Fighting Human Trafficking

Understanding Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery: A Guide for Rotarians

Modern slavery is not a relic of the past; it is a brutal reality that exists in every corner of the globe, including our own backyards. As Rotarians, our commitment to “Service Above Self” calls us to confront this profound violation of human rights. To effectively fight this, we must first understand the depth of the shadows we are stepping into.

What is Modern Slavery?

Modern slavery is an umbrella term for several forms of exploitation where a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power. It manifests as:

  • Human Trafficking: According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), human trafficking is a crime involving the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person to provide labor, services, or commercial sex acts. It is considered modern-day slavery and can occur in any community, regardless of the victim’s age, race, gender, or nationality. The key components according to DHS include:
    • Force, Fraud, or Coercion: Traffickers use these methods to control and exploit victims, including psychological coercion, violence, threats, or deceptive employment offers.
    • No Movement Required: A person does not need to be transported or moved across borders to be considered a victim of trafficking.
    • Distinction from Smuggling: Unlike human smuggling, which involves illegal entry into a country, trafficking focuses on the exploitation of a person
  • Minors and Sex Trafficking: Any person under 18 engaged in a commercial sex act is considered a victim of human trafficking, regardless of whether force, fraud, or coercion was used.
  • Commercial Sex or Labor: The exploitation aims to make money through forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking.
  • Debt Bondage: When individuals are forced to work to pay off a debt that they can never truly settle.
  • Exploitation of Vulnerability: Situations involving extreme hunger, neglect, and abuse.

The Scope: Hidden in Plain Sight

The scale of this crisis is often invisible to the untrained eye. It is estimated that tens of millions of people are currently trapped in modern slavery worldwide. This is not just a “faraway problem”—human trafficking occurs within the purview of our own community or business operations. It can be found in agriculture, construction, domestic work, and the hospitality industry.

The Impact: On Victims and Communities

The toll of human trafficking is measured in the loss of freedom and dignity.

  • For Victims: It inflicts lasting pain and suffering through physical abuse and psychological trauma. Victims are often deprived of basic needs, facing severe hunger and neglect.
  • For Communities: Slavery destabilizes local economies by undercutting fair labor markets. It breeds corruption and drains the social fabric of our neighborhoods, as traffickers exploit the most vulnerable among us.

The Challenges of the Fight

  1. Invisible Indicators: Traffickers are experts at hiding their crimes. Without specific training to identify indicators, most people—including business leaders—simply do not see the signs.
  2. Complexity of Supply Chains: In a globalized world, it is difficult to ensure that every product we buy or service we use is free from forced labor.
  3. Vulnerability: Poverty, lack of education, and social isolation create “soft targets” for traffickers.
  4. Lack of Awareness: Many people still believe slavery ended in the 19th century, leading to a lack of resources and political will to address the modern iteration.
  5. The Normalization of Exploitation: Perhaps the most difficult challenge is that many victims do not realize they are being trafficked. Children, in particular, often lack the vocabulary to describe their experience. As one student shared after a presentation, “I didn’t know there was a word for it. I thought that’s just what families did.” When exploitation is all a child knows, they cannot seek help for a situation they believe is normal.

Our Commitment: The District 7570 Pledge

Rotary District 7570 recognizes that we play a pivotal role in this fight. We have pledged to partner with the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) to educate, equip, and empower every member of our District to stand against these crimes. By appointing dedicated RAGAS Ambassadors, we are moving beyond awareness and into providing direct information and support to clubs.

We believe that living with freedom and dignity is a right afforded to every individual. Through this pledge, made on December 8, 2024, we commit to hosting speakers on modern slavery at appropriate District events such as PETS, District Conferences, and District assemblies and supporting the rights of any victim within our communities.

Download District 7570 Pledge

Transcript.

Rotary District 7570

DISTRICT 7570 PLEDGES TO FIGHT MODERN SLAVERY/HUMAN TRAFFICKING

WE, acknowledge that human trafficking and modern slavery are crimes against human rights and that we, as Rotary District 7570 leaders, and leaders in our Rotary Clubs, play a pivotal role in the fight against human trafficking, and we will prohibit human trafficking in any form in all activities under our control.

WE WILL commit to partner with the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) to educate, equip and empower Rotarians in our District to fight against modern Slavery/Human Trafficking;

WE WILL encourage clubs in District 7570 to engage in projects to protect all victims from hunger, neglect, abuse, and all forms of exploitation and modern-day slavery, pursuant to Rotary International Resolution 21R28.

WE WILL educate our District’s club members, to identify indicators of modern slavery/human trafficking.

WE WILL appoint a Rotary Action Group Against Slavery Ambassador to work as a liaison with RAGAS and our District to elevate awareness and provide information and support to clubs.

WE WILL commit to hosting speakers on modern slavery and human trafficking at appropriate District events such as PETS, District Conferences and District assemblies;

WE WILL strive to support and defend the rights of any victim of human trafficking that occurs within the purview of our community or business operations.

Therefore, District 7570 MAKES THIS PLEDGE on December 8, 2024 in the belief that living with freedom and dignity is a right afforded to every individual, and that no person should endure the pain and suffering inflicted at the hands of traffickers and our District will do everything possible to engage its members.

Bret Hrbek DG 2024-25
Charlotte Whitted, DG 2026-27
Andrew Vanhook, DG 2025-26