HUMAN TRAFFICKING - MINOUCHE KANDEL
Human Trafficking is when men or women use human beings for money by selling them with actions like sex and drugs. The point Minouche Kandel, the leader of the SF Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, and the rest of the organizations want to get across is how bystanders can stop trafficking and how the victims can get out of the business and support themselves. The organization is also trying to educate those who know nothing about human trafficking. The organization is part of a legal group that passes laws, educates, and puts up posters to end human trafficking.
The strategies used by this organization includes creating posters, spreading the word, and gaining allies. These three strategies were chosen because they are strategies that are easy for everyone to participate, not only rich or political leaders. The posters are hung up in city buildings and businesses. these posters educate others with numbers and websites they can visit. The posters are required by law to be placed in restaurants, bars, and other common areas. This helps everyone know that trafficking is among them. The Human Trafficking organization is also using these posters as a way to gain allies throughout the business. These businesses read and hang up the poster, so they often take it as their own responsibility to learn about it in case their customers or visitors have any questions. This leads to not only the business owners and employees becoming supporters, but to have them spread the word to others. Also, the people who are interested in helping the cause will get up and do something themselves. From there, the Human Trafficking collaborative now has a wide range of people to talk to and help support them when needed.
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Minouche stated, “You have to be okay with not succeeding right away.” This quote really demonstrates patience, self-pride, and common sense. Similarly, Human Trafficking will not end by arresting one or two people, neither will putting up posters. To end the Human Trafficking, one would have to gain more allies and bring more people to support the organization. For any issues children, teens, or adults face, they need to understand at a young age or from the beginning that solving problems takes time and tolerance.
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Any social movement can be started with ease. For example, it was easy for the NAACP to try and end the segregation along with Martin Luther King, Jr. but they were people who understood segregation and state of minds do not end over time, and thats what made them good, successful leaders. On top of that, they are now well known in organizations and memorable people all around the world. Not succeeding right away doesn’t mean you’re failure, but it proves that you are willing to go above and beyond for this cause and that you truly believe in it.
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The second and most memorable statement Minouche made was, “So there were places she had reached out for help and the system failed her.” For Human Trafficking movement, there had been many females and males that had attempted to get help from police and government out of trafficking or physical abuse, but had been ignored the same way the rights of Africans were ignored as well. Both groups of people had faced oppression in the same way. In any situation where the system or facilities fail, it is important to start looking at other strategies that do not include the people who will not let you down.
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The final statement made by Minouche that really stood out was, “..It just seemed meaningful to me to make sure that all women were being treated equally. I am a woman, I wanted to make sure that women did not experience it. There are a million reasons to do Social Justice…It can turn out that it speaks to something.” What Minouche said was great because its a statement that makes up the platform of all social movements. If one participates in a movement that they are not passionate about, then its a given that the movement will not be successful. The Human Trafficking Collaborative and their supporters are trying to end this because they want better futures for the victims and generations to come. A lot of the supporters are connected to this movement at a deeper level as well. Comparingly, both the Apartheid and the Human Trafficking Organization have had indifferent feelings on how to protect others and better their lives. Reading about and seeing people who feel so wholesome and dedicated to their work really inspires me to be passionate about things I love and support. Henceforth, I want to be more committed and defend what I believe in. I want not be a follower and become a pioneer instead. Doing so would not only help me support what I believe in, but could lead me to activist position and to become a great leader.
Overall, after my interview with Minouche, not only do I feel connected with Human Trafficking and the Anti-Apartheid, but my ideas of what is a leader and what I should do if I want to make a change. I feel impacted by this because Minouche reminded me there are many people attempting and making a difference in the world. They are all around us whether they are in history books, TV shows, or a next door neighbor who regularly protests against animal abuse. I’ve come to realize that where our generation is at today is because of the leaders and activists we had years ago who fought for us to have the same rights, created laws, and made us equal.