July 19, 2010. The International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA) has designated CAST as its 2010 recipient of the Outstanding Resources Award.

IVCLA’s Executive Director Janet Elliott, states, “CAST has been an outstanding resource for many of the international emerging leaders IVCLA provides programming for each year.”

IVCLA works to initiate dialogue between emerging leaders from around the world and Los Angeles area businesses and non-profits. In the past eighteen months, CAST has met with delegates, including government employees, NGO representatives, attorneys, police officers, and social workers, from fourteen countries across north Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Elliott says, “CAST’s dedication to identifying trafficking survivors, mobilizing the community to identify and advocate against the problem, and providing direct service to victims is outstanding. [CAST’s] willingness to meet and discuss [its] work with professionals from around the world who are also fighting against trafficking exemplifies the Citizens Diploma principles of IVCLA.”

The award will be presented to CAST at IVCLA’s Citizen Diplomacy Celebration, October 21, 2010, at the Western Justice Center in Pasadena.

“CAST is honored to be considered IVCLA’s 2010 Outstanding Resource,” says CAST Executive Director Kay Buck. “The award exemplifies the necessity of international cooperation and conversation in combating trafficking and slavery in all its forms, and providing services to survivors of these heinous crimes. Only when we lock arms around the world, as concerned private citizens, communities, businesses, and governments, can we end slavery—this time for good.”

Since its inception in 1998, CAST has worked with individuals and groups across Los Angeles, the nation, and the world, to combat slavery and rescue survivors. In recent years, CAST has broadened its coalition into Mexico, where it works with local government and non-government organizations to increase awareness and prevention services. CAST’s co-sponsored state senate bill, SB 657, which seeks to eliminate products tainted by slavery from California’s supply chains, has passed the California Assembly Judiciary Committee, and will be voted on by the State Assembly later this summer.

Below are links to new materials and resources for CAST's Supply Chain advocacy work in California.

• CAST Supply Chain Fact Sheet: CAST Supply Chain fact sheet.pdf
• Action Alert on SB 657 to send to your Assembly Member: Assembly Floor Alert SB 657
• Action Alert on SB 1231 to send to your Assembly Member: Assembly Floor Alert SB 1231
• Sample email to send to your Assembly Member: Sample email
• Sample phone script to use when calling your CA Assembly Member: Sample script
• To look up the name and contact information of your representatives in the CA Legislature: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Bill Passes State Assembly Judiciary Committee that Will Help Eliminate Slavery in California’s Supply Chains

On June 29th, CAST Survivor Advisory Caucus member, Flor Molina, testified at a hearing in Sacramento regarding the CALIFORNIA TRANSPARENCY IN SUPPLY CHAINS ACT OF 2010 (SB 657-Steinberg), a proposed law that will require big manufacturing and retail businesses in California to disclose their efforts to ensure that slavery and forced labor are not used in their supply chains.

Flor was trafficked into the United States and forced to work in a sweatshop, sewing dresses that were sold in top departments stores across the state. She was locked inside the sweatshop and forced to work in deplorable conditions for over 18 hours a day. She was told that if she tried to escape, her family would pay. Flor was finally able to escape and found help from a community based organization called the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), who referred her to the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), where she received legal and social services, including shelter.

The proposed legislation is authored by Senator Darrell Steinberg and co-sponsored by CAST , the Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking (ASSET) and the Consumer Federation of California. The Bill simply asks large manufacturers and retailers doing business in California to disclose their efforts on combating slavery and forced labor in their goods they produce and sell. Transparency of their efforts will allow consumers and even other businesses and investors, to make a more informed decision about with whom they do business. SB 657 will enhance projects such as Chain Store Reaction, which has consumers ask companies to disclose their policies on a voluntary basis.

Earlier this year, the Senate version of the bill was passed and it is expected that the recently amended version of the bill will be debated on the Assembly Floor in early August. The bill passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee after the hearing on June 29th where Flor, Kay Buck, CAST Executive Director and Julia Ormond, founder of ASSET providing testimony.

Kay Buck, CAST’s Executive Director says this is the perfect opportunity for all people who care about eradicating slavery by reducing the demand for slave made products to “make your voices heard in demanding to know that your dollars are not inadvertently supporting the heinous practice of forced labor and human trafficking.” She encourages everyone to contact their Assembly Member before the end of July, asking for their “AYE” vote on SB 657. Information needed to contact your Assembly Member, and details about the bill can be found on the CAST website’s main page: www.castla.org.

