Published in The Post-Star
3/30/06
Slavery might sound like a distant nightmare, but members of the local Zonta Club want New Yorkers to open their eyes to reality.
Every year, as many as 2 million people worldwide become victims of "human trafficking," forced or tricked into living and working in a place against their will -- places like brothels, sweatshops, construction sites and farms.
"I'm sure its happening in Glens Falls, but such a small percentage of victims step forward that you may never find out," said Dan Werner, legal director of Workers' Rights Law Center of New York.
Werner was one of three speakers at the Zonta Club's annual "Status of Women" dinner program on Tuesday night at the Queensbury Hotel. The program aimed to raise awareness of human trafficking issues, particularly the exploitation of women and children in the global sex trade.
Several local law enforcement officials attended, including Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan, Washington County District Attorney Kevin Kortright and Glens Falls Police Captain Kevin Conine.
Kenneth Franzblau, a lawyer with Equality Now, advocated for a state law against human trafficking.
Despite the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, only about 1 percent of victims are willing to take a legal stand against their former captors, he noted.
"To me, that indicates great fear, and a need for stronger protections for victims," Franzblau said.
He urged the audience to lobby their state representatives in support of proposed anti-trafficking legislation (Assembly bill 1898 and Senate bill 6231).
Rachel Seeber Conine, director of the Victim Witness Unit for the U.S. Attorney's Office of Northern New York, discussed how to respond to human trafficking on a local level. She said evidence of the problem has shown up in places as close as Albany.
"Just because we haven't identified any cases in Warren and Washington counties doesn't mean they're not happening," she said.
Conine, who lives in Glens Falls, urged the community to take a proactive approach by forming a trafficking task force.
When victims escape, they need immediate access to things like food, shelter and clothing. Conine suggested establishing an emergency fund and setting up agreements with local businesses that could be ready to provide aid on short notice.
"You haven't waited for a trafficking case to occur here to raise awareness, and that's wonderful," she said. "We live in a great county. Let's do something here that will be a model for other counties."
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