Ms.Melody Duarte
Ambassador for Europe
 |
| Ambassador Duarte |
Melody Duarte graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree. She also minored in French as she is passionate about the country of France and Europe as a whole; she studied abroad in Paris at the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris. Melody serves as a volunteer for non-profit organizations, such as UNICEF. She is currently training for the Houston Half Marathon in January of 2012 as a way to fundraise for Living Water International. She enjoys combining her passions of running and singing, with her love for serving humanity. Melody is committed to promoting a peaceful and just environment for all humanity regardless of race, religion, or political preference. As an Ambassador for Europe with Peace Worldwide Organization, she is excited to promote awareness for freedom, democracy, and world peace.
Human Trafficking: Awareness is the first step
by Ambassador Melody Duarte
by Ambassador Melody Duarte
Human trafficking has been going on in our world for centuries, but in recent years it has been receiving more attention as it continues to grow as one of the leading forms of organized crime. Human Trafficking, has been described by some as modern day slavery. As an ambassador for Peace Worldwide Organization I hope that we can as an organization and as a part of humanity focus our attention on how we can create awareness on this unfortunate issue. I believe that awareness is the first step in creating change.
In Eastern Europe, where economic instability continues to trouble its people, young women have a hard time finding employment, this gives traffickers the incentive to lure women with promises of employment and a better future in a foreign country. Taking them far from what is familiar, away from family and friends, and their own culture; traffickers take advantage of a vulnerable young girl and force her into sexual slavery. According to the United Nations Organization on Drugs and Crime’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, sex trafficking alone generates 27.8 billion USD a year. Eastern Europe is one of the largest traffickers of women to other countries such as those in Western Europe and the United States of America. Bloomberg reported that “the number of countries failing to comply with international standards to prevent human trafficking almost doubled to 23, according to U.S. State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in Persons report.” This problem is far from limited to countries in Eastern Europe, it may start in one country but is continued in the recipient countries such as the U.S. This problem must be stopped not just by having laws but by enforcing the law.
Here is an example of human trafficking close to home, from the U.S. State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in Persons report:
Alissa, 16, met an older man at a convenience store in Dallas and after a few dates accepted his invitation to move in with him. But soon Alissa’s new boyfriend convinced her to be an escort for him, accompanying men on dates and having sex with them for money. He took her to an area known for street prostitution and forced her to hand over all of her earnings. He made Alissa get a tattoo of his nicknames, branding her as his property, and he posted prostitution advertisements with her picture on an Internet site. He rented hotel rooms around Dallas and forced Alissa to have sex with men who responded to the ads. The man, who kept an assault rifle in the closet of his apartment, threatened Alissa and physically assaulted her on multiple occasions. The man later pled guilty to trafficking Alissa.
This is just an example of what human trafficking looks like in our world today. My hope is to continue creating awareness for those victims of sex trafficking. In recent years government has been focusing their attention to how laws can be implemented in the protection of trafficking victims and the prevention of continued trafficking. The more we know, the more we can do to help. The Executive Director of the UNODC Antonio Maria Costa said,
"we have a big picture, but it is impressionistic and lacks depth. We fear the problem is getting worse, but we cannot prove it for lack of data, and many governments are obstructing...If we do not overcome this knowledge crisis we will be fighting the problem blindfolded." There are non-profit organizations today that are involved in the fight against sex trafficking of women, not only are they involved in helping the persons involved but also in creating awareness of this growing tragedy. I applaud them for their efforts, as I also applaud the governments that are increasing their efforts in ending modern day slavery, by not just creating laws but also implementing these.This is just an example of what human trafficking looks like in our world today. My hope is to continue creating awareness for those victims of sex trafficking. In recent years government has been focusing their attention to how laws can be implemented in the protection of trafficking victims and the prevention of continued trafficking. The more we know, the more we can do to help. The Executive Director of the UNODC Antonio Maria Costa said, "we have a big picture, but it is impressionistic and lacks depth. We fear the problem is getting worse, but we cannot prove it for lack of data, and many governments are obstructing...If we do not overcome this knowledge crisis we will be fighting the problem blindfolded." There are non-profit organizations today that are involved in the fight against sex trafficking of women, not only are they involved in helping the persons involved but also in creating awareness of this growing tragedy. I applaud them for their efforts, as I also applaud the governments that are increasing their efforts in ending modern day slavery, by not just creating laws but also implementing these.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2009, Trafficking in Persons: Global Patterns, Available: http://www.unodc.org/
 |
| England Northwestern Country in Europe (Shown in Green) |
The English Riots of August resulted in the deaths of three young men, Haroon, Shazad Ali, and Abdul Musavir on August 10 who had stood against the mobs to protect their neighborhood.
People have the right to assemble in order to demonstrate peacefully their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with any of their government policies or programs, without interference or molestation by any local, national, or international entity. However, no individual, regardless of his or her grievances, has the right to attack anyone’s person or properties in expression of such rights.
Therefore, the English were within their rights to demonstrate and the government’s duty was to address the root causes of their grievances without interfering in their peaceful demonstrations. Like other large movements, there were a few who took advantage of the riots to rob and attack others. Those thugs must face justice as usual.
However, the British response has been harsh. Two youngsters are jailed for four years for encouraging riots using Facebook. Many are charged on mere suspicion of minor offenses. Over 20% of the suspects are under 18 years of age. According to British news, 70% of the offenders are jailed, compared to the normal 2% for the same offenses. Sentencing a teenager who acted in the spur of the moment to months of incarceration for a few stolen pounds would condemn the kid to a life of poverty in which no government agency or private enterprise would hire him or her due to the applicant’s criminal records. Deprived from economic opportunities, chances are that the person may become a hardcore criminal. The English judicial reaction is more in line with the authoritarian regimes than with a representative government.
How about addressing the root causes! The English Riots apparently stemmed from economic deprivation. Any one, when desperate, may resort to the unthinkable! Over 40% of the over 1000 suspects come from the poorest sectors in England. The British government could improve opportunities in these economically deprived sectors.
The best justice is compassion and considering the long term public interest before rendering a decision. I ask the English judges to decide on each case with empathy, to allow those charged with petty offenses to apologize and repay the victims without staining their records for life, and then set them free! And for the others, factor in the lack of economic opportunities.
Tariq Jahan, the father of Haroon, said: "Our three boys have died. Another 68-year-old man has died in London. Let their deaths be the last as a result of this madness."
May peace be with you!
*ALL COMMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO EDITORIAL REVIEW
0 comments:
Post a Comment