A few weeks ago I sent out a request for photos on the theme of resilience.  It is a word I’ve heard from hopeful abolitionists, determined safe house workers, and some trafficking survivors themselves. Resilience is an absolute necessity for survival.  The following photos express this word in its various forms, and these photographers have done a beautiful job capturing its essence.

~Resilience in Phnom Penh, Submitted by Justin Gibson

~Daily Resilience, Submitted by Justin Gibson

~Resilience by nature, Submitted by Andrew Finlay

~Resilience in opportunity, Submitted by Sarah Wilson

~Resilience in the morning, Submitted by Michelle Brock

~Silent resilience, Submitted by Andrew McKenzie

• Did any of these photos resonate with you?  Why?
• What do you think makes someone resilient?
• Do some cultures value resilience more than others?
• What would make someone less resilient?
• Why do you think resilience is specifically important for victims of trafficking?

Leave a comment below to be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of Invisible Chains: Canada’s Underground World of Human Trafficking by Benjamin Perrin!  I will draw the name on Saturday Aug. 13th and let the winner know via email.  Your comments can be about the pictures themselves, about resilience, your thoughts on trafficking etc.  I will enter your name twice if you get some good discussion going!

A big thanks to our photographers: Justin Gibson (more of his work here), Andrew Finlay, Sarah Wilson, and Andrew McKenzie (more of his work here) for sending in your work!  If any of our other readers are interested in sending in a submission for the next photo essay, let me know.  To see our first photo essay, check out this one on Vulnerability.

Michelle Brock

I love photography. For a while I have wanted to start doing photo essays here at HFTS with themes that relate to sex trafficking.  I did one with royalty free images a while back, but from now on want to use photos from you instead.

So I put a call out for my first real photo essay, entitled “Vulnerability.”  Here are some of the pictures that were sent in.  They range from self-explanatory to abstract, from orphans in Africa to children in North America, from photo shoots to spontaneous snap shots.  All represent vulnerability.  And vulnerability is a component of exploitation.

~Submitted by Jenn Arnold

~Submitted by Beth Fisher

~Submitted by Andrew Finlay

~Submitted by Andrew Finlay

~Submitted by Christy McClelland

~Submitted by Roxanne Krystalli

~Submitted by Danika Teeple

~Submitted by Kaja Tirrul

~Submitted by Kaja Tirrul

Big thanks to Jenn Arnold, Beth Fisher, Andrew Finlay, Christy McClelland, Roxanne Krystalli, Danika Teeple, and Kaja Tirrul for your submissions!  For those of you who wish to make a submission for the next one, contact me here and I will keep you posted on upcoming themes.

Did any of these photos stand out to you?  Why?  Would love to hear your comments below.

Michelle Brock