Human Trafficking Around Your Corner

What is $100 worth to you? A Nano Ipod, Nike running shoes, a smart phone, a three month gym membership? $100 is the average price of a prostitute. This is not a girl in a developing nation trying to survive on the street; this is the price of the girl down the street. Yes, your street. She is 1 of 17, 500 people trafficked in the United States annually. Not 1 in 17, 500 people in total, but 1 of the 17,500 people that will be trafficked in the United States this year alone, 2012. This is a $9.5 billion dollar industry in the US, third to illegal drug sales and secret arms dealing. No state is immune to this crime. The main targets are woman and children, who are forced into sex or labor trafficking.

 "Human trafficking can only work if the victims remain invisible to the public eye. We have to remove the veil of ignorance." - Anna Rodriguez, FL activist

On March 31, 2012 gang members of the Crips in Alexandria, Virginia were arrested for running a sex trafficking ring in a local suburb. Now, some of you may be imagining a suburb full of crime and delinquency like we normally relate communities such as Harlem with. Kids wondering aimlessly through the streets, stabbings reported nightly, impoverished families trying to get by and schools just hoping half of their students will make it to graduation day. However, this Northern Virginia suburb is described as one of the wealthiest areas in the United States. Nice homes, good families and top schools. Up to 800 girls are estimated to be involved in this trafficking ring, starting as young as 16. Girls were pulled in by men they met on facebook, at the high school and at local transit stops.  The gang members flattered these girls and told them they would make some quick money. When one girl found out what she had been coerced into she tried to back out. Her head was slammed against a window and her forearm cut, then she was raped by multiple gang members. Girls made anywhere from $20-$100 for each act and were allowed to keep half of the profits. As rarely seen in sex trafficking, these girls were NOT runaways or misfits. These were good girls forced into sex rings and threatened to stay.

This is the 16^th case of human trafficking in the Eastern Virginia district this year. Not 16 victims, 16 separate cases. This is only one example of human trafficking in one small portion of the United States.

Additional articles you can read regarding this case of trafficking and others:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/gang-members-arrested-alleged-suburban-teen-prostitution-ring/story?id=16046155#.T33sVHmDf1U

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/slave_maid_in_upstate_manse_KkYwBvwtyYNhOAwGLnq3eO 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/29/travel/hotel-sex-trafficking/index.html 

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=5814341

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The most powerful tool to combat human trafficking is to know what to look for and who to report suspicious persons too. It happens all around us and most people never see it or hear of it, which only enables traffickers in their work.

The most comprehensive site with information on how to become involved is http://www.humantrafficking.org. HumanTrafficking.org presents people with information on how to identify a person in forced labor. The below information comes directly from their website:

Recognize the types of trafficking and common locals:

• Sex Trafficking
• Massage parlors
• Escort services
• Adult bookstores
• Modeling studios
• Bars/strip clubs

• Labor Trafficking
• Sweatshops (where abusive labor standards are present)
• Commercial agricultural situations (fields, processing plants, canneries)
• Domestic situations (maids, nannies)
• Construction sites (particularly if public access is denied)
• Restaurant and custodial work

Know the visible indicators of traffickers:

• Heavy security at the commercial establishment including barred windows, locked doors, isolated location, electronic surveillance. Women are never seen leaving the premises unless escorted.
• Victims live at the same premises as the brothel or work site or are driven between quarters and "work" by a guard. For labor trafficking, victims are often prohibited from leaving the work site, which may look like a guarded compound from the outside.
• Victims are kept under surveillance when taken to a doctor, hospital or clinic for treatment; trafficker may act as a translator.
• High foot traffic especially for brothels where there may be trafficked women indicated often by a stream of men arriving and leaving the premises.

Recognize indicators of a victim of trafficking:

• Living with Employer
• Poor Living Conditions
• Multiple People in Cramped Space
• Inability to Speak to an Individual Alone
• Employer Holding Identity Documents
• Signs of Physical Abuse
• Submissive or Fearful
• Unpaid or Paid Very Little
• Under 18 and in Prostitution

Know the profile of a trafficked victim:

• Health Characteristics
• Malnutrition, dehydration or poor personal hygiene
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Signs of rape or sexual abuse
• Bruising, broken bones, or other signs of untreated medical problems
• Critical illnesses including diabetes, cancer or heart disease
• Post-traumatic stress or psychological disorders
• Other important signs
• Does not hold his/her own identity or travel documents
• Suffers from verbal or psychological abuse designed to intimidate, degrade and frighten the individual
• Has a trafficker or pimp who controls all the money, victim will have very little or no pocket money

Questions to ask a suspected victim of trafficking:

**Please note: Asking a suspected victim should be done with great caution and sensitivity. You do not want to cause more harm to the victim and for that reason a victim may be hesitant to answer.

