It's Our Problem Too

The trafficking of people, especially women and children, is an issue that by its very natures goes under the radar.  But with our world continually growing smaller and more connected, through the internet, our 24-hour new stream and the relative ease of travel, human trafficking is becoming more prevalent in our society--and yes, I mean Minnesota.

Earlier this week the US State Department released the 2010 Trafficking in Person's Report, this year marks the 10th year that the department has published the report.  The report found that, globally, 12.9 million adults and children are in positions or forced labor, bonded labor or forced prostitution, and 56% of the victims are women and girls.  For the first time the report ranked the US on it's national approach to combating trafficking.  During the release, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that, "this report sends a clear message to all of our countrymen and women: human trafficking is not someone else's problem. Involuntary servitude is not something we can ignore or hope doesn't exist in our own community."

So what about Minnesota? 

The Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force defines human trafficking as recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, enticement, provision obtaining or receipt of any person by any means for the purpose or facilitation of sexual or economic exploitation.  To shed some light on how problematic trafficking is in Minnesota, the 2008 report to the Minnesota Legislature found that "service providers worked with four male victims, 564 female and 163 child victims of sex trafficking" between 2005 and 2008.

As Muslims, Jews and Christians, we are called by our faith to work to protect the dignity of all people.  The forced slavery through trafficking is one of the most abhorrent violations of human dignity and human rights that we see today.  JRLC and iCAN will be working this summer to research the issue of trafficking in Minnesota and what has been done legislatively to combat the issue. Stay tuned for more.  

Rachel Herzfeldt-Kamprath
Advocacy Associate 

Photo source.