When thinking about the future of human trafficking some important things need to happen in order for people to rise above being aware of the issue and what it entails into becoming active in its resolution. A good tactic to want people to bridge into the active group would be to expose them to real life accounts of victims of trafficking and their tales of what they went through. Anyone can read something and feel some empathy towards a cause but if you put a victim in front of them it will evoke a greater need to help. The need for more legitimate opportunities for those in high trafficking areas is also necessary to put a dent in trafficking totals. Although stated in a previous post, enacting more laws and creating harsher punishments for offenders can also go a long way.
As far as awareness is concerned, pamphlets, programs and word of mouth are never going to not be beneficial to the cause. However, bringing forth real accounts and making this epidemic more personal will take it above and beyond. It is important to put a face on the crime and give people an opportunity to see the real effects that is has, not just news captions and words on pages. The same goes for organizations that need donations to help prevent trafficking. People are more apt to give money to a cause knowing exactly what it will go towards than if it is a mystery. An organization was started in Nepal that has trafficking victims and other disadvantage women making eco-friendly handbags, all the women are given fair wages and working conditions for their services, and each bag comes with a leaflet that describes where the proceeds of each bag goes to and how it helps their community. This organization is a perfect example of a mutually beneficial association giving women a chance to hold steady employment while providing prevention measures for their community.
If more impoverished countries were able to provide steady and legal employment to their residents, more specifically women, than they would not be put into a situation to be easily coerced into a trafficked life or turn to sex tourisms which is just as sad. While this is probably the best suitable solution to help prevent trafficking in persons it is also the most difficult to come by due to the economic status in so many of the countries involved in these operations. Increasing the amount of eco-tourists for countries could be a solution. Eco-tourism romanticizes the idea of people traveling to remote locations just to be in awe of the natural beauty that some countries have to offer. It creates revenue for the hosting country and provides people with a better understanding of different places and cultures. If eco-tourism was more prevalent it could provide all sorts of work opportunities for local residents, such as being tour guides and trip organizers for tourists. The New York Times website has a whole section on eco-tourism and the wondrous places people can visit, many of which are affected by trafficking.
The last recommendation of course is to strengthen the laws that are already in place regarding human trafficking. It is pertinent to make both state and federal laws equal to set a firm example that violating an individual’s personal rights in such a foul manner is not to be tolerated or excusable. The implementation of new laws could be a further deterrent to those who are just getting involved in these schemes if they see that an example is being made of offenders. The obvious quality that all these suggestions have in common is that change needs to occur in order for people to not become victims. Without change, regardless of which way it is done, this vicious cycle will just continue and expand.
Kloer, Amanda. "Top 10 Predictions for Human Trafficking in 2010." Change.org News. Dec. 2009. Web. May 2012. <http://news.change.org/stories/top-10-predictions-for-human-trafficking-in-2010>.
“Human Trafficking Survivors Eco-Lifestyle Handbags | B2B Marketplace." Human Trafficking Survivors Eco-Lifestyle Handbags | B2B Marketplace. Mar. 2009. Web. May 2012. <http://www.noblivity.com/blog/2009/03/human-trafficking-survivors-eco-lifestyle- handbags/>.
Merg, Mike. "Ecotourism: What Is Ecotourism?" Ecotourism: What Is Ecotourism? Jan. 2007. Web. May 2012. <http://www.untamedpath.com/Ecotourism/what_is_ecotourism.html>.
