Stop Human Trafficking

"Modern slavery – be it bonded labor, involuntary servitude, or sexual slavery – is a crime and cannot be tolerated in any culture, community, or country … [It] is an affront to our values and our commitment to human rights.” – Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State

Here's a question - have you heard of human trafficking? Show your hands. As of a year and a half ago, I hadn't. I had heard of the sex slave trade, but I didn't have any idea to what extent it existed or how widespread it was. I also didn't realize that the term human trafficking also spread to fair wage issues and modern day slavery. I consider myself to be pretty well informed - and I wonder - how could such an epidemic be under so many people's radar?

In the Fall of 2009, we had the privilege of meeting with Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. He hosted our first video on human trafficking. When we began production on What You Can Do, we didn't think there was much a person could do to help fight this huge issue in only a minute. According to Mr. Costa, we were wrong. He said that one of the things needed most in fighting human trafficking is getting the general public informed. He told us that it is the "fastest growing trans-national crime affecting every area of the world." People have got to spread the word.

Today, as my one minute action - I would like to share with you some information that I have compiled about human trafficking and ask you to forward this link. Consider joining The UNODC's Blue Heart Campaign to help raise awareness for this issue.

Let's make a commitment to educate at least one person on this issue, and ask that they do the same.
Thanks!
Alicia

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For the most up to date information on Human Trafficking, please visit - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime or The United States Department of State.

According to article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Human trafficking is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.Smuggling migrants involves the procurement for financial or other material benefit of illegal entry of a person into a State of which that person is not a national or resident. Virtually every country in the world is affected by these crimes. The challenge for all countries, rich and poor, is to target the criminals who exploit desperate people and to protect and assist victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants, many of whom endure unimaginable hardships in their bid for a better life.

On the basis of the definition given in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, it is evident that trafficking in persons has three constituent elements;

The Act (What is done)
Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons.

The Means (How it is done)
Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim.

The Purpose (Why it is done)
For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.

To ascertain whether a particular circumstance constitutes trafficking in persons, consider the definition of trafficking in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol and the constituent elements of the offense, as defined by relevant domestic legislation.

An interview with Muhammida El Muhajir, The Media Relations Coordinator at GEMS

Closing out our week on Human Trafficking, we thought it would be great to include an interview with the NY based organization, GEMS. As they state on their website, “they serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking.” We were grateful to have this important organization on board this week and thought that they could answer some questions and expose some misconceptions about the trafficking and sexual exploitation of girls and women.

Muhammida El Muhajir, the Media Relations Coordinator at GEMS answers our questions below.

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1. Can you give our readers a little bit of background on GEMS and why it was founded?

Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) is the nation’s largest organization empowering girls and young women, ages 12-21, who have experienced sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential.

GEMS founder/executive director, Rachel Lloyd came to the U.S in 1997, a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation as a teen and began missionary work with adult women exiting prostitution. While working with adult women in correctional facilities and on the streets, she observed the overwhelming need for services for young women at risk for sexual exploitation who were being ignored by traditional social service agencies. It became clear that specialized services were essential for this disenfranchised population.

2. Do you think that there is a misconception in the US that human trafficking is more of an international problem rather than a domestic one? If so, why?

Until very recent, domestic human trafficking had not received very much exposure in the media and was an issue that was ignored and pretended to not exist. It is for this reason that seemed to not exist here.

3. What, if any, are the stereotypes you’ve found that people have about women in the commercial sex industry?

We deal specifically with young people which is different from adult women in the commercial sex industry in the sense that most children did not choose to be in the industry but manipulated and forced. So that is definitely one misconception that the girls made a conscious choice when in fact it is an adult male that has lured, manipulated and utilize force and violence to keep the girls in the sex industry. Another misconception is that the girls are ‘loose’ or ‘fast’ or promiscuous. The reality is that most of the children in the sex trade have been sexually abused BEFORE ever entering the trade. They don’t love sex any more than the average girl but it becomes work, a job that must be done in order for them to have a place to eat, sleep and to avoid abuse from their traffickers.

Another common misconception is that the girls make a lot of money and that they are doing it for the money. The reality is that the girls rarely get to keep any of the profits of their labor, it all goes to the trafficker. Many girls tell stories of going for days without being able to eat because the trafficker refused to give them money even for food.

4. What can someone do who wants to get involved in stopping the trafficking of girls and women?

• Someone who wants to get involved should become very educated on the issue.

• They should research their local laws and find out how their state, city, community deals with child victims of sex trafficking, perpetrators and traffickers.

• They can advocate that changes be made to local laws with letter writing/email or telephone campaigns.

• They can also increase awareness for the issue by hosting a local screening of Very Young Girls and engaging in dialogue.

• They can also support GEMS (and other ant-trafficking organizations) with a monetary donation.

• Volunteer, donate items such as clothing, books, toiletries to local organizations.

• Hire a survivor in a job or position.

5. Have you found that the trafficking of girls and women has become more prevalent? If so, why do you think that is?

Trafficking of girls and women has always existed. It has become more prevalent because profits have grossly increased. It is an underworld market that doesn’t have the same risks as other illegal/illicit products (drugs, guns, etc.) Traffickers rarely got to prison!
There is also a large global population of vulnerable young women who are looking for better opportunities and believe the lies that traffickers tell (that they can make money, receive foreign visa, etc.)

