Human Trafficking 2.0

what is human trafficking? Human trafficking Is the trade in humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others.   Human trafficking is the second largest illegal enterprise in the world. Drugs of course are still number one. The international Labor Organization estimates that 12.3 million people around the world are involved in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor and sexual servitude. Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world. Annually, the money illegally acquired through human trafficking is estimated to be more than $35 billion, which equals the profits earned by Starbucks, Google and Nike combined Many do not see human trafficking as a big issue here in the United States, but that is mainly because most of the them are uneducated on the issue. Even here in Ohio, human trafficking is a problem that needs to be stopped immediately.  There seems to be that human trafficking is a much greater issue in Ohio than many people would believe.  There are many different statistic numbers reflecting the effect of human trafficking her in Ohio. In a recent study estimates that 3,437 foreign born persons in Ohio may be at risk for both labor and sex trade trafficking, 783 of which are estimated to be trafficked into the labor or sex trade in Ohio.  Governor Kasich, is committed to stop human trafficking here in Ohio.  Each year there is an estimated 1,078 Ohio children become victims of human trafficking and 3,016 more are at-risk.  If you ask an average young-adult American what human trafficking is, most likely the individual thinks back to the move "Taken".  Which the movie shows human trafficking in foreign countries, and individual does not see that happening in America.  The movie or "Social media" that is about human trafficking does not represent the truth behind it and that needs to be changed. This movie also portrays the idea that human trafficking only effects Women, which is very far from the truth.  At least 95% of all commercial sex engaged in boys is provided to adult males. Approximately half of the adult male sexual exploiters of boys are married men, many with children of their own.  Once I started uncovering the truth behind Human trafficking and seeing the statistics showing how many individuals it affects, and also the large sums of money also included in the industry, it proves the public, myself included, are very uneducated on the truth and how sever the problem is.  Human trafficking is a bigger issue then many believe and that needs to be changed soon.

http://humantrafficking.ohio.gov/
http://lisadpreston.hubpages.com/hub/Human-trafficking-in-Ohio

FYS Social Action Project:

My Social Action Project idea has to do with Animal Testing;
 

Animal testing may seem like such a small issue to some people, but to other animal lovers in the world like me, it is a big problem.  The United States of America, is one of the countries that contribute a majority of the animals testing done around the world.  Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year, and 92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical trials because they are too dangerous or don’t work.  With this information alone, it seems to be uncertain to me why animal testing has gone on for as long as it has.  We seem to be wasting animal’s lives in order to try these new products that will in the end be used for human use; while these animals and humans do not have the same genetic make-up, and are almost certain to effect each species skin and body differently.  I understand that sometimes animal testing is the best option when I comes to important medical advances, and important research for terminal diseases such as Cancer. While limiting the use of animals testing, we are able to end the madness of wasting the animal’s life and health on products such as make-up, and hair supplies.  Another idea that came out of researching this topic was that we can relax the rules and regulations in order for a human to test a certain medicine that could save their life.  For example, if a medication that is possible to cure for cancer, and a patient that has the same type of cancer in a severe form, may be willing to give it a try.  In turn that will cut time in between experimenting on the animals and then continuing it onto test on a human.  A common saying by other campaigns that have the same beliefs on animals testing as I came up with “3 R’s:” replaces a procedure that uses animals with a procedure that doesn’t, reduces the number of animals used in a procedure, refines a procedure to alleviate or minimize potential animal pain.  Using animals to test new products isn’t the main issue I wish to stop, the pain and torture that these animals have to go through for these products is unjust and inhuman.  For my project I would like to spread awareness around the world of the severity of the issue and the effects it has on the animals.  Although my topic is basically the same as PETAS, I do not plan on spreading the knowledge like their campaign does.  By simply making a blog with pictures, posts, and more information and the detailed process of animal testing, we will be able to take major steps to more far regulations of animal testing.  PETA has more of an aggressive approach when confronting the problem directly, and instead my ad campaign will also have inviting voice, to teach the other side ways to avoid this problem.  I would also wish to add a petition onto my blog to give anyone the opportunity to support the beliefs demonstrated throughout my blog, and to help change to rules and regulations of animal testing to make it more, Animal friendly.

discussion 1: Journal of a cleaner production question

1. How does the public, and government have the ablity to have a producer change their prices, to a more reasonable price.  (example: Selling sneakers at $200, costs $20 to produce.)

2. What ways can we limit the power of the producers and give more power to the consumers?

3. The possibilities of what you CAN do with the outdated item, in a more environmentally friendly way.

Racism; as a social justice issue

Racism is one of the most popular social justice issue, and is also one of the most argued and debated social justice issues in the United States.  The definition of racism is "the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others; abusive or aggressive behavior towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief."  Through out Americas history we have embarrassed our self with not only supporting racism, but also taking part in it.  For man years, the average American would own African American slaves to do whatever they wished.  Depending on the owners, and the different states, the slaves were used for different things.  Some Americans would just have one or two slaves just to help the family with everyday house chores, and sometimes, mostly in the southern states, a plantation owner would own hundreds of slaves to work in their cotton field, and any other jobs their owner asked them to do.  Finally in 1865, The United States ratified the 13th amendment that abolished slavery, but the racism did not end there.  Even today, as we coming to a close of the year 2014, Racism is still a well argued and hot topic in todays society. In order to continue spreading awareness of the serious issues of racism, social media comes in a very large way.  Social media has the incredible power to send a message, picture, or videos to everywhere around the country, and even the world.  I often times see past pictures posted where server cases of racism are demonstrated, that really catch you attention.  I think the saying "a pictures worth a thousand words," really applies when spreading awareness of racism, and gives you a chance to see racism from a different perspective. 

http://www.tolerance.org/lesson/using-photographs-teach-social-justice-exposing-racism

Suicide as a social justice issue

When an individual has hit an all time low, they look for an easy and fast way out.  Sometimes they believe that their only choice is to take their own life in the act of suicide.  Resent studies on suicide show that 90% of the individuals that commit suicide had a diagnosable mental illness.  With proper care and medicine, the individuals may not have felt the need to do such an act.  Another reason behind suicide, is when they don't know another way out. With the resent studies, there have been multiple hotline, websites, and consoling centers that welcome individuals to come anonymously to talk about their problems.  In order to spread the word about these centers that are available at anytime, social media plays a large part.  On twitter for example, there are multiple tweets that send out the world on suicide awareness, and provide multiple phone numbers, websites, and centers near you.  Everyone can be a part of preventing suicide; by simply retweeting a tweet that has the suicide hotline phone number, can save someone's life.  It will even say that "a simple retweet can save someone's life" right in the tweet that is expected to be retweeted.  These simple acts show how the young adults in our world can work together and try to reduce the numbers of suicides each year.


http://sallyspencerthomas.blogspot.com/2010/04/suicide-preventon-as-social-justice.html