On February 2, faith leaders gathered in the U.S. capital to pray. What difference will it make? What is the role of prayer, worship, and faith in ending social problems that I care about, like extreme poverty and modern-day slavery?

U.S. President Obama, in his speech to the gathered assembly at the National Prayer Breakfast, called on faith leaders to tackle tough issues like human trafficking. A high-profile panel of experts on modern slavery later addressed best strategies for faith communities to fight this blight as they meet it in their own backyards.

My own human rights agency, Not For Sale, is convinced as well that people of faith have a unique, vital role to play beyond the ending of forced labor. It’s not enough to extract an individual from bondage. Once people are set free from a rug loom, a rice mill, a brothel, then what? If we do not shift our cultural values and generate new economic and political options, modern-day slavery will continue to thrive. In other words, we have to move upstream to identify the root problems for slavery and create effective solutions.

The seminar to address these issues at the Prayer Breakfast covered historic and contemporary dimensions of slavery. Eric Metaxas, a Wilberforce scholar, shared how a political leader can shape policies and values in a country. Department of Justice Attorney John Richmond built on this historical foundation and described the case he prosecuted in Chicago in late January that set a precedent for convicting human traffickers. Bob Goff and Christine Dolan relayed their frontline experiences in the dynamic that links court systems, governments and religious communities in the work of freedom for the most vulnerable. Because Not For Sale is implementing new models of social enterprise in areas of high human exploitation, I shared the role that communities of faith can play in generating economic solutions to the complex human rights issues of our day.

People of faith have this pathway to freedom wired into their DNA. People from every branch of faith worship and pray, daily reframing their worldview around the principles and values of a transcendent dimension. Their prayers do not accept the world the way it is, but for what it could be. In our churches, synagogues and mosques we teach that every individual is created in the image of God. That belief yields special attention for the vulnerable, the powerless, and the exploited. As the prophet Isaiah wrote: “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”

Last month in the Atlanta Dome, more than 40,000 Christian college students gathered for a special kind of revival: To make the love and justice of Jesus known wherever injustice reigns. They raised well over three million dollars to fight slavery internationally. They represent a new generation of religious devotees who disdain lip service to the cause of justice, but act, give, and live in radical obedience to a better way.

This month, on Sunday, February 26th, thousands of churches all over the world will celebrate Freedom Sunday. They will fast, pray and commit themselves to practical actions that will “set the captives free.” They do so because it is their heritage, their identity and their call.

One of the great Christian leaders of our time, John Stott, phrased it well: “It is exceedingly strange that any follower of Jesus Christ should ever have needed to ask whether social involvement was their concern. Spiritual disciplines, like prayer and worship, create space for God to come and create transformation. Once transformed, the follower of God works to transform the world.

Reposted from the CNN Freedom Project

It’s finally February and love is in the air! This Valentine’s Day, spread your love by purchasing ethically-made gifts to show your significant other that you really care.

Shopping ethically for even the most traditional of Valentine’s Day gifts might not be as hard as you think. The Not For Sale Store has carefully selected the most perfect gifts that your Valentine will treasure. Show them your love with our Freedom Scarves from India, Frees Slaves tee from Cambodia, or a pair of earrings from the Amazon.

At the Not For Sale Store, your purchase is your advocacy. When you give a gift from the store, you also give a gift of freedom for survivors of human trafficking by generating enterprise and employment and create new futures for survivors.  Every purchase you make is a direct action to end slavery.

Join others who have taken the pledge to purchase ethically on our Not For Sale Causes page to give gifts of freedom this February.

So remember, think before you buy, because the way to your loved one’s heart just may be through their conscience.

Click here to visit the Not For Sale Store and shop for gifts that support freedom this Valentine’s Day.

A number of anti-slavery organizations will join the President of the United States, Members of Congress, and other dignitaries at the 60th annual event.

Dr. Batstone will take to the stage to speak specifically about solutions to end modern-day slavery. Not For Sale has been recognized as the leading anti-trafficking organization that is solution-driven.

