Welcome to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic games! For Canadians this is a very exciting time, after the Mel Lastman slip up of 2008, we’ve finally been chosen. Here is our chance to shine and show the world what we are all about. The west coast will host this year’s events and will give us a chance to show our pride in this great land.
Tourists from around the world will have the opportunity to witness the beauty of the B.C. mountains and the glimmer of the Pacific ocean, they will be able to view our heritage and multiculturalism and they will have the opportunity to experience our culturally diverse cuisine, thrilling nightlife and sex-trade workers.
Human Trafficking and the Olympics
For most people that last statement would be the last thing they would associate with the Olympics; after all the games are about uniting the world through friendly competition. But for some, the event is a business opportunity; that of human trafficking and sex tourism. The Olympics has had a history for fostering an environment for these opportunists, although I use this term loosely; Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 both showed an influx in human trafficking and they’re not the only ones.
Big events like the Olympics are breeding grounds for this illicit activity, the argument being that big money = prostitution. As much as we are aware of these problems there is always the belief that someone else will deal with it, or we feel removed from the issues at hand. Some people don’t even realize how wide-spread human trafficking and sexual exploitation is.
The Issue of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is an issue that effects everyone. Not necessarily directly, but it is an affront to our basic moral system and beliefs. It is modern day slavery ( and here I thought that slavery was abolished in 1862 and even earlier in the British empire). It is estimated that 700,000 to 4 million women and children are forcefully taken for the use of sexual trafficking, women and children who have no hope for freedom. That is 4 million more people than there should be. Many of these individuals are stolen from their homes at a very young age and forced to perform sexual favours under threats that their families will be hurt. Although there are some countries that are given more press when it comes to human trafficking and are considered to be high risk zones, this is a global problem and no country is immune to it. Nearly every country is involved in the web of trafficking activities, either as a country of origin, destination or transit. Countries of destination include Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, France, India, Canada, Japan, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Canada and Human Trafficking
With the Olympics drawing nearer there is a real fear that human trafficking and sex tourism will be too easy to come by. Canada is not a new player on the field and unfortunately is well versed in the trade, underground of course. Although this is an issue that is faced by every province, Vancouver, with its easy access to the ocean as well as prime location for drug trafficking, is a very popular location for human trafficking. Come the Olympics, this problem might be doubled and this is something that we, as Canadians, can not stand for.
North America was built on the ideal that all people were created equal and should be free. We are not locked to the constrains of social decorum or status but are able to make our own way, and be who/what we want to be. That is something that we are very lucky for, luckier than many others in this world. Recently there has been a lot of press about legalizing prostitution in Canada. Could this put an end to human trafficking or will it just perpetuate the problem? I don’t have an answer to this, all I can say that maybe the legalization and control of prostitution will make it more difficult for traffickers to get these individuals in and out of the country. However, this still doesn’t solve the global problem. We have a responsibility to the greater community to bring awareness to this problem and we have plenty of avenues at out disposal to do so. Through Twitter, Facebook etc. we can get the word spread and have our voices heard. It’s time we make a stand and stop the exploitation of women and children. Let’s make this years Olympics all that it can be!
For more information on how you can help:
http://www.humantrafficking.org/combat_trafficking
Monday, October 26, 2009
Welcome to the Canadian Olympics
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