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Human Trafficking Cascade Training For Youth Leaders In Mexico
- 1. project proposal: HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASCADE TRAINING FOR YOUTH LEADERS IN MEXICO EDUC 205.61 International Experiences Tiffany Min
- 5. Major Forms Child Sex Tourism http://www.renewamerica.us/images/columns/060721kralis.jpg Child Soldiers http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/human/image/p_survey.jpg Commercial Sex http://lh3.ggpht.com/zr5asian/RkpzTSUjO8I/AAAAAAAAGqQ/lKqeto4h5OE/s800/trafficking_07.jpg Forced Labor http://lh3.ggpht.com/zr5asian/RkpzTSUjO8I/AAAAAAAAGqQ/lKqeto4h5OE/s800/trafficking_07.jpg
- 6. HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN MEXICO “ On this trip, I’ve had sex with a 14-year-old girl in Mexico…I’m helping them financially. If they don’t have sex with me, they may not have enough food. If someone has a problem with me doing this, let UNICEF feed them.” – Retired U.S. Schoolteacher
- 8. Statistics 0 convictions 5 states with anti- trafficking laws $200,000 weekly bribe to officials $45,000 cost for an illegally adopted child 21,000 Central American prostitutes 20,000 children in sex industry 2 country tier ranking
- 10. PROJECT PROPOSAL: HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASCADE TRAINING FOR YOUTH LEADERS
- 11. Main Elements Multi-Sectoral Youth Leaders Cascade Nationwide
- 14. SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION MATERIALS: Wallet Card
- 15. SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION MATERIALS: Wallet Card
- 16. SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION MATERIALS: Magazine
- 17. SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION MATERIALS: Mini-Flyer
- 18. SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION MATERIALS: Poster
- 19. Outcomes Retention 7 Dispel Confusion 6 Government Pressure 5 Economical 4 Prevention 3 Wide Reach 2 Significant ROI 1
Editor's Notes
- 15-20min Based on my research in Mexico, instead of writing a paper, due to the general lack of information and awareness of human trafficking I decided to create a project proposal instead, which resulted in the creation of a loose framework for a human trafficking cascade training targeting youth leaders in Mexico.
- Before introducing my project proposal, it’s useful to first clarify what human trafficking is and what it involves. Therefore, I’ll briefly review general information about human trafficking, including its definition and major forms. This will be followed by a more in-depth discussion of how trafficking operates in Mexico, which leads up to a description of what my proposal entails. Finally, I’ll provide a feasibility analysis of the proposed cascade training, and its potential outcomes.
- While there are a few variations in the definition of human trafficking, they all involve three core elements:…….. 1. 2…., which can be direct and violent or psychological 3.
- A person does not have to be physically transported from one location to another to be considered a trafficking victim Consent is irrelevant if any portion of the aforementioned definition of human trafficking has been met. Even if a person has not been induced/forced/threatened to participate in illicit activities, as long as they’re under 18 year of age, they’re considered a trafficking victim.
- The four main ways trafficking victims are exploited are: For the use of forced labor, which often involves debt bondage (a way to entrap an employee by tacking on arbitrary charges to an ever-growing, excessive amount of debt). Many forced labor victims are low-skilled laborers (working in factories, restaurants, hotels), migrant workers or domestic servants. For commercial sex-the most significant form of trafficking-which involves prostitution, pornography, stripping, live-sex shows and mail-order brides. It should be pointed out that while most victims are females, males are also commonly exploited for this form of trafficking. For child sex tourism, which involves the travel of foreigners to engage in sexual activity with children. This form of trafficking may be particularly difficult to address as countries that depend on tourism to sustain its economy have corrupt officials that turn a blind eye to the child sex trade. To be child soldiers. In war zones, large groups of children are often taken at one time after violent attacks on their villages or schools.