For survivors like Flor, this bill is very significant. In her testimony, she said “I know that from my experience that even one person can make a difference. If companies post what they do to stop slavery, people will understand that they can buy from these companies and that will help stop the demand for these products.”

“We inadvertently sanction and promote these crimes at home and abroad through the purchase of tainted goods and products,” Steinberg said. “By giving consumers the power of information they can leverage their purchasing decisions to encourage retailers and manufacturers to keep their supply chain free of trafficking and slavery.”

For more information about the bill, and how you can get involved, visit CAST’s website www.castla.org  or send  an email to supplychain@castla.org

Let your Assembly Members know that passage of this bill is an important step toward eliminating the scourge of slavery; forced labor and abuse exist in our supply chains. Click here to look up your California Assembly Member’s contact info: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Click here to read more

SB 657 would provide this information by requiring large manufacturers and retailers with $100 million or more in annual gross receipts in California to post to what extent they make certain basic efforts on forced labor and human trafficking.  The questions asked are simple.  They include whether or not a company has their suppliers self-certify compliance with state and federal laws regarding slavery.  Do they encourage employees and management to be trained on slavery and trafficking?  Do they conduct unannounced audits of suppliers?

These very simple questions will provide transparency as to the company’s practices so that consumers can decide for themselves with whom they want to do business.   This practice will also benefit companies that are struggling to do the right thing while competing against companies that are unfairly and illegally using slave labor.

SB 657 is good for:

Help us stop the demand for slave made goods and eradicate modern day slavery at its source.

Visit  http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html  to look up the name and contact information of your representatives in the CA Legislature.

Click here for sample email to send to your Assembly Member:  sample email

Click here for a sample phone script to use when calling your CA Assembly Member: Sample call in script

Click here to download CAST's Supply Chain Fact Sheet: CAST Supply Chain fact sheet.pdf

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world, generating over $36 billion in profits to traffickers annually according to some estimates.  Victims of trafficking in the United States include children and adults trapped in forced labor situations and in prostitution, with little hope of escape. 

Unfortunately, the problem of human trafficking and slavery is growing.  Living in California, one is particularly aware of the problem as California, due to our geographic location, ports, diverse population and economic base, has the unfortunate distinction of being a hub for slavery and human trafficking.  In fact, Los Angeles is one of the top three points of entry into this country for victims.  We have a high volume of people brought here from other countries in addition to those already living here who are victimized and exploited.

Please take action to help increase funding for human trafficking survivors by calling the following California Senator and Congressmen on the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Committee. Talking points are provided below. Take this action prior to April 25, 2010.

Senator Dianne Feinstein: Phone: 202-224-3841

Congressman Adamn Schiff: Phone:  202-225-4176

Congressman Michael Honda: Phone 202-225-2631

Talking Points:

Thank you for your strong support to end human trafficking and slavery in the FY 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.  Your support provided $12.5 million to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for grants for programs to end human trafficking and slavery, $5.3 million in funding for the Human Trafficking and Slavery Prosecution Unit.  I/we am/are asking for again for your help.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world, generating over $36 billion in profits to traffickers annually according to some estimates.  Victims of trafficking in the United States include children and adults trapped in forced labor situations and in prostitution, with little hope of escape. 

Unfortunately, the problem of human trafficking and slavery is growing.  Living in California, one is particularly aware of the problem as California, due to our geographic location, ports, diverse population and economic base, has the unfortunate distinction of being a hub for slavery and human trafficking.  In fact, Los Angeles is one of the top three points of entry into this country for victims.  We have a high volume of people brought here from other countries in addition to those already living here who are victimized and exploited.

These victims often experience severe trauma that requires intensive therapy and rehabilitation. In addition, human trafficking and slavery criminal cases are often complicated and require lengthy legal proceedings.  These cases require significant resources including comprehensive care provided by victim service organizations to support them through their recovery and help them navigate the legal system.  While there is extensive work in California by government entities, nongovernment entities (NGOs) and partnerships of government, NGOs, coalitions and private citizens, these good works needs to be supported and augmented.

