01/27/2023 Los Angeles, California, United States - January is recognized as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Our Rotary Club recognizes this as a good opportunity to strengthen our Rotary Fight Against Human Trafficking by hosting one of our signature projects in January.
Many thanks to our Rotary Partner in Service,
iEmpathize! iEmpathize is an official member of our Rotary Club and is a very effective organization in our collective campaign against apathy, abuse and creating empathy for the issue of trafficking. We have to face the harsh truth: human trafficking and slavery still exists and it happens in every city and community.
The Apathy Effect Exhibit was featured last January 21-22, 2023 at the YMCA Metro Los Angeles Annex Building. This was a joint awareness campaign of our Club, D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking Rotary Club and iEmpathize.
We were able to raise more awareness of the issue in our own Rotary International District 5280 Community, the local community around the venue, and others who were invited or found out about our exhibit.
The exhibit featured powerful images, actual artifacts and videos of the different realities of human trafficking and abuse in the United States and all over the world. There are guided tours with in depth and personal immersions, a call to action, and a post-process discussion with our Club members. We also had t-shirts and tote bags to help raise funds for our Club's different projects and distributed wrist bands and blue ribbons to wear to raise even more awareness on the issue of human trafficking.
The Exhibit was funded mostly through the District Grant that our Club applied for with a minor contribution from Club funds. The Grant funding comes from Rotary International District 5280's District Designated Fund from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
"Hearing the stories and testimonies, seeing actual items tied to trafficking, abuse and suffering really tugs on your heartstrings." - one of our visitors said.
"What can we do to help?" and similar versions of this quote were heard a lot. What can you do in the midst of this global crisis of apathy, suffering and injustice? What can you do against the rising tide of apathy that results in the sale and slavery of children?
Interested in Rotary's many service initiatives locally and globally? Want to learn more and do more in the cause against this old but continuously mutating crime against human rights and dignity? Check out our Rotary Club, join the Rotary Movement and together let us end this horrible reality that millions of people all over the world suffer through every day.
We are the D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking Rotary Club! You are very welcome to see what we do together and talk about what we can do with you!
We will host a Signature Event again in January 2024! See you there and together, we will end human trafficking and modern-day slavery!
Learn more about iEmpathize's Apathy Effect Exhibit:
Photo on the left: Wrapping up the exhibit and just before saying "mission accomplished", we took a photo together, Club members, Club friends and from our partners from iEmpathize.
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Los Angeles, CA 90045
United States of America