early beginnings, we are also working to expand the Board this year.
Re: Lobbying Efforts
Part of Invisible Children's mission is advocacy, and we lobby within our 501(c)3 status. We have lobbied Congress on multiple occasions, but especially in 2009 and 2010 which led to the passage of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. We lobby all members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation. We do not endorse a political party.
Federal laws exist to encourage charities to lobby within certain specified limits and Invisible Children has been careful to stay within these legal limits. Each year, as part of our Form 990, we submit an additional schedule that provides the financial details surrounding Invisible Children's involvement in lobbying. We have also elected 501(h) status--part of which is a commitment to continue to voluntarily report our lobbying expenditures to the IRS. The Invisible Children Form 990 and audited financials for the past several years can be found on our website at: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/financials.
The best researched paper supporting the policy position of the KONY 2012 campaign can be found here, drafted by Paul Ronan of Resolve:
For more than two decades, Kony has refused opportunities to negotiate an end to the violence peacefully, and has used peace talks to build up his army's strength through targeted abduction campaigns. Governments of countries where Kony has operated -- including Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic -- have been unable to capture Kony or bring him to justice. This is because regional governments are often not adequately committed to the task, but also because they lack some of the specific capabilities that would help them do so. The KONY 2012 campaign is calling for U.S. leadership to address both problems. It supports the deployment of U.S. advisers and the provision of intelligence and other support that can help locate and bring Kony to justice, but also increased diplomacy to hold regional governments accountable to their basic responsibilities to protect civilians from this kind of brutal violence. Importantly, the campaign also advocates for broader measures to help communities being affected by LRA attacks, such as increased funding for programs to help Kony's abductees escape and return to their homes and families. For a clear understanding of the KONY 2012 political goals, please see the letter to President Obama.
Re: Ugandan government human rights record
We do not defend any of the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Ugandan government or the Ugandan army (UPDF). None of the money donated through Invisible Children ever goes to the government of Uganda or any other government. Yet the only feasible and proper way to stop Kony and protect the civilians he targets is to coordinate efforts with regional governments.
Re: Stopping Kony
We are advocating for the arrest of Joseph Kony so that he can be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a precedent for future war criminals. The goal of KONY 2012 is for the world to unite to see Kony arrested and prosecuted for his crimes against humanity.
RE: OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF A COMPLEX ISSUE
KONY 2012 portrays, in no uncertain terms, the image of a madman who manipulates children spiritually for his own tactical gains. In our quest to garner wide public support of nuanced policy, Invisible Children has sought to explain the conflict in an easily understandable format, focusing on the core attributes of LRA leadership that infringe upon the most basic of human rights. In a 30-minute film, however, many nuances of the 26-year conflict are admittedly lost or overlooked. The film is a first entry point to this conflict for many, and the organization provides several ways for our supporters to go deeper in learning about the make-up of the LRA and the history of the conflict. Likewise, our work on the ground continually adapts to the changing complexities of the conflict.
RE: EXAGGERATING THE IMPACT OF THE LRA AND IMPLYING THE WAR IS IN UGANDA
Since the LRA left Uganda in 2006, Invisible Children has been publicly denouncing their atrocities in DR Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR), while continuing to work with now-peaceful communities in post-conflict northern Uganda. In September 2011, Invisible Children launched the LRA Crisis Tracker website with the aim of providing high-quality, verified information about LRA attacks in DR Congo, South Sudan, and CAR. A detailed methodology is available on this website that explains how information is collected, verified, and rated in terms of its accuracy and reliability. Every incident that is reported through the Early Warning Radio Network run by Invisible Children's partner organizations is carefully verified with other actors in DR Congo and CAR before being published to the LRA Crisis Tracker; even after publishing, incidents on the website continue to be modified as--and when--further information becomes available. Each incident is rated according to two criteria, on a scale of 1 to 5: whether an incident has actually occurred, and whether it was committed by the LRA. In this way, Invisible Children is providing concrete data and helping to dispel unfounded rumours about LRA attacks.
RE: PERPETUATING THE ‘WHITE MAN'S BURDEN' AND THE SAVIOR COMPLEX
Invisible Children's programs in Uganda, DR Congo, and Central African Republic are implemented with continuous input from, and in respect of the knowledge and experience of, local communities and their leaders. In Uganda, we learned very quickly that a top-down, Western approach was not the answer, and that local solutions were needed to fill critical humanitarian gaps. It is for this reason that over 95% of IC's leadership and staff on the ground are Ugandans on the forefront of program design and implementation. In DR Congo, Invisible Children works with the Commission diocesaine justice et paix (CDJP), supporting projects that have been identified as priorities by local partners and that are responsive to local realities and needs. Invisible Children staff members in project areas consistently strive to ensure that they build the capacity of local partners and do not take on duties where local partners can more responsibly and effectively carry these out; the organization meticulously monitors and evaluates the impact of its work on the ground, partnering with Princeton in Africa and employing qualified Monitoring & Evaluation professionals.
