Sex Trafficking. It's something most people don't want to hear about, don't want to even think about. But just because we don't see something, doesn't mean it isn't there. It's appalling to think that women and children are sold everyday into slavery that crushes the mind, body, and soul, but it does happen. So what do we do about it? Should there be a proactive solution or a reactive solution, or maybe a combination of both? Is it the responsibilities of governments and police agencies, or is it a public responsibility?

I'm not going to even pretend I have an answer to that...I just don't know enough because like most people, this is such a sensitive and awful subject that I have turned a blind eye. But if one switched perspectives from our own sensibilities to that of seeing this sex trafficking as a lucrative business (which it is), then maybe we can do some real damage to this business. That's not to say I am neglecting the awful reprocautions and realities that exist in this slave trade, I am merely trying to see this issue on a different level, because the former is just too hard to think about.

Business is all about supply and demand. For the men who steal women and children, or lure them under false pretenses in order to sell for profit, supply is easy. That leads us to demand then. It's disgusting to think about, but there is a demand and if that demand diminishes, then the business dies. This certainly puts the burden on the governments and policing agencies to crack down on this slave trade and perform such things as john stings, etc. There needs to be a cohesive agreement among nations to stem this flowing tide and put these guys out of business. But something else needs to be done as well, because this is the model that has been place, so what is that somwthing else? Is it exposure, bringing this issue to the forefront in Western countries that have the power and money to do something, is it the combined efforts of NGOs to get the UN working harder on this issure, or is it the powers of economics once again? The reason men sell women and children is for money, money that they can't get working at a shoe or clothes factory, or in the fields all day. If something is done to help the economic situations among the nations that conduct this awful business, then will that help to bring a crushing blow to the supply/demand model?


Question for Rik: Do you believe Human Rights is based on education or economics, meaning do you think that in order for human rights to become a world-wide decree, do we need to start with education or economics?