Today I had to give a speech in my Persuasive Communication class. After much deliberation, I decided to talk on a controversial and unknown topic: Child Sex Tourism.
After talking with a few friends today, I thought it may benefit a few for me to put what I learned on the table.
A lot of people in our country have never even heard of this. Human trafficking? definitely! That concept is as old as our country to us. We study the slave trade and Civil War beginning in elementary school. Child trafficking, sure......anyone who is keeping up with news has heard of the issues in Uganda. Child sex trafficking, even THIS is something we are familiar with. We know that all over the world people, even children, are being forced to participate in sex acts and labor without their consent.
What we often don't know is the role our country plays in this.
Child sex tourism is a part of the $32 billion dollar global human trafficking industry that victimizes 12 million people. It differentiates itself a bit from child sex trafficking in the intentionality and profile of the consumer.
According to Geoffrey Keele, a child protection spokesperson at UNICEF, “The multimillion dollar child sex tourism industry is supported by foreigners who travel to developing countries where widespread poverty and corrupt law enforcement foster an illicit environment in which they can have sex with children as young as 5 for as little as $5, often with little recourse”
Also, according to World Vision, the US is among several other wealthy countries who exploit children in the commercial sex trade. This is true because 25 %!!! of all child sex tourists are US citizens!!!
I want to put this in perspective a bit for my peers. Not just any average American has the money flow to fly to Cambodia, Thailand, India, Brazil, and Mexico (as well as many other countries) and become a consumer. We are left with one conclusion: the consumer of this service is affluent and very often AMERICAN!
My generation of Americans will face a new dilemma.....I was told today by a friend that of the worlds 40 top leaders, 38 spent time at an American university. WE are the future leaders of affluent America. Let's not be naive; as students in a US university our chances of having wealth and power, and having friends with the same are VAST. We must face the reality that the next generation of sex tourists will come from our generational peers. This will most certainly be true if our generation does nothing to stop and reverse this exploitation.
For more information:
- http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/index.htm- US Dept of State Trafficking in Persons Report
- http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/international/diary-escaped-sex-slave- Diary of an Escaped Sex Slave
- www.unicef.org
- The Child Sex Tourism Prevention Project. http://www.worldvision.org/ content.nsf/learn/globalissues-stp?Open&lpos=lft_txt_Child-Sex-Tourism
- Stolen Innocence: Inside the Shady World of Child Sex Tourism. (2007)
- http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-3184- A Civic Project to track congress
- http://www.examiner.com/human-rights-in-national/world-vision-child-protection-compact-act-taken-off-of-the-upcoming-senate-meeting-with-no-reason- Child Protection Compact Act
- www.worldvision.org
I feel inclined to also add that, often, I find myself feeling that I can not make a difference in an issue as large as this one. That ultimately, the need of the world is Christ. To know Him, be made like Him by a relationship with Him, and to help others know Him. And, after all this. I see that I am right.
But, I may remind my brothers and sisters, that every time I share Christ with someone, I am increasing the likelihood that an army of us will be able to rise up against these injustices that Christ came to die to cleanse us of and give us a hope for. The Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) is ultimately the way this will occur. If I am NOT obedient to GO and MAKE DISCIPLES, there will be no one to fight, and no one to share a Love that redeems individuals, nations, and the world from the very nature of our sinful selves.
Love you all!
Annie