Re: The photo of the founders with the guns (see banner image)
A story told by Jason Russell: Let me start by saying that that photo was a bad idea. We were young and we got caught up in the moment. It was never meant to reflect on the organization. The photo of Bobby, Laren and I with the guns was taken in an LRA camp in DRC during the 2008 Juba Peace Talks. We were there to see Joseph Kony come to the table to sign the Final Peace Agreement. The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was surrounding our camp for protection since Sudan was mediating the peace talks. We wanted to talk to them and film them and get their perspective. And because Bobby, Laren and I are friends and had been doing this for 5 years, we thought it would be funny to bring back to our friends and family a joke photo. You know, "Haha - they have bazookas in their hands but they're actually fighting for peace." The ironic thing about this photo is that I HATE guns. I always have. Back in 2008 I wanted this war to end, like we all did, peacefully, through peace talks. But Kony was not interested in that; he kept killing. And we still don't want war. We don't want him killed and we don't want bombs dropped. We want him alive and captured and brought to justice
Re: Programs on the Ground
While the vast majority of the recent exposure and commentary about Invisible Children has been towards the awareness portion of our mission, below is an up-to-date explanation of our work in Central Africa, an equally important element to the mission of Invisible Children.
Invisible Children's Program in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan:
Invisible Children is committed to supporting communities affected by the Lord's Resistance Army by empowering local leaders to implement programs that have a lasting impact. Our work in Uganda is focused on assisting in the recovery of northern Uganda after being decimated by two decades of conflict, while in DR Congo and the Central African Republic we are working with local partners to protect communities, encourage peaceful LRA surrenders and support the victims of the conflict.
HF Early Warning Radio Network:
To address the lack of information from the most vulnerable and remote communities, Invisible Children partnered with Commission Diocesaine Justice et Paix (CDJP), led by Abbe Benoit and internationally recognized Congolese human rights advocate for LRA issues, to expand an Early Warning Radio Network connecting communities to one another through twice-daily security and humanitarian reporting. This network utilizes high frequency radios to allow for advanced warning of LRA activity. It also provides the humanitarians that are delivering life-saving services and the groups involved in civilian protection with real-time information. Communities participating in the project were selected due to their susceptibility to LRA attack and their lack of the communication infrastructure necessary to report and receive security information. A Local Protection Committee is established in each community to gather and disseminate information, provide regular maintenance to the equipment, and to ensure that trained operators in each community are carrying out the daily reporting
This project connects communities with local and international humanitarian groups, ultimately allowing for heightened humanitarian response while limiting the LRA's ability to attack without warning. Through Invisible Children's support, there are now 27 communities linked into the HF Early Warning Network in Haut and Bas Uele.
FM Radio: FM radio is one of the few ways to directly reach LRA combatants across central Africa with messaging encouraging them--many of whom are unwilling combatants--to escape. Invisible Children partnered with UN DDR/RR and Interactive Radio for Justice (IRfJ) to increase the capacity of Radio Zereda, a community-run FM radio in Obo, Central African Republic, from 1km to an over 30-km radius. Through locally-produced radio programming, members the victims' association in Obo and cultural leaders from LRA-affected regions share insight and sensitize local populations to the LRA's activities. In conjunction with sensitization, programming directly targeting nearby LRA groups and is broadcast in both the local Pazande and Acholi languages to encourage and give instructions for peaceful surrender.
In 2011, Invisible Children also provided support to repair Radio Rhinoceros in Faradje, DR Congo, and provided monetary support for a DDR/RR mobile FM unit deployed on rotation in Haut Uele. Additional community-FM projects in Haut Uele and in the highly remote and vulnerable district of Bas Uele are being identified and assessed for support during the 2012 calendar year.
LRA Crisis Tracker: The LRA Crisis Tracker is a real-time mapping platform and data collection system created to bring an unprecedented level of transparency to the atrocities of the Lord's Resistance Army. Using information sourced from Invisible Children's Early Warning Radio Network, UN agencies, and local NGOs, this tool allows for better response from governments, policymakers, and humanitarian organizations. This joint project, developed by Invisible Children and Resolve, marks the first time data surrounding the crisis has been comprehensively aggregated and made publicly available.
