Full of “dreams and goals,” Maria Suarez entered the
U.S. at age 16 as a slave sold for $200.
As one of an estimated 900,000 yearly victims of human
trafficking, Suarez shared her story at the Human Trafficking
Conference, hosted by Youth for Human Rights International and
supported by the Bruin Democrats, on Wednesday.
Suarez told attendees she was raped and beaten daily for five
years by her buyer, who told her he was a witch and would know if
she attempted escape.
“Students at UCLA are future leaders, so we need to inform
them in order to combat (human trafficking),” said Vanessa
Alfaro, an intern with Youth for Human Rights International.
“There’s a lack of awareness about this issue
because you don’t hear a lot about it. So people assume
it’s only happening elsewhere, when it’s really right
in their own backyards,” she said.
“We want to encourage students to become aware of the
atrocities that are occurring and take action,” Alfaro
continued.
According to Youth for Human Rights International, human
trafficking affects an estimated 27 million worldwide, mostly women
and children in impoverished countries.
Called “modern-day slavery” by the group, the
growing industry is reported to generate $9 billion worldwide every
year.
Victims of human trafficking are lured from their home countries
with false promises of profitable jobs and marriages, then forced
to work for little or no wages, usually in the domestic service or
sex industries.
Workers often receive threats of violence to themselves and
their families, or punishment from authorities in the country they
have been trafficked to.
“When people are trafficked, their human rights are
completely violated,” said Mary Shuttleworth, director of
Youth for Human Rights International. “The person is no
longer treated as a person. They are simply property, bought and
sold as an object.”
Despite its prevalence, most people are not aware of the
magnitude of human trafficking, said Andrea Zuniga, a speaker on
the panel and a representative from Undergraduate Students
Association Council General Representative P.C. Zai’s
office.
“This affects all people of all races,” she said.
“It’s estimated that only 2 percent of people are aware
of the problem.”
Zuniga said people are especially unaware that trafficking is
going on in their proximity.
“We have a huge child pornography industry right here in
the (San Fernando) Valley that utilizes human trafficking,”
she said.
Advocates hope to humanize the problem in order to encourage
people to take action, said Tony Nassif, president and founder of
Cedars Cultural and Educational Foundation.
“Our goal is to educate, motivate, and activate the
public,” Nassif said. “The more the public is aware,
the greater opportunity for the victims to be set free. You
can’t make a difference and help these people out if you
don’t know what’s going on and see the warning
signs.”
A grassroots campaign is necessary in order to promote greater
change, he said.
“You never know what one person can do,” Nassif
said. “If we educate the public, then they will have the
moral responsibility to affect their civil rights. If you have
1,000 points of light, you can expel the darkness.”