As an individual/organization committed to ending slavery and human trafficking by protecting the victims of human trafficking and modern day slavery and prosecuting human trafficking, I/we urge you to:

- Support $15 million for Victims of Trafficking Grants with no less than $6.7 million for foreign nationals.
- Include report language requiring the Department of Justice to establish a point of contact in each U.S. Attorney Office to better coordinate human trafficking and slavery efforts in each jurisdiction
 - Include report language for FBI victim witness coordinators.
 - Support $5.3 million in funding for the Human Trafficking and Slavery Prosecution Units.
-  Support $15 million to the FBI for investigations in to trafficking.

Thank you for your past support and consideration of these requests and your continued leadership in fighting human trafficking and slavery. If you have any questions on these issues, please contact Stephanie Richard at the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) based in Los Angeles at 213.365.1906.

If you would like to take further action you can also visit change.org to sign on to a petition to support additional funding for trafficking survivors. Please click here for the link
 Thanks for your support!

For Immediate Release           Contact: Robert Cogswell
rcogswell@csjorange.org
(714) 633-8121 ext. 7773

Religious Congregations and Agencies to Convene on Human Trafficking Issues
Symposium 2010: Human Trafficking: the PRICE we pay…

Los Angeles, CA – In a Presidential Proclamation on January 4, 2010, President Obama declared, “Fighting modern slavery and human trafficking is a shared responsibility. This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, we can and must end this most serious, ongoing criminal civil rights violation.”  For the full text visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-proclamation-national-slavery-and-human-trafficking-prevention-month. 

Slavery conjures images of the U.S. Civil War-era, yet modern day slavery exists today in greater numbers than the mid-19th century, often right under our noses.  It’s estimated that 27 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking.  Such an outrageous crime against humanity only exists because traffickers rely on people looking in another direction.  You can help bring an end to human trafficking by learning more about it and shining a light in the hidden places where traffickers operate.  A human trafficking educational opportunity is available on February 27 in the heart of Los Angeles.

On Saturday, February 27, 2010, eighteen religious congregations and agencies will gather at Mount St. Mary’s Doheny Campus for a symposium on “Human Trafficking: the PRICE we pay...”  Keynote speaker E. Benjamin Skinner, author of A Crime So Monstrous: Face to Face with Modern Day Slavery, will be joined by workshop leaders on topics including: children and human trafficking, economic causes and effects of human trafficking, modern day slavery and its costs to the millennium development goals, impact on families and communities locally and around the globe, and more.  The public is welcome.  For questions, brochures with detailed topic and speaker information, or to sign up, contact Zonia Duenas at the RSHM Provincial Center at 323-887-8821 ext. 220.

The annual symposium is sponsored by the Southern California Partnership for Global Justice, a coalition of religious congregations and agencies committed to raising awareness and creating action on global, social justice issues.  Members include: 
 Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Human Trafficking
 Daughters of Charity, West Province
 Daughters of Mary and Joseph
 Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose
 Immaculate Heart Community
 Office of Justice and Peace, Archdiocese of L.A.
 Pax Christi Los Angeles
 Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary
 Religious Sisters of Charity
 Sisters of Notre Dame
 Sisters of the Holy Family
 Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary
 Sisters of Providence
 Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
 Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange
 Sisters of St. Louis
 Sisters of Social Service
 Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus
 

AT A GLANCE
Symposium 2010 - Human Trafficking: the PRICE we pay…

Date:    Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time:   8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location:  Mount St. Mary’s College – Doheny Campus
10 Chester Place, Los Angeles, CA 90007-2598

Keynote Address: “Human Trafficking: the PRICE we pay…” 
E. Benjamin Skinner
Author of A Crime So Monstrous: Face to Face with Modern Day Slavery 
  
Workshop Speakers: (1) “Modern Day Slavery and Its Costs to the Millennium Development Goals”
Sister Rita Arthur, RSHM, United Nations NGO Representative 
   
(2) “Slavery: Its Devastating Impact on Families and Communities Here and Around the World”
Kay Buck, Executive Director of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST)  
   
(3) “Human Trafficking – The Environment as Another Victim”
Allis Druffel, Chair of the Los Angeles Archdiocese Justice and Peace Commission 
   
(4) “Economic Causes and Effects of Human Trafficking”
Dr. Amata Miller, IHM, Professor of Economics and Social Justice
St. Catherine University (St. Paul, MN) and Marygrove College (Detroit, MI)  

(5) “Children and Human Trafficking”   
Sandie Morgan, Administrator, Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force
   
