Koirala CNN Hero for Human Trafficking Efforts

Elizabeth Bainbridge

11-22-10

1:36 pm

Among ten others, Anurhada Koirala won the title of CNN hero of the year for 2010. The top ten heroes were chosen by voters online for eight weeks prior to the announcement. Koirala does work in Nepal, fighting human trafficking and sexual exploitation of young girls and women there. As her award for being chosen as the prestigious CNN hero, she received $125,000. At the event, Koirala was introduced by Demi Moore who has started her own organization with husband, Ashton Kutcher, called the DNA foundation. The DNA foundation also endeavors to “eliminate child sex trafficking worldwide.” Koirala has helped more than 12,000 young women since 1993. Her work is focused on helping trafficking victims to recover and heal after the trauma they’ve experienced. In Moore’s introduction of Koirala, she said, “By raiding brothels and patrolling the India-Nepal border, she saves girls from being sold into the sex trade, where they are being repeatedly raped for profit, tortured and enslaved.” Koirala says her work is a matter of respect for the next generation.

It makes me so happy that Koirala was voted CNN hero. This shows that the issue of human trafficking is gripping the hearts of Americans. Famous people like Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher that have a spotlight in the public eye are using their influence positively by promoting the elimination of sex trafficking. When powerful people turn their focus to global matters such as these, change occurs. This article was brief, and I wish it had shared more information about Koirala’s work. The event will be aired at the end of this week, however, and sounds like it’s worth watching!

http://indiepropub.com/cnn-hero-of-the-year-human-trafficking-activist/312452/

The UNOCD Helps Human Trafficking Victims

In the past couple of weeks, Egypt, Belarus, Malaysia, Luxembourg, Qatar and Thailand have promised money to the UN Office of Crime and Drugs (UNOCD) in order to help victims of human trafficking around the world. This plan was started on November 4^th of this year. So far six nations and one private sector have donated to the 'UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking, Especially Women and Children', which UNOCD director, Yury Fedotav has been pushing. Fedotav passionately encourages generosity to help victims of trafficking. He says trafficking is not solely for the purpose of sexual exploitation, but that sex trade is the worst human rights violation of all. According to this article, Fedotav believes that “the Trust Fund would provide victims with humanitarian, legal and financial aid through established channels of assistance, such as governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations,” as more than 2.4 million people are currently being trafficked.

Well, after writing about the horrors of human trafficking all semester, an article like this is a breath of fresh air. It wasn’t very clear about whether the donations so far have been more or less than what was hoped for. Six countries donating barely seems like a drop in the bucket, but at least it’s a start. While prevention and justice are very important, I love the fact that more plans are being implemented to help victims after they have been rescued. I wish this article had given more specifics on how they are planning to help people, as it was pretty general. Overall, I would have to say that I was excited reading this today.

http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/egypt,-5-others-support-un-trust-fund-for-human-trafficking-victims-2010111961399.html

Human Trafficking in Cleveland

Eighty people have been arrested by the FBI and police in the Cleveland area. All those arrested were involved in prostitution, and Cleveland is in the process of tracking all individuals who are in any way involved in the trafficking of children. Special agent, Scott Wilson, says that in nearby Toledo sixty children have been rescued out of trafficking recently. The girls that are found in these horrible conditions can be as young as twelve, and are usually picked up by pimps at a vulnerable time in their lives. According to Wilson, some of the girls have been disowned by their family or have fallen through the cracks socially. Pimps are trained to gain the trust of the emotionally needy young girls and then betray them for personal gain. The girls may eventually be reported as missing, but have often been transported to different states by that time and have been forced into prostitution. According to this article,36 of the people arrested were prostitutes, while 44 were johns who had bought their services.

