Human Trafficking

     As Americans, we associate the word “slavery” with the horrible institution that once treated African Americans as less than humans. 

 Although slavery was officially abolished in America over 150 years ago, we often fail to recognize that humans are still enslaved by a similar institution all over the world, even in our “land of the free”.

     Human trafficking is this institution and unlike slavery in America’s past, it does not discriminate by race. It does not discriminate by age, gender, class, education, or citizenship either. This nefarious industry targets every human being.

     Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, in which human beings are controlled and exploited for profit. Perpetrators use force, fraud or coercion to control and profit from victims through sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, or the removal of organs. Instead of plantations, these modern-day slaves work in factories, fields, brothels, street corners, as child soldiers, in private homes, or in innumerable other settings, hidden behind walls or in plain view. This industry denies freedom of its victims and violates international and national laws, especially the ideals our country was founded upon.

      Unfortunately, trafficking is a rapidly growing criminal industry that funds international crime enterprises and terror organizations.  According to the International Labor Organization, human trafficking generates $150 billion in illegal profits each year.

     These over 27 million victims do not have a voice nor a war to emancipate them.

However, there are thousands of organizations worldwide that are combatting the expansion of the human trafficking industry in an attempt to give these victims a voice. LeConte27 has partnered with one of them, Missio Link International, to assist the worldwide effort to end human trafficking.

     This hike is not about us, it’s about the 27 million men, women, and children who are victims of the human trafficking industry.

We ask and thank you for your support in our effort to mitigate human trafficking.

As humans, we must stand up for those who are treated and viewed less than what we, as humans, are. 

Sources:

-http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/protect/trafficking?gclid=CjwKEAiAgvyxBRDmuviAj67g-XQSJABTLMcHeKYb376EPAxsel5jR8CH1pytSUNjfZZxnQHqeE9oXBoC_lrw_wcB

-https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html

-http://www.humantraffickingsearch.net/whatishumantrafficking.html

-http://one-europe.info/challenge-of-human-trafficking