Slavery is alive and well around the globe. In the US, when we think of slavery we are still stuck in the 1800’s focused on the atrocity of our ancestors, however, this focus takes us away from paying attention to the slave trade that is thriving around the globe today. In modern times, though, we don’t call it slavery, we call it trafficking. Every continent of the world is impacted by human trafficking, whether it is the sex trade, child soldiers, or forced labor (Kangaspunta, 2008). This is an atrocity among humanity, and despite our advances in human existence and technology, this terrible reality still exists for millions of individuals around the world.
The situation is advancing though. Awareness is increasingly rising among national governments, and we are learning more and more about what causes human trafficking alive. Though there is no definitive research, yet, there are some clear indicators that are believed to keep human trafficking going. They are the existence of poverty and the lure of wealth, war displacement, the devaluation of human life of women and children, and the destabilization of local governments (admin, 2015).
Though it seems as though the problem is getting worse, and it is in some parts of the world, the problem as a whole is getting better, though incrementally. With an increasing amount of awareness among government officials as well as advocacy groups educating local populations, the general public is becoming more aware of the atrocities these individuals go through (Enrile, 2017). Research is beginning to gain some concrete understanding about human trafficking, which is equipping national governments to take action that will actually impact human trafficking in their own countries (Admin, 2015).
References
Admin. (2015, July 20). 4 Causes of Human Trafficking. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://centerforglobalimpact.org/cgi-kids/4-causes-of-human-trafficking/
Enrile, A. (2017). Freedom’s Journey: Understanding Human Trafficking.
Kangaspunta, K. (2008). Human Trafficking: A Crime that Shames Us All (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime). New York: United Nations.
Field Notes 