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Refuse to Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery
2014 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year Slavery didn't end in 1833, when William Wilberforce's decades-long campaign finally resulted in the Slavery Abolition Act. It didn't end in 1863, when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It didn't end in 1949, when the United Nations declared trafficking "incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person." The sad truth is, slavery never ended. It just went underground, where it continues to exploit powerless men, women and children in horrific ways throughout the world. Now for the good you have power. In Refuse to Do Nothing, "Abolitionist Mamas" Shayne Moore and Kimberly Yim share their stories of coming to terms with the power available to them in their normal, everyday lives to Slavery doesn't end without a fight. But get to know Shayne and Kimberly and their abolitionist friends, and you'll find the power God grants to all who fight for the powerless, and the joy awaiting those who refuse to do nothing.
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
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200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 25, 2013
"Hey, wanna watch a movie?"
I'll be honest: I almost didn't agree to it. In some ways, I wished for at least a week afterward that I hadn't.
But when my husband and I talk in the evenings, and when I'm actually awake enough to watch something and want to watch something (I default to preferring reading, in case you had any suspicion otherwise)...well, everything clicked that night.
So, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, our DVR had Taken (2008) on and playing in short order.
And I was haunted by nightmares and waking dreams for at least a week.
The premise of the movie is normal enough: two young girls go to Europe and are kidnapped. Dad's a retired CIA officer and goes to rescue her. In the midst of that, you find out a lot--A LOT--about modern day human trafficking.
And it didn't feel like Hollywood at all. It didn't seem like glamorous or sexy or exaggeration.
It seemed real, accurate, and terrifying. I resolved that no young girl in my life would travel that way without a contingency of bodyguards and strong young men.
That movie made a difference in my life, though I didn't fully realize how much until I picked up Refuse to Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery for the Patheos Book Club.
Yeah, I agreed to read the book, but...well, I wasn't feeling passionate or anything. I was just agreeing to read. It's fairly short--under 200 pages with the endnotes figured in--and I thought it would be easy.
I. was. wrong.
Despite the fact that I regularly whip through books, I could not whip through this one. I found myself choked up after chapters, and the image of those young girls from Taken, the ones who were part of the prostitution ring and were drugged into submission.
I pictured the children who didn't know a better life, who couldn't imagine hope.
And, more than anything, I pictured these two ordinary moms changing the world, one small step at a time.
This isn't an easy topic. I actually haven't talked much to the people around me about its content because...well, not only is it uncomfortable, but I just about need to reread the book to feel confident about it.
And the problem is so stinkin huge, what difference can I make from my home here in central Ohio?
I love how Moore and Yim begin the book by writing at length about the abolition of slavery in the United States. That initiative was carried by women, believe it or not, and specifically Christian women. Without the women--who controlled what was purchased, who kept the prayers going, who never ever gave up--we may still have legal slaves here in the U.S.
This book is a must-read for you, no matter who you are. You need to know what you know (and what you don't know).
Within its pages, Refuse to Do Nothing inspires both hope and action in readers. At the end of each chapter there are discussion questions, and see if you can read them without thinking (maybe for hours afterward, maybe with some actual discussion with the poor spouse who looks over at you while tears are streaming down your face). There are also action items at the end of each chapter--add the hotlines to your phone, sign up for email updates, tell a friend, watch a movie--that are neither overwhelming nor impossible.
I told more than one friend that this book has probably changed my life. And you know what? I'm not really happy about that. I was pretty happy with the way things were.
But conversion is ongoing, and social justice is something we are called to, especially as Christians. There are very real, very tangible, very actionable things we can do--starting with our prayers and with how we spend our money.
Back when I was in corporate America there was a saying about money talking and something else walking. We can make our money say a lot of things, and this book gives us real ways to make that happen.
Don't sit still. Don't click away without resolving to read this book.
It won't be easy. I promise that.
Like me, you may even be sorta sorry you read it.
Until, that is, the image of those girls in Europe comes to mind...and then, the thought of abolishing the modern-day slavery that is here all around us, even in the United States, even in central Ohio, will light a fire under you and leave you unable to sit still any longer.
I'll be honest: I almost didn't agree to it. In some ways, I wished for at least a week afterward that I hadn't.
But when my husband and I talk in the evenings, and when I'm actually awake enough to watch something and want to watch something (I default to preferring reading, in case you had any suspicion otherwise)...well, everything clicked that night.
So, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, our DVR had Taken (2008) on and playing in short order.
And I was haunted by nightmares and waking dreams for at least a week.
The premise of the movie is normal enough: two young girls go to Europe and are kidnapped. Dad's a retired CIA officer and goes to rescue her. In the midst of that, you find out a lot--A LOT--about modern day human trafficking.
And it didn't feel like Hollywood at all. It didn't seem like glamorous or sexy or exaggeration.
It seemed real, accurate, and terrifying. I resolved that no young girl in my life would travel that way without a contingency of bodyguards and strong young men.
That movie made a difference in my life, though I didn't fully realize how much until I picked up Refuse to Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery for the Patheos Book Club.
Yeah, I agreed to read the book, but...well, I wasn't feeling passionate or anything. I was just agreeing to read. It's fairly short--under 200 pages with the endnotes figured in--and I thought it would be easy.
I. was. wrong.
Despite the fact that I regularly whip through books, I could not whip through this one. I found myself choked up after chapters, and the image of those young girls from Taken, the ones who were part of the prostitution ring and were drugged into submission.
I pictured the children who didn't know a better life, who couldn't imagine hope.
And, more than anything, I pictured these two ordinary moms changing the world, one small step at a time.
This isn't an easy topic. I actually haven't talked much to the people around me about its content because...well, not only is it uncomfortable, but I just about need to reread the book to feel confident about it.
And the problem is so stinkin huge, what difference can I make from my home here in central Ohio?
I love how Moore and Yim begin the book by writing at length about the abolition of slavery in the United States. That initiative was carried by women, believe it or not, and specifically Christian women. Without the women--who controlled what was purchased, who kept the prayers going, who never ever gave up--we may still have legal slaves here in the U.S.
This book is a must-read for you, no matter who you are. You need to know what you know (and what you don't know).
Within its pages, Refuse to Do Nothing inspires both hope and action in readers. At the end of each chapter there are discussion questions, and see if you can read them without thinking (maybe for hours afterward, maybe with some actual discussion with the poor spouse who looks over at you while tears are streaming down your face). There are also action items at the end of each chapter--add the hotlines to your phone, sign up for email updates, tell a friend, watch a movie--that are neither overwhelming nor impossible.
I told more than one friend that this book has probably changed my life. And you know what? I'm not really happy about that. I was pretty happy with the way things were.
But conversion is ongoing, and social justice is something we are called to, especially as Christians. There are very real, very tangible, very actionable things we can do--starting with our prayers and with how we spend our money.
Back when I was in corporate America there was a saying about money talking and something else walking. We can make our money say a lot of things, and this book gives us real ways to make that happen.
Don't sit still. Don't click away without resolving to read this book.
It won't be easy. I promise that.
Like me, you may even be sorta sorry you read it.
Until, that is, the image of those girls in Europe comes to mind...and then, the thought of abolishing the modern-day slavery that is here all around us, even in the United States, even in central Ohio, will light a fire under you and leave you unable to sit still any longer.
July 1, 2024
Everyone should read this book. It was filled with real life examples of modern day slavery and how to prepare yourself on how to spot it and resources to help. There was a lot of helpful information on what to do and how to get involved. It leaves you feeling like you can make a change, starting in your own community.
May 16, 2019
Oof, we’ve got a lot of work to do. That’s my overall feeling after finishing this book about modern day slavery. The abolitionist movement is not over, the fight is still beginning. One of the resources mentioned gives you an average # of slaves working for you based on your clothing, food, technology, and life style. My number was 46. I want that to become zero. Figuring out how I fit into this movement is next on my to do list.
May 28, 2020
Loved reading this book! So encouraging about what you as an individual can do to tak a stand against the huge industry of modern day slavery. It is a very hidden issue and it relies on us to be a voice for the voiceless.
April 15, 2013
What a book! When it arrived in the post, I was surprised to discover it was all about modern-day slavery. Huh? But I was intrigued because it was written by two normal-sounding, ordinary mums. Right from the Foreward, Refuse to do Nothing is gripping reading. Sometimes I was horrified by what I read; there were times it made me feel nauseous, there were lots of tears, and sometimes I had to take a breather between chapters so that I could process the issues raised. But I was compelled to keep turning the pages.
