As January unfolds, CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking turns its attention to National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This time of year is dedicated to raising awareness about the continued challenges we face as innocent victims in this country continue to be forced into labor and sex trafficking. In the face of an estimated 27.6 million people subjected to trafficking worldwide, it is crucial for the public to be educated on the signs of trafficking and ensure resources are available to assist those caught in the cycle of abuse. As we reflect on the milestones achieved through our Center’s launch last year, we remain focused on our core values: supporting survivors, fostering cross collaboration with law enforcement leaders, holding traffickers accountable, and urging all of our partners in this movement to engage in the collective effort to eradicate this modern day form of slavery.
Our work began with the screening premiere of the movie “Sound of Freedom” which highlighted the start of our Center and our commitment to inform and spread awareness to combatting this global issue of trafficking. Following the success of our launch, CPAC co-hosted an International Summit to End Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill, bringing together political leaders from the United States and Mexico to discuss the challenges facing our respective countries. Our Center was once again called to Congress in the subsequent weeks, this time to testify at the House Judiciary Committee at a hearing on Children are Not for Sale: Examining the Threat of Exploitation of Children in the U.S. and Abroad. During the hearing, our testimony focused on the hard truths of human trafficking from the dangers of our open southern border to the need to remove collateral consequences our criminal justice system places on victims.
Moving into the new year, CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking is focused on serving as a beacon in this fight to keep communities safe by working tirelessly to empower survivors and collaborating with leading advocates and law enforcement partners. During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, let us heed the call to action every day, recognizing that collective awareness, advocacy, and community engagement are the key to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by human trafficking.