Although this article is about Cleveland, it’s referring to a much bigger global problem. I’ve written a lot about human trafficking in other countries, but I also felt it was important to mention what a dilemma it is here in our very own nation. This article makes me cringe. I’m glad that awareness is being heightened in Cleveland, but am not naïve enough to think that it’s a complete solution. It concerns me that the prostitutes are being arrested only because if this were to happen in cases of human trafficking, it would be completely unjust. It would also be a deterrence for victims of human trafficking to report it to the authorities if they were afraid of being arrested for prostitution. Anyways, my only hope is that justice is done to all those involved in such a horrible practice.

http://www.latimes.com/wjw-news-prostitution-human-trafficking-cleveland,0,3342917.story

Human Trafficker Caught Once Again

Elizabeth Bainbridge

11-4-10

3:15 pm

Ferenc Domoter, a human trafficker in Hamilton, has been arrested and charged after committing fraud at least six times and possessing stolen property. He was taken to the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre in London. Ferenc has been the ring leader of a human trafficking ring in Hamilton. He has been partially responsible for tricking at least 19 Hungarian people into being trafficked to Canada, with the usual promises of good jobs. Instead these people have ended up being forced to work in his family’s construction business for no pay. Ten of Domoter’s family members have also been arrested for “unlawful recruitment,” exploitation of the workers, and stealing their important documents. Domoter had just been released from custody on October 20^th after the justice of peace on human trafficking cases let him go with a $50,000 bail. Already, the man is back in custody for the committing fraud.

I’m glad that they have caught a ring leader of a human trafficking ring. It is always encouraging to hear when these human rights violators are stopped. Unfortunately, in this case, however, Domoter didn’t seem to learn his lesson the first time around. I’m disturbed by the fact that he continued his crimes less than a month after he was released from prison. It seems to me that in order to be calloused enough to do something like this to innocent people, a person would have to be completely morally calloused. It’s still hard for me to grasp that it’s going on all over the world, every single day. This article was helpful, but didn’t give specific information about the alleged frauds or what type of stolen property he had in his possession.

http://www.thespec.com/news/crime/article/273431--new-charges-in-human-trafficking

Human Trafficking is Being Fought

Elizabeth Bainbridge

10-29-10

2:32 pm

In Canada, MP Joy Smith is concerned about the problem of human trafficking, and is pushing for a developed plan to fight it. Smith explains that many Canadians have ignored the issue, assuming it was a problem only in other countries, and not realizing that it has been occurring right under their noses. Smith wants the government to implement a strategy that will involve “more investigations and prosecutions, better victims' services, increased awareness campaigns and an attack on the demand for prostitution by criminalizing the purchase of sexual services.” Smith calls her plan “Connecting the Dots,” and developed it with an expert in the subject of human trafficking, Benjamin Perrin. So far over twenty agencies have offered their support to Smith’s endeavors. The Criminal Code was expanded in 2006 to include human trafficking, and since then only five people have been convicted, but investigations and the number of people being charged is increasing. Currently there are forty human trafficking cases in Canadian courts. Smith and Perrin will be meeting with government officials to promote their plan, and hope that it is well received.

The more I read on the subject the more convinced I am that human trafficking is happening everywhere. It has become a global problem, and I think most people fail to realize how widespread it really is. I liked how Smith acknowledged that most Canadians assume that it’s not a problem in their country, and I think most Americans are under the same deception. I am always glad when someone actually does something to combat human trafficking rather than just talking about the issue, or even worse, ignoring it altogether. This article gave me a good idea of what was going on, and I felt that everything was well explained.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/mp-targets-human-trafficking-105988823.html

Turmoil in the Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast is experiencing a lot of violence as it prepares for its elections. Lawlessness is prevailing as people are being attacked in their homes, and being robbed and raped at road stops. Bandits are strategic and like to attack when they know villagers have money, around the time of the cocoa harvest. In cases of home assaults, females from under a year old to eighty years old have reportedly been raped. The Ivory Coast has been in turmoil since 2002 when the government experienced upheaval due to a coup that divided the nation between the south and the rebel north. In the western part of the country there is no prison and injustice is rampant, as there is not a law court either. The government’s efforts to resolve these problems have been futile, but recently the president has “promised funds to send investigators and specially trained police and social workers to the area.” Hopes are high that with the elections the government will become more stabilized and able to deal with these horrible issues.

