{"id":240,"date":"2009-07-21T17:16:03","date_gmt":"2009-07-22T01:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.adrianandgenese.com\/blogger\/?p=240"},"modified":"2012-08-14T19:17:14","modified_gmt":"2012-08-15T03:17:14","slug":"how-to-stop-human-trafficking-and-end-modern-day-slavery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adrianandgenese.com\/blogger\/2009\/07\/21\/how-to-stop-human-trafficking-and-end-modern-day-slavery\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stop human trafficking and end modern day slavery"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wish I could stop human trafficking, and end modern day slavery. Only, I dont think I can, but I have a few ideas which may prove helpful. Read on to see what they are…<\/p>\n

The\u00c2\u00a0issue of Human Trafficking seems to be all the buzz lately…A while back people used to focus on poverty, then the focus moved to being “green,” and now eliminating modern day slavery and its associated forms are all the rage (and rightfully so). In these past few months, organizations have popped all over the globe intending to combat and put a\u00c2\u00a0stop to the evils of the trade…This issue has resonated with me as well, and from the looks of it, its also\u00c2\u00a0resonated with quite a number of others.<\/p>\n

Ive come across many different organizations, many different pleas for help, and many different solutions\u00c2\u00a0 proposed\u00c2\u00a0on how to get rid of this evil, but what I do not see for the layperson, is an\u00c2\u00a0easy to use framework\u00c2\u00a0for\u00c2\u00a0understanding the\u00c2\u00a0issue of human trafficking. In my own experience, the step from caring about the issue to appropriate action has been\u00c2\u00a0impeded by a lack of knowledge, guidance, and the direction on\u00c2\u00a0how one can\u00c2\u00a0get involved (in\u00c2\u00a0a manner which one might be most beneficial). If youve ever felt like you had to do something about the issue, but just didnt know what TO do, or even\u00c2\u00a0where to start, you know what I mean. The problem just seems so immense and abstract to fully grasp, and if one did get involved, it seems negligible that it would even make a difference.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The barriers to entry for this issue caused me much grief, but it also forced me to really think about the issue and to understand it systemically, and it was only after somewhat understanding the scope of the issue did\u00c2\u00a0specific solutions make sense…So I suppose this blog post is my meager attempt to formalize a concept of how the issue of Human Trafficking may be tackled, handled, and\u00c2\u00a0perceived, which would then allow a layperson (like me) to understand and begin to take the necessary steps to get involved.<\/p>\n

This is\u00c2\u00a0a framework which will be continually developed as\u00c2\u00a0I learn more from interacting with others involved in the field, and with those who have far greater experience in dealing with the\u00c2\u00a0issue of human trafficking and modern day slavery…So bear with me!<\/p>\n

Part I – Super Fast Overview of the issue<\/strong><\/p>\n

Slavery is not a new concept. It has been happening ever since the start of this country, and has been\u00c2\u00a0in existence since the egyptians built the pyramids. Its easy to forget that the same principles that\u00c2\u00a0motivated owning\u00c2\u00a0slaves in the past are still currently operating in our “modern” world. Yet, it was only recently where weve decided\u00c2\u00a0to legally define it.<\/p>\n

In the The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA<\/a>), severe forms of trafficking\u00c2\u00a0means\u00c2\u00a0—<\/p>\n

(A) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion<\/em>, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or<\/p>\n

(B) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.<\/p>\n

So there you have the modern day definition of human trafficking, and ultimately where you get the term ‘modern day slavery.’ I wont go into detail about Human Trafficking and how it manifests itself because that is readily availble on the internet and can be found in any “awareness” video, publication, or media (callandresponse<\/a>, notforsalecampaign<\/a>, etc.)\u00c2\u00a0.\u00c2\u00a0Human Trafficking\/Modern Day Slavery takes many forms,\u00c2\u00a0debt bondage, sex slavery, and forced labor, to name a few. But just know that it happens everywhere and probably no further than a few blocks away from your home.<\/p>\n

Part II – The Scope<\/strong><\/p>\n

Upon first learning of the issue and seeing the atrocities that have been commited through video, images, or whatever expose’ they’ve watched, it seems\u00c2\u00a0that most individuals\u00c2\u00a0feel angry….Or maybe disgusted is a better term. They then\u00c2\u00a0wonder what there is to do to stop this from happening before they even know what causes it (I can relate, I was the same way). Their\u00c2\u00a0main motive is\u00c2\u00a0stopping it from taking place.<\/p>\n

When human trafficking takes place, it usually involves treating the victim as an object, something to be owned, traded, sold, used, abused, and otherwise kept like a piece of property or good. It is mostly if not completely dehumanizing, and essentially pulls at our core values of\u00c2\u00a0how we ourselves\u00c2\u00a0want and expect to be treated…as\u00c2\u00a0human beings with certain unalienable rights and liberties. And because the victim is not, we become outraged and angry;\u00c2\u00a0we wouldnt want that for ourselves or anyone we care about. There is also a tinge of internal conflict with this dilemma…Its “Un-American,” immoral, and inhumane, yet it still coincides with our other core values of capitalism, and the “American-Dream.”\u00c2\u00a0And this tends to further\u00c2\u00a0complicate and fuel the\u00c2\u00a0consternation we feel.<\/p>\n

\"Stop<\/a><\/p>\n

One must understand that Human Trafficking and Modern Day slavery revolves around one key issue. Economics. And when I mean economics, I mean the values, principalities, and dynamics of it all. This means everything from market competition guiding the supply and demand for a good or service, and it also means the standard of living (values, expectations, etc.) one is accustomed to\u00c2\u00a0experiencing (big screen tv, hummer, and all). It is this principle of being able to improve a perceived standard of living or even\u00c2\u00a0existing for that matter,\u00c2\u00a0which motivates the entire system of human trafficking.<\/p>\n

Therefore, if the victim is treated and perceived as a good or service to be bought and sold, we must also look at the issue of human trafficking and modern day slavery through an economic lens in order to understand its dynamics.<\/p>\n

Lets take for instance that you\u00c2\u00a0are out shopping for a\u00c2\u00a0new toy for your 4 year old daughter. You happen to be at a toy store\u00c2\u00a0in your local mall and notice\u00c2\u00a0a shiny new stainless steel slinky. Its even slightly multicolored and not plastic like the ones youve played with in the\u00c2\u00a0days of old.\u00c2\u00a0Being a conscientious buyer, you then\u00c2\u00a0pick up the box and look at where its made (thank heavens it was made in\u00c2\u00a0the U.S.of A\u00c2\u00a0since you only support U.S. made products!).\u00c2\u00a0After confirming the manufacturing origin as the U.S.A. you pay for the item and are happy that you have made such a fine purchase.<\/p>\n

\"child<\/a><\/p>\n

Lets begin by breaking down the simple act of buying this toy slinky. For the slinky to be purchased, several things had to happened beforehand, raw material had to be acquired (steel), manufacturing had to form the raw material into the slinky (toy company),\u00c2\u00a0there\u00c2\u00a0then had to be\u00c2\u00a0a market\/marketplace for the slinky to be sold (the store), and\u00c2\u00a0finally, the slinky\u00c2\u00a0had to be sold to an end user (you) who\u00c2\u00a0created the demand for the slinky in the first place. Without one of the four steps listed above, the transaction would never have taken place.<\/p>\n