Keeping human trafficking from the games

By Emily Chan

Slavery in Canada ended officially in 1834. More than 175 years later, however, modern day slavery may be a growing concern in our nation. With The 2010 Olympics having passed some expected an increase in Vancouver’s human trafficking.

“It has been quantitatively documented that trafficking spikes during large sporting events,” says Erin Thomas, the Alberta Provincial Director for the Not For Sale Campaign, which fights global human trafficking.

As an example, Thomas points to the RCMP’s website, which states that “Greek authorities saw a 95 per cent increase in the number of trafficking cases in 2004, the year Greece hosted the Summer Olympics.”

“The 2010 Winter Olympics are no different,” says Thomas via e-mail.

Despite this, the RCMP says that they did not predict a notable surge in human trafficking during the Olympics and that there was no need for resources towards it.

“There is not enough law enforcement personnel to focus on this crime. Often, prosecutors have difficulty prosecuting without the testimony of the victims, who are too traumatized to testify. Traffickers threaten their families and loved ones if they go to the police,” says David Bouchard, the Canadian Director of the Not for Sale Campaign. “It is easier to prosecute on a lesser charge and the traffickers get off with fewer penalties.”

Thomas states, “Many people still don't know that slavery still exists in our world, let alone our own country. Until we make a conscious decision to re-abolish it, slavery will continue to flourish.”

In light of the threat the Olympics bring to trafficking victims, organizations such as REED (Reduce Exploitation, Embrace Dignity) have stepped up.

On its website REED states, “We consider it a privilege to share in mutual transformation with women who are surviving the effects of a sexualized and violent culture.” Their "Buying Sex Is Not a Sport Campaign" aims to ensure that the 2010 Olympics serve as an opportunity to celebrate sport, not to create slaves.

Emily Chan is a highschool student from Port Coquitlam, BC. She hopes to use her camera and her words as tools to share the stories of people all over the world.