I thought that this article was very thorough and presented consistent information. I knew that the Ivory Coast had some issues, but never realized how bad the conditions really were. It’s horrifying to me that the justice system is so corrupt, even demanding bribes before they will report some cases. It’s also tragic that no one has been successful in helping the victims up to this point. I hate to think of all the innocent people, especially the young children and old people, that have suffered. I hope that change will come with the upcoming elections.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hbQMKdsBJoJWMsuVlbt4DxVbBqyg?docId=4909124

Eastern Africa a Problem Spot for Human Trafficking

Elizabeth Bainbridge

10-14-10

10:07 pm

The International Organization for Migration is declaring that there is a need for greater crackdown on human trafficking in Eastern Africa. All east African countries have been noted for their participation in human trafficking. Human trafficking, although commonly thought of as just sex trade, can include various types of exploitation. For example, even grown men are sometimes targeted and then forced to do hard labor with no pay, and severe abuse. As with most cases of trafficking, most of the victims have been lured by deceptive traffickers who promise them good jobs, or an education. It’s hard to estimate how many people are being trafficked in east Africa. Kimani, who works for IOM in Nairobi , says, “Because of lack of identification techniques or a centralized way of collecting data, a lot of this information gets lost in the way. So the victims may get assisted or they may not get assisted and we’ll never know their numbers.” Because of this, government officials have met and decided that a regional trafficking network would solve a lot of problems, which could “eventually lead to a centralized database that could be shared with law enforcement agencies.” Kimani says that they have also suggested a 116 hotline for trafficked individuals. This is a “child-friendly” line that has already been established in Mozambique and Zimbabwe and can provide support in vulnerable times.

This article was interesting to me. It’s so good to hear that the human trafficking problem is being recognized and addressed by some countries. I am glad that there are individuals and groups that will fight for these people’s freedom. I liked how the article included quotes to make it more credible. Also it did a good job of showing that trafficking is diverse and not limited to the sex trade or just to women and children. I wish the article had been more specific about certain things, such as which countries are included in “Eastern Africa,” but I still learned a lot from reading it.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/east/decapua-east-africa-trafficking-12oct10-104783624.html

Domestic Workers in Kuwait Face Horrible Injustices

Elizabeth Bainbridge

10-6-10

7:51 pm

The Human Rights Watch is in a frenzy about the domestic workers’ status in Kuwait. Due to flaws in the sponsorship system, migrant domestic workers who try to flee from abusive employers can be charged with “absconding” and deported from the country. These workers have often had paychecks withheld, been sexually or physically abused, or been overworked and starved. Still, by law they are not permitted to search for another job unless their current employer consents. While filing complaints is technically a possibility for domestic workers, it is so unrealistic that most don’t even try. The wait at an embassy shelter can last months, and many cannot afford to go without income for that length of time. And since labor laws don’t apply to domestic workers they often have trouble winning legal battles. Another factor that inhibits the process is that employers routinely steal and hide their employees’ passports, impeding their ability to leave the country at all. The sponsorship system is scheduled to be replaced with “a government-administered recruitment authority” in February of 2011. The system obviously needs reforming, but there are no guarantees that the situation will improve for migrant domestic workers. These people are in need of laws that will allow them to leave abusive employers, and search for other jobs without their current employer’s permission. The Human Rights Watch also believes that these workers should be given shelter and protection by the government rather than deportation.

