This is not typically a dinner conversation I like to have but I do so badly want to talk about it. Sex trafficking, sex tourism, and prostitution is terrible, on going, and a topic that is often out of sight and essentially out of mind. I personally have never been a victim or known any. But I've seen it. My family is from Amsterdam and a majority of my family still lives there. I have been so fortunate to have been able to visit there often and seen the beauty this city has to offer. But, at night Amsterdam is a sex tourist attraction and I can't stand it. This has always been something I saw but never talked about. Until I watched a PBS documentary, 'Half the Sky' filmed in India, with my mom. This documentary caught my attention about sex trafficking in India and realized it's everywhere and I want to do something about it.
Although I agree that this isn't exactly a popular dinner conversation, I think it is so important for people to know about it! People travel to places like Amsterdam all the time and they see how beautiful it is, but they have no idea that things like sex trafficking are happening behind the scenes. My blog discusses tuberculosis in Africa and I think we have a lot in common! Like your connection to sex trafficking, I also am not a victim of my issue and I don't know anyone who is. I think that even though we don't have personal connections to our topics there is still so much we can contribute to their cures!
I found an agency that deals mainly with national human trafficking, but has recently decided to expand their impact on a global scale. In 2012, the Polaris Project launched a new approach called Vision 2020 and I definitely think you should look into it!
This was their introduction to Vision 2020:
"As we begin to realize this vision, we are building on our experience operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) hotline in the United States by connecting with diverse organizations and professionals working on human trafficking around the world. Our plan is to map, connect, and support human trafficking hotlines globally in order to develop a more coordinated and data-driven response to modern-day slavery."
Your blog is great! I will enjoy reading your posts!