We are certainly going to look into one among the most atrocious issues in the history of mankind. Human beings should have learnt a lot from the atrocious events that marked the history of humanity. This is what we tend to take for granted at school for example. You study history, literature, art, philosophy, so you learn about what we as humans have been able to do both for the good and the bad. Yet, there are moments when I realize that this taking for granted is doing you more harm than we adults and educators can possibly foresee. It can create indifference in you or at times you may come up with “stereotypical” images and thus rooted beliefs, beliefs that are somehow branded by lack of knowledge or biased information. This is mainly the case with teen prostitution. I was shocked when some of you hinted at the fact that you believe that if a girl prostitutes herself, she is partly responsible for her lot, not just the man who pays to have sex with her. This attitude is proof of how cold and indifferent our western society is growing to the lot of people who live in worlds so different and distant from ours. Have you ever thought why sex tourism is thriving? Have you ever asked yourself what your life would be like if your very parents had sold you? If your brother, sister, or any relative or friend you trust sold you? If you had been brought up thinking that you are worth nothing? If you had been savagely beaten or tortured?
It seems that callouses are growing on our consciences. Everyday we are assaulted by news of violence, violation and abuse and we seem to grow used to this and feel it distant from us. The attempt of this project is once again to sensitize you towards a topic that very few deem approachable at school. Well, you are used to me by now. There are no taboo subjects if they are dealt with by resorting to investigation, sensitivity and sensibility. I am going to post just some introductory videos, but this time you will do most of the work. I want you to show yourselves how incredibly resourceful you are. This will be a post written by students for students. I will just create a link with some books or videos and I will certainly help you with the selection and organization of the material.
What is it meant by human trafficking?
Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims.
Trafficking in Persons is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.
There are lots of celebrities who fight to raise awareness to the brutal existence of human trafficking. Among them there is a famous British actress, Emma Thompson. Watch the video, which seems to summarize the atrocities lying behind this crime against human rights. What are the different forms of human trafficking? Why does Emma Thompson speak in different voices? Male? Female? Child? Adolescent? Different inflections?
Now watch this video, which tells a true story. What does the “shoebox” stand for?
For the “Johns” buying sex, this is about trying to satisfy an unquenchable thirst. A thirst that is fed by our ever increasing sex culture and the inability be in a truly sexual, intimate relationship that takes courage, true love, commitment and understanding.
What does this video denounce? What aspects of human trafficking does it disclose?
Another famous actress involved in the campaigning against sex trafficking is Angelina Jolie.
This program is a fast-moving and compelling documentary that provides an introduction to the human rights tragedy of trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation in Europe. Featuring Anna, a woman from Romania, who was trafficked by her neighbor to the Balkans where she was forced to be a prostitute for 2.5 years, and Tatiana, a victim who spent 6 months as a sex slave in Amsterdam after being sold by her boyfriend. Their harrowing stories are told along side other characters in the trafficking chain, including a potential victim, a young man who pays for sex, an anti-trafficking police officer, and prevention and assistance organizations.
Very soon there will be a film “Not Today: None of Us is Free if One of Us is Enslaved” denouncing human trafficking of young girls in India. Look at the trailer. Really interesting.
Human Trafficking is a a Moder Day Holocaust. I hope this painful and anguishing project of ours will change us as people and make us understand we can make a difference if we want to. We can raise funds to support human organizations fighting against human trafficking, we can inform others of this modern plight, we can become more informed and conscientious consumers (think of the fashion industry or the manufacturing of technological gadgets: cellular phones, ipads, etc.), we may want to volunteer in the future, in other words whatever we can do is better than just not doing anything.
You may want to write a song in Italian denouncing human trafficking.
Or you may want to set up an association aimed at raising awareness to this human plight and raising funds to help the victims. What name would you give to your humanitarian organization?
You will be working on sex trade, organ trafficking and child labour. If you are interested in child soldiers, go to “Reading for pleasure” and you will see there is a whole post dedicated to this issue.