Learn More About Modern Day Slavery

September 24, 2008

WHAT:    
Education Fair on Human Slavery and Trafficking  
        
WHEN:    
Thursday, September 25, 2008
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM    

WHERE:    
El Pueblo Plaza
125 Paseo De La Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012
        
WHO:        
Councilmember Tony Cardenas
Representatives from Los Angeles Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission  Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking

DETAILS:    
Councilmember Cardenas joins the Los Angeles Metro Task Force on Human Trafficking, a partnership which unites service providers, religious organizations, and law enforcement in the fight against modern day slavery, will present an awareness educational fair on slavery and trafficking.

The fair, sponsored by the City of Los Angeles, will include a discussion by a panel of experts on the issue of trafficking from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the LAPD and EEOC.  The panel will be moderated by City Councilmember Tony Cárdenas and Kay Buck, the Executive Director for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST).

According to the 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the U.S. Department of State, there are an estimated 12.3 million slaves in the world today – some reports go as high as recording 27 million enslaved people.  The U.S. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Human Beings reported that out of the 800,000 victims who are trafficked across international borders every year, at least 50,000 are transited through the United States.  

According to Captain Denis J. Cremins from the LAPD, "the purpose of this fair is to help educate and encourage the public to join our fight against human trafficking."  He stressed that the police department invites community participation to help identify more victims of trafficking. "That will only happen if people are aware of the problem and call our 24-hour hotline," he said.
CONTACT:    
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Katy Hong, 323-801-7983
CAST, Lisette Arsuaga, 213-365-1906 ext. 118
EEOC, Santos G. Albarrán, 213-894-1045
LAPD, Kimberly Agbonkpolor, 213-485-0780