Do we really have slaves in North Carolina?

Do we really have slaves in North Carolina?

It is hard to believe, but slavery still exists in North Carolina, and even in the Triad. In most cases, young women from Mexico, Korea, China, or the Phillipines are being enslaved and forced into sex work. These women and girls are often moved from city to city on a regular basis, never allowed to develop contacts in the communities where they work, and often not allowed even to learn English in order to keep them under control. Federal officials estimate that as many as 4,600 women and girls are being enslaved in North Carolina each year.

Triad Ladder of Hope, a local organization that works with victims of human trafficking along with Salvation Army is co-sponsoring events in the Triad to educate and raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking. Many people are surprised to learn that such a thing happens in a community like ours. Therefore everyone who becomes aware of the issue becomes eyes and ears in the community to help stem the rising incidence of human trafficking in our community. Here are the free training opportunities upcoming:

Monday, March 17 - High Point, Hope Outreach Center, 2800 Westchester 9:00 am - 1:00 PM.

Tuesday, March 18 - Winston-Salem, The Salvation Army,1411 S. Broad Street, 12:30 -4:30 PM

Wednesday, March 19 - Greensboro, The Salvation Army, 821 S. Aycock Street, 9:00 am - 1:00 PM

All training events are free and lunch is included. To Register, call (336) 906-3844 or email the Ladder of Home by clicking here.

In April, there will be an International Conference on Sex Trafficking at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Combating Sex Trafficking: Prevention and Intervention in North Carolina and Worldwide, will be held on April 3-4, 2008, at the Friday Center. This conference will concentrate on areas including demand, the impact on communities of color, and childhood sexual exploitation. It will also include breakout sessions and working groups which focus specifically on the impact of sexual trafficking in North Carolina. In addition, the conference goals include:

• Facilitate research to quantify the specific ways sex trafficking is occurring in North Carolina, and the links to international and domestic sex trafficking
• Assist in efforts to inform and educate law enforcement personnel, social service providers, and the general public about trafficking so that traffickers can be prosecuted and victim-survivors can receive appropriate services.
• Address the demand side of trafficking.
• Contribute to efforts to eradicate trafficking.

For more information about the International Conference on Sex Trafficking, please contact Pam Lach, Conference Coordinator, by calling 919-962-8305 or email by clicking here.