EVERY year, the fourth Sunday in September is set aside as The Salvation Army’s International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking, providing an important focal point for prayer to support people caught up in trafficking and those working with survivors. It is a day for The Salvation Army and friends around the world to lift their voices and corporately cry out for justice and freedom.
The theme for this year’s day of prayer, which will happen on Sunday 26 September, is Beyond the Dark, inspired by 1 Peter 2:9-10 (The Message): ‘But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you – from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.’
Written resources for adults, young people and children are available as well as promotional material including posters and social media posts. The resources are available in English, French, Georgian, Hindi, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil and Ukrainian.
In addition to the wider prayer focus, The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission (ISJC) is calling on Salvationists and friends around the world to participate in its 2021 Beyond the Dark Ally Commitment Prayer Movement Campaign, where people can collectively showcase their dedication to respond to human trafficking and support victims and survivors. The ISJC is asking people of all ages to share themselves reading the prayer on social media, spreading the word and demonstrating to friends, family and followers that it is vital that they stand together against the evils of modern slavery.
The importance of increasing the number of people taking part in the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking is explored in an interview by Commissioner Rosalie Peddle (World President of Women’s Ministries) with Priscilla Santos (ISJC) and Malaika Oringo, the new International Survivor Engagement and Inclusion Specialist at the ISJC.
Malaika, who is a human trafficking survivor, shares her journey to embracing her call to leadership in the anti-trafficking movement and encourages people to play a part in the fight against modern slavery, emphasising that her experiences showed her the significance of every action of love, from prayer and large-scale campaigning to the simple act of offering a cup of tea.
The interview will be available to watch on the International Women’s Ministries Facebook page (facebook.com/SalvArmyWomen) from Wednesday 22 September.
The Beyond the Dark-themed resources can be found on www.salvationarmy.org/isjc/beyond-the-dark. The page also includes links to the prayer campaign and the ‘Ally Commitment Prayer’ in five languages.
More content will be available on the ISJC and International Women’s Ministries social media channels throughout the build-up to the Day of Prayer.
