Let's Take a Walk

A police officer checked
our permits before the walk.

Yesterday we participated in the annual A21 Walk for Freedom. This is a walk that promotes awareness of the worldwide human trafficking epidemic. 

We gathered in Wenceslas Square, which is a nice central location in the city. Everyone dressed in black and we placed a strip of tape over our mouths. The tape had the name of a person who had been rescued on it. A21 posted companion podcast on their website that told the story of these rescues. 

Here is that link: http://www.a21.org/content/walk-day-of/gop0rs

Some of the students that made the walk possible!

As we walked, single file and very slowly, I was deeply affected by the reactions we were getting. Everyone we passed stopped to read our signs. Some said “We support you!” Others questioned what the movement was even about. There were the naysayers, of course, but that is to be expected. 

The thing I think I liked most about the walk was the diversity of our group. We had high school students, teachers, and parents. We had Czechs, Americans, and Brits. But I think the most interesting dynamic we had was this: Christians and Atheists. 

It made me think that maybe there’s hope in this world. If we can get people who disagree to unite for a common cause, then we might just win the fight against trafficking after all. 

Our whole group!