In the initial chapters Shayne Moore and Kimberly McOwen Yim introduce themselves and their families, and share how human trafficking/slavery first came to their attention. Throughout, their mantra is that we shouldn’t just read the book, cry, and then move on. Oh no, they are passionate that we each do our bit – no matter how small – to end the suffering of modern-day slaves. In almost every chapter they give the US National Human Trafficking Hotline number (888 373 7888) – it’s 0114 252 3891 for the UK – and urge readers to keep this number in their phones so that they have it to hand when they come across a victim of human trafficking.
The early chapters cover the fact that human trafficking exists – even on your own doorstep – and reveals some useful tips for how to spot it. There are more slaves now than there have ever been.
The later chapters deal with particular issues:
* Do you know all the components that make up your smart phone? Where do those components come from? How are they mined and by whom? Are the working conditions fair?
* What about chocolate? Is your favourite company’s brand guilty of using slave labour and exploitation of children? Which supermarkets make a point of stocking fair trade chocolate? And which are out for the cheapest price?
* That bargain blouse I saw, why is it cheap? Is it because the high street store is having a sale? Or was it manufactured in shocking conditions by slaves?
Shayne and Kimberly are keen that we are not just shocked, but that we take action. They clearly point to actions individuals can take that will make a difference. There are useful websites to check which companies and stores stock fair trade goods and who stand against using slave labour. At the close of each chapter there are reflection questions as well as suggestions of how to take action.
As I read of the awful misery and suffering that human trafficking causes – and remembering an Asian expatriate working in Abu Dhabi who told my friends with tears in his eyes that they were the first people who had spoken kindly to him in months – I had to make some changes. The UK national hotline for human trafficking is now on my iPhone, just in case. I find myself looking at people (door-to-door salesmen, cleaners, etc) with different eyes – are they doing this because they have chosen to do it or because they are being forced to do it? My husband and I are becoming much more selective about what we buy. You see, once we know about human trafficking, we have a responsibility to act.
Refuse to do Nothing is changing my life. Some of the horrific stories contained within its pages haunt me. I can make small changes: I can pray for an end to human trafficking. And I can be responsible about what I purchase. But I cannot sit back and refuse to do nothing….
Thank you to IVP for providing me with a free copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.
In the initial chapters Shayne Moore and Kimberly McOwen Yim introduce themselves and their families, and share how human trafficking/slavery first came to their attention. Throughout, their mantra is that we shouldn’t just read the book, cry, and then move on. Oh no, they are passionate that we each do our bit – no matter how small – to end the suffering of modern-day slaves. In almost every chapter they give the US National Human Trafficking Hotline number (888 373 7888) – it’s 0114 252 3891 for the UK – and urge readers to keep this number in their phones so that they have it to hand when they come across a victim of human trafficking.
The early chapters cover the fact that human trafficking exists – even on your own doorstep – and reveals some useful tips for how to spot it. There are more slaves now than there have ever been.
The later chapters deal with particular issues:
* Do you know all the components that make up your smart phone? Where do those components come from? How are they mined and by whom? Are the working conditions fair?
* What about chocolate? Is your favourite company’s brand guilty of using slave labour and exploitation of children? Which supermarkets make a point of stocking fair trade chocolate? And which are out for the cheapest price?
* That bargain blouse I saw, why is it cheap? Is it because the high street store is having a sale? Or was it manufactured in shocking conditions by slaves?
Shayne and Kimberly are keen that we are not just shocked, but that we take action. They clearly point to actions individuals can take that will make a difference. There are useful websites to check which companies and stores stock fair trade goods and who stand against using slave labour. At the close of each chapter there are reflection questions as well as suggestions of how to take action.
As I read of the awful misery and suffering that human trafficking causes – and remembering an Asian expatriate working in Abu Dhabi who told my friends with tears in his eyes that they were the first people who had spoken kindly to him in months – I had to make some changes. The UK national hotline for human trafficking is now on my iPhone, just in case. I find myself looking at people (door-to-door salesmen, cleaners, etc) with different eyes – are they doing this because they have chosen to do it or because they are being forced to do it? My husband and I are becoming much more selective about what we buy. You see, once we know about human trafficking, we have a responsibility to act.
Refuse to do Nothing is changing my life. Some of the horrific stories contained within its pages haunt me. I can make small changes: I can pray for an end to human trafficking. And I can be responsible about what I purchase. But I cannot sit back and refuse to do nothing….
