On Thursday, May 15, 2014 Pacifica Institute of Los Angeles hosted Global Citizenship Fellow Ms. Annie Kim, from the US Fund for UNICEF. Ms. Kim works to raise awareness and educate the local community about important issues affecting children all around the world. Today’s topic was on Human Trafficking, a global problem with local impact.UNICEF is an acronym for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. It was established on December 11, 1946 by United Nations to meet the emergency needs of children in post-war Europe and China. UNICEF is funded only by donations and is involved in over 190 countries. UNICEF works in three areas: 1. Health, Nutrition, Education 2. Gender Equality 3. Child Protection. Human trafficking falls under child protection. Human trafficking has been likened to modern day slavery that subjects children, woman, and men to force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This horrific practice can include prostitution, pornography, and sex tourism as well as domestic servitude, factory work and migrant farming. It is the second largest illegal act, first is drug trafficking and third is illegal gun trafficking.
Victims of human trafficking come from all walks of life and the perpetuators usually know their victims and know how to manipulate them. They entice children and unsuspecting families with material goods, promises of employment and a better life, and false marriage proposals. Some come from disaster areas where the perpetuators take the lost and misplaced children for their gain. It is extremely profitable, generating billions of dollars of yearly profits. Traffickers make high profits and run low risks thanks to weak legislative policies, loopholes, corruption and lack of enforcement. Human trafficking of any kind violates a child’s rights to be protected, grow up in a safe family environment, and have access to an education. Victims often suffer from inhumane living conditions, neglect, poor diet and hygiene, and physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
In US all 50 states have reported human trafficking. Victims of sex trafficking often share risk factors, including child sex abuse, parental neglect, parental drug use, emotional and/or physical abuse by a family member, foster care youth and poverty. In California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego are the major areas of trafficking. Children between the ages of 11-14 are forced into prostitution.
According to Ms. Kim, how to tackle the human trafficking situation is by education; being aware that it is happening and questioning when one gets suspicious. Another method is training the public and officers. One can also become involved by mentoring youth and through UNICEF. Pacifica Institute thanks Ms. Annie Kim for her informative speech and its guests for attending.