Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking is a global phenomenon and involves the recruitment, transportation, and forceful detention of people for their cheap labor or for sexual exploitation. It is one of the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprises. Threats, force and/or deception are typical. Trafficked people are paid little or nothing and are not free to leave their abusive situations. Trafficking is related to modern slavery.
Each year, there are between 600,000 and 800,000 people trafficked across country borders. Many more are trafficked within countries. Victims include men, women and children.
Governments, the United Nations and faith groups are working actively to help victims and prevent the spread of this scourge.
The Oblate JPIC Office engages with corporations through the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) to create awareness of the problem and press for policies to prevent it. We are also committed to the education of our network and the public on this issue. More on Oblate work with corporations…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has good suggestions for signs to look for and questions to ask. They also have an informational video on human trafficking here.
If you suspect someone may be a victim of human trafficking call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
RESOURCES:
The STOP APP
The STOP APP is the first app of its kind to combine community empowerment, big data management and anti-trafficking expertis
e to disrupt and prevent human trafficking. All information inputted to the STOP APP is fed directly into the Centre for Intelligence-Led Prevention (CfILP), where it is analyzed alongside global data on human trafficking and modern slavery. This data is used to build intelligence on global trends and hotspots of human trafficking, which enables us to disrupt, prevent and predict this criminal activity. More information can be found at https://www.stopthetraffik.org
Traffick Cam App
TraffickCam enables you to help combat sex trafficking by uploading photos of the hotel rooms you stay in when you travel. Trafficke
rs regularly post photographs of their victims posed in hotel rooms for online advertisements. The purpose of TraffickCam is to create a database of hotel room images that an investigator can efficiently search, in order to find other images that were taken in the same location as an image that is part of an investigation.
Courtney’s House
Courtney’s house is a local nonprofit that fearlessly searches for children who are being forced into prostitution, embraces the survivors and brings them into a safe environment where they and their families can heal, recover and deve
lop hopeful, dignified and influential lives, trains community officials, and creates awareness. Information on volunteering, internships, and donating can be found at www.courtneyshouse.org.
Fair Girls
FAIR Girls (formerly FAIR Fund) prevents the exploitation of girls worldwide with empowerment and education. Through prevention education, compassionate care, and survivor inclusive advocacy, FAIR Girls creates opportunities for girls to become confident, happy, healthy young women. Find more information on donating 
or volunteering at http://www.fairgirls.org
InterCommunity Peace & Justice Center
Raise awareness by participating in vigils, or use their toolkit to create your own vigil: https://ipjc.org/human-trafficking/
LINKS:
- US Department of Health and Human Services — the US Government website on human trafficking
- Breaking the Snares — A comprehensive resource for parishes to use in combating Human Trafficking crafted by the Sisters of the Divine Savior (Salvatorian Sisters)
- Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking — US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
- COATNET — a NETwork of Christian Organisations Against Trafficking in human beings
- Covenant House — the largest privately funded charity in the Americas providing care and services to homeless, abandoned, abused, trafficked, and exploited youth.
- ECPAT International — Stands for: End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes
- End Human Trafficking Now — works with corporations against trafficking. Encourages corporations to sign and follow the Athens Principles
- Free the Slaves — a group that focuses on slavery around the world – how and where it happens and helps those trying to assist slaves.
- Polaris Project — programs at international, national and local levels through offices in Washington, DC; Newark, NJ; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; and Tokyo, Japan.
- Protection Project — sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies
- Shared Hope International — rescues girls, especially those who have been sexually exploited
- “Trafficking in Persons Report” — An annual report issued by the US State Department which details aspects of this problem in countries around the world.
- UNANIMA International — an international coalition working at the United Nations for peace and human dignity, with a particular campaign to stop the trafficking of women and children. Site is in English, French and Spanish.
