Stand Up to Human Trafficking
When it comes to the world’s top crimes, global citizens must stand together.
“Human trafficking is a global problem and one of the world’s most shameful crimes, affecting the lives of millions of people around the world and robbing them of their dignity.”
https://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/human-trafficking.html
Human trafficking is the modern form of slavery that targets mainly females but always the young and vulnerable. According to a source, 79% of human trafficking is sexual exploitation and the other 18% is forced labor. In some countries, jobs like agriculture, housekeeping, night clubs, and escorts have connections with human trafficking . The FBI says human trafficking is the THIRD most committed crime.
From a recent source (March 21, 2017), shows the top 10 countries that have a lot of this crime going on (human trafficking). The list below shows #10-#1 countries from least to most being #1.
-
#10) Algeria (west of Libya)
-
#9) Venezuela (country in South America)
-
#8) Sudan and South Sudan (country in Northern Africa)
-
#7) Belarus (country in Eastern Europe)
-
#6) North Korea (North of South Korea) (North is communist, South is a democracy) (country divided in half after war)
-
#5) Russia (northeastern Europe and northern Asia)
-
#4) Syria (country in Western Asia)
-
#3) Yemen (an Arab country found at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula)
-
#2) Libya (northern Africa between Algeria and Egypt)
-
#1) Somalia (country in the Horn of Africa)
Link:
“Human trafficking is one of the most lucrative illicit businesses in Europe, with criminal groups making about $3 billion from it per year.”
Worldwide, this illegal business is worth $32Billion per year (2005). A lot of the countries (top 10 shown above) have one thing in common; the leaders of these countries are corrupt. These leaders (dictators) are selfish, not wanting to give to the people, and want their wealth and success to rise at the cost of unstable government. In order to enforce laws of human rights, individuals in power need to think of others. Thinking of others needs is called empathy. Helping to meet the basic needs of citizens is called social justice. These leaders do not care about others, so they do not prioritize human rights, nor do they enforce their laws. They want to benefit from money, even if it is illegal and de-humanizing. Is there any hope for the protection of human rights in a world with failing governments? What can be done to stop human rights crime? If the government/authorities don’t take action, what can we, as ordinary citizens, do? Some even say that human rights enforcement can not depend only on governments but must rely on the efforts of individual citizens everywhere.
“There are many ways that you can help tackle this crime and make a difference:
Be alert: if you see anything that you think might be related to trafficking, tell the police or telephone your local anti-trafficking help line, if one is available. These concerns could relate to your workplace or to your private life – remember, victims are coerced into a range of areas. If you are unsure, it is better to be mistaken than to let another victim continue to be enslaved.
Be involved: find out what is being done in your community, see what you can do and encourage your friends, family and neighbours to be more aware about human trafficking. Many national authorities and non-governmental organizations are involved in anti-trafficking work and there is a wealth of information available online through these channels.
Be aware: you and your friends can join the UNODC-led Blue Heart Campaign against human trafficking by visiting www.unodc.org/blueheart. This international initiative works to raise awareness of the plight of victims and build political support to fight the criminals behind trafficking. The Blue Heart campaign is also on Twitter (http://twitter.com/BlueHeartHT) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BlueHeartHT) – “like” and follow us for updates and news on human trafficking and use these channels to share information with your contacts.
Be supportive: you can support the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking.
www.unodc.org/humantraffickingfund does fundraising to assist grass-roots organizations working with survivors of this crime. One way of raising funds is to organize an event at your school or in your community. You could also adopt the Blue Heart and help increase awareness about human trafficking.
Be responsible: make sure that your consumer choices and actions are ethical ones. While some decisions might be clearer than others, you can pledge not to purchase goods and services that could be linked directly or indirectly with sexual exploitation, forced labour or other forms of forced subjugation.”
https://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/human-trafficking.html