One Voice sheds light on human trafficking

Many Tech students are unaware that the seemingly innocuous corner of Peachtree and North Avenue is characterized by one of the highest incidences of human trafficking in this country. Students learned such statistics as they lent their support for the human rights rally event called One Voice last Thursday in Brittain Rec.

The event, which featured a guest speaker, an informational video and other interactive activities, was created by a group of Tech students passionate about spreading awareness about the growing epidemic of human trafficking in Atlanta.

The facts and figures are the most powerful weapons One Voice uses to fuel the need to raise awareness for this cause. Fact: over 300,000 children are victims to sexual exploitation every year. Fact: Atlanta is considered to be the number one city for human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the country.

"Hearing the statistics was the most shocking thing to me. I had no idea there was a problem this big in the U.S.," said Luke Bachelor, a STAC alumni who attended the event.

Stephanie Davis, advisor to Mayor Shirley Franklin, spoke unequivocally to students about the gravity of the problems facing Atlanta as the city struggles to eradicate the many dimensions of the issue.

"We consider this the new slavery, and we are enlisting the new abolitionists to join us to put a stop to it," Davis said.

All throughout, Davis made it clear that despite the overwhelming numbers and statistics, there is hope and Tech students can make a difference.

First, Davis explained that poverty and a lack of education is a huge contributing factor. According to Davis, children that grow up in tough neighborhoods sometimes have a history of abuse, which makes them more susceptible to become runaways. Police estimate that once on the streets, young girls will be approached by a pimp within 48 hours. At that point, it is increasingly hard to rescue a girl, as many victimized girls are scared to report the pimp for fear of losing protection.

Second, access to sex services has become easier than ever with the advent of the internet and social networking sites, such as craigslist.com. Pimps use the "erotic encounters" section to post photos of underage girls, seemingly eager to please for the right price. The easy access to Craigslist is as much a curse as it is a blessing, argues Davis, who points out that police are now using the site to conduct undercover sting operations. Thanks to Davis' efforts and appeals, Craigslist now includes a link to the Atlanta Police Department on every posting.

"It's a small victory, but we are looking at all kinds of avenues [for trafficking]," Davis said.

Another avenue that makes human trafficking such a problem revolves around the fact that Atlanta has more strip clubs per capita than Las Vegas. Davis explained that not only is the vast abundance of strip clubs problematic, the young age of the dancers accounts for much of the sexual exploitation occurring in Atlanta.

Convinced that it was vital to get these young girls out of the environment of strip clubs, Davis lobbied the Atlanta City Council to pass an ordinance that raised the age of Atlanta strip club dancers from 18 to 21. The council unanimously agreed, and this latest victory, which goes into effect this week, ensures that the 2,800 strippers currently aged 18-20 will no longer be working at the strip clubs in Atlanta. Davis admitted that while she was expecting heavy oppositions from the industry, she was surprised to hear a lot of positive feedback from bar owners and older strippers alike.

Third, Davis pointed to the behavioral issue involved in human trafficking of the buyers who create the demand for these young girls in the first place.

"What is it going to take to get [people] to stop paying for sex?" Davis said multiple times, evoking a range of responses from the attending crowd. Most agreed with Shirley Franklin's current "Dear John" initiative, a public education campaign which uses shame to target Atlanta's successful businessmen who participate in the sexual exploitation of young girls. The ads run in prominent newspapers like the Atlanta Business Chronicle as well as billboards all over the city.

While most attendees concur the campaign should be successful and will at least make perpetrators rethink their actions, a few students did not think that shame alone could stop this disturbing cycle of behavior. Some students commented that there needed to be serious judicial consequences, such as jail time and other punishments.

In addition, Atlanta has limited resources to deal with the multiplying problems of human trafficking. A generous donation of $400,000 from one donor allowed the doors of Angela's Place to open as a safe haven for Atlanta's sexually exploited victims.

"[Angela's House] is still only one of three refuges specifically for prostituted girls," Davis said.

Davis noted the need for more safe havens; the waiting list for Angela's Place, which currently has just 6 beds, is over 140 girls.

After Davis finished, conversation amongst attendees immediately sparked which is exactly what head organizer, Beth West, a second-year Environmental Engineering major, was hoping for.

"Awareness is our biggest obstacle, because when people have no idea we simply cannot make progress with this cause," West said.

Shelly Eckert, a second year Biomedical Engineering major, heard about One Voice through her church.

"It is an outrage that there's slavery in this city, our city where we learn, where we live...and to think that such atrocious things are happening is outrageous," Eckert said.

What a Tech student can do to help really depends on his/her level of time availability and desire to commit to the cause. Student organizers Hannah Clement and Beth West stressed that while funds are always needed, volunteering one's time is an equally precious resource.

"There are so many opportunities for every personality type...for people who are interested in the political aspect to the emotional aspect of helping the victims," said Hannah Clement, a second-year Industrial Engineering major.

For a more hands-on approach, students can train to be part of a street team with the Midtown Community Church, in which a van drives around downtown "hot spots" and rescues girls off the street. Students can also volunteer their time with the Juvenile Justice Organization to escort the young victims in court, acting as their allies and often, their only support system as they face a judge.

West emphasized that the need to do something, no matter how small, is most important. Anything a person can do, whether it is cleaning up trash, mentoring schoolchildren or writing a letter to a legislator will contribute to creating a safe community for Atlanta's young girls.

West and Clement's next steps are organizing a benefit concert featuring Molly Williams. All proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Justice Fund's effort to start a new safe house for rescued girls. To follow the process of raising awareness with One Voice, check out the blog at www.one-voice-atlanta.blogspot.com or email onevoiceatl@gmail.com for any questions concerning what can be done to help.