Page 11 - Presbyterian Connection – Spring 2021

Connection
JUSTICE
Human Trafficking is Modern-Day Slavery
presbyterian.ca
SPRING 2021
PRESBYTERIAN
11
This article is drawn from the interim report of the International Affairs Committee to the 2020 General Assembly and draws attention to human trafficking. The report is online at presbyterian.ca/ga2020
In a February 2019 legal case that made national headlines, police in Simcoe County, Ont., rescued 49 Mexican migrant workers from a Bar- rie house who were being exploited by a cleaning company. Police repor ted an operation that brought men from Mexico with promises of work visas, education or permanent residency. In- stead, the men were housed in squal- id conditions and forced to work as cleaners in Collingwood, Innisfil, Oro- Medonte and Cornwall. The traffickers charged the men fees for accommo- dation and food, making their situation extremely dependent on those who were exploiting them.
Human trafficking, described by the United Nations as modern-day slavery, is the coerced exploitation of a human being for the profit of the perpetrators. Those who are ex- ploited are not compensated fairly and are frequently forced to live un- der the control of their captor. Traf-
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One way to talk about these is- sues has been helpfully provided by For the Love of Creation. For the Love of Creation is a national ini- tiative that brings together churches (the PCC among them) and other faith organizations or groups that are raising conversations and or- ganizing advocacy around issues of ecological and climate justice. The initiative has several working groups that are engaged in produc- ing resources and advocacy. One par ticular grouping of resources the initiative has produced is tool kits for having conversations about climate change in different contexts, among people with different levels of com- fort and familiarity talking about it.
ficking can occur within a country or across international borders. Some of the forms of trafficking in Canada include forced labour in agricultural, construction or domestic work and sexual exploitation. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that in 2017 some 40 million people were trafficked, with 25 million peo- ple in forced labour situations. The ILO states that 1.2 million trafficking victims are children. Canadian po- lice services reported 1,708 human trafficking incidences between 2009 and 2018. Estimates on the number of people in Canada in modern slav- ery conditions range from 6,000 to 17,000. Statistics Canada reports that 28% of all trafficking victims in Canada are children. The extent of these crimes is difficult to determine because of its hidden nature and the fear or inability of victims to come forward to law enforcement agencies or to seek other support.
A large part of the problem is that human traffickers target people who lack social and economic security and support. Vulnerable people in- clude migrant workers or new im- migrants, people who struggle with mental illness or addictions, people
As I am writing, there are three conversation tool kits already avail- able. The first kit, called “Creation, Climate and You” is aimed at help- ing people who are not used to talk- ing about climate change in a group setting, or may be uncomfor table doing so and are looking to begin. The second, “From Concern to Ac- tion” is more aimed at those who have some familiarity with the topic but are unsure how best to engage or what to do now. The third guide, “Building a Better Future” is aimed at facilitating conversations where people are already involved in cli- mate change actions and want to do more; it is focused on “enacting political and systemic change to ad-
who are street-involved, children in the care of social services, and peo- ple with disabilities.
The targeting of Indigenous girls and women for violence, including sex trafficking, is examined in the fi- nal report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. It is a harrowing, and yet essential, demasking of the connection between systemic rac- ism and human trafficking that bru- talizes girls and women. Indigenous people make up 4% of the country’s population, but more than half of all sex trafficking victims in Canada are Indigenous.
The impacts of COVID-19 have further exacerbated conditions for vulnerable people. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime notes: “The in- creased levels of domestic violence reported in many countries is a wor- rying indicator for the living condi- tions of many trafficking victims... In an environment where priorities and actions are geared toward limit- ing the spread of the virus, it is easier for traffickers to hide their operations, making victims increasingly vulnera- ble.” Technology that has connected families and communities in a time
dress the climate emergency.” These resources and others that will be posted later, such as a guide for exploring theology and climate justice, are available at for theloveof- creation.ca. There is also a letter there that the initiative penned to the government, calling for actions such as fur ther reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, or work toward a “just transition” to a fair, inclusive and green economy. The PCC has our own collection of letters the church has written to the govern- ment on a range of issues, including climate change. Those letters can
be found at presbyterian.ca/letters. No matter your familiarity with talking about climate change or
when physical distancing is not only needed, but mandated, has also been used by human traffickers to host the sale of illegal images of trafficked persons and enabled users to pay money to abuse victims at a distance by logging onto live webcam web- sites and directing sex acts by those on view.
One essential part of combating human trafficking is to address the needs of trafficked victims for such things as food, shelter, education, employment and personal safety. The Government of Manitoba committed $10 million a year to fund Tracia’s Trust, named in memory of 14-year- old Tracia Owen, an Indigenous girl who was sexually exploited. Tracia’s Trust supports victims of online ex- ploitation and trafficking, and at-risk youth.
What else can we do? We can ask questions about the products and services we use. The CBC’s Market- place investigated allegations of hu- man rights abuses in overseas facto- ries producing PPE that are imported into Canada and used by Canadians, highlighting the need for watchful- ness of our supply chains, even dur- ing the pandemic.
knowing how to work together with others to mitigate it, there are re- sources available to help you. The need to act, and to act well, is vital; we need to work from love, to pro- tect and safeguard the creation God called very good. We also need to act for the future of our children, and those generations yet to come— here, and all over the world.
For more information on some of the ways in which climate change is affecting the world, see “Climate Change and Food Security” on page 31.
As a society, we can seek to ad- dress systemic injustices such as poverty, racism, barriers to access- ing education and health services, and economic insecurity. Addressing these injustices will reduce the vul- nerability of people who are targeted for human trafficking.
The Canadian Human Trafficking hotline runs 24-hours a day: 1-833- 900-1010 and serves to connect survivors and victims with local sup- port services in communities across Canada. Learn more about child trafficking from UNICEF at unicef. ca/en/child-trafficking. Learn about the Palermo Protocols (international agreements outlining ways to pre- vent, suppress and penalize human and other forms of trafficking) and the Government of Canada’s Na- tional Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking. The Canadian Council of Churches’ Commission on Justice and Peace produced a study guide, Human Trafficking in Canada: A Lead- ership and Learning Kit for Churches, available at councilofchurches.ca. The Women’s Missionary Society has a social justice study with a section on human trafficking at wmspcc.ca/ wms-study (Social Justice Study 2).
Through Presbyterians Sharing we collaborate with ecumenical and interfaith partners to advocate for environmental care, peace and human rights.