Work

Human trafficking encompasses a variety of devastating human rights violations. Victims are typically forced or coerced into situations of sexual exploitation or labor by means of physical strength and impositions of terror. Victims are also lured and ultimately entrapped by artificial promises of marriage or job opportunities. The main targets for human trafficking are women and children, due to their vulnerability to the awesomely overwhelming sex trade, being the largest contributor to this modern day slavery. Trafficking affects many, if not all, nations and its victims suffer tremendous psychological damage as well as fear of what might be taking place, or what might possibly happen to their families. Trafficking fuels organized crime and demoralizes the sanctioned security of every nation it affects.

It is estimated worldwide that anywhere from 700,000 to four million women, children and men are trafficked each year. (USAID, 1) The range of victims is so wide due to fact that only the few people found and helped by governments are officially recorded or documented, therefore making their estimates incredibly small. In the United States alone, somewhere between 14,500 to 17,500 women and children are trafficked annually, mostly for the purposes of the sex trade. (Victims of Trafficking and Violence, 1) Despite an estimated prevalence of 100,000 to 150,00010 slaves in the U.S., fewer than 1,000 victims have been assisted through the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement since 2001, when services for trafficking victims were first made available. (Fiscal Years, 1)

Below is a pie chart concerning information issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Services and the Department of Justice; Free the Slaves. The chart recognizes the percentages of trafficked peoples working or enslaved to various fields.












Although the U.S. is currently struggling with the issues of human trafficking, mostly every other country it affects is too. According to an article written by the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), "It is difficult to reconcile many of the issues this paper raises about the Trafficking Protocol: the use of conditional and vague language when referring to persons who are trafficked has little meaningful effect, and the lack of concrete international anti-trafficking measures is practically unimaginable given the transnational nature of human trafficking. These grave shortcomings-in addition to the divide in the current anti-trafficking debate-have resulted in a UN instrument ill-equipped to deal with flexible networks of criminals who understand and take full advantage of the limitations of the modern State, the economic inequalities between origin and destination countries, and the particularly discriminatory approach to women in legal systems around the world." (AWID, 1) From the standpoint of the AWID, the Trafficking Protocol regulates the rights of women and children in a secondary manner when compared to the criminalized conditions of the protocol. "The fact that the UN High Commissioner and NGOs have rushed to publish complementary documents reminding the international community of the need for a more integral approach to human trafficking further calls attention to the disregard for women's rights and the double standard in international law." (AWID, 1)

Below is a political cartoon illustrated by Khalil Bendib. The comic pertains to the First Kuwaiti Trading & Contracting and the scandal a heavily fortified U.S. embassy. Read the whole story here: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.corpwatch.org/img/original/Trafficked_to_hell.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.ultimatism.info/2007/12/u.html&h=403&w=600&sz=121&hl=en&start=1&um=1&usg=__DgoxBP-zrAYZ6MlgSN9z40Ebep8=&tbnid=F9g_lmKBh0nMhM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhuman%2Btrafficking%2Bpolitical%2Bcartoon%26gbv%3D2%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG















Taking action against human trafficking varies from country to country, government to government. Systems of co-operations between non-government agencies and other nations law enforcement can be established by legislative government in order to combat human trafficking. However, many countries are under heavy criticism due to their ineffectiveness in establishing rights and needs for their victims. Other than government involvement, movements of foundations and campaigns, usually working with relief organizations, have been established to raise awareness and aid the efforts against the modern day slavery.