The purpose of this article is to alert people to the awful human rights violation that domestic workers in Kuwait are facing. By thoroughly describing the injustices that are occurring, and providing some specific examples, I believe this article accomplishes its goal. The article is emotional and moving, but also logical and informational. Once again, I’m so shocked that things like this are really happening. The government obviously knows about it, but has made no concrete promises to intervene. I agree with the Human Rights Watch that workers shouldn’t have to go through such a horrible process, when they’ve already experienced so much injustice, and have no guarantees or protection. I hope that the new system they are implementing next year will resolve these horrible situations for domestic workers.

http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2010/10/kuwait-for-abused-domestic-workers.html

Human Rights Violations in Zimbabwe

Elizabeth Bainbridge

9-30-10

6:50 pm

In Zimbabwe a number of human rights violations have been recently reported as the public has engaged in helping to create a new constitution for the country. The president of Zimbabwe, Mr. Mugabe, and the Movement for Democratic Change entered into an agreement in 2008 that the country must have a new constitution before the elections this year. The supporters of the MDC have come under great persecution, however, as many of them have been threatened, abducted, and assaulted. In outreach meetings members of the MDC have even been arrested, and scores have been tampered with. One member was killed last week, putting a temporary stop to meetings in Harare. While the rate of violence has supposedly subsided since the unity Mugabe MDC government came to be, the recent talk of a new constitution has rekindled some negative sentiments. The main dispute seems to be over who will have more power- the ZANU-PFs routing for the president, while the MDC members want elected legislators to have more influence.

What is going on in Zimbabwe is definitely a cruel violation of human rights. Even in the heated passion on political change, human lives should be respected. The fact that a member of the MDC was killed is appalling. The article told about the injustices that the MDC members were facing, but didn’t mention any instances of abuse towards the ZANU-PFs. This made me wonder if the article was biased, or if the MDCs were the only victims in the situation. Either way, the article shed light on the horrible things that are going on as a result of this upcoming political change.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Constitution-Meetings-Spark-Human-Rights-Abuses-in-Zimbabwe-104010379.html

First Human Trafficking Charge in Manitoba

Elizabeth Bainbridge

9-24-10

11:31 am

This week Manitoba had its first human trafficking charge. A 38 year old woman, Teresa Peebles, was charged after she trafficked a 21 year old woman that had been living with her. Apparently, Peebles had met this young woman who was staying in an aboriginal woman’s shelter. She had convinced the woman to come and live at her home instead. Once the woman consented, however, Peebles took advantage of her in a terrible violation of human rights. After stealing from her, beating her, and trapping her in the house, Peebles “forced her to work as a sex trade worker” and kept all of her earnings for food and shelter. The police were alerted on Monday when they received complaints about a fight at her home. Peebles was arrested on Wednesday after investigation.

Human trafficking has been illegal in Canada since 2005. “The Criminal Code describes a trafficker in human beings as ‘a person (who) exploits another person if they cause the victim to provide labour or service for fear of their safety or the safety of someone known to them.’” More solutions to the problem of human trafficking are in the making. Joy Smith, Winnipeg MP, wants to prohibit the buying of sex at all in an effort to reduce cases like these. She is currently working on a national action plans and is full of ideas on how to end modern day slavery.

I’m so glad that efforts are being taken in Canada to crack down on human trafficking. Although the cases reported there are relatively few when compared to some other parts of the world, the government is not taking the issue lightly. I agree that human trafficking is one of the worst human rights violations, and that people should never close their eyes to it because it’s going on all over the world. I appreciated the details presented in the first article, and it seemed like they were presented in a straight-forward manner. The second article was also helpful, as it presented the story from a slightly different angle. The two did contradict each other in minor details, however, such as what day the police were called to Peebles’ home, but between the two I felt I had a fairly good grasp on what had happened.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/human-trafficking-count-laid-103697094.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/09/23/manitoba-human-trafficking-charge-winnipeg.html

Wintek Sweatshop in Taiwan

Elizabeth Bainbridge

9-14-10

9:28 pm

Migrant workers for Wintek in Taiwan that were formerly being grossly mistreated have recently experienced a pleasant change in working conditions. Although there are many injustices that occur in sweatshops, the problems of main concern at this one were the outrageous “placement” and “broker fees” that were being deducted from the workers’ meager incomes. Without any explanation, Wintek spontaneously changed this policy in March, and even reimbursed some laborers for hundreds of dollars that had been deducted from their paychecks. The workers also had their passports returned them, after Wintek had been holding them for “safekeeping.” While these workers have benefitted from some changes by the Wintek firm, there are many others working in sweatshops around the world that are experiencing horrible conditions and unfair treatment.

