Human trafficking is a global problem that impacts communities in the United States. The document discusses efforts to raise awareness and support victims of human trafficking. It profiles Mira Sorvino's advocacy work on this issue and highlights resources for the public to get involved in addressing human trafficking through education, reporting suspicious activity, and supporting organizations that help victims.

1. www.CASTLA.org
Workinginpar��ershipwiththepeopleweser�e
to ensure this generation of victims IS OUR LAST.
Human Trafficking
An Independent Supplement by Mediaplanet to Los Angeles Times
JANUARY 2016 IMPACTINGOURFUTURE.COM
Mira Sorvino
magnifies the
conversation
around this silent,
social injustice.
ONLINE
Will Los Angeles get ahead
of its illegal traffickers?
INSIDE
How to increase public
awareness in your community

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By Emily Pasnak-Lapchick,
U.S. Fund for UNICEF
10
Hard Truths
1Human trafficking doesn’t only
happenabroad.Humantraffick-
ing has been reported in all 50 U.S.
states, with particularly high rates
in California, Texas, Florida and
NewYork.TheU.S.isconsideredone
of the top destinations for human
traffickingvictimsintheworld.
2Children are trafficked every-
where. Globally, UNICEF esti-
mates that 5.5 million children are
victims of trafficking.
3Human trafficking is not just
sex trafficking.Sixty-eight per-
cent of trafficking victims globally
are in forced labor and exploited in
agriculture, construction, domes-
tic work and more.
4Trafficking people doesn’t
require movement across
borders. People can be trafficked
within their own state and even on
the street they grew up on.
5Human trafficking is a busi-
ness. Human trafficking ope-
rates on principles of supply and
demand. The demand for com-
mercial sex and cheap labor puts
children throughout the world at
risk of becoming the supply. An
extremely profitable industry, it
generates $150 billion dollars in
yearly profits.
6We’re all connected to human
trafficking. The coffee, wine
and tea we drink, the food we eat,
the cotton we wear and the bricks
in our buildings may all be pro-
ducts that are harvested or produ-
ced by victims of trafficking.
7Anyonecanbetrafficked.Regard-
less of class, education, gender
or age, anyone can be vulnerable
when forcefully coerced or lured by
false promises. Boys and men make
up 45 percent of victims, globally.
8Runaway and homeless youth
are extremely vulnerable.
Some groups estimate that 1 in 3
young people is solicited for sex
within 48 hours of running away
or becoming homeless in the U.S.
9There’s a hotline in the U.S.
to report human trafficking.
Call the National Human Traffick-
ing Hotline (888-373-7888) or text
233733 (BeFree) to report suspici-
ous activity.
10You can help end traf-
ficking. Learn the signs
to recognize potential victims in
your community. Write to your
representativesaboutlegislationto
protect children in the United Sta-
tes. Be a conscious consumer and
choose products that were made
without slave or child labor. n
A Marathon
To End Human
Trafficking.
2016
ENSURE
JUSTICEC O N F E R E N C E
MARCH 4-5, 2016
VANGUARD UNIVERSITY
GLOBAL CENTER FOR WOMEN AND JUSTICE
www.altruvistas.com
Transforming Communities through
Sustainable Philanthropic Travel
ALLIES AGAINST TRAFFICKING
Who’s vulnerable, where and why? Learn the essentials and
be better prepared to make a difference.
IN THIS ISSUE
2 IMPACTINGOURFUTURE.COM MEDIAPLANET
History’s Lessons
If we are to truly end
today’s form of slavery,
we must take a closer
look at the brave efforts
that succeeded in the
past. P5
Coping with Crisis
Humanitarian leaders
consider every aspect
of the illicit underworld of
forced labor, including
how you figure into the
solution. P6
The Road Back
Read the harrowing account
of a rescued sex trade
survivor, T Ortiz Walker
Pettigrew, now reclaiming
her lost years by protecting
those of at-risk youth.
READ MORE ON IMPACTINGOURFUTURE.COM

