Seesaws Raise Money to Stop Human Sex Trafficking

By Broadside News Editor Asma Chaudhary
Photo by Broadside Photography Editor Courtney Erland

A trio of wooden seesaws was spotted on the grass between the Johnson Center and clock tower for 24 hours last week.

Although the playground-like equipment drew excitement from students, the overall message for the event was serious and meaningful.

Seesaws Against Slavery raised awareness and monetary donations in order to help stop human sex trafficking throughout the world. This is the second year that George Mason University is involved with the event which was featured on the Fairfax campus.

• Watch footage from last year's event.

Human trafficking, which can involve the exploitation of individuals and tends to involve prostitution and forced slavery, is a more common problem than most students realize.

From midnight on Wednesday, April 16 until midnight on Thursday, April 17 students donated money to fight the problem and to experience a brief ride on the seesaws outside.

According to a recent e-mail from junior Peter Berlin, an organizer of the event, SAS began with support of The Gathering, which is a college ministry from McLean Bible Church in Tyson’s Corner, Va. geared towards students in the Washington, D.C. area. As one of five colleges in the area to have the college ministry, Mason participated in the event along with the George Washington University, Georgetown University, American University and the University of Maryland.

Berlin said, “American University is involved because it is also a Gathering campus and they did their SAS event earlier this week for 30 hours from Monday, April 14 at 11 a.m. until Tuesday, April 15 at 5 p.m.”

Despite having a spiritual message, The Gathering supports people of all cultures in order to work together towards a common goal.

“Through SAS, we seek to respond to the Biblical command found in Proverbs 31: 8-9, ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves . . . defend the rights of the poor and needy,’” Berlin said.

Through raising awareness, the group hopes to provide necessary supplies, including testing kits and medicine to those affected in Cambodia.

Berlin said, “The money that we raise will be sent to AGAPE Restoration Center in Cambodia to buy medical supplies for girls that just arrived at the center in March 2008.”

Within the area, The Gathering has also expanded its involvement with the Northern Virginia Community College and therefore titles the entire group as “G703.”

Also, other organizations work in collaboration with The Gathering such as World Hope International and International Justice Mission.

Berlin shared his involvement with the cause, which led him to become an organizer of the event for the second year.

Berlin also recommended a few films about the sex trafficking epidemic such as Trade, Modern-Day Slavery: Sierra Leone and Liberia and Sex Trafficking in Cambodia.

“I would say that putting an end to sex trafficking is one of my passions; in that it breaks my heart to know girls younger than my little brother are raped 10 to 12 times per a day without the majority of the world knowing or caring,” Berlin said.

In addition to being an activist for the cause, Berlin shared his passions in life concerning slavery and working for non-profit organizations.

Berlin said, “I am also a junior here at Mason studying administration of justice so I could easily see myself working in the future for a non-profit doing the actual freeing of the slaves.”

“We also extended invitations to many other on-campus groups,” Berlin said. “However, Campus Crusade for Christ was the only one to respond and take part. In the future, our hope is to see all organizations involved at Mason in a campus-wide event.”