This article makes me think a lot. The concept of sweatshops has bothered me for a long time now, but recently I have been wondering what the solution is. If companies that have horrible sweatshops overseas are all boycotted, the people working there will lose the meager income that they do have, and thus be in an even worse predicament. But still, the absurd mistreatment of individuals working at these places must end. I am glad that Wintek has taken steps towards treating their workers better, and hope that other companies follow suit. I like that this article made it a point to recognize all the other sweatshops that are still in need of positive changes. While it praised Wintek for its efforts, this article didn’t hesitate to admit that sweatshops all over the world are still in need of some serious reform.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/china/100908/silicon-sweatshops-taiwan-labor-exploitation

Male Human Trafficking in Spain

Elizabeth Bainbridge

9-8-10

6:00 pm

This week in Spain, police broke up a human trafficking ring that was responsible for the import of male prostitutes into the country. Fourteen individuals, mostly Brazilian, were arrested on the island of Majorca. The traffickers had tricked sixty to eighty Brazilian men, in their twenties, to pledge a years worth of work as models, and night club dancers. While some of the men knew that their would be sex involved, others were unaware. Even for those who what their jobs would entail, they were unprepared for the deception that would occur. They were housed in apartments and over half of their wages were taken by landlords. Then the men were told that they owed a large sum to the trafficking networks, and their lives were threatened if their "debt" was not paid back.

This situation struck me as very unusual. Almost all human trafficking cases that I've heard about have involved vulnerable women, not men. I am still upset that such deception is occurring in the world, however. Even though some of the men had an idea of the kind of work they were getting themselves into, it was wrong for them to be deprived of the money that they were promised. Human trafficking is just modern day slavery, and there is nothing just about it. I'm glad that the Spanish police are making efforts to break up these human trafficking rings, and hope that they continue to have success.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/world/europe/01iht-spain.html

Sex Trade in Ivory Coast

Sex Trade in Ivory Coast

Elizabeth Bainbridge

9-1-10

9:16 pm

The Human Rights Watch has been keeping a close eye on the trafficking of Nigerian women in Ivory Coast. The situation has truly become a social problem as more women are being tricked into the sex trade through promises of a good job in another part of the country. In one village alone nearly 100 women have been lured by traffickers. These women are eager for money and e fall easily into the hands of pimps who force them into prostitution as soon as they arrived at their destination, far from home and stripped of their belongings. Although escape is made difficult when the madams take the women's IDs and travel cards, it’s further discouraged by threats made to the women's families back home should they try to flee. The shocked women are then forced to sleep with up to 30 men per night, for $2 a client, in order to pay off a supposed “debt” to the trafficker, which is usually around $4,000.

This situation in Ivory Coast makes me so angry. To me, it's one of the most blatant violations of human rights that could exist. These women are forced to have sex with men they don't know, and they don't even gain a profit from it. If they refuse, they are threatened and abused. To make matters worse, the girls that traffickers target can be as young as 15 years old. Obviously the issue has been publicized and the government needs to step in and try to find and punish traffickers. Another way the government could help is by encouraging education more. Women who are educated aren't desperate for the jobs that traffickers use to lure them away from their homes, and therefore are less gullible.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/west/Rights-Group-Calls-for-Crackdown-on-Trafficking-of-Nigerian-Women-in-Ivory-Coast--101652248.html