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PROBLEM <br />Human Trafficking is a Si 50 billion industry worldwide, resulting in approximately 40 million <br />staves. There are more staves in our world today than at any other point in history. The average <br />cost of a person is $90; human trafficking is the fastest growing industry worldwide, and 1 in 4 <br />victims of trafficking are children. <br />Human trafficking is defined by the UN as "the recruitment, transport, transfer, harboring or <br />receipt of a person by such means as threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of <br />abduction, or fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation." <br />The definition of tra ck n consists of three core elements: <br />1) The Action of trafficking which means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or <br />receipt of persons <br />2 The M.ea►ns of trafficking which includes threat of or use of force, deception, coercion, abuse <br />of power, or position of vulnerability <br />3) The Purpose of trafficking which is always exploitation. In the words of the Trafficking <br />Protocol, article 3, "exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution <br />of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices <br />similar to slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs." <br />Human trafficking exists because vulnerabilities exist in individuals. Vulnerabilities such as <br />poverty, homelessness, abuse , trauma, lack of a stable home, racial inequalities, the need for a <br />job, food, shelter, clothing, etc. Traffickers are trained to spot these vulnerabilities and exploit <br />them for profit through abuse. Anybody is at risk to be trafficked because there is not a single <br />person who has not found themself in a vulnerable situation at some point in their lives, <br />Vulnerabilities may include being new to a school or neighborhood and needing a place to <br />belong, not feeling loved or worthy of attention, having an unstable home life, or looking for a job <br />opportunity that takes someone away from hone. Stories Foundation exists to empower <br />community members to recognize and cover those vulnerabilities. The question is, will we come <br />alongside the vulnerable or wait for someone who will exploit them to fill the gap? Stories <br />Foundation is creating pathways for engagement through virtual and in -person awareness <br />