The Current

On a chilly December day in 2009, my friend David and I crammed into a taxi and made our way through the DC streets to Capitol Hill. To say that I felt butterflies would be an understatement. We were minutes away from an appointment at Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson’s office, and I still had no idea what I was going to say.

Our aim was to ask the Senator to help introduce the Child Protection Compact Act, and I was frantically trying to come up with something persuasive to convey.

We were led into an imposing conference room by an aide who politely introduced himself as Houston. The meeting was brief and courteous. Houston seemed receptive and agreed to take our request to the Senator, and I left feeling inspired. But a few weeks later, we learned that Senator Isakson had decided not to help introduce the bill. It was discouraging to feel like our meeting hadn’t made a difference.

Except it had.

That first encounter started a relationship. When the CPCA later passed in committee, Houston called to let me know. My wife Beth and I have now held six meetings with Senator Isakson’s staff in DC and Atlanta, both on the CPCA and, this year, on the TVPRA. We’ve gone to our leaders time and time again, in order to express the importance of the legislation, as well as our personal interest in seeing our representatives in Congress take a leadership role on this issue.

I’m glad to report that, even though we’re ordinary constituents, it has made a difference. Last week, we received a call from the Senator’s aide in Atlanta letting us know that Senator Isakson agreed to co-sponsor the TVPRA! Needless to say, I was elated at the news. After almost two years of relationship-building, we saw the fruits of our labor.

Advocacy can often be slow, but perseverance really does pay off. This small victory has not only inspired us, but we know that victims of slavery are one step closer to rescue because of it.

Alan and Beth Seelinger are volunteer advocates for IJM’s Justice Campaigns who help coordinate advocacy campaigns on anti-trafficking legislation in Georgia. Justice Campaigns mobilizes people around the country in support of U.S. policies that will lead to the abolition of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.