| January 11, 2008 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
Forwarded from the 8th Day Center for Justice
The Trade, Africa, AIDS and Debt (TAAD) issue group of 8th Day Center for Justice wants to bring to your attention action for National Human Trafficking Day
NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY
JANUARY 11, 2008
January 11, 2008 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, the first time to be observed in the US on a national level. The Senate resolution for this day of observance was first proposed by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D- California), John Cornyn (R- Texas), Barack Obama (D- Illinois), and Dick Lugar (R- Indiana). The resolution was passed by the Senate on June 27, 2007.
According to Human Trafficking Watch, human trafficking is modern day slavery. “It is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to make people do things they don’t want to do. Men, women, and children are all affected by this crime; they are enslaved throughout the world for labor or as sex slaves. Organizations believe that millions of people are affected by human trafficking, although no one knows for sure. No country is immune from human trafficking. In the United States, thousands of trafficked individuals live where we live. If you see, or know, anyone who is:
- Always accompanied by another person who seems controlling
- Showing signs of physical or psychological abuse
- Submissive or fearful
- Not able to communicate due to language barriers
- Does not have any identification (From: Human Trafficking Watch)
Please call the Department of Justice Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-428-7581.
On a systemic level, we see human trafficking becoming more prevalent due to migration and economic issues. In countries with weak economies and/or extreme poverty, people must migrate to other countries. These very people become victimized by others who want to employ them for nefarious reasons. As advocates of peace and justice, it is our duty to become more informed of this scourge of humanity.
ACTIONS
1. Subscribe to or read back issues of “Stop Trafficking” through the following website sponsored by the Sisters of the Divine Savior: homepage.mac.com/srjeanschafersds/stoptraffic/index.html
You can also visit their website: http://www.sdssisters.org/slavery/action.htm for further actions.
2. Find out if your state has an anti-human trafficking law. If your state does not have laws that protect people against trafficking, then write to your congress people about having that changed.
3. Learn more about global initiatives to fight human trafficking at http://www.ungift.org/
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