Donna Hubbard Story : They Said I Couldn t Fly
Airline Ambassadors International I. What We Need to Know The magnitude and impact of human trafficking
Human Trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, or harboring a person through use of force, fraud or coercion, for the purpose of exploiting them. Airline Ambassadors International
Trafficking in the U.S. 100,000 children are at risk of sexual exploitation Dept. of Justice 2014 80% sex trafficking victims and 66% traffickers are U.S. citizens. SAFE Coalition 2015 Average pimp has 4 6 girls. He can make $150,000 - $200,000 per child Ctr. for Missing and Exploited Children Trapped through fear, beatings or intimidation. Victims may be forced to have sex dozens of times per day
It ought to concern every person, because it is a debasement of our common humanity. It ought to concern every community, because it tears at our social fabric. It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets. It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organized crime. I m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name - - modern slavery. - President Barack Obama, September 25, 2012
:Human Trafficking Globally We need to ensure that, despite the many conflicting priorities faced by member states that the issue of countering human trafficking is clearly given a high priority and focus by the international community. We need to consider the type of action that can be taken to raise awareness of the problem and take steps to prevent trafficking at source (UNODC public service announcements). The global aviation community can no longer trust that its employees, especially its flight crew members will be vigilant about human trafficking as a cabin safety issue. All airlines and aviation agencies must be on the same page about the importance of recognition and reporting. Therefore it is critical to provide the tools of empowerment to each member by providing and mandating information, awareness and protocol as part of initial and recurrent training.
Global Perspectives An estimated 24.9 million victims are trapped in modernday slavery. Of these, 16 million (64%) were exploited for labor, 4.8 million (19%) were sexually exploited, and 4.1 million (17%) were exploited in stateimposed forced labor. (ILO)
Human Trafficking is linked to other crimes- Coordination with Law Enforcement Vital
Airline Ambassadors International History and Background 1990: Tourism conference in Thailand exposed human trafficking as a increasing problem leading to the formation of ECPAT to End Child Prostitution and Trafficking: End child prostitution End child pornography End child trafficking 1996
Airline Ambassadors International II. What We Need To See: Recognize the effect of trafficking on the victims
Airline Ambassadors International Who Can Be a Potential Victim? Orphans Runaways Migrants Those with a history of abuse or neglect Or the girl next door
Airline Ambassadors International Traffickers prey on the vulnerable. Young men and women traveling alone People with mental health or substance abuse issues Refugees of disaster or political unrest
Airline Ambassadors International Forced labor Forced Child Labor Pornography Debt Involuntary Bondage domestic servitude Sex Trafficking Sex Trafficking Involuntary Involuntary organ Domestic donors Servitude Involuntary Organ Donors How do traffickers exploit their victims?
Airline Ambassadors International Global Child Exploitation 14 Begging rings Illegal adoptions Child pornography Child sex tourism Child brides /soldiers
Airline Ambassadors International Trafficking exploded with the internet. Traffickers immediately adopted new technology. The internet facilitates protection for traffickers. People, children trust what they think they see.
What you don t know when you see me. Valedictorian Voted Most Likely to Succeed Miss Black Washington DC Pagent Queen Mother of 7+ 1 College Graduate Firefighter Ordained Minister Prison Chaplain What does a survivor look like?
MY STORY: I was just a girl: the special girl, of a special girl. I started out believing I was special because my grandmother made me believe in prayer.
Then there was a husband, and God gave me babies. And still I had my dreams: But Life was not as I had supposed. What was free? What was safe? My babies and my dreams were not enough to keep me safe.
No where to run, no where to hide, no other way out. I did what I was told and all I wanted to do was keep my children out of harms way and survive. WHAT DID I LOSE AS A VICTIM? The will to live: It didn t matter if I went to jail? I was already in prison. Jail was my only way out.. I LOST MY CHILDREN! I lost my self respect, my self confidence, my self esteem.. I LOST TIME: the one thing I cant get back. No one SAW ME. Victims are hiding in plain sight. Traffickers count on us to ignore what we don t understand. To be silent, because we are too busy.
What made me a victim? 1. I gave up my dreams for nightmares. 2. The people who had control had a purpose. 3. I lost control of my life. I was coerced. 4. I gave up my voice. I didn t believe anyone would care. I was too ashamed to pray. 5. I lived in fear and shame: I didn t know who to trust. 6. I made desperate decisions: unhealthy, unholy for myself and my children. 7. I made myself vulnerable: desperate people do desperate things. Traffickers prey on the desperate. 8. Society made me a victim twice. I was judged by my circumstances.
You are not a survivor until you are rescued. I had to go to prison to get free and I finally felt safe. You are not really living until someone can see you. I had never heard the term human trafficking. I didn t know how to explain what happened to me, I had been afraid to tell. But I knew I had been exploited.
American Airlines SAW ME THE PROBLEM: not wanting to get involved, Not wanting to be wrong. Employers must begin to see people not just their circumstances. It can happen to anyone. I never lost what made me special.
Airline Ambassadors International Why Don t Victims Escape? Don t know their location Told families will be harmed The Stockholm Syndrome Infectious Diseases Permanent scarring and mutilations Social isolation and rejection Long Term Damage Psychological manipulation
Airline Ambassadors International III. What we have to do: Identify signs of human trafficking and take appropriate action.
Airline Ambassadors International Common Victim Indicators. Not in control of personal assets. Not free to speak for themselves Inconsistent stories Often seems drugged or disoriented Unusual wounds or bruises Avoids uniformed personnel Avoids eye contact
Airline Ambassadors International American Airlines: Began inclusion with selective discrete employment of survivors. Implemented protocol for crew members. Developed curriculum to educate and inform employees creating a safe space. Supports airport campaigns to alert, engage, educate and inform the traveling public. A truly inclusive work environment is the result of Education + Protocol = Empowerment
Airline Ambassadors International Human Trafficking Recognize It! What Report Should It! You Do At the Airport Local law enforcement is the first line of support in reporting suspected human trafficking. Provide information as quickly as possible. Try to remember details: clothing, age, seating, etc. Don t try to rescue: REPORT
Resources Download Airline Ambassadors Intl. TIPLine APP Threat Intelligence Platform 1 Use your phone to report suspected human trafficking 2 Notify Law Enforcement 3 - Use Tip tools to report via mapping, text, photo & video. Free download on itunes or Google Playstore
They said I couldn t fly: CAN YOU SEE ME NOW? I AM TRULY LIVING AN AAMAZING LIFE!