Weekend reflections

This past weekend could quite possibly be the best weekend I’ve had this year. It started with seeing a movie with friends on Friday night, the Fall Fair at Countryside Camp on Saturday morning, an evening with our young married couples group at our house Saturday evening, and a day of revitalization and passion on Sunday at the [free them] Freedom Walk. Stay with me, because this is going to be a long post!

This past Friday I finally had the opportunity to see The Whistleblower. I went with my husband and two new friends, Michelle and Jay. Michelle and I have been friends on Facebook since the beginning of summer when we connected online due to our mutual interest in human trafficking issues and advocacy, but we only just met earlier this month. It was great to spend time getting to know each other a little more!

I have wanted to see The Whistleblower movie since reading the book in June (see my review here), and I was disappointed to hear that only very select theatres were playing the film. To briefly summarize the book/film, it is the true story about Kathryn Bolkovac who was part of an International Police Task Force with the UN in Bosnia. She not only discovered that there was human trafficking happening in the region, but also discovered the involvement of various military, police, and peacekeeper personnel. The involvment ranged from purchasing sex to aiding in the trafficking of foreign girls. While I had a difficult time getting through the book (you can see why in my review), I found Kathryn Bolkovac’s story to be both courageous and motivating. Individuals like Kathryn Bolkovac inspire me to keep advocating for human trafficking victims.

As the four of us left the movie theatre, Jay summed up my feelings perfectly by saying “That was heavy…”  It was interesting to see how the movie evoked different emotions. For myself, this is not the first exposure I’ve had with human trafficking; I have done a lot of reading, seen various films, and have done work with human trafficking survivors, and I also plan to write my thesis on some aspect of human trafficking. For my husband, being married to me he has obviously heard about human trafficking, but on a much smaller (and toned down) scale. His exposure to human trafficking has mainly come from how it affects me – hearing my passionate (and often angry) rants and seeing how affected I am after meeting with a human trafficking victim. It was interesting to see how the movie moved him. He left feeling angry. Anger at individuals who could inflict so much pain on other human beings. Anger at politicians and officials who do not do enough to prevent it. Anger at people who turn a blind eye. And I could empathize with him, because I too felt that initial rush of anger at the beginning of my journey. It was almost refreshing to see his anger, to see that first spark of raw emotion that most of us feel the first time we really understand and see the ugliness of modern slavery.

As for myself, I felt sadness. It took all I had not to break down in tears as I watched the film. For those who have not seen it yet, please be forewarned that will likely push you out of your comfort zone no matter what kind of experience you have with human trafficking. It is raw, and it is real. And the realness moved me. My husband and I talked about the movie all the way home, and we wondered how the actors felt after filming scenes filled with rape, humiliation and brokeness. How do the actors deal with that kind of emotion after the director yells “Cut!”? I couldn’t help but watch those scenes and think of the survivors I have come into contact with. And it brought me to tears. Believe me, the anger was still there as I watched the scenes. The anger at injustice. The anger at individuals who are filled with so much evil. But after the anger comes hope. Hope for change and hope in people who are working so hard to make a difference

And this hope is so important, because there are days when the hope is more difficult to see… You see, The Whistleblower isn’t necessarily the most hopeful film… While Kathryn Bolkovac’s story is truly courageous, the audience is left with unaswered questions. What are we supposed to do with the knowledge that over 20 million people are being trafficked, that Kathryn Bolkovac still has a difficult time finding work in the international community because of the stand that she took, and that the multi-billion dollor corporation (DynCorp) that helped cover up the human trafficking its employees were involved with is still operating around the world? One might wonder “where is the hope in all of this?”  I have wondered that myself. Yes, human trafficking is still happening. It is also true that there are still cases of peacekeepers and military personnel aiding in human trafficking around the world. But it is also true that Kathryn Bolkovac’s story has inspired and spurred others into action. And there is much hope in that.

On Sunday [free them] had their 2nd Annual Freedom Walk. It was incredible. And it was a great reminder that hope does come after the initial feelings of anger and sadness. MP Joy Smith, Shae Invidiata (from [free them]), Timea Nagy (from Walk With Me) and Tara Teng (Miss Canada 2011) all spoke and reinvigorated each of us. It was an amazing time to reconnect with others who are fighting for the same issues I am so passionate about.

Me, Tara, Timea and Allison

I started my graduate classes last week and was feeling very overwhelmed with everything. I was faced with doubts about my academic ability, nevousness about being able to keep up with all the work, and fears of letting my family, friends, mentors (and myself) down. This weekend of rejuvination and hope was the encouragement I needed to (re)confirm that I am on the right path. I am honoured to be working alongside such amazing individuals who not only help human trafficking victims and survivors, but who also guide and mentor me along the way.

Tags: Human Trafficking, Reflections, Reviews