Human Trafficking
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You’re probably wondering what an eighteen year old college student knows about international justice issues or the growing international crisis of human trafficking. Growing up in a culturally diverse place such as New York City You are exposed to much pretty all types of people of various ethnicities, backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions. With so much mingling occurring among so many people of different nations you can’t help but keep up with international news and problems around the globe. One problem that caught my attention was most recent was human trafficking ring caught in New York and New Jersey during the Super Bowl a couple of month. After seeing this story in many headlines on local newspapers and television broadcast channels I began to grow a huge interest in this topic and how it affected the international community.
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For those don’t know what human trafficking is according to the UNODC or the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime trafficking is the “transporting, recruiting, or harboring by means of threat, force or coercion of humans with the intent to exploit”. The crime of human trafficking isn’t just a problem in the United States, this issue of transporting and exploiting men, women and children can be found around the global. Some of the major areas that are extremely effected by human trafficking are those who are from undeveloped areas such as part of Asia, where poverty may push many into the work of trafficking. Another area that is well known for its dominance of trafficking is part of Europe, many who are forced into trafficking in this area are usually kidnapped local women or even tourist of the area. The issue of human trafficking is an international problem which effects each and everyone in the global community in which we live in today. When the topic of human trafficking is brought up most people only think this crime is active in the sex industry, they believe the only work these trafficked people are sent to areas in which they will be exploited for prostitution. Although prostitution is one of the most common areas in which benefit from the crime of human trafficking there are several other areas of work which benefit from trafficking, these job usually are agriculture or horticulture, construction, garments and textiles under sweatshop conditions, catering and restaurants, and domestic work. Many of the workers who in these types of work are victims of human trafficking or of migrant status. With trafficking affecting a large part of the world as well as many working industries is there anyone out there willing to stop or change this type of exploitation known as human trafficking? |
Another organization I found in my research was the Richmond Justice Initiative. On this site I found a number of stories about from victims of human trafficking. In the stories of many of these victims they going in to deep emotional details about their experience in the human trafficking industry. They tell their audience about how this experience effected their lives and the lives of many of their loved ones. I found many of these stories to be touching because many of the women and people telling them are close in age with myself. The ordeals many of the victims faced as a result of human trafficking will make want to reach out to the international community to put an end to this inhumane crime. In addition to sharing stories of victims of trafficking they also leave helpful tips in how we can assist in putting a stop to the international crime of human trafficking.
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In my research about the issue of human trafficking I came across several digital spaces which work to put an end to the exploitation human globally. One of the digital spaces I found which strived to put an end to Human trafficking is the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking. I found this page via Facebook and gives information to the international community about the issue of human trafficking. They also work to educate people on what human trafficking is and how travelers can protect themselves from being forced into the trafficking industry. Although I found this organization’s Facebook they also have a main page where they go into further detail about their international campaign to put an end to human trafficking globally.
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Another important digital resource I found helpful in my research on discovering what human trafficking is was the Polaris Project. This organization is based in the United States and works to abolish human trafficking right here in the United States. This organization also has several international locations where they fight trafficking globally. I found this website the most helpful in my search to learn more about the human trafficking industry. On this site you can find the criminal statistics of human trafficking in a particular state as well as a national report. The site also provides several locations which provide help to those who have been affected by the inhumane practice of human trafficking. In addition to these wonderful resources this site provides information to help report human trafficking in their area. I believe this website embodies several tools needed to fight the practice of human trafficking in the United States as well as on an international level. This organization is justice one many who fight to put an end to the inhumane practice of human trafficking
In conclusion I’ve learned so much about the practice of human trafficking .I wish the international community would take a larger stance on trying to fight this vicious crime which exploits people of all nations. I hope that this short article can make a difference in the movement to end the disgusting cycle of human trafficking. I hope everyone reading this article understands that in order to heal a hurting humanity we must take the initiative to care for each other, after all we are all part of this large international community called Mother Earth.