This past weekend I had the chance to run in the largest 8k
in the US. The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. There were 40,000 plus people
participating. And a lot of them were wearing green. So much energy and
excitement in the air. Season 14 NBC's Biggest Loser Winner Danni Allen was
even there. I was really hoping to see her, but I'm sure she finished a lot sooner than I did.
For all of it's greatness and diversity Chicago still falls
victim to the fastest growing criminal industry worldwide. The underground
world of Human Trafficking.
- Chicago is considered to be a national hub for Human Trafficking.
- An estimated 25,000 women and girls are victims of commercial sexual exploitation in Chicago every year
- Illinois generates the fifth highest number of calls to the National Human Trafficking hotline
Why Chicago?
- Chicago’s convenient access to airports and major interstates offers strategic entry points for traffickers and their victims.
- Chicago has a large amount of major events and attractions that make it a tourist destination where demand is high, enabling traffickers to exploit vulnerable women and children.
- Foreign national trafficking victims can go unnoticed due to high concentrations of immigrant populations in Illinois.
Who's Helping?
There are a number of great organizations in Chicago
joining the fight against human trafficking.
Chicago Alliance Against Sexual ExploitationCAASE is committed to building a global community free from sexual exploitation. We know that all forms of sexual exploitation, including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade, are detrimental to a healthy society and undermine the dignity of all people.
Their End Demand
Campaign is working to shift law enforcement's
attention to sex traffickers and people who buy sex, while proposing a network
of support for survivors of the sex trade. While walking to Navy Pier to pick
up my race packet I saw 2 of these garbage receptacles along Ohio Street.
"Human Beings are not Disposable" sponsored by the End Demand Campaign.
In January 2013 they published a report Research about Johns which includes
material from online message boards where men discuss buying sex in Illinois.
They have also proposed legislation to end felony prostitution in the state of Illinois.
Stop It Now
Since 1992 Stop It Now!® has been
preventing the sexual abuse of children by helping adults, families and
communities take actions that keep kids safe - especially before they are ever
harmed.
The Salvation Arrmy's Promise program
The Salvation Army developed the PROMISE model (Partnership to Rescue our Minors from Sexual Exploitation) to combat the sexual trafficking of children. In January of 2005, the PROMISE model was launched in Chicago. This model includes the formation of a task force which engages in initiatives that address the four main provisions of PROMISE: Awareness, Prevention, Intervention, and Service Delivery. To insure a holistic approach, specific strategies for implementing these provisions are developed by PROMISE members who represent the social service, education, legal, judicial, healthcare, law enforcement and other sectors of our community.
Traffick Free
Traffick Free exists to elevate justice and communicate the reality of human trafficking in our world. We work to end modern-day slavery by developing awareness campaigns, educating local communities, partnering with organizations that combat trafficking and aid victims, intervening in at-risk situations, promoting enforcement of legislature, and encouraging the prosecution of traffickers.
Hotlines:
Cook County Human Trafficking
Response Team Hotline: (312) 718-4449
STOP-IT
1-877-606-3158
National Human Trafficking
1-888-3737-888
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