When watching this video, I swelled on questions about how her photographs and narration vary from the approach taken by Dan Archer, as they addressed very similar stories. Do you prefer one over the other? Is one more effective than another? What are the benefits and limitations of each approach? Just some thoughts for your Sunday afternoon.

“Photographer Lisa Kristine has been traveling the world for the last 2 years documenting the problem of modern day slavery.  Some 27 million people are thought to be enslaved worldwide even though human slavery is illegal.  From backbreaking labor in brick factories and underground mines, to sex slavery, to textile mills and farms, Lisa tells the story of the people featured in her heart-braking photographs.

In a world where the items being produced have far more value than the people producing them, and women and children are terribly objectified, slavery is sadly a persistent horror that requires worldwide attention.  Please watch this TedX presentation and support the work of FreeTheSlaves.net.”

http://ruthjacobs.co.uk/2013/01/05/human-trafficking-awareness-month/

Anthony Talbott’s very educational talk on human trafficking on Monday night really opened my eyes. He made me realize that human trafficking is not just something that you hear about happening in distant places, but something that happens right here in Ohio. Some facts he stated were surprising and outraging to me. Toledo is the #4 city in arrests and investigations related to child sex trafficking. 1,078 American-born Ohio youth have been trafficked into sex trade in the past year. In a broader sense, 100,000 children are exploited for commercial sex in the United States.

This is a very serious issue as human trafficking severely traumatizes its victims. Many times they not only lack access to showers and enough food and water, but also are often handled roughly. There are three types of sex trafficking in the U.S.: residential/underground brothel settings, escort services, and pimp-controlled prostitution. Most victims of sex trafficking were vulnerable and somehow tricked into the business, whether it was through false romantic involvement or the offer of food, shelter, and a seemingly legitimate job. Because they go willingly and are from vulnerable backgrounds, sometimes they can be stuck in these bad situations for many years.

I worked at a shelter for teenage victims of domestic violence during my senior year of high school and was able to see first hand how much of an impact ongoing violence can have on people’s lives. Activism and advocacy are very important in helping end this serious human rights violation. We need to get active and make a difference for those who lack the information or tools to change their circumstance themselves. To help, you can contact groups like Abolition Ohio and join in their work to end human trafficking.

The extent to which human trafficking is prevalent and takes place in plain sight is alarming. People assume that people who are trafficked for sex are adults simply taken and work the streets. This idea is overly simplistic. The average child who is taken for sex trafficking is between the ages of 12 and 14. Not only that, but one in three runaway teens will be lured towards prostitution after leaving home. (More stats can be found here).

It is also necessary to dispel that myth that only females are trafficked, men are trafficked as well (even for sex). Another misconception is that only foreigners are trafficked, but this can also happen to native United States citizens. Human trafficking has fallen off the radar as a political issue for many people. It is interesting to consider that in the United States we have a victim-centric view of trafficking; we easily overlook the traffickers or even the “Johns” who create the demand for it.

What is even more alarming is the fact that many of us have contributed to demand for human labor trafficking; take, for example, the shirts available at Wal-Mart for $5 or goods created in sweatshops for corporations such as Nike. There are easy ways to avoid human trafficking goods, such as by buying fair trade products, and if people really need to purchase cheap goods, thrift shops or used clothing stores can be great alternatives to reduce the demand for these goods. Human trafficking is a prevalent global issue, and if we remain unaware consumers, we can easily perpetuate demand for such goods; but if we remain aware, we can help to reduce the demand for trafficking.

http://talesfromtheconspiratum.com/2012/08/18/photographing-modern-day-slavery/

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.

Anthony Talbott’s talk on trafficking made some significant points. One of the points he made that stuck the most was that a person does not have to be moved or transported to another place to fit the definition of being or having been trafficked. He explained that a person qualifies as being trafficked if they are exploited by force, fraud or coercion. This became significant because this means that trafficking can be a form of domestic violence. This contributes significantly to the difficulty of fighting human trafficking. Behind the doors and window shades of someone’s house, no one can see one person screaming threats at another person when they won’t do something, or see another person beating someone else if something wasn’t done up to par. Nobody hears the lies one person tells another for a purpose of exploitation. No one but the victim feels the fear as result of lies told to them. No one but the victim can imagine what might happen if they call a bluff on those lies. These crimes are almost impossible to see and even more impossible to try and prove.

Anthony Talbott talked of how human traffickers are unfortunately smart in a way and good at what they do. Traffickers can do simple things that make prosecution very difficult. One of the simplest things traffickers who exploit people for labor is they pay them a miniscule amount so people can’t claim they weren’t paid. Proving exploitation of persons is nigh impossible because those exploited ended up with a form of a contract and were paid, so when it comes to enforcing the law, you can’t. This major difficulty in fighting trafficking isn’t even the first difficulty to overcome. In order to even have a chance at prosecuting traffickers officials need evidence to go arrest them. Many times this comes from a tip which doesn’t happen often or from a previous victim. Many times these victims don’t come forward. Anthony Talbott discussed that many victims of sex trafficking don’t come forward because they end being prosecuted. He further explained that even after a victim may have gotten away or have been rescued, they have to be rehabilitated in sense and re-introduced into society. People who are trafficked are vulnerable because of economic reasons and family reasons most of the time. After victims are trafficked they are still vulnerable for the same reasons and often end up being trafficked again. Fighting trafficking is very difficult because victims are many times afraid to come out and traffickers are good at protecting themselves against the law.

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.

http://www.naomirathbun.com/gallery/human-barcode/

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/.

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.

I found Sarah Mckinnon’s paper to be very interesting and engaging, though I my biggest complaints came from the moments she stopped reading to address the audience. One point that I found interesting was the recurring argument of men’s rights over women. This seemed to be a theme throughout the paper, mainly in talking about how Chinese men would apply for asylum in their wives’ names.

Another theme of the paper I found interesting was that of immigration. Many people today think of immigration as being almost solely contained to the southern border. However, as Mckinnon pointed out, this was and is not always the case. The United States has always had a sizeable population of Immigrants from Asia, and especially from China. In fact, immigration from China was once such a hot button issue that the United States passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, and even today many asylum seekers from China are regarded with suspicion. This also highlights another misconception of immigration and minorities in general that many people have. This is the misconception that discrimination against Asians and Asian-Americans is either non-existent or severely limited in its scope. The common perception is that all or a majority of discrimination is aimed at blacks, arabs and latinos. However, Mckinnon repeatedly shows not only modern day examples of discrimination against the Chinese but also discusses older forms of discrimination such as the aforementioned Chinese Exclusion Act.

An interesting question of Mckinnon’s paper was that of the influence that women or a lack thereof has on a society’s culture and the way that other’s view that society. Mckinnon talks about the lack of women in early Chinese-American society and the way that it changed not only the Chinese society but also the way that Americans viewed the Chinese immigrants