Students at the University are constantly being bombarded by causes like saving Darfur, going green and providing clean water to those who don’t have it.
So much goes on in the world today that students may find it hard to feel like they could make a difference. However, Darby Hess and Christy Adamson have a passion for changing that attitude for the students here. Hess, a freshman majoring in communication studies, started a chapter of the International Justice Mission at the University.
According to their website, International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression.
Adamson, a junior and co-founder of the IJM chapter here, says ignorance and apathy play an enormous role in continuing the cycle of injustice and oppression.
“Alabama IJM seeks to raise awareness and ignite students with a passion for justice by providing a way for students to take ownership in this global issue,” Adamson said.
Both students cite human trafficking as a major problem in our world today. It is the world’s third largest criminal enterprise after drugs and weapons, and according to the United Nations, has a market value of over $32 billon dollars.
Hess was greatly disturbed by statistics like these.
“About 2 or 3 years ago, I heard a statistic that 2 to 3 million children are sold into sex trafficking a year, and I wasn’t OK with that, “ Hess said.
Sex trafficking does not just happen in foreign countries. In 2004, Attorney General John Ashcroft said that each year, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States. The number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country each year is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for being trafficked into the sex industry.
“I wanted to start a chapter of IJM here because the world is bigger than Tuscaloosa, Ala.,” Hess said. “Atlanta is the number 13 city in the world for human trafficking, and number one in the United States. These are things people don’t want to hear, but it’s reality nonetheless.”
Human trafficking is also an issue right here in Alabama. Freedom to Thrive, a program out of Birmingham, Alabama, operates to end human trafficking locally. One of their goals is to raise awareness of this issue to the people in the Birmingham community.
On April 22, the Alabama Senate passed a bill that defines the crime of human trafficking, sets penalties for convicted traffickers and provides protections for victims. According to Freedom to Thrive’s blog, this is a huge victory for Alabama.
Hess’s main goal for the University’s IJM chapter is threefold. The organization plans to raise awareness, raise funds for IJM and pray for IJM and for the people directly involved with trafficking and the people involved with rescuing them.
“We are a faith-based student organization, but we are hoping to have students of every background,” Hess said. “It’s not a matter of Republican or Democrat, or what you believe- it’s a matter of right or wrong.”
Freshmen Patrick Norton was eager to join the new club.
“I think the club has a lot of potential to do some really great things and make a difference in people’s lives,” Norton said. “I am just excited to be a part of something that can really help people and raise awareness to peoples’ needs who may not be able to speak out for themselves.”
The new chapter will have a kick off event this Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Maxwell Hall. The event will be an introduction to the issue of human trafficking and the mission of IJM. It will also include a guest speaker.
For more information about IJM, visit ijm.org.