• Can You Leave Your Job if You Want?
• Can You Come and Go as You Please?
• Have You Been Hurt or Threatened if You Tried to Leave?
• Has Your Family Been Threatened?
• Do You Live With Your Employer?
• Where Do You Sleep and Eat?
• Are You in Debt to Your Employer?
• How did you arrive at this destination?
• Do You Have Your Passport/ID? If Not, Who Has It?

Know where to report a suspected trafficker or trafficked victim:

• Department of Health and Human Services-sponsored, toll-free, 24 hour NATIONAL HOTLINE: +1-888-3737-888
• Department of Justice-sponsored, toll-free, 24 hour Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint Line: +1-888-428-7581
• Your local police or state FBI department
• Contact Polaris Project who has a 24 hour hotline for trafficking victims or suspected victims, operating nationally and servicing calls in 170 different languages: 1-888-3737-888 http://www.polarisproject.org/

Other ways to get involved:

• Most states have nongovernmental organizations combatting trafficking in their state. Contact your local NGO fighting trafficking to volunteer or donate.
• Be an advocate and tell a friend.

Sources: http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/28/lincolns-legacy-fights-modern-slavery/, http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/category/the-facts/, http://www.humantrafficking.org, http://abcnews.go.com/US/gang-members-arrested-alleged-suburban-teen-prostitution-ring/story?id=16046155#.T33sVHmDf1U Photo Sources:  http://michaelaputra.wordpress.com/

Mauritania

Almost two weeks ago CNN reported on an issue that has grabbed the attention of the government and our nation. It is so far from home and so hidden to the world that it was hard to comprehend; I even pulled up maps to believe it existed. In the Sahara desert of Mauritania, Africa live 340,000 to 680,000 slaves. I know the last post on this blog was related to slavery. However, slavery is a huge issue in the world we live in, but is commonly ignored or unknown. What makes the slavery in Mauritania so unique is that the people there are born into slavery, not trafficked or sold into it. These people believe this is the way the world works, if you are born to a certain class you are a servant indebted to those of a higher class. As in civil war times, the color of your skin can determine the life you will lead. Although the slave masters and slaves are black, the slaves generally have skin as black as coal and their masters are generally mulatto, meaning a lighter brown. They are known as Black Moors and White Moors. Their classes are reinforced in the desert by the clothes they are given to wear. 

Mauritania, Africa

White Moor

Black Moor

“Chains are for the slave who has just become a slave, who has . . . just been brought across the Atlantic,” Boubacar (a slave liberator in Mauritania) said. “But the multigeneration slave, the slave descending from many generations, he is a slave even in his own head. And he is totally submissive. He is ready to sacrifice himself, even, for his master. And, unfortunately, it’s this type of slavery that we have today” – CNN

In 1981 slavery was abolished in Mauritania and it became a crime in 2007, but as of today only one slave master has been convicted. Most cases brought to the attention of the government are dismissed, largely due to the fact that the government would like to pretend that slavery doesn’t exist in their country. The reporters who gathered the information and interviews for this article were followed and given government escorts to make sure they did not “see” or come close to discovering the slavery deep in the Sahara desert. Fortunately, the reporters were smarter than the government and pursued their story. What they saw far surpassed anything they expected, from children eating sand to quench their hunger to women who owned nothing more than the clothes on their back. I would strongly encourage you to take 20 minutes and read the article posted below regarding the issue in Mauritania as I do not feel I can do it justice in a summary.

