“Human trafficking, whether labor or sex trafficking, violates just about every human right and social justice issue.” –Ms. Katherine Guinn, Head of Not For Sale Club
Determined and full of vigor, Ms. Katherine Guinn and seven other members of the Not for Sale club, all passionate about the global issue of human trafficking, traveled to Sunnyvale, California to attend the Global Forum on Human Trafficking (organized by Not For Sale International). With the mission to “raise awareness and fight to end modern slavery in all forms and all countries,” this trip provided the club the perfect opportunity to do just that.
This annual forum, which has the goal of “creating a future free of human trafficking [through] collaboration and innovative thinking,” seeks to address the problem that “more people enslaved today than at any other point in human history.” With the vision to end slavery worldwide, the forum seeks to lay out a foundation for an egalitarian world.
Receptive and ready to listen, the Jesuit attendees were shocked and informed alike by some of the stories they heard. Will Wood ’13 said that “the trip was very informative” and that they “were fortunate to hear many different sides of the same issue.” Ranging from the accounts of women who were once taken into the sex trade to discussions of how to implement successful anti-slavery business models, a multitude of human trafficking topics were discussed.
An overall productive trip, Ms. Guinn commented that “based on conversations [she] had with students at the conference and the questions that they were asking, [she] thinks the trip was very successful.” Educating these young men was just another positive step towards ending slavery across the world.
Although she was very happy about the results of the trip, Ms. Guinn commented that “the biggest hurdle [the club] has coming up is that almost all of the members who went were seniors.” Continuing the legacy of the club here at Jesuit and continuing the fight against all forms of human trafficking requires that members of the student body join and become a part of this initiative to end what Ms. Guinn refers to as “one of the major social justice issues of our time.” Will Wood feels the same way, calling on students to “join the club!” He elaborated, saying that “there are many layers to this problem and influencing young men in a positive way is key to eliminating human trafficking.”
Hunter Hill ’13 emphasizes that this issue violates our core unalienable rights. He explains that “we have so much stuff, and so much freedom, that it is easy to take for granted” and stresses that we must take action. Leaving us all with a question to consider, he said, “Imagine if it was your mom, sister, or girlfriend. What would you do then?”
To become better informed about this issue, join Jesuit’s Not For Sale Club! As Will Wood says, “Ignorance may be bliss, but as Nelson Mandela said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’” So if you want to see this worldwide tragedy ended, stand up and take action.
