Human Trafficking Awareness

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS TOOLKIT

RESOURCE TOOLKIT FOR AMERICAN SPACES

This Resource Toolkit is designed for programming at American Spaces to create a greater awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery and how the United States works to prevent it. NOTE: Some of this content may not be suitable for all audiences and should be reviewed by Public Diplomacy staff.

RESOURCES

About Human Trafficking

This official State Department site describes human trafficking, its consequences, and what the United States is doing to combat it.

Share America Articles

Here are some useful articles that provide information on human trafficking

Not My Life Movie Kit – This Kanopy documentary filmed on five continents describes modern slavery and its economic impact. American Spaces have rights to screen Kanopy films in closed online platforms.

WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons or modern slavery, is a crime in which force, fraud, or coercion is used to compel a person to perform labor, services, or commercial sex.

Each year the Department of State publishes the Trafficking in Persons Report which documents human trafficking worldwide. Here’s a message from Secretary Blinken about the 2022 report:

There are nearly 25 million people currently victims of trafficking. 25 million people. The United States is committed to fighting it because trafficking destabilizes societies, it undermines economies, it harms workers, it enriches those who exploit them, it undercuts legitimate business, and most fundamentally, because it is so profoundly wrong.

ACTIVITIES

What Can I do to Prevent Human Trafficking?

  • Introduce Human Trafficking from the information above or with a Ted Talk. (15 min)
  • Break the students into groups of three or four and have them go to this State Department website to learn 20 ways to prevent human trafficking. (10 min)
  • Have each group present on three things that they can do. (20 min)

Lesson Plans

  • UNICEF has created three lesson plans to teach about child trafficking, survivor stories, and prevention.

Embassy Speaker

Consider inviting a Political Officer from your Embassy or Consulate to lead a discussion on the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report. If appropriate, the group could discuss the trafficking narrative on their country or neighboring countries.

Highlighted Content

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

* Note: This video is not appropriate for all audiences.

This informational video on human trafficking and how to identify and assist victims is part of the Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking public awareness campaign, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, visit its website.

Ted Talks

Human Trafficking is All Around You Noy Thrupkaew discusses the prevalence of human trafficking in the daily products that we use.

Voice of America

These news segments from Voice of America use basic English and cover a variety of subjects related to human trafficking. These videos can be downloaded and screened online or at American Spaces for programming to raise awareness around human trafficking.

USAGM Direct.

The views expressed in these links and resources do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. government.

Updated May 2024