Transcriber: Ellen Maloney Reviewer: Denise RQ
Good evening.
I invite you think of a few questions alongside me.
Have you ever driven by the agricultural fields, driving north on I-25?
Maybe near Weld County, where you notice the beauty of well-tended fields.
Have you ever taken a flight out of Denver International Airport
and found yourself standing next to somebody from Tajikistan?
Maybe you thought, in pride, how convenient it was for us
to be able live so close to an international airport.
Have you stopped at some of the truck stops on road trips,
never noticing other activities that were happening, while you were gassing up?
Perhaps you attended a holiday party in Douglas county,
tended by domestic help, and never noticed the people serving you.
These are all situations where we know
human trafficking has occurred in Colorado.
And what have we purchased without considering the labor
that went into the production?
Plenty, I am sure, because it is a bit inconvenient, right?
For example, to look at this meal, I have to think about;
where this meat originated,
what environmentally destructive methods were used,
and whether it was locally sourced.
And now I have to think about the people who herded this animal?
And what about the other items on the plate? Like the veggies?
And if we pan out to the larger picture;
who cooked, set the tables, seated me, cleaned up after me?
It is depressing. It is exhausting.
And it is overwhelming.
One sure-fire way to kill the vibe at 'happy hour' or at holiday gatherings
is to tell somebody that you work on the issue of human trafficking.
This admission draws a wide mix of reactions from slight horror
to uncomfortable but polite smiles.
Every now and then there is true interest,
maybe a head tilt, and maybe a question or two.
To hear about the severe form of exploitation where people are forced,
fraudulently led or coerced, into labor and sex services,
evokes disbelief and outrage.
But there is also a visceral reaction.
Listening to stories of calculated degradation and torture
tells us that evil truly exists.
It breaks our hearts and our trust in humanity.
Sometimes, it evokes absolutely nothing.
Shutdown.
Maybe just some blinking.
One of the hardest things to grasp is our personal connection
to human trafficking,
and to sit with the fact that it happens right here, in our state.
Everywhere I go, I see this range of gut reactions,
and I wonder how you will listen.
So here it is.
Human trafficking encompasses more than the stereotype of brothels and sweatshops,
and the brutality that happens, as Lynne noted, in countries 'over there'.
And it is not something that we can easily relate to
because these other worlds are broader, and much closer than you think.
The reality is that trafficking survivors come from around the world,
around the United States, and within Colorado.
And 80% are women and girls.
Human trafficking takes many forms
and unfortunately, it is often the underside of the things
that we appreciate and take for granted.
In this year's report by the U.S. State Department,
there is an estimated 27 million people who are being trafficked globally.
And I know it is hard to get your heard around that large of a number;
to be able to think globally,
then step back and think about, "How do we act locally?"
The hard reality right now is that I can't.
I cannot give you an exact estimate of how many human trafficking cases there are
because most local communities, like Denver,
don't have streamlined number tracking systems.
Our Colorado anti-trafficking movement is only seven years old.
At this point, in the national movement, nobody, with certainty,
can give you exact numbers.
But what I can assure you is that there are about
5-10 investigations and prosecutions taking place at any time.
And dozens of survivors receiving services, here, everyday.
So why? Why is this occurring in Colorado?
For one, simultaneously complex and simple reason, and that is profit.
It is very lucrative.
It is the third largest criminal industry in the world,
with global profits of 26 billion,
behind the illicit sale of arms and drugs.
The economics of free and cheap labor is the simple part of understanding
the 'why' of human trafficking.
The hard part is comprehending why it continues to occur.
That is because this crime easily flies below the radar.
Traffickers can commit this heinous crime
because there are very few people who have the tools to identify it.
In some cases, the time it takes to handle a case from start to finish,
can be two years.
I am happy to share, however, that there is hope.
Hope that we can make Colorado a place
where traffickers think twice about setting a business.
And many of us are working
to better understand this crime from a community stand-point.
At The Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking,
the premise is that we need a mix of ideas, a mix of roles.
Including you.
You and us, learning together.
To make sure that we comprehensively fight this crime in Colorado.
So let me share with you a framework.
When many of us think about crime victims,
most of us can really resonate with the need for services or protections.
Things like food, clothing, and shelter.
Or as in my case, we have survivors who tell me,
"I want to be off the streets," and "I don't want to work fast food."
"I hear this thing called college is supposed to help me.
Can you tell me what college is?"
Next, we have state laws that allow
detectives, prosecutors, and judges
to prosecute this crime.
Then next, there is prevention.
Which involves training responders and public awareness events.
Prevention also includes working with vulnerable communities.
Communities like GLTBQI youth, people experiencing homelessness,
migrant farm workers, refugees,
survivors of interpersonal violence and child abuse.
These marginalized groups are at greater risk of being trafficked
because human trafficking capitalizes upon vulnerability.
Finally; partnerships.
Partnerships are crucial to be able to share information
and to coordinate with each other, so they don't hinder each other's efforts.
These P's together can comprehensively address this crime,
right here, in Colorado.
So where can you fit in?
Let us start, first, with observing differently.
Because for most people, human trafficking is often difficult to see at first glance.
How many of you recognise this optical illusion?
You probably saw this in grade school, yes?
The first time I saw this, all I could see was the vase, that white space in between.
And if you shared my experience,
you get to that place where you can start to see both.
The two faces and the vase,
when you change up how you look at this image.
Then it is easy to identify both, right? That feels familiar to you?
That is the feeling of being trained to identify human trafficking.
Because it requires changing the ways in which we notice
both victim vulnerability and perpetrators within a crime scene.
Using these methods of observation takes time and practice,
and it is important because one of the most frequent things
that survivors have shared with us,
is that during their captivity, they maintained hope.
Hope that someone would notice,
that someone would care that they mattered.
"I hoped that the emergency room nurse would see past my pimp's lies,
as he spoke on my behalf, posing as my brother."
"I hoped the police officer wouldn't look at me with disgust,
as he arrested me for the fourth time, on prostitution charges."
"I hoped customers wouldn't simply write me off
as 'one of those illegals at the produce stand'."
"And I hoped the 'John' who purchased sex with me
wouldn't ignore my hesitance and my wincing in pain."
"I hoped someone would see me in the gas station, in that parking lot,
to ask, if I needed help."
Have I dampened the vibe with this grim issue?
Are you looking away?
This crime calls for us to respond
with compassion and courage to see beyond the obvious.
To see our community, and those in it, differently.
I want to leave you with very concrete ideas.
Let me be concrete about the ways in which you can help
to create a community intolerant of human trafficking.
Talk about the issue with family and friends.
Do that, whether that is by conversation, by Facebook, or by Twitter.
Learn more about the issue.
Pay attention to the products that we purchase,
and look at the supply chains both locally, as well as nationally.
Use your networks and contacts
because some of you work with youth, or you know somebody who works with youth,
or works on the issue of homelessness.
Let's make sure they notice,
and that they have the tools to do something to help with this issue.
Be part of the solution by working alongside survivors.
Volunteer your work and your professional skills
with agencies working on this issue.
When you noticed something amiss call these hotlines.
There is a spot for you to help make Colorado and the United States
a place where trafficking has no business operating.
No matter how challenging, or how heartbreaking, do not turn away.
Notice it. Examine it.
Discuss it.
Thank you.
(Applause)