The Home Foundation

In 2005, Natalie Grant, a critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter, established the Home Foundation. "The Home Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation dedicated to the eradication of human trafficking both domestically and abroad. Through advocacy, education and relief efforts, the Home Foundation is committed to end the suffering of women and children sold into sexual slavery." The Home Foundation offers an internship program in which the people selected would provide efforts of education, construction, and medical treatment through several relief organizations. The foundation relies on donations and holds annual benefit concerts featuring Grant.

http://www.thehomefoundation.net/about.html

Not For Sale

Not for Sale is a non-profitable campaign aided the fight against human trafficking. "Not for Sale is a campaign of students, entrepreneurs, artists, people Not for Sale aims to educate and mobilize an international abolitionist movement through the innovation and implementation of open-source activism. Inside the United States, the campaign identifies trafficking rings and collaborates with local law enforcement and community groups to shut them down and provide support for the victims. Internationally, the campaign partners with poorly resourced abolitionist groups to enhance their capacity." The campaign strongly urges everyone to become an "abolitionist" and raise awareness about modern day slavery. The site features tools to several lists of groups that all raise money for the campaign.

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

The Somaly Mam Foundation

Inspired by the Cambodian activist Somaly Mam, The Somaly Mam Foundation is a non-profitable public charity fights the war against human trafficking. The idea behind the foundation is an awareness on a global scale, therefore allowing the actions already taking place in the United States and South East Asia to spread throughout the world. Their vision is "a world where human trafficking does not exist." The foundation sponsors a "Voices of Change" campaign in which victims of human trafficking will have their opinion, thoughts, and stories told in order to educate the public. The foundation also boasts several other highly successful efforts, including: rescue and rehabilitation, micro-financing, and providing sustainable employment.

http://www.somaly.org/activities/

According to the article "Trafficking in Women: The Canadian Perspective," written by Donna E. Stewart and Olga Gajic-Veljanoski, Canada's efforts in the fight against human trafficking are fairly new and have yet to make a dramatic impact on the current crisis. In 2003, a U.S. report was written concerning the statistics of Canadian prevention, victim outreach and the persecution of traffickers. After the information of the report was published, Canada was downgraded from a tier 1 country (a country whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking victims protection Act's minimum standards) to a tier 2 country (a country whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking victims protection Act's minimum standards but are making significant efforts the bring themselves into compliance with those standards). The following year, Canada established the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking, which combined the efforts of 14 different agencies led by Canadian Foreign Affairs and Justice Departments, (bumping their rating back to a tier 1 country). The main focus of Canada's war on human trafficking is concerning the criminal prosecution, which although is important and ultimately the cause of the issue, no critical measures have yet been taken to aid in the rehabilitation of their victims physical and mental health.

"To highlight the harsh realities of human trafficking, the South-African Salvation Army came with this hard-hitting idea that put children on sale in fashion boutique windows. The message emphasises the tragedy of putting a price-tag on a human life."

Advertiser:South-African Salvation Army
Agency:Leo Burnett, Johannesburg, South Africa
Additional credits:
Executive Creative Director: Vanessa Pearson
Art Director: Alan marks
Copywriter: Nicole Solarsh
http://osocio.org/category/third_world/















Below is a powerful video featuring Emma Thompson. She embodies different victims of human trafficking while sending a message of awareness.






Although efforts combating this modern day slavery are slow to surface, relief is in the process and more victims are increasingly being acknowledged, rescued, and rehabilitated. It is important to recognize the corruption that occurs and the demoralization of security within a nation affected by human trafficking. The effects are irreversible and the damage incomprehensible—please help by raising awareness.

Works Cited:

USAID Office of Women in Development, Trafficking in Persons: USAID’s Response, September 2001. http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/trafficking/

U. S. Department of State, Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report, July 2004. http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/34158.pdf

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. (2006, February). Report on Activities to Combat Human Trafficking Fiscal Years 2001-2005. http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/spec_top.php

Initiative Against Sexual Trafficking, Sexual Trafficking Facts, http://www.iast.net/thefacts.htm

Donna E. and Gajic-Veljanoski, Olga, "Trafficking in Women: The Canadian Perspective," http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/1/25

"International Approaches to Human Trafficking: The Call for a Gender-Sensitve Perspective in International Law," Association for Women's Rights in Development, http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-and-Analysis/Library/International-Approaches-to-Human-Trafficking-The-Call-for-a-Gender-Sensitive-Perspective-in-International-Law#fn36

