The History of Human Trafficking
The timeline of human trafficking is long. For as long as humans have existed, human trafficking has existed.
Courtesy of Becky Giovagnoni and Amber Van Schooneveld, The Exodus Road
Human trafficking is commonly referred to as “modern-day slavery.” While the words slavery and human trafficking are frequently used interchangeably, “slavery” has a more general definition. Merriam-Webster.com defines slavery simply as “the state of a person who is held in forced servitude.”
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines human trafficking as the act of gathering, moving, receiving, or keeping human beings by threat, force, coercion, or deception, for exploitative purposes.
For much of human history, across cultures and continents, slavery was legal, regulated, and common. It was often perpetrated by one people group onto another. However, in the 19th and 20th centuries, an international movement began to abolish slavery in all its forms. Our understanding of and fight against human trafficking have grown out of these movements.
Slavery is no longer legal anywhere in the world, but human trafficking still occurs in every country. Here’s a brief history of human trafficking, including a timeline of events in the United States and internationally that have shaped our understanding of human trafficking and the fight against it.
Sound of Freedom, based on the incredible true story, shines a light on even the darkest of places. After rescuing a young boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent learns the boy’s sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson discusses the new film “Sound of Freedom,” with star Jim Caviezel and real life inspiration Tim Ballard. The film details Ballard’s work as a Special Agent to fight against sex trafficking and the child sex trade. They go into depth on the psychology of pedophilia, the nature of good and evil, and how a steady faith in God has guided all three.
Tim Ballard is the founder and CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), which locates and rescues endangered children victimized by sex trafficking rings. Previously, he accrued a decade of experience as a Special Agent in the Dept. of Homeland Security, working as an undercover op for the U.S. Child Sex Tourism Jump Team.
Judge calls Jeffrey Epstein 'most infamous pedophile in American history' as he releases transcripts
Courtesy of Terry Spencer, Associated Press
Epstein in 2018 was charged with federal sex trafficking crimes in New York — where he also had a mansion that was a scene of abuse — after the Miami Herald published a series of articles that renewed public attention on the case, including interviews with some victims who had been pursuing civil lawsuits against him. Epstein was 66 when he killed himself in a New York City jail cell in August 2019, federal officials say.
“For almost 20 years, the story of how Jeffrey Epstein victimized some of Palm Beach County’s most vulnerable has been the subject of much anger and has at times diminished the public’s perception of the criminal justice system,” Delgado wrote.
“Epstein is indeed notorious and infamous and is widely reported to have flaunted his wealth while cavorting with politicians, billionaires, and even British Royalty," he continued. "It is understandable that given those reports the public has a great curiosity about what was widely reported by news (agencies) as 'special treatment’ regarding his prosecution.”
By now we’ve all read / absorbed the details of Julian Assange’s incarceration and release. The reasons behind this relentless persection - and threats of assassination - go far beyond exposing US Secret Service information.
Julian Assange is Free But at What Cost?
Courtesy of Rand Paul Review
Assange let us know that Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta, was running a ring of pedophilia using the code word “pizza” to describe disgusting acts with children, detailed in 20,000 emails between Hillary Clinton, Podesta, and others.
The following articles are courtesy of Western Standard News. The paywall applies to all articles, including op-ed pieces.
Free access is provided for two articles before readers are required to register an account; thereafter another three articles are free before the subscription requirement comes into effect. Truth in independent journalism comes with a price: $10 / month.
Calgary woman rescued from sex trade, perpetrator charged with human trafficking
Reginald Kwame Boakye
Boakye is accused of targeting young women and vulnerable newcomers to Canada, luring them into the sex trade through manipulation, grooming, and coercion.
Alberta government to spend $4 million on human trafficking office
“In Alberta, good and decent people are fighting the stain of human trafficking,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at a Friday press conference.
“It is a sick trade run by sick individuals for sick ends.”
Smith said people cannot afford to close their eyes to the problem and ignore those who are at risk or are being trafficked.
The Alberta government will be spending $22 million over the next three years to implement the recommendations of its human trafficking task force.
While the Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons needs to exist, Smith said it should be unnecessary. Until that time, she said it will bring together survivors and community partners such as social service providers and indigenous organizations which are best positioned to get people out of trafficking.
She said the Alberta government’s goal is to create a hybrid model across the province, “disrupting and dissolving trafficking networks while helping survivors to rebuild.”
