CHASTE tour to highlight 'Love's not for sale'

The Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking across Europe (CHASTE) Not for Sale UK campaign, which is seeking to change the mood music in the United Kingdom on the issue of customer demand, is coming on tour in November to Cambridge, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Leeds.

In this bicentenary year CHASTE is joining forces with former cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken and up-and-coming jazz-blues singer Helen J Hicks to bring an evening of challenge, engagement, and informed entertainment to central church venues in these cities.

Chief Executive Carrie Pemberton said of the tour, "We expect the Love's Not for Sale tour in November, to be a key opportunity for the churches and committed organisations to come together to further the movement for change across the United Kingdom.

"The British public is simply not aware of how ordinary citizens are both part of the problem of sexual slavery in our midst, because clients who demand pay-as-you-go sex, are the reason why this vile trade in women's abused lives and bodies is flourishing.

"If you took away the market of demand, the criminals whose sole interest in this perverse trade in women's lives is the money it earns them, would cease their trade."

She likened sexual trafficking to the transatlantic slave trade which was abolished 200 years ago this year.

"The same goal, making money out of the suffering of others, was behind the transatlantic slave trade two hundred years ago. Now we have a movement arising in both Parliament, the academy, the police, the churches and the faith communities which is saying 'enough is truly enough'," said Dr Pemberton.

CHASTE has already made its presence felt in the public sector where it provides expert advice to Government agencies and primary care to survivors of sex trafficking abuse.

Earlier this year it launched the Not for Sale campaign with Not for Sale Sunday on May 20th with wide take up by many churches across the country.

Now a well received publication of verse, social comment, theological reflection and case studies has been published.

The CHASTE-commissioned book 'Not for Sale: Raising Awareness, Ending Exploitation' published by Methodist Publishing House imprint Inspire is already making waves and exciting positive comment from a wide sector of interest.

The book has been nominated by leading advisors to the Government as one which could changes hearts and minds in the UK on some of the drivers behind trafficking for sexual exploitation in Britain today.

Baroness Neuberger the Prime Minister's adviser on the voluntary sector has called the book, 'a really important contribution, which should influence debate and get the voluntary sector - and the statutory agencies really sitting up and taking notice.

"Women and children should never be sold for their flesh. Yet we know that an estimated 4,000 women are sold in this way every year in the UK," said Dr Pemberton. "Every time a trafficked woman is purchased for half an hour of pay-as-you-go sex, she is raped and abused which is not acceptable in 21st century Britain."

The Love's Not for Sale tour aims to outline the facts surrounding the sex trade in Britain today and what Christians can do to change the situation.

Many churches have already caught the vision of CHASTE, but Dr Pemberton challenged more Christians to learn from William Wilberforce who was instrumental in the abolition of the slave trade.

"The example of Newton's challenge to Wilberforce and the parliamentarians of his day are part of our connection with the bicentenary reminders of the power of prayer, protest, practical support for survivors and parliamentary legislation which is required today," she said.

"Many people in Britain benefit from the trade in flesh which is part of trafficking for sexual enslavement. Clients who use, traffickers who transport, pimps who pimp out the women for financial gain, and advertisers who place these women's lives for sale through their marketing networks," said Dr Pemberton.

"We are saying 'enough is enough' - love never was for sale and never should be. 'Love's not for sale' is a rallying cry and part of the wider Not for sale UK movement. The tour is taking place to raise awareness yes, but also to bring about change."

Dr Pemberton said a cultural shift was necessary to bring about tougher laws to prevent the sale of flesh in the UK and for public agencies to have the budgets needed to provide safety and long-term rehabilitation for women caught up in the trade.

"This tour is part of bringing that cultural shift about,' Dr Pemberton stated.


Love's Not for Sale Tour dates:
Birmingham 14th November
Cambridge 15th November
Leeds 16th November
Edinburgh 21st November