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Youth With A Mission responds to the devastating floods in Kerela, India, we explore the global problem of human trafficking and what YWAM is doing to fight it, now is your last chance to register for YWAM Together 2018 in Thailand, YWAM works to bring relief to Lombok, Indonesia after a recent earthquake, YWAM Organic brings us three new stories this month, and more on this episode of the Youth With A Mission News Show Podcast …

Thank you for downloading this, the 108th episode of the Youth With A Mission News Show Podcast, I’m your host, Bill Hutchison.

You can contact us, subscribe to future episodes, leave comments, and find links to all the stories we talk about on the show notes for this podcast at ywampodcast.com/108 …

Stories:

YWAM Task Force for Kerala Flood Victims

Floods in the southern Indian state of Kerala have killed over 350 people since June. According to YWAM Kochi, which is in the state of Kerala, it is the worst natural disaster that they have seen. The rains have forced authorities to open 33 dams in the state and the majority of the state is flooded. Roads are washed away and places have been completely isolated.

YWAM Kochi is responding to the needs in their state in a few different ways…

Already hundreds of people are staying at their location, and there are government doctors visiting and helping the people staying there. They have an urgent need of:

• Blankets
• Bed sheets
• Mats
• Food

YWAM Kochi is also putting together a task force of skilled and able people to assist with the rehabilitation of the Flood Victims.

If you are able to help with either of these needs visit their web-site, ywamkochi.org, to get in touch with them, or contact then through their Facebook page.

The Global Fight Against Human Trafficking and Slavery

Are we doing enough in the global fight against modern slavery and human trafficking?

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), an agency of the United Nations, UN, there are currently an estimated 40.3-million people in modern slavery and 152 million in child labour around the world.

Of the victims of modern slavery 1 in 4, or over 10-million, are children.

Many of these victims are exploited in the private sector, such as domestic work, construction, or agriculture. Almost 5-million are victims in the commercial sex industry, of which 99% are women.

Often overlooked in the modern slavery numbers is also the over 15-million people, of whom almost 85% are women, who are in forced marriages. Over a third of all victims of forced marriage were children at the time of the marriage.

Of those people who are trafficked, 99% are never rescued!

There are many examples of modern day slavery happening around the world …

Human Trafficking in Nepal and India

Recently a team from YWAM Madison visited a village in Nepal and saw first hand the results of human trafficking on the village there.

Slave Labour in the Middle East Gulf States like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

Recent furore over an Intragram post by a Kuwaiti blogger helped to highlight the plight of many so called “domestic servants” in the Middle East, who are treated no better than slaves. This blogger said:

“How can you have a servant at home who keeps their own passport with them?” asked Alqattan in a video that has since been removed. “What’s worse is they have one day off every week, To take a day off every week, that’s four days a month,” she said.

“Those are the days that she’ll be out. And we don’t know what she’ll be doing on those days, with her passport on her.

“How can you have a servant at home who gets to keep their passport with them? If they ran away and went back to their country, who’ll refund me?

Unfortunately those conditions are not uncommon in the Middle East, with migrant workers typically having their freedoms severely limited by their “employers”. This includes:

• Being locked in the house with no way to get out
• Having their passports taken from them
• Wages being withheld
• Not having access to any form of communication
• Only being allowed to go out of the house while being escorted by a member of their “employers” family
• Being subject to sexual and physical assault, without protection from local law enforcement
• Being forced to work 21-hour days
• Not being allowed to chose their own employer and being sold and passed around like slaves
• Not being allowed to leave the country with their “employers” permission

Many of these abuses are made possible because of the Kafala System, which affects over 23 million workers, that is present in many rich Arab Gulf States in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. It is estimated that in Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf States, there are over a million slaves.

Slave Labour Building the World Cup 2022 Facilities

Qatar is due to host the upcoming 2022 Football / Soccer Fifa World Cup. There has been intense scruteny over the use of foreign and migrant workers in the building of these facilities, with many claiming that the industrial and construction workers are being housed in inhumane conditions, and that basic safety measure for the workers is being ignored.

Even last month as France celebrated their win in the 2018 World Cup there are fresh reports coming out of Qatar of the horrific conditions that the migrant workers are subject to.