4. frequently import workers who are
keptasdebtbondageslaves,givenno
freedom or money and may be phy-
sicllyorpsychologicallyabused.
Ahumanevoice
Since 2009, Sorvino has been a Uni-
ted Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNDOC) GoodwillAmbassa-
dor to Combat Human Trafficking.
Also a participant in the Blue Heart
campaign, a global awareness and
action program to fight Human
Trafficking, she’s met with the
Pope, too, addressing the Vatican
interfaithmeetingtoendslavery.
“Everywhere I go I interview
survivors, aid workers, members
of the government, police, NGO’s
Mira Sorvino:
A “Heart Wrenching” Struggle
the LA-based Coalition to Abolish
Slavery and Trafficking (CAST).
“Prostitution breeds sex trafficking.
Thepracticecreatesamarketwhere
traffickers can sell their victims,
eitherunder-agedoradult.”
Calling LA a “hub of sex traffick-
ing,” Sorvino says the area is also
known for labor trafficking, especi-
ally with agricultural workers and
domestic labor. Wealthy families
“I was staggered. I had naively
thought that slavery was a thing of
the past,” she says,explaining after
meeting with two survivors, “my
heart was forever changed—my
eyes forever opened.”
Fromthatmomenton,sheconti-
nues,“I became committed to figh-
ting this atrocity with my heart,
body and soul.” Sorvino notes
how 30 million people around the
world—women, men and child-
ren—are slaves, more than at any
other point in recorded history.
Local significance
“It is not happening only in some
far away country; it is happening
here,” says Sorvino, who supports
F
ans know Academy
Award-winner Mira
Sorvinoforhermovies.
But the “Mighty Aph-
rodite” actress has
another role she’s passionate about.
“This is the other side of me,”
says Sorvino, whose latest film,
“Exposed” premiered in January.
Finding a cause
Sorvino has always been interested
in tackling injustice.At Harvard,her
undergraduatethesiswasconcerned
withracialconflict;she’salsoworked
withAmnesty International as their
Stop Violence Against Women Cam-
paign spokesperson, where she first
learnedabouthumantrafficking.
It is not happening
only in some far
away country; it is
happening here.
Help Us End Child Trafficking in 2016!
For information visit us at innocentsatrisk.org
1101 30th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 202.625.4338 | Fax: 202.625.4363 | e-mail: dsigmund@innocentsatrisk.org
4 | IMPACTINGOURFUTURE.COM | INSPIRATION
By Kristen Castillo

5. and even a trafficker, to deepen
my knowledge base for advocacy,”
explains Sorvino. She wants the
worldtoknoweverypersonaffected
by human trafficking is important.
Protecting kids
Sorvino is also a part of CNN’s
Freedom Project documentaries
on ending modern day slavery,
including one called “Every Day in
Cambodia,” where she met young
trafficking victims. “The victimi-
zed children have been some of the
most heart-wrenching,” says Sor-
vino, a married mother of four. “It
turnsmystomachandfuelsthefire
to make me do more.”
In the U.S. and internationally the
actressadvocatesforSafeHarborlaws,
which decriminalize child victims
of human trafficking and overturn
convictions. “It proposes a real para-
digm shift for law enforcement and
the court system to see these people
as crime victims,” she says, noting
that’s one way to help victims reco-
ver and reintegrate into society. n
A WIDE RANGE OF ROLES
Mira Sorvino shares a moment with children
from the child protection and development
center in Pattaya, Thailand. PHOTO: THE UNITED
NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME
freedomcenter.org
SLAVERY EXISTS TODAY1849 2016
LEARN THE LESSONS OF THE PAST
CHANGE THE FUTURE
Photo credit: Kay Chernush
for the U.S. State Department
MEDIAPLANET | 5
Despite the triumphant prose of ourAmerican history books,slavery didn’t end 150years ago.
Today,slavery takes many forms and an estimated 20.9 million people around theworld continue
to struggle for freedom from domestic servitude,sex trafficking,forced labor,bonded labor,child
labor and forced marriage.
Fighting on multiple fronts
Yet, as forms of slavery evolve, so do the imaginations of those fighting for freedom.The need
for abolition continues beyond the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. Courageous
freedom fighters continue to march alongside the enslaved,working to rescue and end
exploitation.Their innovation and cooperation yield the victories—big and small—we celebrate
today, as we work to make freedom a reality.
Hand in hand with these hands-on activists are those harnessing the power of awareness
to educate the broader public about the silent injustices happening at home and abroad. For
instance there is Invisible, the world’s first museum-quality, permanent exhibition on the
subjects of modern-day slavery and human trafficking; it explores the causes of slavery, the
economic forces that have contributed to its growth, and the response of government, the
justice system and the general public to this scourge.Additionally, the online resource End
Slavery Now illustrates the many ways everyday individuals can get involved in the fight, from
volunteer opportunities to resource sharing to curating different opportunities to take action.
We all have a role in ending slavery.
By Clarence G. Newsome, President, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
To End Slavery Today, We Must Understand Our Past
IN THE KNOW