(6) “Redeeming Humanity”
Heather Moore, MSW, Consultant for agencies in developing programs and service provision for women, youth and survivors of violence
   
(7) “Where is the Moral Outrage?  Human Trafficking and the Moral Fabric of Society”
Dr. Jonathan Rothchild, Assistant Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University

Schedule:  8:30 a.m. Registration begins
   9:00  Welcome, Overview, Reflection
   9:10  Keynote Address: E. Benjamin Skinner
   10:00  Survivors tell stories
   10:20  Break
   10:40  Workshop Session I
   11:30  Moving Break
   11:40  Workshop Session II
   12:30 p.m. Lunch
   1:00  Round Table Discussions with Presenters
1:45   Panel Discussion
   2:45   Closing

Logistics:
 Bring bag lunch
 Drinks provided
 Campus cafeteria will be open
 Carpooling is encouraged
 Questions or Financial Assistance, please contact Sister Mary or Zonia at
323-887-8821 ext 220.

To Register:
 $10 before Feb. 5, 2010
 $15 after Feb. 6, 2010
 Walk-ins are welcome at $15 rate if space is available.

Click here for the registration form

Checks can be made payable to RSHM.  Please mail registration to:
RSHM Provincial Center
Attn: Symposium 2010
441 N. Garfield Avenue
Montebello, CA 90640

Please click on the link for articles and video.

Part 1 Slavery in America

Part 2 Slavery in America

NUMBERS
• Worldwide, nearly 12.3 million people (equivalent to one-third of California’s population) are working in some form of forced labor worldwide, according to the International Labor Organization.

California is positioned to impact the supply chains of products associated with slavery and trafficking.
• California imported nearly $200 billion in merchandise from abroad in the first three quarters of 2009 alone—nearly 18 percent of all imports into the United States.
• California’s wholesale trade sales in 2002 were more than $655 billion, retail sales totaled $359 billion, and accommodation and food services totaled more than $55 billion.

 See the new route stadium to sea!

You can click on the youtube interview and a tour of the art installation.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114328601

Supporters of the anti-trafficking movement will be showing up in droves—over 300 people are set to show up at the stadium, brandishing Stop Human Trafficking T-shirts. Lend your voice and presence, and join this team! You can purchase discounted tickets, and get your T-shirt here: http://www.sharedhope.org/what/events.asp

Read their press release below:

WASHINGTON, July 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/

Shared Hope International will release a groundbreaking report on child sex trafficking in the United States at the Congressional Human Trafficking Briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by the Human Trafficking Caucus and Victims' Rights Caucus led by Congressman Poe (TX) and Congressman Smith (NJ), long-time advocates for victims protections. Former Congresswoman Linda Smith (1994-98), Founder of Shared Hope International, will open a panel discussion on the findings of more than four years of research in America. Shared Hope International's National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, America's Prostituted Children highlights the harsh reality that hundreds of thousands of American children are victimized through sex trafficking in the United States driven by the demand for the commercial sex acts they perform. A child sex trafficking victim who is purchased for sex by 5 different men per night, 5 nights per week for an average of 5 years would have been raped by 6,000 buyers during her victimization through prostitution. Many of these child rapists are never charged or prosecuted while the young victims' lives are destroyed.

"The horror is that our children are victimized twice—first by the prostitution and then by the broken system that treats them like criminals while the buyers are given a slap on the wrist, if anything at all. What kind of message is this sending?" asked Founder and President of Shared Hope International, Linda Smith.

Ambassador Louis C. de Baca of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of State will present findings from the 2009 TIP Report and panelists from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Criminal Division will discuss domestic child sex trafficking, followed by an NGO panel led by Congresswoman Linda Smith and highlighting Ernie Allen, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

"From our investigative research gathered from 11 cities across the nation, we've found so many victims of domestic minor sex trafficking that are misidentified, and labeled as prostitutes. They are sold every day, every night in every city in America," said Smith. Watch human rights surveillance video instantly here: http://www.sharedhope.org/what/dmst.asp.

What: Congressional Human Trafficking Briefing

Where: Capitol Hill, Rayburn Room 2226

Washington, D.C.

When: Tuesday, July 21, 2009

10:00 a.m. - Noon

About Shared Hope International

For more than a decade, Shared Hope International (SHI) has worked around the world partnering with local groups to prevent trafficking and to rescue and restore the victims of sexual slavery. Shared Hope International's DEMAND. project was a 12-month investigation which focused on commercial sexual exploitation in four countries, including the United States. With funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), SHI conducted field assessments on child sex trafficking in 10 U.S. locations. Visit www.sharedhope.org.

