I had the opportunity to attend Anthony Talbott’s lecture on Monday night. His efforts to stop human trafficking in Ohio are inspiring. Talbott focused on raising awareness among citizens; it is through education that citizens are able to take the first step towards eradicating human trafficking. Further, he stressed that human trafficking is modern day slavery; victims may not be physically chained, but they are bound to traffickers who take away their identification and legal documents.

Talbott provided startling statistics about modern day human trafficking: about 27 million slaves exist in the world today, 200 thousand of which are enslaved in the US. Despite these mind-blowing facts, there have been very few convictions of traffickers and a dismal amount of victims recovered.

Anthony Talbott, as a resident of Ohio, focuses on human trafficking within the state. The main reasons Ohio is such a large hub for human trafficking activity is attributed to the following: extensive and well developed highway systems, large population of minority groups, close proximity to major metropolitan cities, and the large amount of strip clubs (where many illegal activities occur, including trafficking).

It is the responsibility and of all global citizens to raise awareness about the global pandemic that is human trafficking. Though the facts are frightening, it is necessary to educate our peers. The first step to eradicating human trafficking is to raise awareness of the issue at hand. From there, educated constituents can lobby their Congressional representatives to introduce and pass legislation creating programs for victims of human trafficking, programs to investigate or identify key areas of human trafficking, or educational programs about the signs of human trafficking. Further, individuals can take action by being aware consumers—avoid purchasing cheap clothing made in foreign countries, buy second hand, and buy fair trade. The point: try to reduce you inadvertent support of forced labor.

I had the opportunity to attend Anthony Talbott’s lecture on Monday night. His efforts to stop human trafficking in Ohio are inspiring. Talbott focused on raising awareness among citizens; it is through education that citizens are able to take the first step towards eradicating human trafficking. Further, he stressed that human trafficking is modern day slavery; victims may not be physically chained, but they are bound to traffickers who take away their identification and legal documents.

Talbott provided startling statistics about modern day human trafficking: about 27 million slaves exist in the world today, 200 thousand of which are enslaved in the US. Despite these mind-blowing facts, there have been very few convictions of traffickers and a dismal amount of victims recovered.

Anthony Talbott, as a resident of Ohio, focuses on human trafficking within the state. The main reasons Ohio is such a large hub for human trafficking activity is attributed to the following: extensive and well developed highway systems, large population of minority groups, close proximity to major metropolitan cities, and the large amount of strip clubs (where many illegal activities occur, including trafficking).

It is the responsibility and of all global citizens to raise awareness about the global pandemic that is human trafficking. Though the facts are frightening, it is necessary to educate our peers. The first step to eradicating human trafficking is to raise awareness of the issue at hand. From there, educated constituents can lobby their Congressional representatives to introduce and pass legislation creating programs for victims of human trafficking, programs to investigate or identify key areas of human trafficking, or educational programs about the signs of human trafficking. Further, individuals can take action by being aware consumers—avoid purchasing cheap clothing made in foreign countries, buy second hand, and buy fair trade. The point: try to reduce you inadvertent support of forced labor.

Overall, I am very happy that I had the opportunity to attend such a fun and informative talk. The information I’ve garnered from the joint FYS classes and Anthony Talbott’s lecture has made me more aware of the issue that is human trafficking. Hopefully, over time and with the education of citizens, the threat of (and demand for) human trafficking will decrease.

Overall, I am very happy that I had the opportunity to attend such a fun and informative talk. The information I’ve garnered from the joint FYS classes and Anthony Talbott’s lecture has made me more aware of the issue that is human trafficking. Hopefully, over time and with the education of citizens, the threat of (and demand for) human trafficking will decrease.

It’s truly amazing what an impact just an hour and a half can have on your life. After listening to Professor Anthony Talbott speak Monday about “Organizing for Social Change,” I caught myself pondering ‘hidden atrocities’ all over the world, particularly those in Ohio where most of us currently reside.

When you look at a someone, what do you see? Many answer this question with physical features, characteristics, or known facts and memories. Imagine seeing a price tag.

Many people are blind to the idea of modern day slavery—but human trafficking is slavery. Twenty-seven million. That is the estimated number of slaves within the world today. Twenty-seven million humans, just like you and me, are coerced and deceived into situations in which they work without pay. Twenty-seven million people around the world are deprived of their basic human rights and lack access to the help they desperately need to get out of the horrific situation in which they are caught.

Throughout Professor Talbott’s lecture, many things went through my head, but the one thought that resonated was, “I want to make a difference. I want to make a change.” It is inspiring to see real evidence of students in the same positions as us, successfully petitioning for change. Often times I find myself thinking that there is no possible way to truly make a change; but, as Professor Talbott stated, “Together, we have the power to affect change. Individuals can come together and make a difference.”

The power of education carries a lot of weight in instances like this. As proper training on human trafficking becomes more widely available and accessible, more and more victims lives are being saved. The capabilities of education on this issue, especially when it comes to law enforcement officials having the proper knowledge and training, have already proved successful and impactful in Ohio. The reach of this education needs be to extended—this simple step needs to be taken, because in the end, it will help save thousands of lives.

It’s interesting to see how, in just less than two hours, what was once a casual thought can become an invested interest. In this case, it all laid right in the title, “Organizing for Social Change.” There are many steps that an individual can take to help eradicate human trafficking from society; begin by visiting http://abolitionohio.org/.