WHAT IS
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
MODERN DAY SLAVERY
There are more slaves today than ever before. Recent estimates indicate up to 40 million precious lives are captured in this modern day slavery and traffickers have generated $150 billion US dollars from the abuse of children, women and men.
Human trafficking includes sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor or sex services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery. (Source: The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000)
Prostitution, Exotic Dancing, Pornography, Domestic Work, Child Care, Factory Work, Restaurant Work, Carnivals, Criminal Activities, Day Labor, Construction, Begging/Street Peddling
C.S.E.C.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Child trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of a child (under 18 yrs of age) for the purpose of exploitation.
Girls are being disproportionately trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and child domestic labor. Boys are primarily trafficked for work in agriculture, plantations, mining armed conflict.
(ILO, Geneva)
Traffickers have been known to make child sex trafficking victims wear make-up and clothes—and even ingest drugs—to appear older. - from the U.S. State Department
In the U.S., the average age of entrance for a girl in commercial sexual exploitation of children.
FORCED LABOR & DEBT BONDAGE
Human Trafficking often evokes the connotation of sex trafficking, however forced labor is the largest form of human traffiking. This growing transnational crime also includes forced labor and involves significant violations of labor, public health, and human rights standards worldwide. Domestic work, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and entertainment are among the sectors most concerned.
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SEX TRAFFICKING
Many of these persons are trafficked into the international sex trade, often by force, fraud, or coercion. They are lured by traffickers with the promise of a job and provisions, and then controlled by their pimp's threats, lies, and violence.The sex industry involves sexual exploitation of persons, predominantly women and girls, involving activities related to prostitution, pornography, sex tourism, and other commercial sexual services. The low status of women in many parts of the world has contributed to a burgeoning of the trafficking industry.
Sex trafficking is the most prevelant form of trafficking in the U.S.
TRAFFICKERS & ORGANIZED CRIME
Who are Traffickers?
Anyone who contributes to an element of the trafficking process with the intent to exploit the child. They may be a friend, acquaintence, or family member. Traffickers primarily target those who are disproportionately affected by poverty, the lack of access to education, chronic unemployment, discrimination, and the lack of economic opportunities in countries of origin. Traffickers lure men, women, and children into their networks through false promises of decent working conditions at relatively good pay as nannies, maids, dancers, factory workers, restaurant workers, sales clerks, or models. Traffickers also earn large profits by purchasing children from poor families and selling them into prostitution or into various types of forced or bonded labor.
A GLOBAL CRIME
Trafficking in persons is increasingly perpetrated by organized, sophisticated criminal enterprises. Such trafficking is the fastest growing source of profits for organized criminal enterprises worldwide. Profits from the trafficking industry contribute to the expansion of organized crime in the United States and worldwide. Trafficking in persons is often aided by official corruption in countries of origin, transit, and destination, thereby threatening the rule of law. It is estimated that the total illicit profits may exceed $150 billion US dollars.
WHY?
In a world filled with prosperity, abundance and development opportunities why do we find people who would be so cruel as to exploit the most vulnerable? The answer is in the hearts of mankind.
"For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil..." I Timothy 6:10 (Bible)
They have sold their souls for profits and forsaken all good to treat others with such violence. There is evil and good in the world and each human being has the free choice to partner with evil or partner with good.
The truth is that just as huge criminal enterprises have been dismantled by courageous people enforcing the rule of law and meeting out justice, so this horrific evil can be brought down by governments and communities committed to working together to eradicate human trafficking within its borders.
The choice is yours, and mine. Will we hear the higher call to change the world and make it a place of freedom and justice for all?