Human-Trafficking

I have looked for a similar thread and haven't found any. Also, lets say there is a thread and it is way back there where no one looks, well then i guess we need another thread on this topic because it is importance to raise awareness. I have also done my research on this topic, and read the rules so I would appreciate not having this thread locked.

Okay, so, Human Trafficking. I found out about it just thirteen minutes ago and have been researching it since then. What is Human-Trafficking?
It is "the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people for the purpose of exploitation." In other words it is buying, trading, or kidnapping a human being for prostitution, slavery or conditions similar to slavery, or being forced into the army. Some are bought for their organs and these are most frequently killed by the hands of an inexperienced doctor or murdered beforehand.

The most desired are women and young children. When they are first abducted the victims are usually kept in cages until they have clearly lost all hope and definitely will not run away. During this time if their 'employer' wants them to do something it will be done due to threats and/or physical abuse. Sometimes the victims will be promised a better education, a good marriage or a just an easier life but they discover they were deceived when they reach their new home. The annual global market on human-trafficking is about 42.5 billion dollars.

The estimated number of humans being trafficked across international borders is 600,000 to 800,000. Out of this, approximately 70% are women and 50% are young children. All of the data about human- trafficking is estimated as it is an illegal and therefore hidden enterprise, but governments and several others are aware that it truly is happening. It is however a fact that human-trafficking has been happening in at least 120 countries for many years.

One woman, a dove award nominee singer tried to help and was sent to India. This is a small part of her story:
"I was walking down the street in Mumbai, in broad daylight, when my eyes locked on a little girl, maybe 6 or 7 years old, peering out of a cage, looking at us on the street below. It was beyond my imagination," Natalie says of the experience. "I'll never forget that moment. That was her life. Every day people walked by, and they didn't even notice her."

Okay, so what? This happens in India and probably a lot in Africa and sometimes in Iraq. Okay, so why should we care? Because it happens in America VERY OFTEN as well. I'm talking at least 200,000 estimated children being trafficked into the industry each year. They are shipped to other countries or kept right at home to be used as sex slaves, forced soldiers, and manual laborers. It is happening right next door to you. And I realize that INO is global. Well guess what? The U.K., France, Spain, Mexico, many countries in South America, China, Russia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Greece, and Japan are also really involved.

That is why you should care and why the world needs to know. INO is a huge community and if hundreds of people read this and everyone helps, we can make the whole world really aware of what is going on. Everyone can make a difference.

So please, pass this on, give me your opinions and thoughts on what you heard, tell your parents and friends! I am trying to change the world, but it can only be done if I have some help.

---Love, Amy F.

FAMOUSAMOUSJOYOUS:

The estimated number of humans being trafficked across international borders is 600,000 to 800,000. Out of this, approximately 70% are women and 50% are young children.

-does math-

...

=/

It's a good subject to discuss at any rate. That bit about the child on the street in the cage is very sad. I don't know how I would react to that if I saw it firsthand.

I saw something that sparked my interest upon researching your facts. I thought it would create more discussion than just "This is wrong" and "this should be stopped" because that isn't really a debate at all.

I personally feel that the government of the country where a victim is taken should be responsible, upon the victim's escape or release, for helping that citizen get the needed medical and psychological care and then helping them into the citizenship process if they so choose, while also providing residency if the person wants it.

There is a good chance that the trafficker is a citizen of their home country and if that is so, the government should take care of the problems their citizens caused. Even if a victim entered the country with their captor, papers and visa in hand, perhaps thinking they'd get a better education or maybe an apprenticeship, chances are that when they do become free they will have little or no documentation of their existence. In that case, countries like Germany, where the citizenship process is extremely difficult and strict, should be a little more lenient rather than taking all people sold into the industry and deporting them.

mindfuck.:

There is actually a thread on this already: Child slavery + human/sex trafficking
I guess it's not good to have duplicate threads, but we'll see what a mod says...

That one pertained much more to child sex tourism and the like, so I changed it to that subject. Hopefully that makes it a bit better.

Wow, that is so sad. I have heard before, though, that many large corporations do this and people buy things that were made by slave labor and don't even know it. . .I learned that in AP history, because that class actually teaches you about a lot of the horrible things the American government has done. I am not sure how to help, because you never know how certain products were made so you don't buy them. . .but I wish I could help.

mindfuck.:

I personally feel it would be an extremely hard thing to stop, because a lot of it happens 'underground', and a lot of women and children who are forced into it are usually silenced in some way.

I'm not saying we shouldn't try - we should - but I wouldn't know where to start :\

Your right but there are lots of organizations to raise awareness of it, which is all that can really be done. However, awareness of a secret organization is exactly what that organization doesn't want, so it really does help. Letting people know is really a way to start stopping the problem. There are government policies that try to prevent it but, obviously that can't work very well since first they have to find the victims and their torturers.

for example, theres this really awesome website, stopthetraffic.org with information, an awareness campaign, and they are trying to stop it every way they can.

.

I think a lot of the problem of combatting human trafficking, more so after the fact, is which country takes responsibility for the victim and for the perpetrator. With all the border crossing, which country's authorities have jurisdiction to prosecute the offenders. And what about the victims? Are they given safe havens in the countries in which they are found? or will they be deported?
Its such a complex issue that i believe will only be solved if the world as a whole tries to combat, not just as individual countries.

Aye, there are policies and laws and stuff if a victim manages to escape but I haven't really looked into that and many victims testomonies claim their countries did nothing. There are a few stories of survivors and escapees...

.

I'd recommend for people interested in the human trafficking crisis to watch a movie called "Trade". While a bit Hollywood, it presents the issue from many points of view. I would warn people who have issues watching disturbing content or violent to avoid it, however.

yeahh there was programme about it on sky one last year.
it really touched me.
my local baptist church (my friend used to make me go to their youth club with him until i started my gcse exams) & they're doing alot to stop the trafficking
we even wrote a petition to gordon brown.
it's really an issue thats been more in the spotlight this past year i've noticed.
it's a shocking & sad truth of how lucky we are.

there's also a movie, a lot like Hotel Rwanda thats called Traffic

This may sound dumb, but what exacly is human trafficking?

DAVEY HAVOK.:

This may sound dumb, but what exacly is human trafficking?

Read the first post. If you look, then you'll find it.

DAVEY HAVOK.:

This may sound dumb, but what exacly is human trafficking?

"the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people for the purpose of exploitation." In other words it is buying, trading, or kidnapping a human being for prostitution, slavery or conditions similar to slavery, or being forced into the army. Some are bought for their organs and these are most frequently killed by the hands of an inexperienced doctor or murdered beforehand."
its in the second paragraph of the thread i think.

Oh, thank you.
I know I saw a movie about it, but was a long time ago and I forgot about what it meant.
Now I'm well aware of what it is.

I learned about this a few years ago from national geographic.
There is a great article in it something along the lines of "Modern Day Slaves"
about this.