SOURCE Shared Hope International

For more information, go here.

Or, call the National Human Trafficking REsource Center at 1.888.3737.888

The ACLU reported the publication of this pamphlet on their Blog of Rights, saying:

The pamphlet, whose creation and dissemination is mandated by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA), enacted last December, is to be distributed to temporary visa holders before they leave their home countries. It will be available in 11 languages and will be distributed by every U.S. Embassy and Consulate throughout the world.

The pamphlet provides workers information about their legal rights regarding pay, discrimination, sexual harassment, health and safety, unions and collective bargaining, leaving an abusive employment situation, and employer retaliation. Domestic workers employed by diplomats are specifically advised that they have the right to an employment contract describing their work duties, work hours, days off, and pay and that their diplomat employers may not confiscate their passports or other personal property. The pamphlet also describes warning signs of human trafficking, explains how to get help, and addresses concerns about deportation.

Download the pamphlet here or here.

Last November, this issue made headlines, when a Falls Church, VA area man named Soripada Lubis was arrested and charged with “conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants.” Anti-human trafficking experts soon made it clear, that what Lubis engaged in was human trafficking—virtually imprisoning around 20 domestic servants over seven years, charging them with arbitrary debt, confiscating their passports, threatening the lives of their families, and in some cases, sexually assaulting them.

The Washington Examiner revisited this story today with an article titled “Prosecutors say wealthy residents used slave labor.

The Examiner reported that the court was presented with a list of Lubis’ 50 clients, who utilized the services of the domestic workers he harbored. The list included “a high-profile Washington attorney, multiple doctors—among them a high-ranking doctor at a Maryland hospital—and an engineer who invented an electric backup system for houses that use well water.”

None of these wealthy clients who, consciously or not, used slave labor, have been charged with crimes. But, the Examiner writes, “prosecutors had tough words” for them: “‘The various employers are also participants… They knew or were willfully blind to the fact that the victims were illegal aliens and that Lubis harbored them.’”

Read more about this case here.

If you suspect that someone you have contact with is a victim of human trafficking, call:

National hotline: 888.3737.888

Los Angeles Metro Taskforce: 800.655.4096

The Senate Bill was authored by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mate). Assembly Appropriations Committee will now consider the bill.

Read California Chronicle's article on this case here.

For years, chocolate companies have known about abusive child labor in the cocoa industry in West Africa. As a result of the constant pressure, major chocolate companies like M&M/Mars and Cadbury have recently agreed to stronger labor and environmental standards in the production of the cocoa they use. But one iconic US brand is lagging behind—and they need to hear from YOU today!

Call Hershey at:

1.800.468.1714, option "0" Back-up number: 717.534.4200

Suggested calling script:

"Hi, my name is ___ and I’m calling from ___. I am a huge fan of [insert your favorite HERSHEY candy here]*. I’m calling today to ask Hershey to become a leader in sustainable cocoa production by purchasing Fair Trade Certified cocoa for your candy bars. With a label from an independent third party certifier, consumers have a way of knowing that Hershey is working to respect farmers and the environment, and end abusive child labor in the cocoa industry. Fair Trade is the only label that gives farmers a fair price for their cocoa beans so they can support their families and escape poverty. Thank you for your time!"

Click here for more info.

Following her presentation of the 9th Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote an op-ed piece for the Washington Post. Clinton says the economic crisis may be fueling an increase in incidences of human trafficking, and stresses that modern day slavery must be challenged with "a comprehensive approach that both brings down criminals and cares for victims."

Clinton's article is here:

The Washington Post

Partnering Against Trafficking

By Hillary Rodham Clinton

Twenty-year-old Oxana Rantchev left her home in Russia in 2001 for what she believed was a job as a translator in Cyprus. A few days later, she was found dead after attempting to escape the traffickers who tried to force her into prostitution.

