Resource Guide

Below are 15 websites that I have found useful in my quest for knowledge about human trafficking:

1. http://www.polarisproject.org/
The Polaris Project is an international, national, and local effort to stop slavery. Their organization does more than just provide information about slavery; they find viable ways to stop slavery through legislation, grassroots campaigns, and help for freed victims of human trafficking. The Polaris Project has an entire section of the website, the "Action Center," which provides multiple ways for people to become involved.

2. http://www.humantrafficking.org/
This website is a great resource for learning about human trafficking around the world. It goes into recent and historical events within disparate regions and nations. While part of the website is devoted to taking action, this is more useful for research and awareness purposes.

3.http://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html?ref=menutop
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime includes a subsection on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling which provides useful information. Specifically this website shows what the UN is doing about this global problem, as well as providing basic information for people who are unaware about human trafficking.

4. http://www.justice.gov/olp/human_trafficking.htm
This website is along the same lines as the UNODC, except this is specifically for American cases of human trafficking. The links to the documents, such as the Trafficking Victims Protection Acts, are especially handy for those doing in-depth research into the legal side of human trafficking in the United States.

5.www.humantraffickingsearch.net/
This website primarily serves as a search engine for visitors to find other websites about human trafficking, child labor, sex slavery, and forced labor. It also provides current news about human trafficking cases, links to videos about human trafficking, and maps to show current statistics about slavery across the globe. If the sites I have listed aren't enough, this website is a good way to find more!

6. http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/
This website details the history of human trafficking from 2000-2010 in countries all over the world. This includes a brief description of each country's economic status, as well as government documents, personal testimonies from freed slaves, efforts to combat human trafficking, and archives of relevant news stories. This website is a great way to find information about one specific country, the types of human trafficking occurring there, and why that country is currently susceptible to this global dilemma.

7. http://www.madebysurvivors.com/
This is a really cool website that creates a market for products created by people freed from slavery. Sometimes those who are freed can be worse off because they have lost their livelihood and have no knowledge about how to support themselves, but foundations such as The Emancipation Network can provide an outlet for their products. This is important because it reintegrates freed slaves into social and economic circles, as well providing their children with an education and helping them psychologically.

8. http://www.examiner.com/x-24740-Human-Rights-Examiner
This blog provides a daily rundown of all the human trafficking cases worldwide. It gives a very good idea of how widespread cases are, and also provides a jumping-off point for more in-depth research into specific cases.

9. http://www.laborrights.org/
The International Labor Rights Forum discusses cases of inequality in labor globally. This site also includes a link to a list of the products suspected to be produced by slave labor, as of September 2009 (at http://www.laborrights.org/news/12103). This information can be insightful, especially in raising awareness of how ignorant consumers are supporting slavery without their knowledge.

10. http://www.catwinternational.org/
The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women specifically focuses on women stuck in slavery, especially sex slavery. This website provides information in 9 different languages about the fight against prostitution and sexual exploitation of women's bodies. CATW has many campaigns and programs internationally, including one to decrease the male demand for prostitution and another to reform laws regarding prostitution in many different countries. The website also has "fact books" about trafficked women in countries all over the world, with specific cases and governmental policies.

11. http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
Not For Sale is an international grassroots campaign to raise awareness and bring about social change regarding modern day slavery. The programs and events put on by Not For Sale are effective in raising awareness and getting viewers involved. This campaign definitely seems to be aiming for widespread involvement from all sorts of people by declaring that anyone can help end slavery, and that every person can contribute some skill to the fight. Not For Sale has few projects worldwide, but they are deeply involved in those places they have set up campaigns.

12. http://www.freetheslaves.net/
Free the Slaves is focused on a comprehensive plan to end slavery. Liberating slaves and helping them adjust to free lives is the main focus of this organization, as well as research into the best way to free all slaves and reintegrate them into normal society. This research includes recording stories of freed slaves, documenting what approaches to freeing slaves works for future knowledge, and working with companies and governments to discuss viable options for freeing all slaves.

13. http://www.justice.gov/crt/crim/smuggling_trafficking_facts.pdf
This is a pdf from the Human Trafficking and Smuggling Center providing basic information about human trafficking and how it differs from human smuggling. Though the pdf is from 2005, it still provides useful information to help readers understand the reality of human trafficking. Since human trafficking is an invisible form of slavery and therefore not widely recognized, documents such as this one can help newly informed people recognize and acknowledge human trafficking for what it is: slavery.

14. http://doctorsatwar.org/
This organization provides medical care to victims of human trafficking, and raises awareness of some sobering facts: 30% of slaves will be treated by medical professionals who will not recognize them as victims of human trafficking; many of the victims of human trafficking will become HIV positive, malnutritioned, and otherwise ill from mistreatment. Doctors At War are trained to recognize victims of slavery, as well as treat freed slaves who cannot afford their necessary medical care. This website provides opportunities to get involved, either as a doctor or as a volunteer, in this important step in freeing slaves before sending them out into the real world.

15. http://www.endhumantraffickingnow.com/pages/default.aspx
This website provides some detailed information about what businesses can do in order to stop human trafficking; while most action websites focus on individual volunteers, this information can be helpful for companies who want to do their part to fight slavery. The information End Human Trafficking Now provides is a lot more straight-forward than some of the other action websites; this is the only one I have found that discusses who traffic people, not just who is trafficked. This website also provides access to the Victims Assistance Database, which provides contact information for businesses and individuals in countries around the world to which victims of human trafficking can turn for assistance.

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