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/03/world/mauritania.slaverys.last.stronghold/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

The average cost of living is $2 a day in Mauritania, but most slaves are not paid and do not have any possessions. The perpetual cycle of slavery comes in large from women being impregnated by their slave masters and then their children becoming slaves. The children are born into a world that they believe is their destiny. There are some accounts of children being killed to prove to the slaves that their master has the power over them. A brave woman whose story touched me was Moulkheir Mint Yarba, who escaped the life of slavery and was willing to tell her story. Moulkheir was born into slavery and as is custom, was given as a gift to a man when she was a young girl. She vaguely remembers her mother or father. She recalled from her childhood, “I was like an animal living with animals,” as she tended to the masters goats daily. After reaching puberty she was frequently raped by her master, and sadly all of her children were born from him. After returning from work one day Moulkheir recalled finding one of her young daughters out in the hot dessert sun with ants eating away at her dead body. The slave master told her it would make her work faster to not have her child with her. She was refused the right to bury her daughter properly. Just a few years later her eldest daughter was impregnated by their master and was assaulted to the point of miscarrying her child. 

Although punishment can be imprisonment and torture if one is caught talking about the slavery in Mauritania or aiding the slaves, Moulkheir said she is "not afraid of anyone." After decades of torture she is ready to be heard in hopes that it will save the hundreds of thousands of people in Mauritania. Moulkheir was freed by the liberators in 2010.

 

Moulkheir Mint Yarba

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Freeing a slave in Mauritania is not as simple as telling someone they are free to go and live the life they would like. Unfortunately, many people enslaved in Mauritania have been so brain washed and beaten that they have convinced themselves that this is the way the world works; they were born to be slaves and it is their masters right to OWN them. Many people who escape return to their slave masters in fear of being caught and some return out of hopelessness. They own nothing and have nowhere to go and do not believe there is more out there for them. Activists groups work endlessly to free the slaves and to help them assimilate into a civilian life. Most slaves are completely illiterate and have very few practical skills that could be applied in society outside of the work they did as a slave. Two men who have risked and given so much to liberate the slaves have built shelters and centers where the women can learn skills that can be applied in society to earn a living for themselves and their children.

The women are still haunted by the hopelessness that has followed them throughout their lives. Some live in fear of being caught and others worry that the skills they are learning will not be enough. CNN has started a movement. They want a message of hope from you and me to encourage these women and tell them that we hear them, we hear their cries and we support them.

1.  Watch the example video to hear a Mauritanian man say "Nahana maakum," which means "We are with you" in Hassaniya, the language these women speak. It’s pronounced "nah-hah-nah / ma-ah-koom.”

2. Practice saying the phrase a couple of times. When you feel comfortable, begin recording your video. Start by saying the phrase: "Nahana maakum."

3. Tell us your name and where you live (city and country).

4. Share a message of your own. Say whatever you'd like to tell these women. You could tell them you support their fight for freedom or that you want all people in Mauritania to be free. Your message can be spoken in whatever language you choose, but preferably in English.

5. End by saying the phrase again: "Nahana maakum."

6. Keep your video to 30 seconds or less.

Go to http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/761257 to SUBMIT your message of hope.

As always, AWARENESS IS KEY. Read the article about the slave issues in Mauritania and tell a friend. You never know who is willing to help. http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/03/world/mauritania.slaverys.last.stronghold/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Go to Anti-Slavery International at  http://www.antislaveryfundraising.org/sos_esclaves to donate to the cause. The funds will go to building more training centers for escaped slaves and is backed by CNN.

The UN supports anti-slavery programs as well. You can earmark a donation specifically for Mauritania at http://www.unwomen.org/how-we-work/un-trust-fund/donate/. They fund shelters for escaped slaves as well as lobby the Mauritanian government to enforce the law that was implemented in 2007 criminalizing slavery.

Sources:

http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/761257/featured?hpt=hp_c2#stories
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/03/world/mauritania.slaverys.last.stronghold/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/17/send-your-messages-of-hope-to-a-school-for-escaped-slaves-in-mauritania/
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/17/how-to-help-end-slavery-in-mauritania/ -

Photos:

www.cnn.com

care2.com  

Chocolate Slave Labor

Who loves chocolate? Or should I say who doesn’t love chocolate? Have you ever thought about where your chocolate comes from? I’ll give you one hint, Hershey or Nestle is not the right answer. It is estimated that over 70% of the world’s chocolate comes from plantations off the West Coast of Africa, commonly known as the Ivory Coast. Although some of you may know that the cocoa bean is largely harvested in Africa, what is surprising is who harvests it. According to UNICEF there are 200,000 children trafficked into forced slave labor on these cocoa plantations YEARLY.  Most children are between 12-18 years old, even more shocking, roughly 15% of children are under the age of 10. Sadly, these children are trafficked, abused and forced to work in these plantations. The children suffer harmful effects of pesticides they are forced to spray, have constant neck and back pain, hernias and spinal injuries from carrying large loads of cocoa, and frequently the children are scarred from the use of machetes. Most of the injuries are rarely treated as most of these “slaves” are refused health care. The children are not free and are severely punished for attempting to leave or not finishing their work. Most of the children have never tasted chocolate; they do not even know what the cocoa bean is used for.   

