US launches the 'Blue Campaign' to combat modern human slavery

On Friday July 23rd, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano launched the "Blue Campaign"- a new government wide effort to raise awareness of human trafficking and to increase security measures to prevent it from happening. The new campaign will include online training for border patrol agents, information packets to be distributed in foreign countries (in over 16 languages), and a new US partnership with Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador to air TV and radio ads to prevent people from being victimized.

The Blue Campaign is a reference to the "Blue Heart Campaign" against human trafficking put on by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the "Blue Blindfold" to raise awareness of trafficking in the UK.

One aspect of the US Blue Campaign will focus on training border patrol agents, who are typically the first line of defense against trafficking. However, many of these agents have not received the necessary training to be able to identify when trafficking is occurring. Consequently, the Federal Law enforcement and Training Center has developed a new computer training program to educate these agents. The computer program will teach agents things like identifying which women are willingly breaking prostitution laws from ones who are victims of trafficking.

-Matthew Thwaites

SOURCES:

"US Launches Campaign to Fight Human Trafficking"-Voice of America, "Blue Campaign Launch: A U.S. Commitment To Combating Modern Slavery"-US State Department

South Africa to Fast-Track Law Before World Cup

With the World Cup coming to South Africa in June of this year, human trafficking is expected to see an increase. That is why legislators in South Africa are fast-tracking a comprehensive law against human-trafficking that began in 2003.

Efforts are being made to bring together pieces of legislation that would make perpetrators of this law face harsh punishments like life imprisonment. The legislation is not sparked by the World Cup, but with the influx of people soon to come officials see the event as a potential dangerous time for increased trafficking.

Now with the new bill expected to be in place before June 2010, courts have extra jurisdiction for acts outside the borders of South Africa and Internet providers are asked to report any suspicious activity. This law will help to protect the most vulnerable people in South Africa and beyond.

-Nick Mohazzabfar

Source: Africa Good News, Development