Thank you to IVP for providing me with a free copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.
February 22, 2014
I loved this book! The things the authors do really well are:
- remind us of Helen Keller's words: "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." This book is about empowerment and how starting w/ just the tiniest of steps can lead to the most amazing journey of self-discover and purpose.
- encourage each of us to find our passion. Yes, the book is about human trafficking and modern-day slavery, but it's not *only* about that. It's about how two people found their calling and used their power to effect positive change in the world. I'm sure, if either were to meet someone who said, "Hey, after reading your book, I was moved to do my part to end poverty, improve the quality of drinking water or start a recycling program in my community," they would be absolutely thrilled b/c the point isn't "you must join our cause," but rather "you must join your own cause." In fact, it calls to mind another quote, this one attributed to an anonymous aboriginal woman: "If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up w/ mine, then let us work together." We are all on this planet together & we owe it to ourselves and each other to make the best of it.
The only two areas where I think the book could be even better, in future printings—& I hope there are a lot of future printings—are:
- there's a pronounced Christian slant, which is great in that it demonstrates the catalyst and driving force behind the change that motivated these women to become abolitionists that they are. I worry, though, that when they talk about "God's original design" and quote scripture, those whose motivation is not faith-based, but rather just a natural desire to do what is right, will begin to think, "Oh, this book isn't talking to me...it's talking to Christians."
- as a man reading this book, I couldn't help but noticed almost all of the traffickers talked about were men and the majority of those fighting against it were woman. Now, far be it from me to say, to paraphrase "Julia Sugarbaker," that it is not the men who have done the majority of "the raping and the robbing and the killing and the war-mongering…the pillaging and the beheading and the subjecating of whole races into slavery…the law making and the money making and most of the mischief making…in the past two thousand years," but one cannot deny that women play their part in the problem—in fact, many have claimed that Alice Lakwena, whose Holy Spirit Mobile Forces eventually dissolved into Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, was not above shanghaiing child soldiers, herself—and men theirs, in the solution—as the authors point out, when they mention Justin Dillon's groundbreaking film, _Call + Response_. I wouldn't want any man who reads this book to feel it's not speaking to him, as we all have the power to effect positive change.
I think this is a terrific book that is likely to have a very positive impact on anyone who reads it—&, subsequently, the lives touched by those who do. I look forward to paying my copy, a gift from the authors, forward in hopes that whomever reads it—be s/he Christian, Wiccan, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist; black, white, brown, red, yellow or orange; man, woman, child; gay, straight, bisexual, transgender or questioning—will be as inspired and uplifted as I was.
- remind us of Helen Keller's words: "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." This book is about empowerment and how starting w/ just the tiniest of steps can lead to the most amazing journey of self-discover and purpose.
- encourage each of us to find our passion. Yes, the book is about human trafficking and modern-day slavery, but it's not *only* about that. It's about how two people found their calling and used their power to effect positive change in the world. I'm sure, if either were to meet someone who said, "Hey, after reading your book, I was moved to do my part to end poverty, improve the quality of drinking water or start a recycling program in my community," they would be absolutely thrilled b/c the point isn't "you must join our cause," but rather "you must join your own cause." In fact, it calls to mind another quote, this one attributed to an anonymous aboriginal woman: "If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up w/ mine, then let us work together." We are all on this planet together & we owe it to ourselves and each other to make the best of it.
The only two areas where I think the book could be even better, in future printings—& I hope there are a lot of future printings—are:
- there's a pronounced Christian slant, which is great in that it demonstrates the catalyst and driving force behind the change that motivated these women to become abolitionists that they are. I worry, though, that when they talk about "God's original design" and quote scripture, those whose motivation is not faith-based, but rather just a natural desire to do what is right, will begin to think, "Oh, this book isn't talking to me...it's talking to Christians."
- as a man reading this book, I couldn't help but noticed almost all of the traffickers talked about were men and the majority of those fighting against it were woman. Now, far be it from me to say, to paraphrase "Julia Sugarbaker," that it is not the men who have done the majority of "the raping and the robbing and the killing and the war-mongering…the pillaging and the beheading and the subjecating of whole races into slavery…the law making and the money making and most of the mischief making…in the past two thousand years," but one cannot deny that women play their part in the problem—in fact, many have claimed that Alice Lakwena, whose Holy Spirit Mobile Forces eventually dissolved into Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, was not above shanghaiing child soldiers, herself—and men theirs, in the solution—as the authors point out, when they mention Justin Dillon's groundbreaking film, _Call + Response_. I wouldn't want any man who reads this book to feel it's not speaking to him, as we all have the power to effect positive change.
