The False Narrative about “RESCUES.” William Joseph Lyons
I believe there are young girls, boys, men, women and children out there that need to be rescued. I believe that God wants individuals to rise up and go find victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Fortunately there are good men and women who are accepting the challenge to fight the good cause and tackle this scourge on mankind the right way. However, many organizations use false rescue numbers in an attempt to bolster their donations, and expand salaries for their leaders.
I learned the stark realities during my time spent with an anti-trafficking organization. What truly constitutes a rescue? I see organizations and individuals quoting rescues pertaining to their work and their overall accomplishments. When you see these stats quoted on websites and newsletters, individuals get excited. Donors feel good about their donations, and it propels other individuals to give to the cause. This would be great, if these were truly rescues! Unfortunately there is not a standard for citing a rescue. These organizations are free to define their own definition of who is now free.
Let’s delve a little deeper. To actually rescue individuals who are truly being trafficked takes intense investigations, a lot of time, and a lot more money. First, volunteer investigators do not have, nor can they develop the skills necessary in a one week course, to investigate, and truly free individuals from sex or labor trafficking. Don’t be fooled by the military lingo, and the false rhetoric. In a discussion with an FBI agent, he asked me, “we have a highly trained agency, we have money and resources to fight human trafficking, and we find it to be extremely difficult to rescue individuals. Why do NGO volunteers think they can change the world?” His comments were directed towards the enormous number of individuals that NGOs claim to rescue.
The most important component of the false rescue narrative is the money! I ask, what constitutes a real rescue? I understand that this can be messy, and no two people have the same experiences. A rescue is going to be different for each individual. However, there needs to be a certain criteria that can be produced. I believe that an individual who is being trafficked and or exploited should have an opportunity for freedom. There should be a vast difference in their life. To start with, an individual has to actually be in the process of being trafficked and or exploited. A girl working in a beer bar, or a homeless child on the street is not necessarily being trafficked or exploited. Yes, they are at risk, (many girls don’t want to leave, they make good money) but they are not being trafficked. Many organizations claim they are rescuing a child by giving them food. Just because you have given a child some food, some clothing or maybe even a new home, doesn’t mean that you have “rescued” them from human trafficking or sexual exploitation.
Organizations and their leaders need to be honest with their “headlines.” I understand that an organizations has to show that donor money is going to good use. But, is faking rescues the way forward? The problem with the false rescue narrative is that good innocent individuals are being hurt. The problem entails the leaders of these organizations making a lot of money. They can reduce costs of their rescues by going after bar girls, and giving a little help the poor. They in turn claim that they have these rescue cost, when in turn it cost less just to give a little food, and some clothes to a needy family. This is a nice thing to do! BUT DON’T call it rescuing people from human trafficking. These organizations push their false narrative off on people, don’t they know lying is a sin as well.
I have addressed the issue that you and I might not agree morally with this chosen field of work. However, removing a girl for a night or two, only for her to return to work is not a rescue. Feeding children on the streets, or giving a child clothing or housing, is not a rescue. This is a problem that needs to be dealt with. Churches and individuals give a lot of money, it needs to be correctly reported and not used unethically. Let’s truly empower children and the less fortunate. Let’s truly go after human trafficking victims. It will take individuals standing up against powerful NGOs and their wealthy leaders. It will take directing money into community programs and ethical rhetoric. I truly hope there is a day when people will stand up and redirect their finances into substantive life changing programs, and not the false rhetoric of Raid and Rescue.