10 things you need to know about Human Trafficking Featured
Written by Jonathan Hirt , 21 April 2011
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fazen/ 1. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Human trafficking involves one human being holding another human being against their will, by either physical, emotional, psychological or economic chains, to make profit by forcing that person to work in a variety of inhumane ways. What makes this modern conception of human slavery, "modern", and therefore different from it's historical trans-Atlantic counterpart, is that slavery today is illegal, in fact there are many laws, internationally and domestically, now in place that have outlawed modern slavery in almost all of it's manifestations, in much of the world. Yet modern-day slavery still exists, in truth, there are more human beings enslaved right now than in any other moment in human history.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Human trafficking involves one human being holding another human being against their will, by either physical, emotional, psychological or economic chains, to make profit by forcing that person to work in a variety of inhumane ways. What makes this modern conception of human slavery, "modern", and therefore different from it's historical trans-Atlantic counterpart, is that slavery today is illegal, in fact there are many laws, internationally and domestically, now in place that have outlawed modern slavery in almost all of it's manifestations, in much of the world. Yet modern-day slavery still exists, in truth, there are more human beings enslaved right now than in any other moment in human history.
2. Australia has a History of Slavery – not all that dissimilar to Human Trafficking.
Australia has a history of slavery that is not well known and often omitted from school history curriculum. "Black-birding" as it was called, involved the kidnapping of Pacific Islanders to work for little or no pay on the sugar cane plantations of Queensland. The practice occurred primarily between the 1860s and 1901. In 1901 Queensland became a part of the Commonwealth of Australia and so black-birding as an economic practice ceased, however it is estimated that up to 80,000 indigenous people were trafficked against their will and forced to work in Australia during this time.
3. Human trafficking does not have to involve the movement of a person across borders.
The term "human trafficking" implies the movement of a person across a border, like "drug trafficking". This is a misconception. Both legally and literally, a person does not have to be moved across a border to be a victim of human trafficking. Domestic, or internal trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation does take place; it is particularly prevalent in the United States, however the practice also takes place within Australia. In an inquiry by the Northern Territory Government into the protection of Aboriginal children from sexual abuse undertaken in 2007, and further supported by the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report put out by the U.S. Department of State, it has been highlighted that cases of child "prostitution" among Indigenous communities have taken place – cases where the child was not trafficked across a border, but exploited within their own country.
4. Human trafficking is happening in your backyard.
The trading in human property exists in 161 countries, on every continent and within every type of economy. The phenomenon of modern slavery is a global problem, however it is also an Australian problem. Australia is a source and destination country for the trafficking of human beings. Men, women and children are trafficked into Australian borders for the purposes of sexual exploitation, supplying its burgeoning sex industry. People are also trafficked into Australia and forced to work in aspects of the hospitality, agricultural, construction and mining industries.
5. You are complicit in modern-day slavery.
Modern-day slavery is embedded in our global economy. We are all complicit in the global slave trade because we all patronize slave made products. From the chocolate we eat, the coffee we drink to the clothing we wear, many of the products we buy come from supply chains that use forced labour. Kevin Bales, author of "Disposable People", clearly describes the connections between the use of human slavery and the consumer,
Slaves in Pakistan may have made the shoes you are wearing and the carpet you stand on. Slaves in the Caribbean may have put sugar in your kitchen and toys in the hands of your children. In India they may have sewn the shirt on your back and polished the ring on your finger.
6. People smuggling is not human trafficking.
Many erroneous beliefs surround the issue of modern-day slavery. One of the greatest misconceptions, especially relevant in the Australian context, surrounding the global event that is human trafficking, is the understanding that people smuggling is a form of modern slavery. Although the two acts have similarities, people smugglers cannot be charged under human trafficking laws and vice versa. Consider it like this; people smuggling is legally a crime against the sovereignty of a nation, human trafficking is a crime against an individuals human rights.
7. The victims of human trafficking are not just "foreigners" – it is happening to people like you and me.
The perpetrators of modern-day slavery do not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, race or religion – the bottom line for the trafficker is profit. The vast majority of trafficking victims are women, and a vast portion of those women are under the age of 18. There are over 2.5 million human beings experiencing the horrors of forced labor at any given time, which includes sexual exploitation. It is estimated that 95% of victims will experience physical or sexual violence during the trafficking process, whether that is domestically or internationally. The International Organization for Migration, goes further to highlight that 43% of victims are used for forced commercial sexual exploitation, of whom 98% are women and girls and 32% of victims are used for forced economic exploitation, of whom 56% are women and girls. Many trafficking victims have at least middle-level education. Within Australia, the majority of prosecuted cases of modern slavery have involved people trafficked into Australia; however cases are emerging that suggest domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation of Australian citizens is also taking place.
8. The traffickers are people who look like you.
Although the re-emergence of the modern slave trade has been greatly perpetuated and proliferated by domestic and transnational organised crime, a significant portion of contemporary slave traders are seemingly "normal" people. Our perceptions of who is committing these crimes against humanity are largely misperceptions. In 2009 there was a case in which a mother from the New South Wales South Coast forced her underage daughter into prostitution in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.
One would assume that the perpetrators of this transgression are predominately men. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime tells us that 52% of those recruiting victims are men, followed closely by 42% who are women (6% of cases involve both men and women). What is more, in just under half of the cases, the victim knew the recruiter. If we are to end slavery in our lifetime, we need to shift our thinking about the crime - it isn't someone else's problem, this crime isn't being committed by someone unlike you or me. Slavery today is everyone's problem, and it is going to take all of us to see out its end!
9. You have a role to play in the movement to end human slavery.
Modern-day slavery is an Australian problem, it is also a global problem – it is all of our concern, it has to be. The movement to end human trafficking needs all of us, it has a place for all of us – we all have a role to play. One avenue of engaging with the abolitionist movement and learning how to work against slavery in your home context is to take part in training like that of Not For Sale's "Abolitionist Academies" that will be taking place in late June and July in Sydney and Melbourne.
This is a challenge that all people of conscience face working for justice, to find their place in the fray, to hone their skills and own the role. The line, what can I possibly do in the face of such an embedded global problem is oft used. It is also an easy out. Yes the problem is huge and overwhelming and yes it is deeply rooted in the global economic system. Your role may only be to buy ethically and justly. If one quarter of the First World altered their consumer habits consider the change that would ensue – imagine a world where Fair Trade was the norm. We all have a role to play in the movement to end the captivity of millions of human beings, every single one of us.
10. We can end human trafficking in our lifetime.
We can end human trafficking in this generation. We can end human trafficking in this generation. We-can-end-human-trafficking-in-this-generation. Let that statement marinate. We truly can end this horrendous crime against ALL of humanity if and only if we ALL work against it. There is a growing global abolitionist movement mobilising around the world. We need a multifaceted approach. We must engage all spheres of influence that make up society. As Dr. David Batstone, President of Not For Sale often says, we must become "smart-activists". We must buy from companies that have transparent and just supply chains and tell their unjust counterparts that enough is enough! In this global human rights epidemic, education is advocacy. Educate your community, your friends and family – everyone needs to know that slavery still exists. Apathy is hard to change; however ignorance is something we can cure. Together we will end human trafficking in our lifetime, but only together.
Learn more about Modern Day Slavery at http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/australia/
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