The 2010 Games and Human Trafficking

The countdown to the Vancouver Olympic Games in 2010 is progressing, and now the fight has begun to prevent an upswing in human trafficking.

Sporting events such as the Olympics or the World Cup of Soccer have often been occasions for increased trafficking in humans, especially for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

In Canada, advocates are concerned not only about the potential rise in trafficking into Canada, but also the possibility of increased exploitation of native girls and women. Aboriginal Canadians are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation within Canada.

Canada does not have a great record on dealing with human trafficking already, so the increased risk represented by the Olympics means that efforts must start with education and advocacy.

Today, the Canadian Religious Conference released an educational kit in Ottawa. The kit is aimed at highschool students, and includes information on trafficking, its causes, and ways to advocate for greater government efforts to stop trafficking.

The kit was already released last week in Vancouver, as described by this Vancouver Sun article.

A 2007 report by The Future Group, a Calgary-based NGO, outlines both the increased risk of trafficking and measures that other governments have successfully taken to reduce the risk during major sporting events.