THE BAD NEWS

 

• Most of us were taught that slavery ended 150 years ago…but it didn’t!  In fact, there are more slaves today than ever before in history! 

• Human Trafficking is Modern-day slavery.

• It's not legal anywhere, but exists everywhere.

• Trafficking occurs when one person completely controls another person, using violence or the threat of violence, to maintain that control…and exploits them physically, emotionally and economically…and they cannot walk away.

• Staggering Numbers:  There are approximately 36 MILLION are Enslaved Today…78% in Forced Hard Labor…22% in Sex Industry...About Half the Slaves are Just Kids…95% Experience Violence…About 16,000 are trafficked into the U.S. yearly.

• Human slave trafficking happens because “Money Talks!” It is estimated to be a $100 to $150 BILLION illicit industry…Second to drug trafficking…Slaves are cheap, reusable & disposable.

• The average cost of a slave today worldwide is just $90! Economic impact leads to corruption, bribery and authorities look the other way.

• Slaves work in fields, brothels, mines, factory sweatshops, quarries, construction, textiles, domestic servitude, child soldiers, and child begging…anywhere slave owners can feed their greed.  Slaves today are considered to be “disposable” people.

• Types of trafficking vary from culture to culture.  Victims are almost always impoverished and uneducated.  Population explosion is a major cause.

• People become slaves because they are Kidnapped, Forced, Sold, or Inherited.

 

 

  THE GOOD NEWS

 

• There is light in a world that is often dark!  We CAN abolish slavery!

• The 36 million represents the smallest fraction of the global population to ever be enslaved.

• Awareness has grown worldwide so that the experts are saying that the “tipping point” for change is closer than ever!

• If more of us become advocates for this change and use our resources to liberate the enslaved, together we can end it!

• There is good work going on throughout the world to curb trafficking.  Organizations use different strategies like prevention, education and protection; others focus on rescue and rehabilitation, some in legal and human rights work, some in building international and regional initiatives and others work to assess regional trends through research and data collection.  Also, there are a growing number of organizations, like ours, who focus on raising awareness, advocacy, and taking action at the grass roots level.

• The global problem of human trafficking is one on which most all countries of the world can agree to unite and fix.  The United Nations is in place to facilitate this and can take a more pro-active stance with America leading the way.  We need to strongly urge our leaders to do this.

• It is possible to end slavery over the next couple of decades, but everyone has to play a role – governments, businesses, faith communities, international organizations, consumers, and YOU!

 

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