September 28, 2014 marks The Salvation Army International Day of Prayer, a call to prayer on human trafficking. This day has been a part of The Salvation Army history since 2006 and is recognized by The Salvation Army around the world. At the end of September, Salvation Army congregations commit to praying for those affected by human trafficking - people who are trafficked, traffickers and service providers.

There are many ways to become involved and The Salvation Army has gathered a number of resources to assist you in marking September 28th as The Salvation Army International Day of Prayer. We encourage you to make your calendars and let others be aware of this issue.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human Trafficking is a form of slavery. It happens when human beings are sold and bought, often for the purposes of sexual exploitation. It includes people (mostly women and girls) being recruited, transported, transferred, harbored or received. These actions are accomplished by means of force, the threat of force, or other forms of coercion. It is always involuntary because even when consent is achieved, it is through some form of fraud, deception, abduction/kidnapping or abuse of power/vulnerability (adapted from the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, 2000).

Who is being trafficked?

There is not one consistent face of trafficking victim. Trafficked persons can be men or women, adults or children, foreign nationals or US citizens. Some are well-educated, while others have no formal education.Victims can be found working in restaurants, hotels, factories, farms, landscaping, construction,salons, private homes (domestic workers), and the commercial sex industry (escort services,brothels, massage parlors, strip clubs, street prostitution).

Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking regardless of age, nationality, gender, or race and trafficking can occur in anywhere.

The Salvation Army's Response

The Salvation Army recognizes the inherent human dignity in each person, and has a long history of efforts to protect that human dignity; with a special emphasis on the most vulnerable members of our societies. The Salvation Army is passionate about ending Human Sex Trafficking and ensuring that the human rights of trafficked persons are respected.