Rough

Human trafficking encompasses a variety of devastating human rights violations. Victims are typically forced or coerced into situations of sexual exploitation or labor by means of physical strength and impositions of terror. Victims are also lured and ultimately entrapped by artificial promises of marriage or job opportunities. The main targets for human trafficking are women and children, due to their vulnerability to the awesomely overwhelming sex trade, being the largest contributor to this modern day slavery. Trafficking affects many, if not all, nations and its victims suffer tremendous psychological damage as well as fear of what might be taking place, or what might possibly happen to their families. Trafficking fuels organized crime and demoralizes the sanctioned security of every nation it affects.

It is estimated worldwide that anywhere from 700,000 to four million women, children and men are trafficked each year. (USAID, 1) The range of victims is so wide due to fact that only the few people found and helped by governments are officially recorded or documented, therefore making their estimates incredibly small. In the United States alone, somewhere between 14,500 to 17,500 women and children are trafficked annually, mostly for the purposes of the sex trade. (Victims of Trafficking and Violence, 1) Despite an estimated prevalence of 100,000 to 150,00010 slaves in the U.S., fewer than 1,000 victims have been assisted through the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement since 2001, when services for trafficking victims were first made available. (Fiscal Years, 1)

Below is a pie chart concerning information issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Services and the Department of Justice; Free the Slaves. The chart recognizes the percentages of trafficked peoples working or enslaved to various fields.












Although the U.S. is currently struggling with the issues of human trafficking, mostly every other country it affects is too. According to an article written by the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), "It is difficult to reconcile many of the issues this paper raises about the Trafficking Protocol: the use of conditional and vague language when referring to persons who are trafficked has little meaningful effect, and the lack of concrete international anti-trafficking measures is practically unimaginable given the transnational nature of human trafficking. These grave shortcomings-in addition to the divide in the current anti-trafficking debate-have resulted in a UN instrument ill-equipped to deal with flexible networks of criminals who understand and take full advantage of the limitations of the modern State, the economic inequalities between origin and destination countries, and the particularly discriminatory approach to women in legal systems around the world." (AWID, 1) From the standpoint of the AWID, the Trafficking Protocol regulates the rights of women and children in a secondary manner when compared to the criminalized conditions of the protocol. "The fact that the UN High Commissioner and NGOs have rushed to publish complementary documents reminding the international community of the need for a more integral approach to human trafficking further calls attention to the disregard for women's rights and the double standard in international law." (AWID, 1)

Below is a political cartoon illustrated by Khalil Bendib. The comic pertains to the First Kuwaiti Trading & Contracting and the scandal a heavily fortified U.S. embassy. Read the whole story here: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.corpwatch.org/img/original/Trafficked_to_hell.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.ultimatism.info/2007/12/u.html&h=403&w=600&sz=121&hl=en&start=1&um=1&usg=__DgoxBP-zrAYZ6MlgSN9z40Ebep8=&tbnid=F9g_lmKBh0nMhM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhuman%2Btrafficking%2Bpolitical%2Bcartoon%26gbv%3D2%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG















Taking action against human trafficking varies from country to country, government to government. Systems of co-operations between non-government agencies and other nations law enforcement can be established by legislative government in order to combat human trafficking. However, many countries are under heavy criticism due to their ineffectiveness in establishing rights and needs for their victims. Other than government involvement, movements of foundations and campaigns, usually working with relief organizations, have been established to raise awareness and aid the efforts against the modern day slavery.

