The Episcopal Church:

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• The Episcopal Church
• Taking Action to Stop Modern Slavery

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What is Human Trafficking?

• Trafficking in persons shall mean the
  recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring
  or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or
  use of force or other forms of coercion, of
  abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse
  of power or of a position of vulnerability or of
  the giving or receiving of payments or benefits
  to achieve the consent of a person having control
  over another person, for the purpose of
  exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a
  minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of
  others or other forms of sexual exploitation,
  forced labour or services, slavery or practices
  similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of
  organs
• United Nations Convention Against
  Transnational Organized Crime, Supplemental
  Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
  Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and
  Children
• Definition has three important parts
• Action
• Means
• Purpose

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What is Human Trafficking?

• The protocol also defines
• The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons
  to the intended exploitation set forth in
  subparagraph (a) of this article shall be
  irrelevant where any of the means set forth in
  subparagraph (a) have been used
• The recruitment, transportation, transfer,
  harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose
  of exploitation shall be considered trafficking
  in persons even if this does not involve any of
  the means set forth in subparagraph (a) of this
  article
• Child shall mean any person under eighteen
  years of age.

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U.S. Legal Definition

• Human Trafficking is defined as the
  recruitment, harboring, transportation,
  provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or
  services, through the use of force, fraud, or
  coercion, for the purpose of subjecting that
  person to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt
  bondage, or slavery.
• Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is
  induced by force, fraud, or coercion or in which
  the person induced to perform such an act is
  under 18, or
• Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of
  2000, United States federal law the definition
  below is of 'severe forms of trafficking in
  persons', for which there are criminal penalties
  in the United States

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Human Trafficking a tragic and urgent reality

• Trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery,
  involving victims who are forced, defrauded or
  coerced into labor or sexual exploitation.
  Annually, about 600,000 to 800,000 people --
  mostly women and children -- are trafficked
  across national borders which does not count
  millions trafficked within their own countries.
• Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat
  it deprives people of their human rights and
  freedoms, it is a global health risk, and it
  fuels the growth of organized crime.
• Human trafficking has a devastating impact on
  individual victims, who often suffer physical and
  emotional abuse, rape, threats against self and
  family, passport theft, and even death. But the
  impact of human trafficking goes beyond
  individual victims it undermines the safety and
  security of all nations it touches.
• According to U.S. Department of State estimates,
  approximately 14,500 --17,500 victims are
  trafficked into the United States annually.

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The Episcopal Churchs position on Human
Trafficking

• There are three resolutions of the General
  Convention in relation to Human Trafficking
• (2000-A057) Recognize Problem of and Support
  Efforts to Stop Trafficking of Women, Girls, and
  Boys
• bring attention of the domestic and international
  problem of trafficking in women, girls, and boys
  
• support non-violent efforts to stop this abuse,
  to protect the victims, and prosecute the
  perpetrators of this injustice.

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The Episcopal Churchs position on Human
Trafficking

• There are three resolutions of the General
  Convention in relation to Human Trafficking
• 2) (2003-A025) Recommend Funding for Resource
  Materials on Trafficking of Women and Children

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The Episcopal Churchs position on Human
Trafficking

• There are three resolutions of the General
  Convention in relation to Human Trafficking
• 3) (2003-D034) Condemn Sex Trafficking
• condemn domestic and international trafficking in
  all persons for sexual purposes as an affront to
  human dignity and human rights
• set up national and international plans of action
  to prepare an educational campaign on the topic
  of sex trafficking

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The Episcopal Churchs position on Human
Trafficking

• Dioceses Resolutions
• Iowa 155th Annual Convention resolved that each
  congregation work to educate its members about
  the reality of human trafficking
• Southwest Florida will present a resolution in
  October 2008 regarding Human Trafficking
• join the Florida Coalition Against Human
  Trafficking to embrace and support the arrest and
  prosecution of traffickers, and most importantly,
  to aid in the rescue of victims of human
  trafficking
• to assist with fundraising activities to provide
  financial support to the Florida Coalition
  Against Human Trafficking

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Working against Human TraffickingWhat
faith-based groups can do?

• Advocacy
• Education and Awareness
• Services and Assistance

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ADVOCACY

• National Level
• Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000
• TVPA was reauthorized in 2003 and 2005 and was
  supposed to be reauthorized in 2007/2008 calendar
  year.
• Currently there are two bills in Congress HR
  1887, introduced (October 2007) by Rep. Tom
  Lantos and passed by the House of Representatives
  in December 2007 S. 3061, introduced by Sen.
  Joseph Biden (May 22, 2008).
• State Level
• Around 30 State Legislations have passed laws
  against Human Trafficking.

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ADVOCACY What can you do?

• Communicating to Members of Congress and the
  Administration
• Meeting with Members of Congress and the
  Administration
• Use Media to Spread the Word!
• 1.Writing a Letter-to-the-Editor or Op-Ed
• 2. Planning an Event

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EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

• Efforts of The Episcopal Church
• 10,000 packets of educational material were
  distributed.
• The packets contained brochures, a poster, a
  card with referral information and a reference
  card for professionals on how to identify and
  help victims of human trafficking. The package
  also included a DVD produced by the US Department
  of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Atlanta Georgia Diocese of Atlantas Episcopal
  Campus Ministry at GSU and Georgia Tech
  organized a forum on Sex slave trafficking on
  January 24, 2008
• Florida Diocese of Southwest Florida educational
  program

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EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

• Spreading the word
• Organize workshops, information campaigns, a
  forum, a roundtable, etc.
• Write an article in the local newsletter,
  bulletin or magazine of your church, or
  organization.

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SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE

• Direct assistance to victims of human trafficking
  to provide protection and reintegration of
  victims.
• There are many ways churches and faith based
  organizations can provide assistance direct
  assistance (food, shelter, etc), assisting
  victims to reintegrate (finding a place to live,
  a job, etc.) moral support, helping to
  reintegrate to the community, etc.
• Find allies and partners in your area contact
  local organizations in your area, contact local
  authorities, etc.

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SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE

• Diocese in Southwest Florida has been working
  with the Florida Coalition Against Human
  Trafficking and The Salvation Army in a case
  involving 50 foreign workers from the
  Philippines.
• Diocese of Pittsburg provided assistance to the
  integration of victims of Human Trafficking from
  Thailand (request from County Human Resources),
  helping victims to find a place to live, to pay
  the rent until they are able to find a job, and
  putting them in touch with the Thai community in
  the area

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WORKING TOGETHER TO ELIMINATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING
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