Community Corner
MONDAY ESSENTIALS: Officials Raise Awareness on Human Trafficking
Jan. 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The issue that affects millions around the world. Many of those victims are here in the U.S.
Each year, millions of men, women and children around the world are sold and/or forced into servitude, becoming only the latest victims of human trafficking.
A lot of attention is giving to those forced into the sex industry but many others are forced into labor such as debt bondage. Many child soldiers are trafficked as well, according to the US State Department.
To bring awareness the issue, the country will observe National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11. The day has inspired National Weekend of Prayer to End Slavery and Trafficking Jan. 10-12.
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“It is estimated that more than 20 million men, women and children around the world are victims of human trafficking,” according to the Administration of Children and Families, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The United States is a source, transit and destination country for some of these men, women and children — both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals — who are subjected to the injustices of human trafficking, including forced labor, debt bondage, involuntary servitude, and sex trafficking.”
How much do you know about human trafficking? Take the Take the Human Trafficking Awareness Training.
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The state department is also promoting an open competition for fiscal year 2014 that earns winners funding for a project to combat trafficking in persons outside of the U.S. The contest was announced on October 17, 2013. Information is available on their site.
The FBI website also has stories and information on local cases.
Los Angeles County residents can also find information on child sex trafficking on Supervisor Don Knabe's web page. Information, resources and training can be found on the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking website.
In San Diego County, CSA San Diego provides some information on the efforts to combat human trafficking there.
In San Bernardino County, the District Attorney's office offers information and support for those in need of help. They provide information on their C.A.S.E. unit that provides support to victims.
Orange County has a Human Trafficking Task Force. It's web page offers information and resources.
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