Vote to End Slavery Now! – Giving U™
April 3, 2010 – Marin, California Human trafficking, or modern day slavery, is the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world today. (Drug dealing is the largest, while human trafficking and illegal arms are tied for second.) Human trafficking is increasing due to its low risk and high reward nature:
- • Human traffickers are difficult to catch
- • Human trafficking as a crime is difficult to prosecute
- • The penalties for human trafficking are relatively light
Trafficking Worldwide
It is estimated that more than $7 billion is generated annually and more than 1.2 million children are caught in the trafficking trade. Trafficked victims are forced into sexual and labor exploitation through fraud, threat and coercion. In some Asian countries, children are sold for as little as $10.
Trafficking in the U.S.
Unfortunately, trafficking doesn’t just happen in developing countries. In the U.S., an estimated 17,000 slaves are sold each year. In California, there’s a movement to obtain at least 600,000 voter signatures to get an anti- human trafficking initiative, California Against Slavery, on the November 2010 ballot. This initiative would deter traffickers with stiffer criminal penalties, aid district attorneys in prosecution, increase protection for victims, and mandate human trafficking training for law enforcement officers.
These 3 short videos (under 4 minutes each) tell the horrific story of victims of slavery:
- • Very Young Girls, trailer for Showtime Networks
- • Human Trafficking: Who Funds It?
- • Hip Hop Video - A well done hip hop song about a girl named Constance in the Philippines, a victim of sex trafficking. The video shows how her exploitation is connected to a man watching pornography in the U.S. In May 2007, Constance was featured on CBS Evening News.
Vote today to end human trafficking!
The organization with the most votes will receive $250 from the GoErinGo fund.
- • Polaris Project conducts direct outreach and victim identification, provides social services and transitional housing to victims, operates the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, advocates for stronger state and Federal anti-trafficking legislation, and engages community members in local and national grassroots efforts.
- • ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) works to protect the right of all children to grow up free from sexual exploitation. ECPAT is an international network of organizations and individuals forming a global social movement to combat commercial sexual exploitation of children.
- • California Against Slavery is a group of Californians appalled by the injustice of modern day slavery in our state and around the world. Our mission is to strengthen California state laws to better reflect the personal and societal impact of human trafficking.
This entry was posted on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 and is filed under Donate My Dollars.