Started in 1953 and held on the first Thursday in February, the National Prayer Breakfast is an interfaith gathering, featuring speakers that focus on affirming commonly held religious values and putting aside political differences.

Notable dignitaries who have keynoted the event in past years include Mother Teresa, Bono, and Tony Blair.

The breakfast will be held in the Hilton’s International Ballroom and attended by 3,500 guests from more than 100 countries.

National Cable Satellite Corporation (C-SPAN) will provide coverage of the National Prayer Breakfast. To watch the breakfast live check the C-SPAN schedule for broadcast dates and times.

The leading US chocolate producer has announced it will release a new version of Hershey’s Bliss brand, which will be 100% made from Rain Forest Alliance-certified farms mostly in Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Chocolate is one of the most well-known industries using forced and child labor, yet up until now Hershey has refused to use fair trade certified cocoa.

The West African region in particular is home to about 70% percent of the world’s cocoa but has also been identified as having very high instances of modern-day slavery.

News of Hershey’s commitment, which will see the money distributed over five years, is a major first step in the right direction as the company is finally acknowledging its responsibility, and is aware of the importance of improving its supply chains.

Not For Sale has been a big supporter of the Raise the Bar campaign, organized by Green America, Global Exchange, IRLF, and Oasis USA. Not For Sale demonstrated this support by advocating its own chocolate campaign and encouraging abolitionists within its network to host a screening of The Dark Side of Chocolate, sell fair trade chocolate at the screening, and collect signatures to petition Hershey to use fair trade certified cocoa. The organization collected thousands of signatures and distributed more than 1,000 copies of the documentary.

Hershey currently has a D+ on Free2Work, the consumer resource aimed at increasing transparency in supply chains. This new commitment is likely to see the company’s grade on Free2Work improve over time as it is the first time it will use an independent, third -party certification system to ensure that its cocoa is grown sustainably, including the monitoring of forced and child labor.

Not For Sale will continue to support Raise the Bar and put pressure on chocolate companies to enforce policies and procedures that will protect vulnerable communities and children from forced labor.

Free2Rock came to a hugely successful end yesterday, after hundreds of abolitionists showed their support for the new anti-slavery campaign.

Free2Rock saw Not For Sale partner with popular Christian rockers Tenth Avenue North to create a limited edition T-shirt to help fund the organization’s work to end modern day slavery worldwide.

Only available for just over two weeks, the T-shirts proved to be a huge hit and raised an impressive $11,400 for Not For Sale. The store set and met three different fund-raising goals over the course of the campaign and abolitionists even crashed the server as they rushed to purchase the T-shirt.

Campaign manager at Not For Sale Jamee Herbert said she is overwhelmed by the reaction to Free2Rock.

“Thank you so much to everyone who supported this fantastic campaign. We are so happy with how it turned out. We would also like to say a huge thanks to Tenth Avenue North for pioneering this incredible new program. They succeeded in setting the bar of engagement very high.

“Free2Rock will be a monthly campaign and we are really excited about some of the incredible artists who will be partnering with us over the coming months as we continue to fight slavery worldwide. We hope people will look forward to the campaign each month.”

Tenth Avenue North also expressed their delight with the success of the campaign, saying, “We’re so stoked that not only were we able to meet our goal three times, but that our friends and fans had the biggest role in making that possible.  It goes to show that the church is waking up and becoming more aware of the world’s needs.”

All the proceeds from the $24 T-shirts, emblazoned with lanterns and windows representing those in forced sex slavery in Amsterdam’s red light district, will go to help Not For Sale fight slavery in Amsterdam and around the world.

All Free2Rock t-shirts are made and printed in El Salvador, where Not For Sale is working with a socially orientated factory to empower single mothers and to give jobs to people at risk to trafficking.

The high profile Daily Muse feature, coinciding with the end of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, mirrors Not For Sale’s longtime commitment to inspire and encourage people to take action, and thus recognizes that awareness is simply not enough if we are to end this global problem in our lifetime.

Forbes pays special attention to Not For Sale’s hands-on Fellowship Program, that sees a group of passionate individuals play a integral part in the organization’s anti-slavery work for six months.

