pc_Issue6_Summer2018
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PRESBYTERIAN
 The Presbyterian Church in Canada • presbyterian.ca ISSUE 6, SUMMER 2018
Hope Lives in the Darkness
  By Barb Summers, Associate Secretary, Communications Office
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” —Isaiah 60:1
There is a dark, sinister world on the fringes of our society. It is a world that operates in the shadows, de- stroying the hopes and dreams of women and girls, as well as their confidence, safety and sense of trust. Human trafficking and the sex trade are issues that many of us know lit- tle about and don’t fully understand, but the pain and trauma experienced by those trapped in this world are too devastating to ignore.
ARISE Ministry, a Toronto-based program supported by The Presbyte- rian Church in Canada since 2013, is shining a light of hope into the dark world of human trafficking.
Many people may not consider sex trafficking to be a problem in Canada, believing it is something that takes place overseas or only to vulnerable immigrants in Canada. The Rev. Deb Rapport, executive director of ARISE, shared that 93% of human trafficking victims in Canada are born in Canada (Canadian Centre to End Human Traf- ficking). Deb wants Canadians to understand that this world is much closer to home than we realize. “This is happening to the girl next door in our communities,” she says. The girls who are most vulnerable are those who have experienced abuse in their childhoods.
Crippled by shame and manipula- tion, many victims fail to ever come forward to the authorities. A public safety report issued by the Govern- ment of Canada stated that, “The scope of human trafficking is difficult to identify due to the hidden nature of the crime, victims’ reluctance to report crimes to the authorities, diffi- culties in identifying victims, and the high degree of underreporting” (Na- tional Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, 2012).
Women taking part in the ARISE program are empowered to break free from the chains of human trafficking and the sex trade, and look to their futures with hope and op- portunity.
 Human trafficking is generally de- fined as recruiting, harbouring, trans- porting or controlling the movement of a person for the purpose of exploi- tation, typically through sexual abuse or forced labour. It is a modern-day form of slavery.
A Ministry of Empowerment
ARISE—an acronym for Advocacy and Reclaiming those Involved in the Sex- trade through Empowerment—advo- cates for the rights, goals and dreams of women and girls who are victims of sex-trafficking. ARISE is a place of hope for women at risk.
ARISE Ministry focuses on advoca- cy and empowerment, helping women who have been involved in the sex trade
reclaim their lives. Through outreach, case management and pastoral care, ARISE ministers to vulnerable women who have suffered from or are at risk of exploitation and abuse. “God is every- where in our ministry as that flickering light in the darkest of places.”
“God’s mission is all about love and liberation,” says Deb. “ARISE strives to live out our invitation to participate in God’s mission.”
The ministry of ARISE involves:
• working with women and girls who are survivors of sex traf- ficking and/or have worked in
the sex trade
• offering pastoral care through
counselling, advocacy, legal sup- port, and hospital and jail visits
• providing personalized, one-on- one case management for wom- en who have been in the sex trade
• offering free self-defense classes to help build a sense of personal safety and confidence
• providing street outreach to sex- trade workers one night a week
• building partnerships with organi-
zations that serve at-risk children and youth to prevent involvement in the sex trade, and offer support to those who are already involved
A Future Worth Having
Hope is at the heart of empower- ment. “Being pastoral means believ- ing in a future worth having when someone is not yet able to see that
for themselves,” Deb says. “We need to meet people where they are at. Never underestimate the importance of a ministry of presence.”
One of the most powerful tools used by the staff of ARISE is com- passion. ARISE reaches the women where they are, without judgement or discrimination. They see the women for who they are: beloved children of God.
Participants in the ARISE program find a safe place where they are greet- ed with friendship and empathy. They learn how to empower themselves by setting boundaries, maintaining their finances to be more independent and setting goals. They learn about self-
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