National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

In 2011 President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation, designating each January to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The anniversary of this proclamation became known as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Slavery was officially abolished in the USA by the Thirteenth Amendment in December 1865 however sadly human trafficking is growing at an alarming rate and despite the USA being a first world country, human trafficking has become a lucrative business for some members of our society.

The victims affected and forced into modern day slavery can be of foreign nationalities or the citizens of the USA, but they are all subjected to the horrific injustices of human trafficking, including sex trafficking, forced labor, involuntary servitude, forced marriage and debt bondage.

Many of the anti trafficking organizations arrange awareness raising campaigns all year round, but particularly in January when this awareness day is recognized and publicity is at its peak.  It is important to know the signs of human trafficking and who you can contact should your suspicions be raised.   The National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline, a resource that anyone can call to submit a tip about potential incidents of trafficking, received 20,424 calls and had 5,748 cases of trafficking reported in 2016 alone with figures increasing every year.  Help raise awareness and potentially save peoples lives by educating yourself more about the despicable act of human trafficking and what you can do if you suspect anyone of being a victim or organizer of this terrifying act.

Learn more at Human Rights First.

Article 15: Right to Nationality

Since the UDHR was adopted 70 years ago, there has been an increasing recognition of the issue of statelessness. In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to solve it, and prevent it from occurring in the first place, with the UN Secretary General submitting an annual report on the deprivation of nationality to the General assembly.

Article 14: Right to Asylum

Article 14 of the UDHR grants the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution. This right, in addition to the right to leave one’s own country (Article 13), and the right to nationality (Article 15), can be traced directly to events of the Holocaust. Many countries whose drafters worked on the UDHR were acutely aware that they had turned away Jewish refugees, likely condemning them to death. In addition, many Jews, Roma and others hunted by the Nazis had been unable to leave Germany to save their lives.