Read the full article on Forbes…

The organization’s stores in Half Moon Bay and online have enjoyed significant success over the recent holiday season.

The store raised a record-breaking $60,000 for survivors of slavery over an eight-week period during the festive season.

Not For Sale believes that to re-abolish modern-day slavery, we need to think and act differently, and push boundaries. The store is an important part of Not For Sale’s mission to fight slavery through enterprise.

The store’s motto is ‘Your Purchase is Your Advocacy’ because by buying products at the Not For Sale Store customers help to fight slavery in two ways.

All of the products are made by survivors, and so by shopping at the store, customers ensure that these survivors have sustainable and dignified employment.  Employment and financial stability means that these people and those living in areas that have been identified as vulnerable to human trafficking are less likely to fall into the hands of traffickers, as they are not desperately searching for a way out of poverty.

Additionally, 100% of the profits from the store support Not For Sale’s anti-slavery work worldwide, including all of our existing international projects in Thailand, Lima, and South Africa.

In the past week alone, the store has experienced a 1000% increase in sales as abolitionists seek to take action during Human Trafficking Prevention Month by supporting campaigns like Free2Rock.

The Not For Sale Store would like to thank all of its generous customers. Your purchases are making a real difference.

Abolitionists have just a few more hours to vote for their favorite video in the I Am An Abolitionist contest.

The organization recently confirmed that the first stage of development of its organic farming enterprise has been completed.

Once in operation, the enterprise will provide rehabilitation, job training, marketing and sales skills, and employment to survivors of human trafficking and people vulnerable to human trafficking.

Not For Sale believes alternative opportunities such as this enterprise will greatly reduce the likelihood of people falling into the hands of traffickers because of their desperation to escape from poverty.

When survivors escape their traffickers, they often remain victims of exploitation because they have no alternative opportunities to support themselves.  The farming enterprise will offer an alternative option for girls like Violeta, eager to break the cycle.

The young single mother is a just one of the Romanian girls who was trafficked abroad and forced by a pimp to work in prostitution. In exchange for working, her pimp would provide her with baby food for her young child.

After a year of sexual exploitation abroad, Violeta was able to escape her pimp with the help of a client. She returned to Romania and was placed in a Social Care Centre. Violeta’s situation was brought to the attention of Not For Sale Romania, as she was looking for assistance on her return to Romania.

Violeta decided to participate in the Not For Sale reintegration program. Her son was enrolled in kindergarten, and Violeta began her journey towards healing.

The farming enterprise will directly support and provide a brighter future for survivors like Violeta and her child in the future.

Click here to learn more about Not For Sale’s anti-slavery work in Romania.

These communities often fall victim to traffickers as they desperately search for opportunities for better futures for themselves and their families. Not for Sale is working in close collaboration with the local Association of Native Communities to prioritize ventures that will aid these communities.

The organization is initiating cross-sector collaborations, intentionally empowering families through education and dignified employment, and creating healthy value-chains to the West. These social ventures will allow Not For Sale to stop human trafficking before it occurs while empowering the native people of the Amazon.

Recently Not For Sale invested in a boat that will assist these communities. Operated by the Association of Native Communities, the boat is a vital asset for these communities, who no longer need to depend on unreliable or expensive third parties to transport them and their produce to markets. This will enable them to develop higher equity partnerships in supply chains.

Speaking about how the futures of these communities will continue to improve, Sam Baker, Director of Business Development at Not For Sale, said, “Not For Sale will work with these communities to develop sustainable livelihoods by investing funds into a healthy social return on investment, leveraging the natural resources of the region while protecting the Peruvian Amazon and its people. A portion of these funds will be reinvested back into Not For Sale’s aftercare and intervention work in the region, ultimately generating a self-sustaining enterprise.

“Not For Sale believes that if we move ‘upstream’ before the traffickers to these poor and marginalized communities, initiating cross-sector collaborations that intentionally empower families through education and dignified employment, we can stop human trafficking at its source and create a model to be replicated across the globe.”

Click here to learn more about Not For Sale’s anti-slavery work in Peru.