atlanta is home to the largest, most thriving market- the black market.
Humans Are Not for sale
Humans Are Not For Sale- Or Trade, For That Matter
Lily Zhang and Ana Shin
Studio 21
February 2, 2015
Humans Are Not For Sale- Or Trade, For That Matter
Introduction
Most citizens don’t know that our city of Atlanta is the largest epicenter for human trafficking in the United States, first to even Texas and California, who have looser laws about this issue than Georgia does. There are many movements and groups that support anti-slavery or anti-human trafficking and many of them have made a difference. However, this difference is very small and does nothing to keep the wrongdoers from continuing their wrongdoings. Human traffickers sell other humans or themselves for money, drugs, or other goods.
We propose that increased protection and penalties will be more than beneficial for the state. Heightened protection from toll houses that can also serve as security stations can sniff out the suspicious and anxious on the highways, and increased protection not only at security but also at the gates can help relieve trafficking.
Essential/Driving Research Question (5 pts)
Standards (30 pts)
8th Grade Georgia Studies
Category- Analyze the role of the legislative branch in Georgia state government
1. Standards / AKS
S8CG2 The student will analyze the role of the legislative branch in Georgia state government.
a. Explain the qualifications, term, election, and duties of members of the General Assembly.
b. Describe the organization of the General Assembly, with emphasis on leadership and the
committee system.
c. Evaluate how the legislative branch fulfills its role as the lawmaking body for the state of
Georgia.
SS8CG6 The student will explain how the Georgia court system treats juvenile offenders.
a. Explain the difference between delinquent behavior and unruly behavior and the consequences
of each
b. Describe the rights of juveniles when taken into custody.
c. Describe the juvenile justice system, emphasizing the different jurisdictions, terminology, and
steps in the juvenile justice process.
d. Explain the seven delinquent behaviors that can subject juvenile offenders to the adult criminal
process, how the decision to transfer to adult court is made, and the possible consequences.
SS8E4 The student will identify revenue sources for and services provided by state and
local governments.
a. Trace sources of state revenue such as sales taxes, federal grants, personal income taxes, and
property taxes.
b. Explain the distribution of state revenue to provide services.
c. Evaluate how choices are made given the limited revenues of state and local governments.
8th Grade Language Arts
Category - Listening and Speaking
1. Standard AKS
ELACC8RI7: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different
mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular
topic or idea.
ELACC8SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8
topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on
the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as
needed.
c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant
evidence, observations, and ideas.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding in light of the
evidence presented.
ELACC8SL2: Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the
motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
ELACC8SL3: Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the
evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
ELACC8SL4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning,
and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
ELACC8SL5: Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
ELACC8SL6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
VOCABUARY:
Taxes-
Budget-
Citizens-
Human Trafficking-
Bill-
Law-
Legislature-
Executive-
Prosecution-
Penalty-
Intended Outcome (10 pts)
We hope to make the public aware of our proposal for a bill to be made regarding stricter prosecutions on pimps and more support for victims. Our goal is to make the younger generation more aware of human trafficking and how it happens to girls and boys very close to our own ages. This will be all in order to raise our voices into stopping this industry at the heart. January is human trafficking awareness month. We hope to get as many students at our school as we can to wear navy blue, which is the ribbon color for this issue’s awareness and to mark red X’s on their hands to symbolize getting rid of this modern slavery. Also, we strive to help the trafficked humans, and to make sure the next generation knows what steps to take to avoid this kind of situation. We want to make sure that everyone knows the dangers of human trafficking, but also how to help raise awareness and stop the trade.
Group Member and Job Assignment (10 pts)
Lily Zhang - collect information, format research into an essay, contribute to the project proposal, create and edit informational video, create an account on Twitter to gain support for the topic, create/edit a Weebly blog site, create flyers to distribute around school property that advertise the Twitter account, Weebly blog site and video.
Ana Shin - collect information, format research into an essay, contribute to the project proposal, create and edit informational video, create an email for the Twitter account to link to, create/edit a Weebly blog site, create flyers to distribute around school property that advertise the Twitter account, Weebly blog site, and video, gain permission from the broadcast team/Mr. Grasso/Mrs. Law to speak briefly about the topic on the morning announcements or to advertise the Twitter and Weebly site on the scrolling announcements.
