“We are alarmed and deeply disturbed by the intentional spread of conspiracy theories and disinformation about sex trafficking aiming to sow fear and division in order to influence the upcoming election. Anybody — political committee, public office holder, candidate, or media outlet — who lends any credibility to QAnon conspiracies related to human trafficking actively harms the fight against human trafficking. Indeed, any political committee, candidate, public office holder or media that does not expressly condemn QAnon and actively debunk the lies should be held accountable.” -Freedom Needs Truth
- Meet with and/or write to your local, state, and federal government representatives to let them know that you care about combating human trafficking in your community.
- Encourage your local schools to include modern slavery in their curriculum. As a parent, educator, or school personnel, be aware of how traffickers target school-aged children.
- Join or start a grassroots human trafficking coalition like Free the Slaves.
- Donate needed items for an anti-trafficking organization. The Institute gratefully accepts donations of clothing, toiletries, and household items for survivors of human trafficking. For information on immediate needs, please contact 651-647-0191 x 300.
- Organize or donate funds to an anti-trafficking organization. Donations to the Institute can be designated to fund anti-trafficking services.
- Volunteer your professional services to help an anti-trafficking organization that needs the talents of doctors, lawyers, dentists, counselors, graphic designers, media professionals, event planners, and translators or interpreters.
- Hire trafficking survivors. Many survivors of human trafficking are referred to our in-house employment programs.
- Be a conscientious consumer and make socially responsible investments. Let your favorite retailers know that you support their efforts to maintain a slavery-free supply chain. Encourage your company or employer to take steps to investigate and eliminate human trafficking in its supply chain and to publish the information to increase consumer awareness. Refer to U.S. Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child or Forced Labor.
- Report your suspicions to law enforcement at 911 and/or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888.
- Learn human trafficking red flags and ask questions so you can detect a possible trafficking situation.
- Create and distribute public awareness materials such as t-shirts, posters, and public service announcements for the radio. Some of these materials are available through the Institute. Please contact Amy Smith to access these resources.
- Host an awareness event to watch and discuss a recent human trafficking documentary. On a larger scale, host a human trafficking film festival. Several noteworthy films and documentaries about the plight of trafficked people around the world have been produced in the last several years.
- Write a letter to the editor of your local paper about human trafficking in your community.
- Incorporate relevant human trafficking information in your professional association’s conferences, trainings, manuals, and other materials. Please contact Amy Smith if you would like assistance incorporating this information.
- Students: Join or establish a university club to raise awareness about human trafficking. Request that human trafficking be an issue included in university courses such as health, migration, human rights, social work, and crime. Increase awareness and scholarship by publishing an article, teaching a class, or hosting a symposium.
- Community Organizations: Ensure that your staff is able to identify and assist trafficked persons.
- Law Enforcement Officials: Join or start a local human trafficking task force like St. Paul’s Gerald D. Vick Human Trafficking Task Force.
- Mental Health or Medical Providers: Extend low-cost or free services to human trafficking survivors assisted by nearby anti-trafficking organizations.
- Attorneys: Learn about and offer the benefits human trafficking survivors are eligible for.
- Employment Law Attorneys: Look for signs of human trafficking among your clients.
This list has been adapted from one provided by the U.S. Department of State.
