I had the privilege of hearing Ambassador CdeBaca speak about modern day slavery … these are his statements that resonated with me.
I attended a luncheon with a bunch of lawyers where Ambassador CdeBaca was the keynote speaker. Ambassador Luis CdeBaca is directs the State’s Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. He is the Senior Advisor to Secretary Hillary Clinton. His resume is impressive. He has tried many federal cases in regards to human trafficking. Read more about Ambassador CdeBaca here .
Ambassador CdeBaca emphasized the importance of addressing modern day slavery at the local level. He stated that the local level is the most important front in the fight against slavery. It is through training of local law enforcement, social workers, and juvenile court officials that human trafficking can be recognized and abated. Rescue, protection and prevention comes through individuals
- understanding laws that pertain to servitude and debt bondage
- knowing indicators of trafficking in persons
- changing the way culture accepts the dehumanizing of others
- reducing the products we wear, eat, and use that have slavery in the supply line.
Ambassador CdeBaca also stressed the value in learning from the slaves of the past. From their stories we can learn how to take action, how to pursue freedom, and how to help restore the survivors of modern day slavery.
