Post written by Bia Britto – “A Cause Worth Fighting for”
My name is Bia Britto. I graduated from Law School in Brazil, and I am now pursuing my master’s degree in American Legal Studies at Regent University.
I am beyond grateful for being part of a community that has this willingness to make the world a better place in so many ways.
Being a student at Regent University is inspiring but becoming a staff member at the Center for Global Justice turned that inspiration into a real commitment to be someone who is also willing to make a difference.
SHARED HOPE
As a staff member in the Center for Global Justice, I had the chance to work with Shared Hope, which is an organization that fights Human Trafficking. Unfortunately, victims of human trafficking are often seen as unworthy and dishonorable by society, which is why they tend to further marginalize themselves, subjecting themselves to a life of abuse and exploitation. Shared Hope sees and cares for those victims. They have been completing amazing work to prevent more people from becoming victims, as well as restoring those who are victims.
When I started to learn more about the work they do, I was deeply impacted. Although we have all heard of human trafficking, I could quickly see how superficial my knowledge of the subject was. The truth is that human trafficking involves many nuances, circumstances and consequences and I had no idea what they were like. Through Shared Hope I was able to hear stories from real victims and have my eyes turned to a reality that I didn’t see so clearly before.
TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
It is important to remember that victims are not just a statistic – each number represents a human being. A person, including children, who is being exploited for work or sex due to coercion, violence and fear. If, through collective work, a single victim is taken out of danger, it will have been worth it. And if the value of a life is great, even more valuable and rewarding is saving the lives of many.
Many times, facing this kind of reality, I used to feel helpless. However, given the opportunity to see the fruits of Shared Hope’s work, I was fueled with hope and a willingness to help in any way I can. There are many ways to get involved in ending human trafficking. There is no job or help that is too small – every job is worth doing. We need to raise awareness, stop predators, rescue victims, prosecute criminals, and hopefully end human trafficking. For this, it is necessary that people are willing to get involved with this cause.
The fight will not end easily, but if the message continues to spread and more and more people become aware, we can create a better reality.
Please, check out the work developed by Shared Hope at the link below and learn more about the wonderful work they have done in the fight against human trafficking.
This post was written by a Center for Global Justice Student Staff member. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.