The Home Foundation

In 2005, Natalie Grant, a critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter, established the Home Foundation. "The Home Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation dedicated to the eradication of human trafficking both domestically and abroad. Through advocacy, education and relief efforts, the Home Foundation is committed to end the suffering of women and children sold into sexual slavery." The Home Foundation offers an internship program in which the people selected would provide efforts of education, construction, and medical treatment through several relief organizations. The foundation relies on donations and holds annual benefit concerts featuring Grant.

http://www.thehomefoundation.net/about.html

Not For Sale

Not for Sale is a non-profitable campaign aided the fight against human trafficking. "Not for Sale is a campaign of students, entrepreneurs, artists, people Not for Sale aims to educate and mobilize an international abolitionist movement through the innovation and implementation of open-source activism. Inside the United States, the campaign identifies trafficking rings and collaborates with local law enforcement and community groups to shut them down and provide support for the victims. Internationally, the campaign partners with poorly resourced abolitionist groups to enhance their capacity." The campaign strongly urges everyone to become an "abolitionist" and raise awareness about modern day slavery. The site features tools to several lists of groups that all raise money for the campaign.

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

The Somaly Mam Foundation

Inspired by the Cambodian activist Somaly Mam, The Somaly Mam Foundation is a non-profitable public charity fights the war against human trafficking. The idea behind the foundation is an awareness on a global scale, therefore allowing the actions already taking place in the United States and South East Asia to spread throughout the world. Their vision is "a world where human trafficking does not exist." The foundation sponsors a "Voices of Change" campaign in which victims of human trafficking will have their opinion, thoughts, and stories told in order to educate the public. The foundation also boasts several other highly successful efforts, including: rescue and rehabilitation, micro-financing, and providing sustainable employment.

http://www.somaly.org/activities/

According to the article "Trafficking in Women: The Canadian Perspective," written by Donna E. Stewart and Olga Gajic-Veljanoski, Canada's efforts in the fight against human trafficking are fairly new and have yet to make a dramatic impact on the current crisis. In 2003, a U.S. report was written concerning the statistics of Canadian prevention, victim outreach and the persecution of traffickers. After the information of the report was published, Canada was downgraded from a tier 1 country (a country whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking victims protection Act's minimum standards) to a tier 2 country (a country whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking victims protection Act's minimum standards but are making significant efforts the bring themselves into compliance with those standards). The following year, Canada established the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking, which combined the efforts of 14 different agencies led by Canadian Foreign Affairs and Justice Departments, (bumping their rating back to a tier 1 country). The main focus of Canada's war on human trafficking is concerning the criminal prosecution, which although is important and ultimately the cause of the issue, no critical measures have yet been taken to aid in the rehabilitation of their victims physical and mental health.

"To highlight the harsh realities of human trafficking, the South-African Salvation Army came with this hard-hitting idea that put children on sale in fashion boutique windows. The message emphasises the tragedy of putting a price-tag on a human life."

Advertiser:South-African Salvation Army
Agency:Leo Burnett, Johannesburg, South Africa
Additional credits:
Executive Creative Director: Vanessa Pearson
Art Director: Alan marks
Copywriter: Nicole Solarsh
http://osocio.org/category/third_world/

















Works Cited:

USAID Office of Women in Development, Trafficking in Persons: USAID’s Response, September 2001. http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/trafficking/

U. S. Department of State, Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report, July 2004. http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/34158.pdf

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. (2006, February). Report on Activities to Combat Human Trafficking Fiscal Years 2001-2005. http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/spec_top.php

Initiative Against Sexual Trafficking, Sexual Trafficking Facts, http://www.iast.net/thefacts.htm

Donna E. and Gajic-Veljanoski, Olga, "Trafficking in Women: The Canadian Perspective," http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/1/25

"International Approaches to Human Trafficking: The Call for a Gender-Sensitve Perspective in International Law," Association for Women's Rights in Development, http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-and-Analysis/Library/International-Approaches-to-Human-Trafficking-The-Call-for-a-Gender-Sensitive-Perspective-in-International-Law#fn36

Solutions and/or Recommendations

Taking action against human trafficking varies from country to country, government to government. Systems of co-operations between non-government agencies between other nations law enforcement can be established by legislative government in order to combat human trafficking. However, many countries are under heavy criticism due to their ineffectiveness in establishing rights and needs for the victims. Other than government involvement, movements of foundations and campaigns, usually working with relief organizations, have been established to raise awareness and aid the efforts against the modern day slavery.