Oxana's story is the story of modern slavery. Around the world, millions of people are living in bondage. They labor in fields and factories under threat of violence if they try to escape. They work in homes for families that keep them virtually imprisoned. They are forced to work as prostitutes or to beg in the streets. Women, men and children of all ages are often held far from home with no money, no connections and no way to ask for help. They discover too late that they've entered a trap of forced labor, sexual exploitation and brutal violence. The United Nations estimates that at least 12 million people worldwide are victims of trafficking. Because they often live and work out of sight, that number is almost certainly too low. More than half of all victims of forced labor are women and girls, compelled into servitude as domestics or sweatshop workers or, like Oxana, forced into prostitution. They face not only the loss of their freedom but also sexual assaults and physical abuses.

To some, human trafficking may seem like a problem limited to other parts of the world. In fact, it occurs in every country, including the United States, and we have a responsibility to fight it just as others do. The destructive effects of trafficking have an impact on all of us. Trafficking weakens legitimate economies, breaks up families, fuels violence, threatens public health and safety, and shreds the social fabric that is necessary for progress. It undermines our long-term efforts to promote peace and prosperity worldwide. And it is an affront to our values and our commitment to human rights.

The Obama administration views the fight against human trafficking, at home and abroad, as an important priority on our foreign policy agenda. The United States funds 140 anti-trafficking programs in nearly 70 countries, as well as 42 domestic task forces that bring state and local authorities together with nongovernmental organizations to combat trafficking. But there is so much more to do.

The problem is particularly urgent now, as local economies around the world reel from the global financial crisis. People are increasingly desperate for the chance to support their families, making them more susceptible to the tricks of ruthless criminals. Economic pressure means more incentive for unscrupulous bosses to squeeze everything they can from vulnerable workers and fewer resources for the organizations and governments trying to stop them.

The State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, released this week, documents the scope of this challenge in every country. The report underscores the need to address the root causes of human trafficking -- including poverty, lax law enforcement and the exploitation of women -- and their devastating effects on its victims and their families.

Since 2000, more than half of all countries have enacted laws prohibiting all forms of human trafficking. New partnerships between law enforcement and nongovernmental organizations, including women's shelters and immigrants' rights groups, have led to thousands of prosecutions, as well as assistance for many victims.

The 2009 report highlights progress that several countries have made to intensify the fight against human trafficking. In Cyprus, where Oxana Rantchev was trafficked and killed, the government has taken new steps to protect victims. Another example is Costa Rica, long a hub for commercial sex trafficking. This year, it passed an anti-trafficking law; trained nearly 1,000 police, immigration agents and health workers to respond to trafficking; launched a national awareness campaign; and improved efforts to identify and care for victims. This progress is encouraging. Much of it is the result of the hard work of local activists such as Mariliana Morales Berrios, who founded the Rahab Foundation in Costa Rica in 1997 and has helped thousands of trafficking survivors rebuild their lives. Advocates such as Mariliana help spur change from the bottom up that encourages governments to make needed reforms from the top down.

We must build on this work. When I began advocating against trafficking in the 1990s, I saw firsthand what happens to its victims. In Thailand, I held 12-year-olds who had been trafficked and were dying of AIDS. In Eastern Europe, I shared the tears of women who wondered whether they'd ever see their relatives again. The challenge of trafficking demands a comprehensive approach that both brings down criminals and cares for victims. To our strategy of prosecution, protection and prevention, it's time to add a fourth P: partnerships.

The criminal networks that enslave millions of people cross borders and span continents. Our response must do the same. The United States is committed to building partnerships with governments and organizations around the world, to finding new and more effective ways to take on the scourge of human trafficking. We want to support our partners in their efforts and find ways to improve our own.

Human trafficking flourishes in the shadows and demands attention, commitment and passion from all of us. We are determined to build on our past success and advance progress in the weeks, months and years ahead. Together, we must hold a light to every corner of the globe and help build a world in which no one is enslaved.

Click here to download.

Clinton followed the presentation with an op-ed piece in the Washington Post, in which she highlighted the U.S.'s culpability in modern day slavery. She wrote: "To some, human trafficking may seem like a problem limited to other parts of the world. In fact, it occurs in every country, including the United States, and we have a responsibility to fight it just as others do."

Click here to download the report.

Click here to read the Ms. Magazine Spring 2009 Story "String Attached" (Article written by CAST)
http://www.msmagazine.com/spring2009/StringsAttached.asp

DOWNLOAD THE STORY: Enslaved in Suburbia_LA Weekly (PDF)

DOWNLOAD THE STORY: HiddeninPlainSight (PDF)

DOWNLOAD THE ARTICLE: Esclavos del siglo XXI_La Opinion (PDF)