By the Ven. Dennis McManis

In our Baptismal Covenant we pledge to “Strive for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being.” Are you aware that not only does modern-day slavery exist, but the State of Florida has more victims of this crime than any other state in our country?

Each year, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 men, women and children are trafficked into the United States and held captives in the underworld of sex slavery and forced labor. Internationally, estimates suggest that at any given moment, there are 12.3 million people on the planet in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor and sexual servitude.

Our 2008 Diocesan Convention not only offered a workshop on this issue to educate us on this heinous crime against humanity, but passed a resolution to publicly state the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida stands against this injustice and is committed to helping the victims of this crime.

Last year, Congress passed a resolution creating this observance day as an important and symbolic acknowledgement of the plight of the men, women and children languishing in slavery both in the U.S. and around the world.

What is more encouraging, however, is that we are now more effectively utilizing our nation’s resources and expertise to end this misery once and for all, and restoring the fundamental human rights to those who were mercilessly robbed of them.

Jan. 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Please pray for the victims of human trafficking and those who are committed to eradicating this crime against humanity.

To learn more about this, please contact the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking (www.stophumantrafficking.org or (239) 390-3350) or the Ven. Canon Dennis McManis at the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida at (941) 556-0315 ext. 249.