Sharan Burrow is an advocate for workers rights in Qatar and recently gave an interview about the migrant worker situation in Qatar …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjqQLVRZyyw

Despite pledging to make reforms to their migrant worker system in Qatar reports continue to come out about their failure to follow through.

Slavery at Sea – South East Asia Slavery and Human Trafficking

Just North of where I am here in Australia there is more accounts of slave labour in the fishing fleets of South East Asia.

A few years ago Australia banned the import of seafood from that part of the world, and I, like many, complained about it because of the huge increases in the cost of the seafood. The reason for the ban was because of the reports of rampant slave labour in the crews of many of the fishing vessels in the area. If I had actually know then what I know now, I would have been all for the ban …

That audio was pulled from a larger report and story from the Guardian. I would highly recommend that you have a look at the link in the show notes at ywampodcast.com/108 where you can watch the full 15-minute mini-documentary, and read their full report.

While that original story is from 2014, reports from even last year indicate that the practice of murder, slavery, and forced labour in the fishing industry is still prevalent…

Child Soldiers

Unfortunately child soldiers are still commonly used around the world in some state armies and many non-state militias.

Most of these children were kidnapped from their homes, and their families were killed or enslaved. They are forced to be fighters, cooks, suicide bombers, human shields, messengers, spies, or for sexual purposes. There are estimated to be over 300,000 child soldiers in the world today.

These children live in a state of shock and in desperate need of medical and psychological attention. As soldiers they suffer in many overwhelming ways:

• 90% of them would have been beaten
• 88% witness murder
• 86% are threatened with death
• 59% have been commanded to abduct other children
• 53% are commanded to commit murder
• 26% have been raped

(source: here)

Slave and Child Labour in Mining, Agriculture, and Industry

Around the world many people, including children, are used for industrial, agriculture, and mining. Many of these people live in slave like conditions …

Where is there child and slave labour:

• Garment industry
• Mining – Gold, Diamonds, Rare Minerals
• Fruit, Tobacco, Coffee, and Coco Picking
• Household workers / servants

What is YWAM Doing?

We are as Christians called to bring justice to these people…

… Learn to do good;
seek justice,
rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:17

and …

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:14-17

and …

He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
Deut. 10:18

Around the world YWAM is involved in many different ministries to victims of human trafficking and modern slavery:

Freedom 61 YWAM Lavia

YWAM Latvia runs their Freedom 61 ministry in Riga …

You can find out more about their ministry, including more about the Cafe, the Old Town Outreach, the Women’s Center, and how to get involved on their web-site, freedom61.org.

YWAM Budapest, Hungary – Hope Dies Last

Hope Dies Last is a justice ministry reaching out creatively to trafficked, marginalised, and exploited people. Their desire is to serve with excellence, creating media for under resourced organisations and addressing the root causes of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The goal of the Hope Dies Last ministry is to see people living in freedom, knowing their inherent worth, and contributing to society in a meaningful way.

They work throughout Central Europe and is based out of Budapest, Hungary. There are ways that you could get involved short term, long term, with “small-time activism”, and through prayer.

Hope Dies Last is also participating in the Shine Conference in Bad Blankenburg, Germany from October 4 – 7, 2018. The focus of the Shine Conference in to free people from slavery.

Check out hopedieslast.org to find out more.

YWAM Thailand

YWAM Thailand is actively involved in human trafficking prevention. This includes many different ministries, including:

• ARK International
• Children at Risk
• Women at Risk
• House of Refuge rehabilitation centre
• Tamar Center

You can see many of YWAM Thailand’s efforts towards the prevention of human trafficking on their web-site, ywamthai.org.

YWAM Perth Priceless

YWAM Perth Australia runs a ministry called “Priceless” that works toward the prevention, release, and care for those who are enslaved …

Priceless works towards five different objectives:

1. Prevention
2. Advocacy
3. Research and Investigation
4. Networking
5. Restoration

There are many ways that you can get involved, visit ywamperth.org.au to find out more.

YWAM Bali Safe House

University of the Nations Bali is in the pioneering stage of establishing an anti-human trafficking center and safe house. Through their Girls in Crisis ministry that began in 2007 they are well established with many girls in Bali, and they desire to expand that ministry and continue to help the girls to get out of the sex-trade.

Check out uofnbali.org to find out more.

