Christ is a threat to injustice!

In 1968 around 80 clergy, church leaders and laymen came together in a multi-denominational conference to determine if claims that the gospel supported Apartheid, segregation, and a blindness to the suffering of fellow South Africans was true. These conferences came about because of many "pseudo-gospels" proclaiming that Christianity supported Apartheid. The conference came to its conclusion and released a declaration that stated the following:

"We believe that this doctrine of separation is a false faith, an novel gospel, it inevitably is in conflict with the Gospel of Jesus Christ which offers salvation through faith alone. It is keeping people away from the real knowledge of Christ. Therefore it is the church's duty to enable our people to distinguish between the demands of the South African state and the demands of Christian Discipleship. Where different groups of people are hostile to each other is due to human sin and this is not plan of the Creator. The scriptures do not require such groups to be kept separate from each other, on the contrary, the Gospel requires us to believe in and to act on the reconciliation made for us in Christ. A policy of separation is a demonstration of unbelief in the power of the Gospel, any demonstration of the reality of reconciliation would endanger this policy....Christ is inevitably a threat to much that is called the South African way of life."   (Klass Woldring study on Christianity in Apartheid 1977)


I believe it is true that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a threat to injustice everywhere, and the threat comes when God's people, like these South African Christians, stand up against oppression and are ready to pay the price for their stand.


The price can just simply be becoming aware and getting involved in injustice issues. There are some events coming up nationally and globally that our churches in Oklahoma can participate in to become aware of injustice issues that are happening here domestically and internationally as well:

On March 13th many Churches around the world will be speaking on Anti-Human Trafficking whether through reading a scripture, praying for victims or providing awareness literature. Your church can be involved. Check out the website http://www.freedomsunday.org/

On April 10th The One organization is joining with churches to promote "The Lazarus Effect"to learn how life-saving anti-retroviral treatments are bringing life back to Africa. To get your church involved go to http://www.one.org/us/onesabbath/lazaruseffect.html

The OATH Coalition is sponsoring "The Central Oklahoma Human Trafficking Conference" April 12th to the 13th. Go to the website to register. There will also be two other conferences, one in Tulsa, OK and one in Moore, OK. I encourage everyone to attend this year. Understand the injustices that are being committed right under our noses, and learn what we can do as a community to bring awareness and an end to the sale of people. 


MLK Jr's famous words, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". 


Get Informed, Get Involved, Change the World!!!

Ten things you can do to help trafficked victims

Last month a few friends and I got together to make valentines for rescued trafficking victims at the A21 Campaign's Greek Shelter.

The A 21 Campaign website recently posted the story of an ex-trafficking victim, a 17 year old Serbian girl named Alexandra, who recently entered the Empower Rehabilitation Program. The young woman's life has gone through substantial changes since she started the program. One of the things that has encouraged her is the outpouring of letters, cards and valentines she received from abolitionists around the world. Check out the A 21 Campaign's Website for more of this story. So glad the girls and I were able to be a part of encouraging Alexandra and the other women in the Greek shelter.

Making Valentines was a fun way to bring hope and encouragement to these women's lives. Gather some friends, and do something to make a difference in the lives of trafficked men and women. Here are ten things you and a group of friends can do:

1. Lobby politicians
2. Organize a fundraiser
3. Fast on the 21st and donate lunch money to an anti-trafficking organization
4. Buy fair trade products
5. Create a blog
6. Start an awareness group at school or church
7. Start a prayer group
8. Work the web for awareness
9. Have a garage sale and donate money to advocacy groups
10. Have a scrap-booking party and make encouraging cards for trafficked victims

Let me know what you do @ malikacox@ymail.com

Get Informed, Get Involved, Change the World!!!

Consider donating to Tremia Appling's Stem Cell Transplant

My dear friend Tremia Appling and her husband Duane are heading to Chicago for Tremia to receive a stem cell transplant. I have known Tremia for 14 years. She is one of the most wonderful lovely people I know. Tremia has been battling Lupus for seven years now. This disease has taken away her quality of life and left her disabled. She has been given this medical opportunity but there are immediate costs involved which include $1400.00 for plane fare and the hotel costs are $3100.00 for the first month and $2800.00 for each additional month. Will you help?  Any amount will be beneficial.  

She is also waiting appeal for insurance for the transplant but it will not cover these immediate costs. 

please send donations for tremia appling to ntafund.org, then go to find a patient and enter Tremia Appling. 