Rehabilitation Center:
As abductions continue throughout Central Africa, Invisible Children is partnering with renowned LRA-trauma specialist, Els de Temmerman, and the leadership of CDJP-Dungu, to establish the first trauma-focused rehabilitation program in the LRA-affected regions of northeastern Congo. Invisible Children, using its construction expertise from our education programs in Uganda, built the center with local labor and largely local materials. The center, located in Dungu, is locally managed and provides one-on-one counseling, utilizing a variety of therapy approaches adapted to each youth, including UNICEF-approved Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). The center provides vocational and life skills training, school catch-up programs, and reunification services. Upon completion of the second phase of construction, the center will have capacity for up to 250 children and youth to reside at the center where they will receive holistic counseling services, which are also available for less-severe outpatient cases. Currently, a limited number of severely traumatized children are receiving treatment while the center builds staff capacity and develops systems. Full capacity is targeted for Fall 2012. Program management will continue to coordinate with both local and international NGOs and UN agencies to ensure that the center's activities are utilized by, and fit within, the regional psychosocial and protection strategies.
Invisible Children's Programs in Uganda:
Promoting peace and prosperity through Education and Livelihood initiatives
Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP):
The scholarship provides fully paid, merit-based scholarships and mentoring from local full-time Invisible Children Mentors. Students are selected based on academic potential and need.
Stats as of December 2011:
This program partners with 11 secondary schools and their surrounding communities in northern Uganda, working on projects that both build and renovate structures, while also investing in teachers and curriculum. The program also facilitates a yearly Teacher Exchange Program benefiting both Ugandan and international educators.
Stats as of December 2011:
Partner schools: 11
Students attending partner schools: 9,048
Livelihood Program:
The Livelihood Program takes a holistic approach to providing sustainable economic growth and improved living conditions for war-affected northern Ugandans. It impacts rural communities using a three-pronged approach: over 1,250 community members are saving and loaning together, participating in our Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) program; 5,000 community members are benefiting from clean water and health and sanitation initiatives through the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program; and over 1,000 people are receiving training on numeracy, reading, and writing in their local language as a part of our Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) program.
Stats as of December 2011:
WASH: over 5,000 (20 communities with an average of 250 community members)
VSLA: 1,250 community members (50 groups of 25-30 members each)
FAL: 1,000 community members (50 groups of 20-25 members each)
These are the stats used by the KONY 2012 film and campaign:
We've done our utmost to be as inclusive, transparent, and factual as possible. We built this organization with "seeing is believing" in mind, and that's what why we are a media-based organization. We WANT you to see everything we are doing, because we are proud of it. Though we would no longer consider ourselves naive, we have always sought counsel from those who know much more. We have never claimed a desire to "save Africa," but, instead, an intent to inspire Western youth to "do more than just watch." And in Central Africa, focus on locally-led long-term development programs that enable children to take responsibility for their own futures and the futures of their countries. Our programs are carefully researched and developed initiatives by incredible members of the local community that address the need for quality education, mentorship, the redevelopment of schools, resettlement from IDP camps, and rehabilitation from war. If you know anyone who has been there to see it first hand, there is no doubt they will concur. Also, we have invited you to join us on www.LRACrisisTracker.com, which we established as a way to bring you near real-time reports from the ground, making available to the public the same information received by humanitarians working on the ground.
But, credibility in the eyes of policymakers, fellow non-profit workers, LRA-affected communities, and YOU is our most important asset, so we would like to encourage you, if you have critiques, to get specific: find facts, dig deeper, and we'll gladly continue the conversation from there. If encountering something you disagree with, suggest an alternative to what we are doing- and we will absolutely take heed. If it's a matter of opinion, taste, humor, or style: we apologize, and will have to agree to disagree. As the poet Ke$ha says, "we are who we are."
Let's focus on what matters, and what we DO agree on: Joseph Kony needs to be stopped. And when that happens, peace is the limit. This is the beautiful beginning of an ending that is just the beginning. We are defending tomorrow. And it's hopeful.
so i have been without a computer for a COUPLE of weeks now and let me tell you.. its been rough.. i miss my music, i miss my time before bed surfing the web and reading blogs... i just miss being able to carry it around and stop into rando coffee shops to blog or journal.. needless to say i miss my mac but the good news is help is on the way! woohoo* i cant wait!!! i will be back with a mac shortly.. until then i will continue to bum off my parents and youtube music when im desperate.. anyways one online site i have really been enjoying lately is called rejectapathy. please check it out, its way cool. here is a story i grabbed off the website. this girl is legit and im not gonna lie i kinda wanna be like her!