UofN Cambodia

University of the Nations Cambodia runs Children at Risk ministries in Chom Choa and Bati.

UofN Cambodia runs community centres in both locations where they offer:

• Kid’s Clubs
• Education and School Support
• A Christ Centred Environment
• Sports Ministries
• Social Issues Awareness Seminars

You can find out more on the University of the Nations Cambodia web-site, uofnphnompenh.com.

YWAM India Street Children Ministry

Left on their own India’s street children are exploited, abused, denied parenting, a safe home, food, and education. They are also easy targets to be recruited for child labour and to be trafficked. YWAM has projects to aid street children in various locations in India where they

• Reunite children with their families
• Get the children permanently off the streets
• Prepare the children to live in society
• Provide homes for the children that are truly destitute
• Offer counselling for disturbed children

YWAM India has ministered to over 7000 children through their shelters in Chennai, Hyderbad, Kolkata, and Delhi. Some of these children stay at the shelters and some drop in for a daily bath and meal. To date the shelters have reunited over 60 children with their families, enrolled others in school, and provided vocational training to other boys who now hold well paying jobs.

Check out ywamindia.org to find out more.

More …

If you are currently involved in ministry to modern slaves or victims of human trafficking let me know as I would love to share more on the next episode of the YWAM News Show Podcast.

YWAM Together 2018 – Invitation from Darlene Cunningham

Just a reminder that YWAM Together 2018 will be happening in Thailand from September 2 – September 7.

YWAM Together 2018 (YT2018) is for all YWAMers and YWAM alumni who are engaged throughout the spheres of society. Last I heard they are expecting around 3000 people to be in attendance! Our YWAM global family are coming from across the globe and we want you there too. Prepare to be refreshed, renewed, challenged, encouraged, loved and supported.

Visit the YWAM Together web-site, ywamtogether.com, and prayerfully consider attending.

YWAM Response to Lombok Earthquake

In early August the Indonesian island of Lombok was devastated by an earthquake that left over 300-dead. Since the initial earthquake the island has been hit by over 450 aftershocks, that have continued to deliver damage to the communities.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake damaged or destroyed nearly 68,000 homes and has left over 270,000 people homeless or displaced.

A team from UofN Bali is planning to go to one of the remote villages in Lombok with relief supplies. Some of the YWAM staff members know the people and the area around the village. Most of the homes have been destroyed and the people are sleeping in the rice fields. Their needs are for tarps, tents, blankets, rice, water, and other food items.

UofN Bali is currently raising the money for the relief items to bring with the team, and you can find out more on their web-site, uofnbali.org.

New Stories on YWAM Organic

This month YWAM Organic, at ywamorganic.org, bring us another three exciting stories from around the mission.

The stories that are featured this month are about:

• Reach One Touch One ministry in Uganda
• Global Gates – Post Secular Cities
• The Eternal Way – Hinduism

You can see the full stories on the YWAM Organic web-site, ywamorganic.org.

Training

Podcasting in Missions Course

In a recent article at the Independent Australia podcasting was likened to be the new Gutenberg Revolution. Edison Research has recently found that 44% of American’s have listened to a podcast, and 26% of people in the USA have listened to a podcast in the last month.

Podcasting offers a unique medium to communicate with people online. It’s not limited in time or format like traditional media, and has the potential to reach a global audience.

Starting on September 24 we are launching the first YWAM Podcasting in Missions Course. It’s a twelve week online course that includes online video teaching by David Jackson from the School of Podcasting, and online group meetings for all of us doing the course together.

During the course we will be looking at topics such as:

• Planning your podcast
• Developing quality and engaging content
• Recording techniques, software, and hardware
• Publishing your Podcast
• more…

At the end of the 12-weeks you will have launched a podcast for your personal ministry or YWAM location.

Find out more about the course, and sign up for updates about it, at ywampodcast.com/course.

Filming on your Tastebuds – 3-week Film Making Seminar

YWAM Newcastle is running the “Filmmaking On Your Tastebuds” seminar from November 19 – December 8th …

Read more on the YWAM Newcastle web-site, ywamnewcastle.com.

Next Month

Thank you for joining us, I hope that you can join us again next time when we look at YWAM’s Frontier Missions ministry …

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