Lily Zhang and Ana Shin
Studio 21
February 2, 2015
Humans Are Not For Sale- Or Trade, For That Matter
Introduction
Most citizens don’t know that our city of Atlanta is the largest epicenter for human trafficking in the United States, first to even Texas and California, who have looser laws about this issue than Georgia does. There are many movements and groups that support anti-slavery or anti-human trafficking and many of them have made a difference. However, this difference is very small and does nothing to keep the wrongdoers from continuing their wrongdoings. Human traffickers sell other humans or themselves for money, drugs, or other goods.
We propose that increased protection and penalties will be more than beneficial for the state. Heightened protection from toll houses that can also serve as security stations can sniff out the suspicious and anxious on the highways, and increased protection not only at security but also at the gates can help relieve trafficking.
Essential/Driving Research Question (5 pts)
- What problem or issues have you discovered that needs to be addressed by the Georgia General Assembly? We have discovered that the Georgia state government has passed many laws regarding human trafficking, however, we also noticed that the punishment for pimps, the people that sell trafficked victims, is not befitting to the crime and that the trafficked are punished more harshly.
- What proposals do you have in order to help solve the identified issues? We propose that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation focus more on catching the pimp, who could be trafficking any number of victims, and to make sure that the pimp or any higher-ups are prosecuted and charged, and much harsher than the victim(s) themselves.
Standards (30 pts)
8th Grade Georgia Studies
Category- Analyze the role of the legislative branch in Georgia state government
1. Standards / AKS
S8CG2 The student will analyze the role of the legislative branch in Georgia state government.
a. Explain the qualifications, term, election, and duties of members of the General Assembly.
b. Describe the organization of the General Assembly, with emphasis on leadership and the
committee system.
c. Evaluate how the legislative branch fulfills its role as the lawmaking body for the state of
Georgia.
SS8CG6 The student will explain how the Georgia court system treats juvenile offenders.
a. Explain the difference between delinquent behavior and unruly behavior and the consequences
of each
b. Describe the rights of juveniles when taken into custody.
c. Describe the juvenile justice system, emphasizing the different jurisdictions, terminology, and
steps in the juvenile justice process.
d. Explain the seven delinquent behaviors that can subject juvenile offenders to the adult criminal
process, how the decision to transfer to adult court is made, and the possible consequences.
SS8E4 The student will identify revenue sources for and services provided by state and
local governments.
a. Trace sources of state revenue such as sales taxes, federal grants, personal income taxes, and
property taxes.
b. Explain the distribution of state revenue to provide services.
c. Evaluate how choices are made given the limited revenues of state and local governments.
8th Grade Language Arts
Category - Listening and Speaking
1. Standard AKS
ELACC8RI7: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different
mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular
topic or idea.
ELACC8SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8
topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on
the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as
needed.
c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant
evidence, observations, and ideas.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding in light of the
evidence presented.
ELACC8SL2: Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the
motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
ELACC8SL3: Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the
evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
ELACC8SL4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning,
and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
ELACC8SL5: Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
ELACC8SL6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
VOCABUARY:
Taxes-
Budget-
Citizens-
Human Trafficking-
Bill-
Law-
Legislature-
Executive-
Prosecution-
Penalty-
Intended Outcome (10 pts)
We hope to make the public aware of our proposal for a bill to be made regarding stricter prosecutions on pimps and more support for victims. Our goal is to make the younger generation more aware of human trafficking and how it happens to girls and boys very close to our own ages. This will be all in order to raise our voices into stopping this industry at the heart. January is human trafficking awareness month. We hope to get as many students at our school as we can to wear navy blue, which is the ribbon color for this issue’s awareness and to mark red X’s on their hands to symbolize getting rid of this modern slavery. Also, we strive to help the trafficked humans, and to make sure the next generation knows what steps to take to avoid this kind of situation. We want to make sure that everyone knows the dangers of human trafficking, but also how to help raise awareness and stop the trade.
Group Member and Job Assignment (10 pts)
Lily Zhang - collect information, format research into an essay, contribute to the project proposal, create and edit informational video, create an account on Twitter to gain support for the topic, create/edit a Weebly blog site, create flyers to distribute around school property that advertise the Twitter account, Weebly blog site and video.
