#igivehope... What's it all about?

If you're a keen Twitter follower or tweeter, you may have noticed the hashtag 'igivehope' flying about a fair bit yesterday. What's it all about? Well yesterday was the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, organised by the United Nations in order to try and combat trafficking in persons across the world. This is the first ever of these days, and people across the world have been encouraged to show their support to victims of trafficking by 'giving back hope.' By tweeting using the hashtag, particularly sharing pictures of hands making the shape of hearts, the United Nations hope to be able to raise awareness of trafficking in persons around the world.

Human trafficking is something which can too often be thought of as extinct, thinking of slavery in old terms which in most places appears to be off the radar. This is sadly not the case however, UNICEF estimate that over 1.2 million children are trafficked each year, being taken against their will, brought sold and exploited. This doesn't just happen in places like Africa and India as we are sometimes led to believe, human trafficking takes place all over the world and can be found in our own cities.

While tweeting a picture or saying 'igivehope' may not seem to be making much of a difference, it's a step in the right direction in terms of raising awareness about the problem. Show your support with a picture of your hands making a heart and #igivehope, and show solidarity to those who are and have been victims of human trafficking. On a more practical level, the United Nations ask people to be aware and involved in their local communities to both raise awareness and repot anything which may be related to trafficking.