- Mexico functions as a source, transit and destination country of human trafficking victims. In this map brown arrows denote the transportation of victims within Mexico to other countries. The large majority of cross border trafficking of Mexican victims are to the United States, to large cities such as LA, New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Chicago and numerous cities in Texas and Florida. In fiscal year 2007 Mexico was the second largest provider of trafficking victims in the U.S. Mexico also provides traffickers an entry point into the U.S.; victims mainly originate from Eastern Europe or Central America, as shown by the blue arrows. Many Eastern Europeans and Central Americans, especially Guatemalans, Salvadorians and Hondurans, are also trafficked within Mexico’s borders, mainly in its southern states, as shown by the red arrows. Additionally, many people who make an independent choice to migrate to Mexico, perhaps using it to cross over to the U.S., often find themselves with insufficient money, making them vulnerable to false opportunities offered by traffickers. As a result, many Central Americans find themselves ‘stuck’ in border areas in the state of Chiapas. One such city, Tapachula, borders Guatemala and is known as one of the largest and most lawless child sex markets in all of Latin America. It’s estimated that over half of the estimated 21,000 sex slaves working in 1,552 bars and brothels in Tapachula are underage. Northern border cities also foster trafficking rings, taking advantage of the large number of migrants temporarily stationed there, in hopes of crossing over. Border areas are also conveniently situated next to the U.S., where solicitors of commercial sex often originate. Two northern border cities with booming sex trade industries include Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana. Other Mexican cities with well-known commercial sex industries are tourist areas such as Acapulco, Cancun, Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta (where child sex tourism with boys is rampant). Internal trafficking in Mexico also occurs with movement from southern to northern Mexico, especially of men and boys for forced labor (often in the agricultural sector); and from poor rural regions to urban areas. Two well-known large destination cities are Hidalgo and Mexico City. In the latter, 50,000 women and children are estimated to be sexually exploited in the capital, where solicitors are willing to pay up to $5,000 to have sex with underage virgins.
- To illustrate the extent of human trafficking in Mexico, here are a few interesting statistics: In Tapachula alone, near the Guatemalan border, there are an estimated 21k Central American prostitutes. In all of Mexico, about 20k children are trafficked into the sex industry every year. Another form of trafficking that takes place in Mexico is the kidnapping of babies and children to sell in illegal adoptions, where profits can run as high as $45,000 per child. Only 5 of Mexico’s 31 states have passed comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation. The inaction by other states may be explained by high levels of corruption and complicity within the government, as evidenced by a 2004 report that uncovered a $200,000 weekly payoff received by 10 high-level officials in the state of Sonora from traffickers. Furthermore, since the federal government passed its anti-trafficking law a little over a year ago, only 7 people have been arrested for offenses, and 0 have been convicted. Within the last three years, 20 people have been prosecuted, but all failed to follow through with convictions. The U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report, while profiles and tracks the progress of 170 countries, ranked Mexico at Tier 2 in 2007, the second to highest out of the four rating levels. The TIP report recognizes that while the Mexican government has shown increased efforts to fight this problem, it still fails to investigate and prosecute offenders. Overall, awareness of human trafficking is slowly growing within the government and the general public, However, awareness building is often localized in destination areas and/or cities. Areas that fail to be targeted, and where larger vulnerable populations tend to be are often overlooked.
- In November of 2007 the federal government passed a comprehensive anti-trafficking law, which prohibits all forms of human trafficking. Punishment for offenses was also increased with heavier fines and longer prison sentences (6-12 years). Further, if the victim in the trafficking case is a child, imprisonment increases to 9-18 years; and if a public official is involved all penalties are increased 50%. While impressive, it should be noted federal jurisdiction is limited to cases that involve organized crime and/or crossing of international borders. In conjunction with the new law, the government has: pledged to turn two seized mansions from drug trafficking cases into shelters for victims; created an interagency commission to oversee the implementation of the law; and has sponsored numerous human trafficking trainings for public officials. Five states have taken action to mirror the federal government’s efforts and have also passed comprehensive anti-trafficking laws. These include: Chihuahua, Guerrero, Mexico City, Sonora and Zacatecas. However, all 31 states criminalize some aspects of human trafficking.
