Justice & Human Rights

Human Trafficking • Child Soldiers Persecuted Christians

Human Trafficking Child Soldiers Persecuted Christians

Human Trafficking

The Challenge

Millions of people are held as slaves, trafficked in brothels, unjustly held in jail, kicked out of their homes, raped, beaten and abused. Those living in poverty are especially vulnerable to exploitation, and these injustices perpetuate the cycle of extreme poverty.

Human trafficking is nothing less than serious, domestic and international, organized crime. It is now thought to be the second most lucrative organized criminal activity worldwide generating an estimated $32 billion per annum.

The exploitation of human beings for profit takes many forms, including sexual exploitation, forced labor, child trafficking and domestic servitude. The efforts of successive governments to tackle the causes and effects of slavery have been met with limited success, not least because of the fluidity of trafficking networks, which are quick to adapt to changing circumstances. Limited public understanding of the issue compounds the problem. People are slow to recognize instances of trafficking in their midst and are also reluctant to report these to the police.

The Strategy

BMA is committed to combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery, and to strengthening the anti-trafficking movement through a comprehensive approach. BMA will seek to support and fund organizations that specialize in Public Education & Awareness, Victim Rescue & Assistance, and Policy Advocacy in order to reduce the collateral effects of human trafficking.

Child Soldiers

The Challenge

The internationally agreed definition for a child associated with an armed force or armed group (child soldier) is any person below 18 years of age who is, or who has been, recruited or used by an armed force or armed group in any capacity, including but not limited to children, boys and girls, used as fighters, cooks, porters, messengers, spies or for prostitution. It does not only refer to a child who is taking or has taken a direct part in hostilities.

Since 2000, the participation of child soldiers has been reported in most armed conflicts and in almost every region of the world. Although there are no exact figures, and numbers continually change, tens of thousands of children under the age of 18 continue to serve in government forces or armed opposition groups. Some of those involved in armed conflict are under 10 years old.

Female child soldiers in particular are raped and sexually exploited by their superiors or fellow combatants, contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases while becoming pregnant in their early teenage years. Child soldiers are also given a variety of addictive drugs to blunt the psychological and physical trauma of training and combat.

The Strategy

BMA aims is to seek proposals and forge partnerships with local NGOs, Community Based Organizations, churches, and multilateral institutions around the world to promote the demobilization, rehabilitation, and reintegration of child soldiers and provide medical assistance to child soldiers infected with HIV and other medical conditions.  In order to have a comprehensive holistic solution for the child soldier victims, BMA will seek to fund organizations that build programs that support the victim with education, job skills assistance, financial literacy training, and on-going medical and mental health services.

Persecuted Christians

The Challenge

Christian Persecution is any hostility, experienced from the world, as a result of one’s identification with Christ and/or Christianity. From verbal harassment to hostile feelings, attitudes and actions, believers in areas with severe religious restrictions pay a heavy price for their faith. Beatings, physical torture, confinement, isolation, rape, severe punishment, imprisonment, slavery, discrimination in education and in employment, and even death are just few examples they experience on the daily basis.

According to The Pew Research Center, over 75% of the world’s population live in areas with severe religious restrictions.  Many of these people are Christians.  Also, according to the United States Department of State, Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their belief in the person of Jesus Christ. Today, Christians are systematically targeted and mistreated because of their religious beliefs.   According to The Pew Research Center, The Economist, Christian’s are the most persecuted religious group in the world.

As Christians in the free world, we are to take the stand for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a simple matter of compassion and justice to speak up for the suffering (Zechariah 7:9, Luke 11:42, Matthew 25:35-36). In following Christ’s example, we are to show mercy to those who are suffering, especially those in the household of faith (I Corinthians 12:26-27).

The Strategy

BMA seeks to serve the community of the persecuted church through practical and spiritual assistance while leading Christians in the free world into fellowship with them.  BMA will seek to fund projects that work in support of persecuted Christians worldwide through Advocacy (legislation, government resources, immediate action), Awareness (Media, Public relations, Special events), and safekeeping assistance.