The Home Foundation

In 2005, Natalie Grant, a critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter, established the Home Foundation. "The Home Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation dedicated to the eradication of human trafficking both domestically and abroad. Through advocacy, education and relief efforts, the Home Foundation is committed to end the suffering of women and children sold into sexual slavery." The Home Foundation offers an internship program in which the people selected would provide efforts of education, construction, and medical treatment through several relief organizations. The foundation relies on donations and holds annual benefit concerts featuring Grant.

http://www.thehomefoundation.net/about.html

Not For Sale

Not for Sale is a non-profitable campaign aided the fight against human trafficking. "Not for Sale is a campaign of students, entrepreneurs, artists, people Not for Sale aims to educate and mobilize an international abolitionist movement through the innovation and implementation of open-source activism. Inside the United States, the campaign identifies trafficking rings and collaborates with local law enforcement and community groups to shut them down and provide support for the victims. Internationally, the campaign partners with poorly resourced abolitionist groups to enhance their capacity." The campaign strongly urges everyone to become an "abolitionist" and raise awareness about modern day slavery. The site features tools to several lists of groups that all raise money for the campaign.

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

The Somaly Mam Foundation

Inspired by the Cambodian activist Somaly Mam, The Somaly Mam Foundation is a non-profitable public charity fights the war against human trafficking. The idea behind the foundation is an awareness on a global scale, therefore allowing the actions already taking place in the United States and South East Asia to spread throughout the world. Their vision is "a world where human trafficking does not exist." The foundation sponsors a "Voices of Change" campaign in which victims of human trafficking will have their opinion, thoughts, and stories told in order to educate the public. The foundation also boasts several other highly successful efforts, including: rescue and rehabilitation, micro-financing, and providing sustainable employment.

http://www.somaly.org/activities/

Library Research

In the Springer New York Journal "Trends in Organized Crime," written by James O. Finckenauer and Galma Jahic, the definitions of trafficking and their influences on current public and government polices are examined. The authors pose the question, "Are the victims of trafficking always the primary concern, or are other issues pushed forward at their expense?" The journal delves into a wide array of topics concerning organized crime and provides detailed descriptions of trafficking according to government policies and the terms in which they are legislated. Global issues and perspectives are acknowledged and covered with an immense amount of information. The authors were supported by the National Institute of Justice, with access to their research information used throughout the journal.

Journal: Trends in Organized Crime

Publisher: Springer New York
Issue: Volume 8, Number 3/ March, 2005 Authors: James O. Finckenauer & Galma Jahic

Perspectives on Human Trafficking

According to the article "Trafficking in Women: The Canadian Perspective," written by Donna E. Stewart and Olga Gajic-Veljanoski, Canada's efforts in the fight against human trafficking are fairly new and have yet to make a dramatic impact on the current crisis. In 2003, a U.S. report was written concerning the statistics of Canadian prevention, victim outreach and the persecution of traffickers. After the information of the report was published, Canada was downgraded from a tier 1 country ( a country whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking victims protection Act's minimum standards) to a tier 2 country (a country whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking victims protection Act's minimum standards but are making significant efforts the bring themselves into compliance with those standards). The following year, Canada established the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking which combined the efforts of 14 different agencies led by Canadian Foreign Affairs and Justice Departments, (bumping their rating back to a tier 1 country). The main focus of Canada's war on human trafficking is concerning the criminal prosecution, which although is important and ultimately the cause of the issue, no critical measure have yet been taken to aid in the rehabilitation of their victims physical and mental health. Stewart, Donna E. and Gajic-Veljanoski, Olga, "Trafficking in Women: The Canadian Perspective," http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/1/25
























"To highlight the harsh realities of human trafficking, the South-African Salvation Army came with this hard-hitting idea that put children on sale in fashion boutique windows. The message emphasises the tragedy of putting a price-tag on a human life."