- As mentioned previously, while recognition of human trafficking is growing in Mexico, awareness campaigns are usually localized to urban or tourist areas, where victims are commonly trafficked to, not from. As a result, protection afforded those most at risk of being trafficked is lacking. Furthermore, as pointed out, corruption is rampant throughout both federal and state governments. Therefore, while anti-trafficking legislation is increasing and strengthening, the government cannot be relied upon to fully abolish human trafficking. A nationwide education program in the form of a cascade training is one approach that can be taken to fill the knowledge gap in Mexico, that empowers people to educate themselves about this issue, without having to rely on the enactment of government polices.
- The four main elements of the cascade training include: Nationwide reach. As pointed out in the map of trade routes across Mexico, human trafficking activities take place all over the country. To expand coverage of awareness campaigns a training program that reaches potential victims from all over the country, not just destination areas, will effectively reach those at risk, increasing prevention rates of exploitation by traffickers. This can be accomplished by identifying training participants from all over the country, ensuring at least two is invited from each state. Cascade approach. Over the course of two days, participants will receive nonformal education on human trafficking. At the end of the conference they’ll receive awareness building toolkits to help them educate others once back in their communities. Those they educate in turn can also become anti-trafficking representatives and request toolkits to further spread the knowledge. As a result, the initial investment for the training is compounded over time, exponentially spreading awareness of trafficking all over the country. Youth leaders, ranging from 15 to 25 years old, will be the main participant of the training, as they represent the median age of trafficking victims in Mexico, and are at most risk of being trafficked. Youth are also at the age at which they may be leaving school and entering the workforce, increasing their susceptibility of false employment opportunities offered by traffickers. Multi-sectoral participation. Human trafficking is a complex issue that cannot be adequately addressed by a single sector, as it inundates and affects all social, governmental and economic structures in society. By involving government agencies, non-profit organizations and private businesses a more effective multi-pronged anti-trafficking approach is taken. As a result, information is more widely disseminated, support is expanded and accountability increased. Furthermore, by including multiple sectors as speakers and partners the expertise of each sector can be accessed, resulting in a more effective training program.
- A cross-sectoral approach in the implementation of the cascade training will primarily take place through the diversification of its speakers and in establishing partnerships. Potential speakers range from the wife of President Calderon, Margarita Zavala, who directs Mexico's federal social services agency, to college professors who specialize in human trafficking (Rodolfo Casillas), to Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, an award-winning journalist and women’s activist. Partner organizations will also be wide-ranging, both in sector and geographical reach. In addition to including domestic organizations, such as government agencies and non-profit organizations, such as the Center for Studies and Research in Social Development and Assistance (CEIDAS) , international organizations will also be invited to participate in the training. These can include UNICEF, the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition (BSCC) and businesses such as Best Western and Cargill, an agricultural and food processing company.
- Over the course of the two day conference, attendees will first receive content information on human trafficking and cover such issues as:…. The second day will focus on application of knowledge by providing training on how to increase awareness about human trafficking in their own communities, and a guided action planning session in which they can receive guidance on how they can apply lessons learned once back home. A meet & greet session with non-profits will also be provided so participants can familiarize themselves with available resources and establish anti-trafficking networks. At the conclusion of the training, a more social activity that also helps participants reinforce knowledge, is a showing of a movie, Trade, that follows a fictional story of a young girl trafficked from Mexico City.