You can also find out more about Lupus Awareness through Tremia's Vlogs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMmum0vbh6E&feature=autofb

Sending love to rescued trafficking victims in Greece

Justice Warriors: A group of creative friends get together to make valentines for rescued trafficking victims in the A21 Campaign's Greek Shelter for Valentine's Day. If you want to be a part of something like this email me at Malikacox@ymail.com.

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month: Organizations

NGOs and Non-Profits

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Here is some information on organizations making a difference in the fight against modern day slavery. Non-government organizations and non-profit organizations are making a huge difference in the fight. World Vision has been serving the poor and oppressed since 1950. Their mission is to fight poverty on many realms and human trafficking is one of them (2009, Stearns). The Salvation Army has been fighting sex trafficking since 1865 and is still fighting it today. The Salvation Army provides training, task forces, and service to victims (2009, www.salvationarmyusa.org).International Justice Mission is a Christian NGO out of Washington that works to secure justice for victims of human trafficking and oppression. Founded in 1997 by a group of lawyers and human rights professionals, they work with government officials to expose crime rings, protect victims and prosecute criminals (www.ijm.org). The A21 Campaign is an effective abolitionist movement to stop human trafficking in Greece. This group discusses the newest rise in trafficking of Eastern European women and raises awareness and provides shelter for the victims (2010, http://thea21campagin.org).

Human trafficking is modern day slavery and it exists all over the world. Education, awareness and accountability are working to a degree to bring about prevention, victim advocacy and protection and perpetrator persecution. More must be done to ensure liberty for trafficking victims around the world .  Get informed, get involved and make a difference for those trapped in a life without hope. 

Signs a person is being trafficked: Get Informed, Get Involved, Change the World

Signs that Indicate a Person is being Trafficked

There are important signs that indicate a person is being trafficked. Some of the signs are as follows: A person who is not able to freely come and go. A person who is constantly watched. A person who owes a large debt to their employer. A person who is not in control of their Immigration documents. A person who works where there is high security, bars on the windows and high security measures. A person who exhibits poor mental health, abnormal behavior and fear and paranoia. A person who does not know where they live, have any understanding of pop culture and a person who is so timid that they can’t look another person in the eye. Anyone under 18 who is working in the commercial sex trade is a trafficking victim.

Human Trafficking Awareness: Get Informed-Get Involved-Change the World!!

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month:  Continuing on Human Trafficking Awareness, one problem that arises in trying to help trafficking victims is something called “forced repatriation”. This happens when the countries, where the act of trafficking takes place, deport the victims back to the country of their origin as quickly as possible. This may seem as though they are acting in the victim’s best interest, however there are major problems with repatriation. It does not allow the victims access to immediate psychological, medical and financial assistance. It also could allow for the perpetrator to be waiting for the victim once they return to that country. Also this hurts any chance the victim has to gain financial retribution or to see their perpetrators prosecuted. Many trafficking victims have actually been jailed for violating immigration policies when they have been rescued. Laws in the U.S. are beginning to be passed that are giving trafficking victims including non-citizens access to shelters, finances and legal aid. With more organizations and advocacy rising on the scene, some of the laws are beginning to change (2010, www.state.gov).

In the United States we routinely criminalize trafficking victims. The following text is from a blog from last year regarding minors in the United States who are prosecuted for prostitution instead of being rescued from traffickers and helped.

Dec. 11th 2010: Girls as young as 9 or 10 are picked up by ruthless traffickers. These men are often older men somewhere around thirty to forty years of age. The classic scenario goes as follows: an older man may befriend a young girl, age 9 or 10. He may fill in some father figure role. He convinces her he loves her and wants to take care of her and that he will take her away from the abuse. He then systematically destroys her identity, and any self-esteem left with physical and emotional abuse and drug dependency. He finally has complete control over her. Remember this is a child. These girls can be found here being trafficked on 1-40 or at truck stops and neighboring motels here in Oklahoma City.

The victims are subject to psychological trauma, abuse, disease, social ostracism, drug dependency, unwanted pregnancy, forced abortion, malnutrition and poor mental health. Often these girls are murdered or commit suicide.

Or, the girls are picked up for prostitution. They are prosecuted and serve time. They are stigmatized for being prostitute even though they are not even legally able to consent to sex.

According to the Polaris Project, largest anti-human trafficking organization in the world, and the U.S. State Department, any person under the age of 18 caught in the commercial sex trade is considered a trafficking victim.

So why isn't that a reality in this country?  Hopefully it will be, if people like you will continue to raise their voices to help the oppressed.

Get Informed-Get Involved-Change the World!!!