Where Were You?

Many years ago, Matt Friedman, a prominent human trafficking activist decided he was going to write a book that would help readers to understand the horrors of sex trafficking. Many of Friedman’s interviews took place at shelters in Nepal that provided rehabilitation services to survivors who had escaped from India’s sex trade. While most girls agreed to tell Friedman their stories, there was one young woman, Gita, who repeatedly declined his request for an interview. Every time he saw her, she appeared angry and completely withdrawn. But during all of the other interviews, she sat off to one side and listened to everything that was being said. On the last day of Friedman’s visit to her shelter, Gita came up to him and said she had changed her mind – she would give an interview. Everyone was surprised.

Over the next three hours, Gita described one of the most horrific experiences Friedman had heard to date. As part of Gita’s trafficking experience, she had been tricked, deceived, betrayed, raped, tortured, abused, and diseased. It seemed to Friedman she had suffered the worst of everything. At the end of the interview, he sat there speechless, not sure how to respond. Finally, he thanked her for sharing her story. There was another long pause. Her eyes were dark and deep with fury. Not knowing what else to say, Freedman said to her, “You must be so mad at the traffickers for what they did to you.”

She looked at him and the others in the room. Her eyes suddenly lit with fire. “I am not angry at the traffickers. They did what traffickers do. I am angry at you!” she shouted, pointing her finger at Friedman and the others. “Where were you when I was in that brothel?” she kept pointing at Friedman and the others and asked. “Where were you and everyone else when I needed you?” She paused and took a few deep breaths.

“Why are you here doing this project? Why are you not down there helping my sisters now? They are in the same situation I was in. Everyone knows what is going on. Everyone knows it is wrong. Why is no one helping them? How can such terrible things happen without anyone doing anything? I am not angry with the bad people, I am angry with the good people. Where were you? Where was everyone? Why did no one help?”

That day, a survivor spoke for herself and for so many others. She “called us all out,” asking a fundamental question: “Why doesn’t the world care enough to stop this crime against humanity?” It was a good question, and still is. That moment was an epiphany that helped Friedman understand that the world – collectively and individually – has a responsibility to address this problem. Whether the victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution are in India, Nepal, China, Africa, Latin America, the United States, or anywhere, human trafficking shreds the fabric of all that is good and decent in this world. It is not someone else’s problem. It belongs to us all.

To raise awareness on modern day slavery, ten local bands composed original songs inspired by theme “Where Were You?” Written to sensitize people about the horrors of human trafficking through music. The bands first competed in the battle of the bands, an original song contest in a live show format, on 6 June, 2015.

Hong Kong’s first ever Anti-Human Trafficking themed CD is released at a concert where four of the bands featured on the cd will perform. 100% of ticket and merchandise sales will go to NGOs that work together in fighting human slavery.

Bands featured on the CD: Meraki, Zino Chan, Sparklez, Spam, Same, Arsonist, RF2, Sparklez, Unity Band, Oikos and J3MI.

Where Were You
852 Freedom Campaign
Date: 7:30pm, 13 November, 2015
Venue: Island ECC, 2/F 633 King’s Road, Quarry Bay
Tickets: $20