Ana Shin - collect information, format research into an essay, contribute to the project proposal, create and edit informational video, create an email for the Twitter account to link to, create/edit a Weebly blog site, create flyers to distribute around school property that advertise the Twitter account, Weebly blog site, and video, gain permission from the broadcast team/Mr. Grasso/Mrs. Law to speak briefly about the topic on the morning announcements or to advertise the Twitter and Weebly site on the scrolling announcements.
Human Trafficking Awareness
Most people don’t know that our own city of Atlanta, Georgia is one the largest epicenters for human trafficking in the world. The quick flow of transportation through and out of this major city allows for the sale and trade to move like water- much like the millions of people who walk through the international airport every day. The ease of travel has made human trafficking an international concern, but many don’t understand it so clearly. Human trafficking is defined as “the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.” That means, human trafficking includes the management or engagement in slavery, sex slavery, and prostitution.
"This is America's dirty little secret, these are crimes the public doesn't see, that the public doesn't want to believe exist; these are hidden victims," says Ernie Allen of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It is the 2nd fastest growing illegal activity in the world, second to transfer of arms. Scary statistics show the true, horrible side of the matter. Eighty percent of all victims are female, fifty percent are under the age of 18 (and a great number are not older than 16), and seventy-nine percent are trafficked for sex. There are about 600,000 - 800,000 victims trafficked across international borders every year, but this figure doesn’t include people trafficked within their own borders. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest airport in the world, surpassing any other major city airport you could think of. The number of victims that move through the airport and countless, but most are also unnoticeable. It is a challenge to determine the number of trafficked humans that roam the very gates and corridors that we know so well, but it is even more of a challenge to know this is happening right under our innocent, naive noses.
Georgia HB 200 passed in 2011 discourages trafficking of people forced labor or sexual servitude and provides greater protections to those subject to such crimes. It requires that all victims be provided notification of federal assistance for certain people under the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights, and increases penalties for crimes involving youths. Other laws have also forced any major public institution to have a sign warning and forbidding human trafficking, including police numbers and hotlines.
However, we feel that these laws, though strict by national standards, need to be taken a step farther. Though it does raise awareness, penalties, and fines for those involved in the trade, it still is quite limited. Human trafficking, including prostitution, is a huge problem in large cities, especially Atlanta. Atlanta is famed for its great transportation, but it is also easier for traffickers to do their business. In Georgia, the penalty for prostitution is mere misdemeanor.
We should remember that those who prostitute themselves are those in desperate need of funds to support their life, a child’s life, or a loved one’s life. Prostitution is a highly lucrative business, and though it makes big money, it involves great danger. Longer sits in prison, higher fines, and the turn from a misdemeanor to a felony would discourage those prostitutes from doing that business. Rather, by taking hold of the GED classes prisons offer, they would hopefully never return to the danger of prostitution. Twelve states in the US have failed to make minimal laws to help support victims.
Human trafficking is real. It is closer than you think. And it is everywhere. There are many victims and many customers and many employers for this black market all over the world and it should scare us that most state governments barely acknowledge it, or make laws regarding the matter, but the laws are so vague and passive that it is barely a law at all. Under our new bill, new protective services would be put into place, especially at airports and major state highways. Harsher penalties would be put into place, for the pimp, and the willing prostitute, but also greater protection for the victim. Raising awareness for all trafficked and increasing penalties for the traffickers is vital to the safety of Georgia’s, America’s, but also the globe’s youth. Georgia can not only be a leader in transportation, but also a leader in human trafficking awareness and safety.
Most people don’t know that our own city of Atlanta, Georgia is one the largest epicenters for human trafficking in the world. The quick flow of transportation through and out of this major city allows for the sale and trade to move like water- much like the millions of people who walk through the international airport every day. The ease of travel has made human trafficking an international concern, but many don’t understand it so clearly. Human trafficking is defined as “the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.” That means, human trafficking includes the management or engagement in slavery, sex slavery, and prostitution.
