A gathering of approximately one hundred people attended the First Friday Forum of Lorain County (FFF of LC) on June 7 to listen to Humility of Mary Sister Anne Victory talk about the disturbing subject of Human Trafficking.
Sr. Anne was the guest speaker for the June gathering of the FFF of LC and is Education Coordinator of the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking.
Listen to her talk by clicking PLAY on the file below:
{saudioplayer}FFCLorain_June2013.mp3{/saudioplayer}
She stated that Human Trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery and described the complex reality of human trafficking as a major global, and very local, human rights issue. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women. After drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is the fasting growing.
Approximately 800,000 to 900,000 victims annually are trafficked across international borders worldwide, and between 18,000 and 20,000 of those victims are trafficked into the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of State. These estimates include women, men and children. Victims are generally trafficked into the U.S. from Asia, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe. Many victims trafficked into the United States do not speak and understand English and are therefore isolated and unable to communicate with service providers, law enforcement and others who might be able to help them.
Read more about 'The Collaborative Initiative to End Human Trafficking'>
The FFF of LC luncheon speakers series meets on a monthly basis in the Spitzer Conference Center on the campus of Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio. For more information about the FFF of LC, send an e-mail to: ffflorain@gmail.com