Advertiser:South-African Salvation Army
Agency:Leo Burnett, Johannesburg, South Africa
Additional credits:
Executive Creative Director: Vanessa Pearson
Art Director: Alan marks
Copywriter: Nicole Solarsh
http://osocio.org/category/third_world/

According to an article written by the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), "It is difficult to reconcile many of the issues this paper raises about the Trafficking Protocol: the use of conditional and vague language when referring to persons who are trafficked has little meaningful effect, and the lack of concrete international anti-trafficking measures is practically unimaginable given the transnational nature of human trafficking. These grave shortcomings-in addition to the divide in the current anti-trafficking debate-have resulted in a UN instrument illequipped to deal with flexible networks of criminals who understand and take full advantage of the limitations of the modern State, the economic inequalities between origin and destination countries, and the particularly discriminatory approach to women in legal systems around the world." From the stand-point of the AWID, the Trafficing Protocol regulates the rights of women and children in a secondary mannor when compared to the criminalized conditions of the protocol. "The fact that the UN High Commissioner and NGOs have rushed to publish complementary documents reminding the international community of the need for a more integral approach to human trafficking further calls attention to the disregard for women's rights and the double standard in international law."

"International Approaches to Human Trafficking: The Call for a Gender-Sensitve Perspective in International Law," Association for Women's Rights in Development, http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-and-Analysis/Library/International-Approaches-to-Human-Trafficking-The-Call-for-a-Gender-Sensitive-Perspective-in-International-Law#fn36

Rhetorical Analysis

Site: http://www.humantrafficking.org/
Publisher: Academy for Educational Development
Author: Academy for Educational Development
Affiliations: Academy for Educational Development is a nonprofit organization working globally to improve education, health, civil society, and economic development.
Credibility: The AED sites working with the U.S. Department of State
Timeliness: The site has a series of posted articles and links dating over a wide-period of time. However, the AED ad U.S. Department of State work to keep posted articles up to date with current issues and times.
Bias: The obvious bias covered in the site is against the human rights violations of human trafficking.

Site: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/33109.htm
Publisher: The Office of Electronic Information and the Bureau of Public Affairs
Author: The U.S. Department of State
Affiliations: The writer works for the United States of America
Credibility: U.S. Department of State
Timeliness: This specific site was published by the Bureau of Public Affairs on May 24, 2004
Bias: The bias concerns the human rights violations of Human Trafficking. The site gives a brief description of the may causes for Human Trafficking, what is being done to prevent it, and global organizations and causes in process.

Site: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/prevention.html
Publisher: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Author: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Affiliations: Global organizations and efforts
Credibility: The United Nations
Timeliness: The site has several links relating to topics of issue concerning the U.N. The specific site about Human Trafficking has articles dating over several years, but the most current being October 9, 2008
Bias: The bias of the site is concerning the human rights violations evoked by human trafficking.

Let's Go Exploring

Human trafficking is also known as modern-day slavery. Victims are typically forced or coerced into situations of sexual exploitation or labor by means of physical force and impositions of terror. Victims are also lured and ultimately entrapped by artificial promises of marriage or job opportunities. The main targets for human trafficking are women and children, due to their vulnerability to the enormously overwhelming sex trade, being the largest contributor to this human rights violation. Trafficking affects many, if not all, nations and its victims suffer tremendous psychological damage as well as fear of what might be taking place, or what might possibly happen to their families. Trafficking fuels organized crime and demoralizes the sanctioned security of every nation it affects.

Nonstandard sources that may bring a new perspective might include victim interviews and documentaries. I would be very alarmed to find any published posts publicly accepting or enforcing human trafficking, so perspectives pertaining to prevention and awareness as well as my own opinions will need to fuel my research.

What is being done to prevent human trafficking?