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human Trafficking banner 01 -  2014 Summit Preview: Highlighting Partnerships Against Human Trafficking

On September 29, as leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit space come together at the 2014 Concordia Summit, the global challenge of human trafficking will take center stage in a panel on Combatting Human Trafficking with Cross-Sector Solutions. Human trafficking is considered one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world. An estimated 29.8 million men, women, and children around the world are currently victims of modern slavery, which includes human trafficking, sex trafficking, forced labour, and debt bondage. UNICEF estimates that total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry are estimated at nearly 32 billion dollars.

While human trafficking is a global issue, many Americans underestimate its presence and disastrous effects within US communities. We are honored to host as part of our panel Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota and Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz from Florida, two public sector leaders at the forefront of building partnerships and scaling existing solutions to tackle this truly cross-sector challenge. Today, we feature their inspiring work as it embodies the very core mission of Concordia.

Senator Klobuchar is primarily tackling human trafficking at the legal level, working to coordinate the multitude of players across state lines that are needed to actually address the core challenges of this entrenched system. In Minnesota she has successfully coordinated efforts between law enforcement, shelters, advocacy groups, and hotels to prosecute leaders of trafficking rings. Taking cross-sector solutions to new scales, she is working alongside Cindy McCain to try and bring major private sector players like the NFL into the wider fight across state and international lines. She is also spearheading an unprecedented effort to combat human trafficking in the United States Senate with the introduction of the “Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act” (formally introduced as 1733). This piece of legislation creates incentives for states to pass safe harbor legislation that decriminalizes victims of sex trafficking and creates a National Human Trafficking Hotline to help trafficked victims communicate with the service providers they need.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is also an outspoken advocate in this space, beating the drum to demand the end of trafficking and exploitation of children in the U.S. Last year she signed the “Our Daughters Are Not for Sale” Congressional Resolution and has convened roundtables bringing together advocacy groups, local law enforcement leaders, and FBI leaders in the state of Florida to address this growing problem. Through her role as the Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Rep. Wasserman-Schultz is in a unique position to bring this urgent issue to the American public and into the halls of congress.