The University of Colorado played host to an exhibit on human trafficking this week in the UMC.
Helen Van Dam is a CU Boulder graduate and an employee of Iempathize, the organization that put on the exhibit.
“Empathizing is having the capability to walk alongside somebody during their struggles,” she said at the beginning of a tour of the exhibit.
Iempathize is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness, money and promoting local and national action against human trafficking. The organization works side-by-side with other organizations like Truckers Against Trafficking and student groups like CU Students Against Modern-Day Slavery.
According to the United Nations, there are up to 27 million humans enslaved in the world, which is twice the amount of slaves taken from Africa during four centuries of slave trade.
“The fact that there are more slaves now than ever in history is mind-boggling,” said Shannon Lynch, a senior psychology major.
The exhibit examined the issues of human trafficking in Russia, Southeast Asia, Mexico and the United States. Tables covered with pictures and artifacts lined the walls of the exhibit, allowing spectators to connect with the victims of these crimes.
Van Dam stopped the tour at each of the tables to tell the stories of individuals affected by human trafficking. One story she told was about a young girl from Mexico named Izara. Izara was stolen by her father and sold to his friends to perform sexual acts. Izara was able to escape, running for three days until she sought refuge at a sanctuary funded by Iempathize. Izara is now living a relatively normal life due to the efforts of humanitarian workers in Mexico.
While sexual trafficking runs rampant in many third-world countries, it is also a major problem in America, and even Colorado. A majority of sexual trafficking occurs at truck stops and boom cities. Boom cities are small towns overwhelmed by a recently founded industry, such as oil, that in turn attract populations the police cannot contain.
Van Dam relayed the story of Avery, a woman from Greeley, Colorado, who fell victim to sex trafficking. Avery was lied to by a man who exploited her recent divorce to offer her financial help. After he gained her trust, Avery’s partner convinced her that she also needed to contribute to their finances, and facilitated the prostitution of Avery to his friends. Avery was ultimately sold to another man in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was arrested multiple times for prostitution before police discovered that she was the victim.
Those interested in helping the fight against human trafficking can find more information at Iempathize.com.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Oliver Brady at Oliver.Brady@Colorado.edu.
