A Message From CenHTRO for National Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. As part of efforts spearheaded by the Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, CenHTRO Director Dr. David Okech shares a message of continued collaboration in the local and global fight to end human trafficking.
We encourage you to watch the video, share it, or share the following transcript.
"Human trafficking is a big problem that affects many men, women, and children—not only the US, but throughout the world. And January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and at the Center on Human Trafficking, Research and Outreach, we are engaged in efforts not only to combat human trafficking, but also to prevent the problem.
Part of our work this past year has been to work with local researchers and collaborators in preventing human trafficking in the states of Georgia and South Dakota and our goal also is to help in preventing the problem through accurate measurements. So through the Prevalence Reduction Innovation Forum, we are working with researchers in the US and across the world to come up with indicators that can help us to assess the problem. And if we assess the problem, if we know the number of people who are trafficked, then it is easier to measurably prevent and reduce the problem.
It is very, very important to really become aware of the problem of human trafficking because human trafficking is everywhere. The only thing is that human trafficking is hidden. So awareness programs are very, very important in the fight against human trafficking, and it is important to work with people around you because not one single entity can be successful in reducing the problem of human trafficking.
So we hope that in this month, you get in touch with churches, local communities, schools, leaders, universities, and all leaders in your community to try to know more about human trafficking."