Community forum to focus on human trafficking

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley is taking the opportunity to shine a spotlight on this global problem with the club’s annual Human Trafficking Awareness Community Forum.

Set for this Saturday, the forum will offer residents the chance to educate themselves on exactly what human trafficking is and learn about resources to help put a stop to it. Attendees will also be able to listen to a variety of dignitaries and experts in the field speak on the issue, including Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, Nevada Assemblyman Greg Hafen II, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill and more.

“Come join us for an educational afternoon to learn more about this important subject,” Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley encourages.

According to the U.S. Department of State, human trafficking primarily takes two forms - forced labor and sex trafficking.

“Human trafficking, also called trafficking in persons, has no place in our world. As both a grave crime and a human rights abuse, it compromises national and economic security, undermines rule of law and harms the well-being of individuals and communities everywhere,” information from the Department of State reads. “It is a crime of exploitation. Traffickers profit at the expense of their victims by compelling them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex in every region of the United States and around the world.

“With an estimated 27.6 million victims worldwide at any given time, human traffickers prey on people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities, exploiting them for their own profit,” the Department of State continues. “Human trafficking victims can be of any age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, immigration status, cultural background, religion, socio-economic class and education attainment level.”

The Human Trafficking Awareness Community Forum will take place Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Nye County Commissioners’ Chambers, 2100 E. Walt Williams Drive. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. and the forum is set to run from 1 to 4 p.m.

For more information contact Linda Turner at 503-309-6996 or email SIPVPresident@gmail.com

The National Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 888-373-7888 or by texting “Help” or “Info” to 233733.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com