- At the end of the two-day training, the youth leaders will receive an awareness building toolkit to help them educate members of their own communities. Armed with brochures, posters, flyers, stickers, mini-pins and public service announcements, the newly educated participants will be equipped with the resources necessary to begin the cascade training on a local scale. Those they educate in turn can also become anti-trafficking representatives and request toolkits to further spread the knowledge. Following are some samples of the types of materials that can be included in the toolkit. Before I proceed, it should be noted these are only samples, and to ensure relevance , actual materials will: include more resources from Mexico-based organizations and agencies; may have adapted content; and will be published in Spanish. Here’s a wallet card that defines trafficking, distinguishes it from smuggling; and on the back has trafficking indicators (one of the questions is “does the victims have freedom of movement?”) to help people identify victims.
- Here’s a more concise wallet card that provides a 1800 hotline to receive help and report cases of trafficking.
- And a special edition of a magazine that has human trafficking as its cover story.
- A mini-flyer that provides both trafficking hotlines and indicators of human trafficking. Unlike the previous one, this is directed at the victim, while the other spoke more to people who may come in contact with victims.
- And a poster that’s directed towards people who may come in contact with children who are victims of trafficking. This poster includes both a definition of child trafficking and an assistance hotline.
- While there are numerous potential outcomes of a cascade training for youth leaders, there are seven primary ones that I’ll touch upon. The first one is a large return on investment. Minimum input is needed to create a large impact due to the cascade approach in training. Training a few dozen youth leaders over the course of a couple days could possibly result in exponential returns over time. As discussed previously, by ensuring nationwide coverage is reached by inviting participants from all over the country, widespread dissemination of trafficking information is achieved, thereby saturating vulnerable areas and populations. Further, by targeting areas of origin in addition to destination, people at risk of becoming victims are proactively reached before traffickers have an opportunity to exploit them, not after, when their chances of escaping are slim to none. This, possibly may lead to an overall decrease in trafficking in Mexico, as citizens will be more wary of how trafficking takes place, avoiding false offers and dangerous situations. A related benefit of prevention are the economic savings that are involved. The effects of human trafficking are devastating. The amount of treatment needed to address the emotional, physical and mental damage of victims far surpasses the amount of time and money it’d take to implement a two-day training program. Therefore, not only does a preventative approach protect individuals, but it’s also more economical than reintegrating rescued victims. A large-scale awareness building program also increases pressure on the government to be accountable for anti-trafficking efforts. As part of Mexico’s maturation as a newly industrialized country, the government realizes it has to align with international protocols and human rights standards, including those of human trafficking. Increased awareness of the public will put even more pressure on the government to not only sign these conventions, but to also fully implement them within its own borders. Educating the public about trafficking will also help distinguish the difference between trafficking and smuggling. Although these two issues may intersect, based on the treatment of the people involved, smuggling and trafficking are two clearly separate types of activities. While the prior involves mutual consent between two parties, the latter is built on a relationship of exploitation; only the trafficker benefits. It’s critical to distinguish the two so potential migrants will recognize the signs of trafficking, and so law enforcement will avoid classifying trafficking victims as criminals. Lastly, a youth-led approach in increasing awareness of human trafficking may be more effective than a top-down training program. Information may be more accurate and valid, and messengers may be viewed as being more trustworthy. By employing youth who are leaders in their community to deliver the knowledge of human trafficking, in their native language, community members will likely be more receptive and actively listen to the message. In effect, knowledge is shared , not forced upon them by foreigners or privileged members of society.
- While a cascade training of this magnitude may initially seem impossible to implement, especially in consideration of the current level of resources that are available to this cause, a cross-sectoral approach can evenly allocate demands and funding requirements, increasing the possibility of implementation of the training. An in-country organization could be selected to take the lead and organize all the logistics of the training, And private partners, with linkages to human trafficking (such as airlines or agricultural companies) can provide key sources of funding, with grants offered by international organizations to fill any gaps in financing, Government agencies can provide legislative and prosecutorial data and statistics And non-profit organizations can provide expertise gathered through on-the-ground experience. Besides the economic benefits, a multilateral approach also provides a more holistic analysis of human trafficking, and increases the accountability of partner organizations to address this issue in their own practices and operations.