Human Trafficking Homepages

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

I wasn't sure how else to bring my homework to class, so I set up this new thread.

[Anonymous]

Listed below is the home page for Interpol:
http://www.interpol.int/default.asp

This is the link to the fact sheet PDF titled "Trafficking in Human Beings":
http://www.interpol.int/Public/ICPO/FactSheets/THB02.pdf

A.) Since Interpol publishes this site, I believe it is reliable and free from error; however, I personally have limited knowledge about the subject and cannot verify its content.
B.) Since Interpol has 186 member countries, I suspect that many offices read its information before publishing it, and since it is a database for police, they probably have reliable facts, but again, I cannot verify these assumptions.
C.) Interpol is the author of the website.
D.) The website states, “INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization, with 186 member countries. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime;” therefore, this organization should be qualified to report on international trafficking of women and China, especially since trafficking in human beings is one of its “six priority crime areas.”
E.) See above.
F.) Although the site uses strong language such as, “stripped of their autonomy,” and “lured by promises of decent employment” these phrases are appropriate to describe the nature of this international crime.
G.)This purpose of this site is to inform the public of the problem so that they can report abuse if necessary.
H.) The website was last updated on August 4, 2008.
I.) The date is on the top of the page.
J.) Topic Headings are: Trafficking in women for sexual exploitation, Trafficking for forced labour, Commercial sexual exploitation of children in tourism, Trafficking in organs, INTERPOL’s resources
K.) Each topic is covered in a short, descriptive paragraph, except for “Interpol’s Resources,” which is a page long and describes the various international cooperative efforts in which Interpol is involved.
[Edit by="skelly on Aug 5, 11:18:51 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Please see attached document:
Evaluates the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women - Asian Pacific:
http://www.catw-ap.org/about-us/

[Anonymous]

Another point I wanted to add to the "Comfort Women" recruiting scheme during WWII was that ,from what I read, Japanese would trick Chinese and Korean Women in many forms, some by random abduction, some by group abduction, such as falsely advertising for recruiting nursing school candidates. Once the victims were hauled to the military base, they were forced to be sex slaves and were cut for any form of outside communication.

Please refer to this link:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_japa.htm

[Anonymous]

Yesterday, while driving through the city where I live, rialto, California, 60 miles northeast of here, I looked up and saw a billboard that said, "Human trafficking...present day slavery--please call..." what odd coincidence to see that billboard for the first time on the very day that we have a discussion about human trafficking. How so very sickening for this to be a reality period, and as selfish as it may sound (for this remark I apologize beforehand), how so much more sickening for it to be a reality that is happening right here in our own backyard. When things are far removed from you, it is always easier to see an atrocity and say “wow, how sad,” and then go on about your business, never thinking about it again. But, sadly, it is only when the atrocity is happening in your face that you may seem more apt to act, to want to do something, to say, “this can’t be true, how is it happening, what can I do,” instead of just “wow, how sad.”

[Anonymous]

The presentation on Human Trafficking was not new to me. Long ago, when I became involved in the 1960's and (for me) 1970's second wave of feminism in this country, I took a class at Louisiana State University called "Literature of the Women's Movement." This class was responsible for my loss of my sense of humor for about three years. It opened my eyes in a way no class ever did. I haven't shut them since, but I have winked a few times. I recalled that as a senior in high school I was pondering over which of two books to take off the library shelf: BLACK LIKE ME or THE SECOND SEX. In this moment, I realized later when looking back, I decided that the stuggle for racial equality was a far more important topic that anything about women. How well brain washed a young woman I was at that time. In fact, at that time I considered women's topics in general to be quite trivial. After all, what had women ever done? They had done a lot, but I did not know that then. Though, if I'd have had eyes to see, I could have looked at my grandmother's life: married at twelve-and-a half, mother to nine children because family planning was against God's law, and though a kinder spirit never took flesh, it was no secret to her or to me that men were the important gender, the ruling gender. I often wonder how my life would have turned out differently had I taken THE SECOND SEX off the shelf. However, my awakening was postponed until eight years later and in, of all places, the deep South.

I read an article in National Geographic some years ago about places where slavery still exists. They provided a map. What was new to me, but not surprising, was that Lisa Fischler named multi-national corporations, globalization, captitalism (Westernerization, and secularization), consumerism and even the strange bedfellows of the KKK, fanatic Christains, organized crime and terrorists groups who want to deny women full and meaningful equality as forces driving this trafficking. It makes sense. See the documentary "Life and Debt" if you have any doubts about multi-national corporations being involved. We live in a time when anything and anyone can be commodified, quantified and sold to the highest bidder.

During the battle for the democratic nomination, some students were talking about who should be the nominee. One student said, "It's got to be Hillary. We need a woman to get us out of this mess." Another said, "You can't think that the cause of having a woman president could be more important than having a black president, can you?" I remembered my thinking in high school decades ago:Race or gender has to trump the other. It can't be both. We can't move together; we are forever separating ourselves into our special interest groups. This keeps us all stuck. Thinking has not changed in some ways.

I had an interesting experience today. As I was leaving the post office, a woman asked me if that was my car. Yes. Is that your bumper sticker (Who would Jesus bomb?) Yes. Are you a Christian? Yes. (I realize you all think I'm a Buddhist because of my intense interest in things Eastern, but I'm not. I am an unprogrammed Quaker. The programmed Quakers resemble conservative Christians, but the unprogrammed Quakers are generally liberal folk and free to investigate all ideologies without being accused of infidelity. My roots are deeply embedded in the Christian tradition and it is a stream of nourishment that I could not turn from.) So, what did she have to say? Well, this and I quote: "I'll tell you who Jesus would bomb! He'd bomb Sodom and Gomorrah, that's who!" I said. "So, you think that all the people and children of Iraq should be bombed, killed?" "Yes!" she said as she self-righteously stomped off. My silent prayer: "Forgive me my tresspasses as I forgive those who tresspass against me. P.S. Could you make people a little less stupid? "

What has that to do with Human Trafficking? Only this, she has a lot in common with the fascists who deal in human bondage, her own bondage being her stupidity and ignorance; AkA, "I'll kill you if you don't agree with me." Don't kid yourself, people, if they could kill you and get away with it, they would. [Edit by="canaise on Aug 9, 4:51:31 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

The session on Human Trafficking was not new to me as well. I was born in Mexico and when my mother made a choice to come to the USA illegally she made plans to bring her children too. When I was seven, I was smuggled to the US and I remember quite vividly the stories that my older siblings told of people getting killed on their way to the "Norte" or the north. I didn't want to leave my grandmother, but I didn't have a say so in all of this. Over the years I learned that many who put themselves in the hands of complete strangers dodn't have the same luck that my family had.

This session only raised the awareness that no one is safe; not here or anywhere. My heart goes out to all the young men and women who are used as objects for someone else's pleasure.

A couple of weeks ago my eighteen-year-old son and I were watching Night Line and we were sickened to know that in our country there are young teenage boys and girls who are kidnapped and sold into prostitution and many of them don't get out of it alive.

The best thing we can do as teachers is to raise awareness on this issue and make sure that the student we come across know that they need to be cognizant of there surroundings and who they deal with.

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