The Salvation Army’s annual youth Christian festival ROOTS 2005 held in early May has drawn overwhelming response to the issue of human trafficking. It is reported that £120,000 was raised at the ROOTS event, breaking the £60,000 record of the previous ROOTS appeal made a few years ago for freeing slaves in Sudan. Till now, the money continues to roll in.

The Salvation Army UK and its youth ministry ALOVE have been concerned about the issue of human trafficking in the world, which is being increasingly addressed by the international communities and aid organisations.

According to the information provided by ALOVE on its website, an estimated 700,000 to 2,000,000 people are trafficked annually across international borders for the purposes of exploitation in the form of commercial sex, domestic service or manual labour.

This illegal industry generates between $7 billion and U$12 billion annually. It affects men, women and children, but shockingly around 50% of all victims are children. Trafficking is especially prevalent in poor Asian countries such as Thailand, Africa or the former Soviet Union.

In response to the issue of human trafficking, ALOVE has launched an ongoing campaign in February. This time, the appeal was also launched in the ROOTS festival. The appeal also follows the efforts of ROOTS Canada two years ago, which raised over US$30,000 (CAN) for a specific project in Bangladesh.

The money raised this time is expected to resource Salvation Army’s projects all over South East Asia and in other trouble spots throughout the world, particularly for an important Anti-Trafficking Programme in the Philippines. The money will make a massive difference to the lives of vulnerable adults and children who are potentially, and are already, victims of Human Trafficking Gangs.

Massive amount of inquiries concerning the use of resources and videos produced by the Salvation Army is seen. A full resource pack will be produced in partnership with the Salvation Army International development Department in the UK. The pack will contain all sorts of age appropriate materials, links and information about other campaigns. The resources will be available by the end of June and most information will be downloadable for free from the ROOTS website.

Salvation Army’s ROOTS Festival is held annually in the UK, Canada and South of North America. This year the theme was "The One, the Three & the Army", some 4,500 delegates were challenged to ask what the Father, Son and Spirit have taught about creation and community, mankind and mission, relationships and reconciliation, sin and salvation, the now and the not yet.