 

On September 19, 2001 the issue of child slave labor on the Ivory Coast was brought to the attention of the US government. This led to the institution of the Harkin-Engel Protocol, also known as the Cocoa Protocol. The protocol was made to align the production of chocolate within the United States with the International Labor Organization (ILO). The goal is to stop the production of chocolate that comes from child slave labor.  

The Cocoa Protocol has brought about some improvements in the last ten years. However, one of the most well-known companies that has been the slowest to respond is Hershey. Hershey produces 42.5% of chocolate goods in the US market. As of now, Hershey only has 1-2% of their products certified through The Rainforest Alliance (see below on different certifications). This means, almost all Hershey chocolate you buy comes from children off the Ivory Coast that have been refused their freedom. After a lot of pressure from many anti-slavery and non-profit organizations, Hershey announced on January 30^th, 2012 that they are putting $10 million towards improving their trade with Africa and combating child slave labor. This is a great start, but it’s not enough. They need to know YOU care and YOU are going to take a stand on the issue until 100% of their chocolate is certified by the Fair Trade. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 

-By purchasing chocolate that has been certified you can take a stand to stop child slave labor on the cocoa plantations. Below is a chart of seals and the companies that use those seals to certify that their chocolate did not come from plantations run by child slave labor:

Fair Trade Certification: This is the best certification a product could have; they provide products that are 100% free of forced labor, child labor and discrimination. 

Certifying products of Ben & Jerry’s, Cadbury.*

 

Rainforest Alliance: This is a good start for a seal, but does have some problematic areas. They grant certification for products that are only 30% free of forced labor, child labor and discrimination. 


Certifying products of Mars, Kraft Foods, Hershey.*

UTZ Certified: A seal that represents products are free of forced labor, child labor and discrimination. It does not state how much of the product is certified and is classified as certification with some problematic areas. 

Certifying products of Mars, Nestle.*

*If it does not have a seal on the wrapper it is NOT certified.

-Sign a petition that will be sent to Hershey, Nestle and other chocolate companies that are not 100% compliant with the Fair Trade. http://www.stopthetraffik.org/takeaction/chocolate/

-Click on the link below to send a letter to your local senator or government official letting them know that you are protesting chocolate not backed by the Fair Trade. http://www.stopthetraffik.org/takeaction/chocolate/

-Tell your family, your friends, your co-workers…just tell someone. The people that know and are willing to stop supporting Hershey and un-certified chocolate companies/products, the bigger difference we’ll make.

-Download the Fair Trade Act App on your IPhone so you know what products you can purchase with their seal backing them. http://www.fairtradeusa.org/

-See what products you use that may come from child slave labor and then go to the second website listed below and learn about where those products are produced:

            1. http://slaveryfootprint.org

            2. http://productsofslavery.org/

Sources: http://www.laborrights.org/stop-child-forced-labor/cocoa-campaign/resources/12395, http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com, http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/17/how-to-help-slavery-in-the-supply-chain-2/

Reports: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=cocoa%20plantations%20in%20africa&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CD8QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antislavery.org%2Fincludes%2Fdocuments%2Fcm_docs%2F2011%2Fc%2Fcocoa_report_for_website.pdf&ei=CV1aT9DWMsfr0gG2saToBA&usg=AFQjCNFL1RzMSdvC6T8TOVPTJwVTwoE0lA&cad=rja

 http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CF8QFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.raisethebarhershey.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F09%2FHersheyReport2011.pdf&ei=RmVjT7CMDquB0QH_2fHGCA&usg=AFQjCNFkO7IJUWetZJ2-SU2rtHkgqHWHag&sig2=9ElwlssEqFnRiQ13zkQeFw

Photo sources: http://www.endslaverynow.com/?goto=gallery005&section=galleries, thefrogblog.org, International Labor Rights Fund, www.forbes.com