On Sunday, September 27, at 6pm more than 50 community activists will meet at The Salvation Army in Santa Monica to begin a silent prayer march through the streets of Santa Monica in honor of the International Day of Prayer Against Human Trafficking. The Salvation Army’s Territorial Social Justice Secretary, Major Danielle Strickland and The Salvation Army’s LA County Mission Strategist, Major Stephen Court will lead those in attendance through downtown Santa Monica, up 3rd Street Promenade, through Palisades Park and conclude their walk at the Santa Monica Pier where a “We Will Not Be Silent,” liturgy will be collectively read.
Every year the last Sunday in September is set aside as the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking providing an important focal point for prayer to support those caught up in trafficking and those working among the victims.
Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking), reportedly generating a profit of $32 billion every year. There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today with between 14,500 and 17,500 people trafficked into the United States each year, according to DoSomething.org.
The Salvation Army in the United States and abroad is part of a reviving movement for the abolition of human trafficking and exploitation.