6. are in prison. Amy received the
supportsheneededtogetcleanand
is pursuing a graduate degree.
Traffickers use force, fraud or
coerciontopreyonthemostvulne-
rable among us.Human trafficking
takes on many forms, including
forced labor, domestic servitude
and,as inAmy’s case,the sex trade.
Some victims are U.S. citizens,
while others are brought here from
overseas.
How to help
Some victims seek help on their
own, while others may be fearful
of law enforcement or retribution
fromtheirtraffickers.Therefore,an
engagedandinformedpublicisour
MEDIAPLANET6 | IMPACTINGOURFUTURE.COM | INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
Who Is to Blame, and Who Can Help?
Combating Human Trafficking, Together
Basicphysiologicalneeds,
suchasfood,shelterand
clothingarecrucial.Long-
termneedsincludeeducation,job
training,self-sufficiencyandin
somecasesfamilyreunification.
Medicalcareisanongoingneedand
mentalhealthtreatmentiscritical,
asitcanbeamajorreasonwhya
survivorcannotstabilizebeyond
immediateneeds.
Victims can be trafficked through
job brokers,fake employment
agencies,social media or by
word of mouth.Some are sold
into slavery by their families or
abducted.Over the last twoyears
at CAST,nearly 70 percent of our
clientswere trafficked by someone
they knew or trusted.
Just as victims of human
trafficking come from different
backgrounds, the buyers are
also from various walks of life.
They can be men or women. It’s
important to remember that
buyers are not just found in the
sex industry, but that people are
bought and sold for forced labor.
Humantraffickingisanunder
reportedhumanrightsviolation
andcrime.Youcangoonlineto
learnmore,volunteer,support
legislativeactionandinvestinthe
ongoingneedsofsurvivors.Youcan
alsoanonymouslyreportsuspicious
activityto1-888-539-2373;alltips
arepassedtotheRegionalTask
ForceoperatedbyCASTandtheL.A.
Sheriff’sDepartment.
Survivorsrequireawide
rangeofcare.Immediate
needsincludemedical
services,legalassistanceandsafe
andwelcominghousing.Long-
termneedsincludetherapy,family
counseling,childcare,affordable
housing,education,vocational
training,substanceabuse
treatment,legalservicesandmore.
Traffickers often use manipulation
tactics to lurevictims into a life
of exploitation,butwe have also
seen traffickers use aggressive
tactics like kidnapping.You don’t
necessarily need a trafficker to
be trafficked.Someyouth are
exploited by adultswho provide
them basic necessities like food in
exchange for sex.
That’s often difficult to know
because it relies on buyers
admitting they sexually assaulted
an underage girl or boy.What
we do know is that thousands of
children are bought and sold for
sex in this country.Without the
demand from buyers, there would
be no child sex trade.
People often refer to child sex
trafficking as “child prostitution”
and view victims as criminals.
The fact is there’s no such thing
as a child prostitute, because
children cannot consent.We need
the public to urge media and law
enforcement to recognize this
issue for what it is: child rape.
Yasmin Vafa
Executive Director, Human
Rights Project for Girls
Kay Buck
Chief Executive Officer,
Coalition to Abolish Slavery
& Trafficking (CAST)
Whataretheimmediateand
long-termneedsoftrafficking
victimsandsurvivors?
In what ways do traffickers
obtain their victims?
What portion of the
population is participating as
a “John” or buyer?
What actions can the public
take to combat trafficking?
By Maria Odom, Chair, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security
Blue Campaign, Citizenship and
Immigration Services Ombudsman
Human trafficking is often a
hidden crime.Yet while every
case of human trafficking is
different,they are all deeply
troubling forms of modern
day slavery.
“Amy” was a star athlete and honor
student at her high school in Allen-
town, Pennsylvania. But shortly
after graduation, Amy and three
otherwomenweretraffickedbytwo
brutalmenwhoforcedthemtohave
sexwithmenagainsttheirwill.
Being saved
Amy was exploited for her
addiction to heroin, and she was
often beaten, raped and even tased
into submission. She was eventu-
ally arrested for what looked like
prostitution.
But theAllentown Police Depart-
ment arresting officer had been
trained to recognize the signs of
human trafficking. Amy was iden-
tified as a human trafficking vic-
tim, and she and the other women
were rescued. Now, the traffickers
greatestassetincombatinghuman
trafficking.
Know what to look for. Learn the
indicators of human trafficking.
Knowhowtoreportsuspectedcases.
Raise your voice. Find tools and
resources from the Blue Campaign,
to increase public awareness of
human trafficking inyour commu-
nity. With the help of an educated
and alert nation, we can rescue
individuals like Amy from the
hands of traffickers and end this
terrible crime. n
To report suspected
human trafficking to federal
law enforcement, call:
1-866-DHS-2-ICE
or submit a tip online at
ice.gov/tips
To get help from the National
Human Trafficking Resource
Center, call: 1-888-373-7888
or text HELP or INFO to
BeFree (233733)
SPEAK UP
Traffickers use force,
fraud or coercion
to prey on the most
vulnerable among us.
Human trafficking, for forced labor or child prostitution, has become a silent epidemic in the U.S., and in particular,
California.Two leaders of the growing effort to curb this disturbing trend speak up to illustrate the cycle creating the crisis.

7. CAN YOUCAN YOUCAN YOU
SEEHIM?SEEHIM?SEEHIM?It’s time to open our eyes. Victims of forced labor, domestic
servitude, and the sex trade have been invisible, until now.
RECOGNIZE
DHS.GOV/BLUECAMPAIGN
For victim
support call 1-888-373-7888 Text INFO or HELP
to BeFree (233733)
TO REPORT SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING CALLTO REPORT SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING CALLTO REPORT SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING CALLTO REPORT SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING CALLTO REPORT SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING CALLTO REPORT SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING CALL
1-866-347-2423111---866866866---DHSDHSDHS---222---ICEICEICE

8. Thank you, Mira Sorvino, for your
commitment to amplifying the voices
of human trafficking survivors &
helping CAST continue to meet
the growing & changing
needs of survivors &
their families.
Thank you, Mira Sorvino, for your
commitment to amplifying the voices
of human trafficking survivors &
helping CAST continue to meet
the growing & changing
needs of survivors &
their families.
www.CASTLA.org