There also seems to be a greater increase of men who desire sex with children with beliefs that having sex with a child will lessen the risks of certain STDs and/or AIDS.


6. Can you tell us a little something about the women you work with? What are their initial needs when coming out of such harrowing situations?

Many of the girls have experience the worst trauma and abuse and have been continuously re-victimized (by family first, then by traffickers, and often by the legal and governmental agencies)

Initially they need the basics food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, counseling. Then we move on to group therapy sessions where girls are allowed to talk about their experiences and begin to understand that it was not their fault and that they were a victim. This is a concept that is the first step towards recovery. An environment of unconditional love and non-judgment are also key to their transformation as well as education, job and leadership training.


7. Do you find that the victims of trafficking that get out, are able to remain out?

Many victims are able to stay out of the ‘life’ especially with continued love and support from friends, families, support workers and if they are provided the necessary tools for success.

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To learn more about the issue of Human Trafficking, please visit - GEMS

Fair Trade to Help Fight Human Trafficking

Think there's nothing you can do to fight Human Trafficking in 1 Minute?

Starring - Julie Tortorici
Written by - Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: UNODC website, www.UNGift.org

Special Thanks - Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Domestic Human Trafficking

Think there's nothing you can do to fight Domestic Human Trafficking in 1 Minute?

Starring: Carolina Caro
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Statistical Information provied by: GEMS, www.gems-girls.org

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Muhammida El Muhair, and everyone at GEMS and Dennis Arinella


For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Empower Victims of Human Trafficking

Think there's nothing you can do to Empower Victims of Human Trafficking in 1 Minute?

Starring - Maria Christina Perry
Written by - Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: GEMS, www.gems-girls.org

Special Thanks - Muhammida El Muhair and Dennis Arinella


For more information, please visit - What You Can Do

Help Fight Human Trafficking

Think there's nothing you can do to fight Human Trafficking in 1 Minute?

Starring - Head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - Antonio Maria Costa
Written by - Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Consulting Producer - Mary Micari
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: UNODC, www.unodc.org

Special Thanks - Shervin Majlessi, Simone Monabesian, and everyone at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Rhitu Siddharth and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - What You Can Do

Working with Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime

Some of the most amazing moments of this project for me have been the ones that have come out of the blue. If I were pressed to pick one shining highlight of a day I would have to pick the day that we were able to work with the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Antonio Maria Costa. Even as I type these words, there is a part of me that still cannot believe that he gave us the opportunity.

This story cannot be told without a huge and proper thank you to my friend Rhitu Siddarth. She has been a wonderful supporter of the project from the beginning, and when she heard that we wanted to dedicate an episode of What You Can Do to combating the devastating issue of human trafficking, she immediately put a plan into action that ended with the three of us, and a camera, at the United Nations with fifteen minutes to work with one of the most important and influential men working to combat this human crisis.

To say that we were nervous, would be like saying that the sun is hot. We were in our first few weeks of creating this project and all of a sudden we were presented with an opportunity that people spend years trying to gain. We didn’t know what to expect. So we tried to come prepared for everything. Would it be OK to ask him to host the episode? Would he be OK with the stopwatch?

As it turned out- all of our fears were for naught. Not only was he game, he was encouraging, supportive, amazing and very kind.

To put into words what working with Mr. Costa meant to me and to my faith in this idea that I had created is almost impossible. Whenever any one creates anything there is always that moment of- well I love this- but will anyone else love this? Does this idea have legs? Could this really work? And in the midst of all of this insecurity and doubt ,I was blessed to work with one of the world’s foremost experts who gave us -for lack of a more graceful phrase-his “Atta Boy”!

It is a very powerful experience for me to see Mr. Costa host a video in the same series of hosts who include students and firemen and artists and even puppets. It gives me the feeling that if you are a person who wants to help- you are, whether you realize it or not , connected to a large community of people from all different backgrounds and experiences who are with you .
And that in turn makes me feel that so much is possible. That there are answers and solutions and ways out of this mess we are in.

As we begin our week on Human Trafficking, I would again like to extend my thanks to Mr. Costa, Rhitu Siddharth, Shervin Maljessi and Simone Monabesian.

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For more information about The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and their efforts to fight Human Trafficking, please visit - For more information, please visit - Un.Gift.

The Killers and MTV unite to wipe out Human Trafficking

The Killers have partnered with MTV, UNICEF and USAID to help raise awareness for the issue of human trafficking. The band's new video for Goodnight, Travel Well, highlights the danger of trafficking and the sexual exploitation of young women.

"We are deeply shocked and appalled that women and children are forced into such exploitative situations,” said The Killers, announcing the collaboration. “We hope that through MTV's efforts and this powerful video that millions of people across the world learn about this tragic form of modern-day slavery".

The Killers' partnership with MTV follows the footsteps of last year's collaboration with Radiohead for their All I Need video.

Radiohead's Thom Yorke said the following about his collaboration with MTV's Campaign against Human Trafficking: "I think if (the campaign) does one good thing, it would be to make this concept of slavery — which is what it is — less taboo. If they can make it something that is OK for us to talk about, and for politicians in the West to actually accept that this is an issue, well, then we're doing a good thing."

More than 1.2 million children are being trafficked each year and nearly 80 percent of all trafficking is for sexual exploitation.

Thanks to MTV, UNICEF, USAID, The Killers and Radiohead for getting the word out there.

STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING NOW!