As many of you know, today is Nationl Human Trafficking Awareness Day. I am very proud that our government is finally giving voice to such an alarming epidemic. Human trafficking is certainly something that we need to be aware of. That said, about a week ago my friend Charles Lee wrote a post on his blog titled “Awareness Is Not Enough.” I couldn’t agree more. In the post, he wrote:

Awareness alone does not create the tangible change we want to see in the world. It may move us emotionally and intellectually, but it will never be able to do anything on its own.

In fact, awareness alone can be dangerous. It can actually create a delusional state of being where we fool ourselves into thinking that we are actually doing something by “being aware” or making others aware. No matter how pure or noble the intent, spreading awareness is not enough. Is it important? Most definitely. Nevertheless, our goal is not just to spread awareness.

If reading all of the excellent posts and articles on the interwebs dedicated to today’s awareness of human trafficking has left you feeling as if you need to do something, something beyond awarenes, I encourage you to check out a new conference that will help you take that next exciting step into action.

The Ideation Confernce will give participants an opportunity to sit with, and learn from, amazing activists, CEOs, and human service professionals. The goal of the sessions is to rub elbows (or brain cells) with the experts in order to take your ideas about compassionate ministries (from human trafficking to global proverty) from concept to implementation. The workshop facilitator  list is AMAZING: Scott Harrison, Founder of Charity Water; Ben Keesely, CEO of Invisiable Children; and Keith Hall, Executive Corporate Fund Developer of World Vision, to name a few.

If you agree that awareness is only a first step in combating human trafficking, homelessness, global poverty, or any other of the world’s injustices please consider checking out this important conference. You can link to the Ideation Conference website here.

What things, beyond awareness, are you doing (or would you like to be doing) in your community to take action on social justice issues?