Small Steps: What We Can Do to Impact Trafficking

When grappling with such a large issue as human trafficking, it is easy to get carried away with global issues and stories of people living in very different conditions from us. In discussing every aspect of trafficking that needs to be addressed (the roles of suppliers and consumers, recovery for victims, etc.), deciding where to start can be challenging. Professor Talbott touched on this at the end of his talk, and it was reinforced in his next discussion with Dan Archer: even small actions put this issue on the path toward change.

When deciding where we can influence the matter of human trafficking, we must first look at our role in the international economy as consumers. Continually making conscious, informed decisions in our purchases makes a small impact on the market, but it reminds us to stay vigilant about the issue, including new ways in which traffickers are avoiding laws and ways in which we might counter them. This lifestyle decision also alerts other consumers, like family and friends, to global issues.

Second, taking action in our own communities, whether through voting, reaching out to legislators, or volunteering time with aid organizations, makes a more immediate impact. Although we might not be able to help those picking strawberries in Eastern Europe directly, we are certainly privileged enough in Ohio to seek out educational opportunities and discover which groups can be helped right in our own back yard.