I think this is a terrific book that is likely to have a very positive impact on anyone who reads it—&, subsequently, the lives touched by those who do. I look forward to paying my copy, a gift from the authors, forward in hopes that whomever reads it—be s/he Christian, Wiccan, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist; black, white, brown, red, yellow or orange; man, woman, child; gay, straight, bisexual, transgender or questioning—will be as inspired and uplifted as I was.
August 9, 2013
This is a good primer book for women (and men) who want to know how to get involved and engaged in community activism surrounding human trafficking. I picked it up at a new coalition group meeting that happened earlier this Summer and hope to become more active. I've known about human trafficking for a long time and am looking at ways to engage with the situation outside of what I'm already doing which is going to learn about various organizations and what they're doing locally in the Chicagoland area and across the US. My hope is to attend more trainings this year to start getting directly involved in some initiatives and this book is a great way to learn what is happening, how to get involved and where to go to find more information online.
I think the two author perspective was rather confusing, it might have helped to have it be author 1 first, then author 2 presenting their view in their respective halves of the book rather than switching back and forth. I found myself confused as to who was talking sometimes (since they're both women 'she' could be either if you're not paying attention to chapter headings which I'm wont to do).
Overall a decent read.
May 21, 2013
It rarely makes the news. There are few documentaries made.
Yet modern slavery touches everyone in some way.
The women who wrote this book put their faith into action,
though they didnt know what to do,
though the problem is so vast and lucrative,
they still chose to act as they were able to.
We dont think that there could be people trapped in slavery in our own backyards.
We think it is only in countries far far away.
But it is in our own backyards, in online "adult services", strip clubs, casinos,
restaurants, hotels, industrial farms, factories.
The food we eat, the electronics we use are more often then not touched by slavery,
especially in the raw materials.
Not only does this book open our eyes to the vast problem
it also gives us things we can do.
So we too can become modern abolitionists, for slavery did not end with Lincoln's proclamation,
it merely went underground, was no longer an open part of society.
Yet modern slavery touches everyone in some way.
The women who wrote this book put their faith into action,
though they didnt know what to do,
though the problem is so vast and lucrative,
they still chose to act as they were able to.
We dont think that there could be people trapped in slavery in our own backyards.
We think it is only in countries far far away.
But it is in our own backyards, in online "adult services", strip clubs, casinos,
restaurants, hotels, industrial farms, factories.
The food we eat, the electronics we use are more often then not touched by slavery,
especially in the raw materials.
Not only does this book open our eyes to the vast problem
it also gives us things we can do.
So we too can become modern abolitionists, for slavery did not end with Lincoln's proclamation,
it merely went underground, was no longer an open part of society.
June 18, 2013
This book has helped me to discover how I can fight modern day slavery and human trafficking. I was ignorant of how rampant modern day slavery and trafficking actually is!!
Did you know there are more people enslaved today than at any other point in history? Yet slavery is illegal in every country on the planet? What's wrong with this photo? Moreover, 80% of those enslaved are women and children. We must DO something!
Did you know there are more people enslaved today than at any other point in history? Yet slavery is illegal in every country on the planet? What's wrong with this photo? Moreover, 80% of those enslaved are women and children. We must DO something!
September 4, 2015
Two moms didn't really know what they were going to do to change the problems of injustice, specifically in regards to the human trafficking in the world. They explain the path they decided to take together and how they could seriously change things around them and around the world. It was pretty good and will encourage others who may not know how they can make a difference.
February 2, 2013
simply stated facts about the current state of human trafficking here and around the world. in two words - heartbreaking & hopeful. Your heart will be broken as you read the injustices that our most vulnerable endure, but the book also offers tangible suggestions on how we ordinary people can do something. Together, our small actions, can achieve real solutions. you'll read it in one evening.
August 5, 2016
Overwhelmed by all of the injustice in the world but feel like there's nothing you can do? Moore and McOwen Yim dispel that myth and help the average person understand that not only can we do something, but we need to. This is not moralistic or judgmental; it is inspiring.
March 1, 2013
This is a must read!
April 16, 2013
A must read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews