United Way: January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Jan. 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Human trafficking is a humanitarian crisis that is a form of modern-day slavery. Not only is human trafficking prevalent around the world, but also cases of human trafficking are reported in all 50 states.
Victims are trafficked for a variety of purposes, such as commercial sex, agricultural work, or other forms of labor. The face of human trafficking can be rich, poor, men, women, adults, children, foreign national or U.S. citizen. They are all generally vulnerable in some way, but all victims share the loss of a most cherished human right — freedom.
The Polaris Project hosts the national Human Trafficking Hotline and conducts extensive research on human trafficking. Their research shows there are 25 industries who utilize human trafficking in the United States. Human trafficking is a market-based economy that exists on principles of supply and demand. It is a high-profit enterprise with limited or low risks. It is illegal under international, federal and Michigan state law. The Federal Victims Protection Act of 2000 and Michigan Criminal Law 750 (2006 and revised in 2017), address underage minors and adults involved in all forms of human trafficking, affected by the use of force, fraud or coercion (i.e. manipulation by traffickers or perpetrators).
As a society, we are seeking better understanding of the nuances of trafficking. It is a power and control issue, similar to domestic violence and sexual assault. Because of the secretive, coercive nature of human trafficking, it is hard to find an exact figure of how many people are trafficked in the United States.
I have been a part of both the Monroe and Lenawee County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalitions, collectively for over 12 years. This is a subject dear to me, as dark as it is. You can help fight human trafficking by reading more about it, have a Monroe County Coalition member speak to your group, OR simply help mentor vulnerable youth in your sphere of influence. You also can donate to the Monroe County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition through the Community Foundation of Monroe County (cfmonroe.org or 734-242-1976).
The Monroe County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition (MCAHTC) works closely with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and their VIPER (Violent Internet Predator Exploitation Response) task force to combat human trafficking. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also has an excellent awareness campaign called the Blue Campaign (dhs.gov/blue-campaign). The Polaris Project is home to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888), and they have great information as well (polarisproject.org). There is also a very active Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force (mhttf.org). The Family Counseling and Shelter Services is also a good resource on violence against women issues: www.fcssmc.org or call 734-241-0180.
For more information about Human Trafficking or upcoming events, you can contact Mary Kapp at kapp.mary1@gmail.com or Laura Schultz Pipis at lpipis@unitedwayMLC.org or 734-242-1331. You can follow the MCAHTC Facebook page: facebook.com/MonroeAntiHumanTraffickingCoalition.
Please note that the United Way is hosting its 4th Racial Equity Challenge in a 21-week format challenge with weekly email prompts Jan. 16 (MLK Jr. Day) through June 19 (Juneteenth). The challenge is a self-guided learning journey designed to deepen participants’ understanding of, and willingness to confront, racism. Participants will engage in a series of readings, videos, podcasts, and daily reflections as part of the program. The challenge facilitates a way for participants to identify and commit to their actions to advance racial equity. Participants can register at unitedwayMLC.org beginning Jan. 9.
— Laura Schultz Pipis, executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee counties.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: United Way: January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month