One Small Wardrobe, One Huge Cause
By Hanna Zoe Hafner
Nothing stands out about Elizabeth Held’s outfit as she enters the sunny coffee shop. The long sleeves of a lavender tunic slide underneath her little black dress, which she has paired with tights and black and white shoes that look like they would click-clack on a tile floor.
As she sits down, she tells me she likes my coffee mug and asks if I have a camera. Almost every day she uploads her blog, One Dress One Cause, with a new picture of herself. Conceited? No. Held, a 20-year-old photography major, has pledged to wear the same dress every day for one year to campaign forRahab’s Hideaway, a Christian organization based in Columbus, Ohio, that houses and helps women who have been enslaved in the human trafficking industry. As Held was planning her project, she knew she wanted to support survivors of human trafficking close to home. Ohio has been pinpointed as one of the most susceptible places for young women, with around 9,000 deemed at risk because of poverty or family history of abuse, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Statistics from the Polaris Project, an activist group based in Washington, D.C., peg human trafficking as a $32 billion global industry.
The idea of wearing the same dress every day as an advocacy technique was not Held’s idea. Women across the nation have been creating their own One Dress projects for different anti-human trafficking organizations, but few have dedicated a whole year to a project. But Held wanted to raise awareness in as many different places as possible. She and her dress get the most attention at college, but during the summer she advocated in her hometown and even got to be a part of the Rahab’s Hideaway team. The idea for Rahab’s Hideaway came to trafficking survivor Marlene Caron in a dream. In the three years since the organization was created, five houses have been provided for the women who escape the sex trade. In the same place where they were once enslaved, they live quiet lives under the shelter of Caron’s care and compassion. Caron doesn’t just give the women a place to go, but helps them heal from their experiences and shows them the love of Christ that changed her life.
“She has so much faith, I can’t even comprehend it,” Held says. “She never worries about rent. Everything they have has been donated and renovated. When they moved into one house, they didn’t even have to buy their own toilet paper.”
Rahab’s Hideaway has expanded from homes to a restaurant, Boujhetto’s, which hires former prostitutes. Soon Rahab’s Hideaway will have a thrift store where women can discreetly seek counseling.
Her partnership with Rahab’s Hideaway has added a real-life aspect to Held’s project. Though her main goal is to raise awareness about human trafficking, she realizes that knowing statistics and getting donations won’t make a difference if the survivors don’t see their individual beauty and value.
"We are at our most beautiful when God comes out." —Elizabeth Held
“Women get so bogged down about image and self-worth and people treating each other like crap, and women submit to that,” Held says. “We shouldn’t.”
Despite limited contact with the survivors, Held hopes they will feel loved and beautiful through Christ-like actions, like what she’s trying to do through her One Dress project. “We are at our most beautiful when God comes out,” Held says. “I’m using my body and what I wear to represent these women. I feel like they can’t speak.”
Held was invited to Rahab’s Hideaway’s annual fundraiser in January, where Caron greeted her and said, “You know you’re sitting at the head table, right?” Then Held was asked to speak. She was completely awed.
“I actually got to explain my dress project to everyone at this place. Only it was very off the top of my head. I didn’t realize I’d be speaking,” Held says.
In public, the dress serves as a symbol and a conversation starter. At her college, Held has handed out fliers and letters explaining the evils of human trafficking and set up a link on her blog for people to donate to Rahab’s Hideaway.
After wearing the dress for a month, people started asking questions. “Like, ‘Liz, why are you wearing that dress again?’ ” Held mimics. Now, on days when the dress is less visible, they ask, “Liz, where’s your dress?”
She’s also gotten questions like: “Do you wear it to bed? Don’t you wash it? Do you wear it to work out?” No, yes and no. Held needs the dress to last a whole year. Swimming and sleeping in it are out of the question, and keeping it clean, wrinkle- and rip-free are a priority.
After 304 days of wear and tear, the two-piece dress has sizable holes in the underarm seams and along the zippers. “Luckily my cousin’s a seamstress,” Held says.
Although pairing the dress with different things is a good way for Held to express her artistic side, it can get burdensome. She added on the challenge of creating a new outfit each day and vows that there will be “no repeats.” Before starting the project, she decided not to buy new clothing while wearing the dress, and the money she saves will be her own contribution to Rahab’s Hideaway’s thrift store. Held continuously says knowledge of human trafficking is the beginning of advocacy and change. Ultimately, she wants to see the end of the human trafficking industry. “People sell other people,” Held says, “and I don’t have the power to stop it.”
She doesn’t. But she does have the power to put on a little black dress and the compassion that so many more will need before modern slavery is wiped away.