Nation-wide FBI sweep rescues 200 sex-trafficked victims, including children
An FBI-led sex trafficking operation in July rescued 200 victims, 59 of them children. The two-week Operation Cross Country XIII also located another 59 “actively” missing minors.
It is unknown if anyone was looking for or had given up trying to find the 59 children found trapped in a wicked snare of sexual abuse and exploitation. Chances are some were sold by their own parents or relatives. As disturbing as that may be, it happens. Don’t blame it all on gangs, pimps and parasites peddling human beings to perverts for profit.
The joint operation with state and local officials identified and arrested 126 people suspected of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking and 68 suspected traffickers, said the FBI in a press release.
There has been a recent explosion of awareness thanks to the film Sound of Freedom that shines a glaring spotlight on the global $150 to 200 billion human trafficking — sex, labour and organ harvesting — industry.
What does the FBI operation have to do with Canada? It’s but a snapshot of the work that must be done to save the vulnerable from an underground industry here that’s increasingly pushing the boundaries of depravity.
The insatiable appetite for profit and personal consumption is finding younger and younger victims. But no matter what age, the pain and fear of all wounded, abused victims is profound.
Paul Brandt: The truth about human trafficking — it’s real
Courtesy of The Calgary Herald
Paul Brandt is a Multi-Platinum recording artist, Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member, philanthropist, and 21-year serial entrepreneur in music. He is the most awarded male Canadian country music artist in history. Brandt is the past-chair of the premier-appointed Alberta Human Trafficking Task Force and was one of the two primary writers of the report The Reading Stone, recently submitted to the Government of Alberta with 19 recommendations to better address and suppress human trafficking in Alberta and Canada. Eighteen were approved with the 19th under review, and $24 million has been committed to addressing trafficking in Alberta in response to the task force recommendations.
There’s been a lot of buzz about human trafficking recently.
The blockbuster movie The Sound of Freedom has defied box office expectations.
Last Friday, #NotInMyCity, Native Counselling Services of Alberta and REACH Edmonton were selected and announced by the Alberta government as community partner leads in the creation and setup of the new Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
You’ll find many voices and opinions about what human trafficking really is and what it looks like — whether it’s real or a conspiracy theory.
But it is real. I’ve met victims and survivors, both in Canada and overseas, from five years old up to senior citizens whose lives have been affected by this crime.
When I founded #NotInMyCity six years ago, our team discovered what many experts across North America confirm — not many people know about or understand this predominantly “hidden” crime.
Human trafficking can be difficult to see at first, but once you know what to look for, you realize it’s a lot more common than you think.
Trafficking looks different in different parts of the world, but it is always an outcome of vulnerability.
We shouldn’t discount anyone’s experience of how they were trafficked simply because it might not look that way in Canada. That would be disrespectful to that person’s experience. Their experience is relevant and gives us insight into how traffickers operate within our communities, and what we can do to stand up for victims and survivors.
Human trafficking is too important a topic to let someone else form your opinion about it.
It can seem confusing at first, but dig in. Imagine that you’re learning about trafficking to benefit one of your children, or grandchildren, or someone you know.
It is a $150-billion-per-year industry globally. There are more modern-day slaves in the world than ever in human history.
Ninety-three per cent of human trafficking victims in Canada are Canadian. There were 552 reported incidents in this country in 2021, 47 of them in Alberta.
The average age of first being trafficked in Canada is between 13 and 14 years old, though evidence of even younger ages exist. The greatest risk factor to being trafficked is simply being a girl.
Certain groups of people are more affected by trafficking. In Canada, Indigenous people make up a small amount of Canada’s population, but have high numbers of human trafficking victims. New Canadians are also at high risk in Canada.
Human trafficking can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, culture or socioeconomic status.
The issue has shame, stigma and confusion swirling all around it. Traffickers like it that way — when people don’t learn the truth about trafficking — because it’s good for their business. They make an average of $280,800 per victim per year in Canada.
Without demand for trafficking victims and the activities they are forced to do, it wouldn’t happen.
This is a lot of information and it can seem overwhelming, but there is hope. There is something you can do about it.
We hope you’ll become a #NotInMyCity ally, and keep up to date with our partners and the activities of the Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
At #NotInMyCity, we’re thankful that this issue is being prioritized by government, front-line and private industry leaders in Alberta. There is a lot of work to do, but we are moving in the right direction.
I hope you’ll take the time to learn the truth about trafficking. A great place to start is our e-learning course at www.notinmycity.ca.
It only takes about 20 minutes, it’s free, and it will give you the tools to help make Canada a safer, freer, trafficking-free country.