Two friends walk along the beach, admiring the sunshine sparkling on the waves, when suddenly a person comes tumbling over the cliff onto the beach.  Rushing over to help, one of them rips off their t-shirt to bandage the person’s wounds.  The other finds some driftwood for a makeshift splint.  While they are still trying to stop the bleeding, two more people fall off the cliff.   As more and more people fall and lie wounded on the beach, the friends call all their friends, and reach out to anyone who has medical experience.  Friends arrive and get a triage centre going, and suddenly one of them asks, “Shouldn’t we go find out why people are falling off the cliff?”

Our Mission

This story illustrates that while kindness toward individuals who suffer is essential, without societal justice to end systemic oppression, the harms will continue.  This is why ancient Hebrew prophet Micah wrote:  “What does God require of you?  To act justly, to love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.”

Thus, REED’s mission is two-part:

To resist exploitation by addressing the male demand for paid sex which currently causes millions of people globally to be trafficked and sexually exploited  (Justice)

To embrace dignity by entering into transformative relationships with women who are harmed by the sex industry and lift up the voices of those who are silenced (Kindness)

Values

Non-violence

REED strives to encourage and practice non-violence in all of our work. This includes operating from a position of cooperation with other organizations and a commitment to strengthen on another’s work.

Dignity of all people

REED honours the dignity of all persons and actively practices a stance of respect and care for all persons with whom we come into contact. This includes holding hope for those who exploit, as well as those who are exploited.

Prayer

REED firmly believes that action and contemplation must link arms. Through a posture of listening we are grounded in and guided by the Spirit of God.

Human Rights

REED comes from a human rights perspective and places the needs and protection of the woman above other interests.

Imaginative Hope

REED highly values the role of imaginative hope in creating positive change. We participate in times of both public lament and energizing action to spur one another on to imagining new ways of being together as a society.

Strengths-Based Empowerment

REED operates from a strengths-based empowerment framework that helps identify and appreciate the unique strengths and abilities of trafficking survivors, staff and volunteers, our partner agencies, and all of our supporters. Through building trust and providing opportunities we show people they can transform their own lives and be agents of positive change.

Service

Strategy 1 – Outreach

REED provides outreach through a combination of community education and awareness–raising, as well as direct outreach strategies. We regularly provide friendship to women in the sex industry and respond to crisis calls around sex trafficking.

Strategy 2 – Assistance

REED provides assistance to women through crisis intervention and coordination of care. We serve women through in-house services and referrals to partner agencies.

Systemic and Social Change

Strategy 3 – Education

REED initiates and drives campaigns to address the status of women and end sexual exploitation. We also educate community groups, churches, service providers, law enforcement and organizations.

Strategy 4 – Prevention

REED is committed to eradicating the demand for paid sex that drives the market in which women are exploited. With no demand for paid sex women will not be prostituted.

Movement-Building

Strategy 5 – Task Force and Coalition Building

REED founded a coalition for the abolition of sex trafficking, participates in two national abolition coalitions, and actively engages in community-building with other local organizations and individuals to affect change.

Strategy 6 – Grassroots Community Action

REED empowers communities and individuals to take action against trafficking and sexual exploitation in their own local context.

“We cannot suffer with the poor when we are unwilling to confront those persons and systems that cause poverty. We cannot set the captives free when we do not want to confront those who carry the keys. We cannot profess our solidarity with those who are oppressed when we are unwilling to confront the oppressor. Compassion without confrontation fades quickly to fruitless sentimental commiseration.”

― Henri J. M. Nouwen