Massage:

January 11th marked the second annual “Human Trafficking Awareness Day”.  The scourge of human trafficking affects each and every one of us, whether we’re aware of it or not.  Worldwide, experts estimate that 27 million people, mostly women and children, are suffering some form of slavery, whether it be for the sex trade, domestic servitude, or forced labor in factories, mines, etc.

According to experts, trafficking of humans is the second largest criminal industry in the world (tied with the arms trade and second only to drug trafficking), and is the fastest growing.
Approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders, not including the millions trafficked within their own countries.

In the US alone 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked each year. This figure includes domestic trafficking and the movement of victims across national borders.  80% of trafficked people are women and girls and 50% of trafficked people are under 18 years of age.

Why should we as massage therapists be concerned about this? Because many of the trafficked women end up in massage parlors in every city in the USA, and in brothels of every kind throughout the world.   Parlors use the cover of massage to conduct the very profitable business of prostitution.  They sully our profession and perpetuate the cycle of violence and degradation that keeps these unfortunate victims enslaved.

I urge you to become more educated about human trafficking in general, to start paying attention to what is happening in your own community, and to contribute your time, energy, and money to help end this slavery.

Here are some links for more information:

http://www.polarisproject.org

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

http://www.humantraffickingawareness.com/

Touching the World Foundation (TTWF) was created by Roger and Shannon Patrizio, owners of the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy in Colorado Springs, to raise awareness and money to help victims of human trafficking.

In an interview, Roger said “We believe our involvement with victims is unique to massage therapists because victims are often forced to use massage therapy as a cover for prostitution.  Removing victims from this situation is beneficial for both the survivor and the massage community.”  Please consider making a donation to further the work of TTWF:
http://www.ttwonline.org/

Another way to be involved with this issue is to help prevent boys and girls from being trafficked in the first place.  Many of the trafficked children come from and through the Golden Triangle area of Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.   One of the at-risk groups are the Akha tribe, non-Thai residents who live in villages throughout the mountains of this region.  The Akha children who finish the fifth-grade in local schools can only go on to middle-school if they have the mandatory school uniforms.  Since the families generally do not have the funds to purchase the uniforms, the children, out of school and with nothing to do, are susceptible to being lured by traffickers with the promise of work in the ciy.

I’m the President of New Vue Productions, Inc., a 501-(c)(3) non-profit.  One of our projects is to raise the money to help buy school uniforms for the children graduating from 5th-grade in several of the Akha villages.  Last year, we raised enough to supply uniforms for the sixteen 5th-graders (all girls) who were ready to go on to middle-school.  If oyu would like to contribute to this fund for 2009, please visit our website and click on the “Donate” link.

http://www.newvue.org/

I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions.