As we face the Coronavirus pandemic, we must keep in mind that those who were vulnerable in the best of times suffer disproportionately in response. The International Human Trafficking Institute is offering a host of online training modules to continue to battle the sin of human trafficking.

Justice and Peace Ministries is also available to offer online presentations to your parish, school or community group. Please contact Kat Doyle to schedule a presentation.

Many people conflate human trafficking with human smuggling. In truth, they are very different crimes. Human smuggling is the illegal movement of someone across the border. Human trafficking is the illegal exploitation of a person – it is based on exploitation, not transportation. Human trafficking is a highly profitable crime and a violation of human rights.

Sex trafficking victims are manipulated or forced against their will to engage in sex acts for money. Sex traffickers might use violence, threats, manipulation, or the promise of love and affection to lure victims. Truck stops, hotel rooms, rest areas, street corners, clubs, private residences are just some of the places where victims are forced to sell sex. Any person under the age of 18 involved in a commercial sex act is considered a victim of human trafficking. No exemptions.

Forced labor takes on many forms. And it happens here in the U.S. and overseas. Through force, fraud, or coercion victims are made to work for little or no pay. Very often these victims are forced to manufacture or grow the products that we use and consume every day. Victims of forced labor can be found in factories on farms, doing construction work, and more. Victims of domestic servitude are hidden in plain sight, forced to work in homes across the United States. Their traffickers sometimes take their identification, papers, and travel documents in order to limit their freedom. They are prisoners working as nannies, maids, or domestic help. Every year in the United States, thousands of human trafficking cases are reported but many more go unnoticed.

The mission of Justice and Peace Ministries is to educate and empower the faithful of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Working with partner organizations like International Human Trafficking Institute and Street Grace, we seek to provide the faithful with the knowledge they need to see the signs of human trafficking and what actions they can take to stop it.

If you would like to offer this training in your parish, school, or community, contact Kat Doyle, Director of Justice and Peace Ministries, at kdoyle@archatl.com or 404-920-7897. We also offer presenter training, including a PowerPoint and script to follow, to anyone who would like to go out and offer the presentation themselves.