"This is America's dirty little secret, these are crimes the public doesn't see, that the public doesn't want to believe exist; these are hidden victims," says Ernie Allen of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It is the 2nd fastest growing illegal activity in the world, second to transfer of arms. Scary statistics show the true, horrible side of the matter. Eighty percent of all victims are female, fifty percent are under the age of 18 (and a great number are not older than 16), and seventy-nine percent are trafficked for sex. There are about 600,000 - 800,000 victims trafficked across international borders every year, but this figure doesn’t include people trafficked within their own borders. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest airport in the world, surpassing any other major city airport you could think of. The number of victims that move through the airport and countless, but most are also unnoticeable. It is a challenge to determine the number of trafficked humans that roam the very gates and corridors that we know so well, but it is even more of a challenge to know this is happening right under our innocent, naive noses.
Georgia HB 200 passed in 2011 discourages trafficking of people forced labor or sexual servitude and provides greater protections to those subject to such crimes. It requires that all victims be provided notification of federal assistance for certain people under the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights, and increases penalties for crimes involving youths. Other laws have also forced any major public institution to have a sign warning and forbidding human trafficking, including police numbers and hotlines.
However, we feel that these laws, though strict by national standards, need to be taken a step farther. Though it does raise awareness, penalties, and fines for those involved in the trade, it still is quite limited. Human trafficking, including prostitution, is a huge problem in large cities, especially Atlanta. Atlanta is famed for its great transportation, but it is also easier for traffickers to do their business. In Georgia, the penalty for prostitution is mere misdemeanor.
We should remember that those who prostitute themselves are those in desperate need of funds to support their life, a child’s life, or a loved one’s life. Prostitution is a highly lucrative business, and though it makes big money, it involves great danger. Longer sits in prison, higher fines, and the turn from a misdemeanor to a felony would discourage those prostitutes from doing that business. Rather, by taking hold of the GED classes prisons offer, they would hopefully never return to the danger of prostitution. Twelve states in the US have failed to make minimal laws to help support victims.
Human trafficking is real. It is closer than you think. And it is everywhere. There are many victims and many customers and many employers for this black market all over the world and it should scare us that most state governments barely acknowledge it, or make laws regarding the matter, but the laws are so vague and passive that it is barely a law at all. Under our new bill, new protective services would be put into place, especially at airports and major state highways. Harsher penalties would be put into place, for the pimp, and the willing prostitute, but also greater protection for the victim. Raising awareness for all trafficked and increasing penalties for the traffickers is vital to the safety of Georgia’s, America’s, but also the globe’s youth. Georgia can not only be a leader in transportation, but also a leader in human trafficking awareness and safety.
Result (10 pts)
Although our reach has been rather limited, we have still touched a number of people. As of the writing of this, we have 30 followers on instagram and 10 followers on twitter. Although they seem like small numbers, they are mostly people we don’t know. That means that our content is truly reaching people far and wide. Our goal of this project was to raise awareness for this disgusting kind of trade. And, though to a limited extent, we have raised awareness. One of my personal (Lily) groundbreaking moments was when I taught someone about the horrors of human trafficking. This particular student knew nothing about human trafficking, not even that it existed.We utilized social media by posting facts and news articles. I like to believe that we did raise some awareness and that there are people who appreciated our accounts.
All in all, I believe that this project was successful. Although our reach was small, it was still a reach. The letters were very beneficial to us. They allowed us to make commentaries and suggestions for the state on what we believed needed to be changed. The various social media websites helped us understand how truly hard managing social media can be when it's not personal. At the same time, the social media helped spread our word. Lastly, the weebly we created was something that made us feel like we actually doing something. I am sure that the weebly also helped people understand human trafficking. So, we conclude that our project was a success!
Reflection (10 pts)
LILY:
This project was really amazing to me. I learned so much about the terrifying things that happen in America, but I also learned how to report my findings. I learned how to write a proper letter to my state representative in efforts to get them to notice human trafficking. Although Georgia has some of the toughest laws against human trafficking, it is far from enough. It was very hard to do this project at times. I ran into various problems with social media, because I didn’t want to be a ‘friend’. I wanted to be a ‘page’ for a ‘brand’ or ‘organization’. From this, interestingly enough, I learned how to manage social media when it’s not for personal use. There’s a huge difference between my personal instagram and the public instagram. However, in comparison with other projects, this has to be one of my favorites. However, in comparison with other projects, this has to be one of my favorites. It combined the usage of modern-day technology and old-style blogging. It was so exciting to work on this project.
References (10 pts)
..
"55 Little Known Facts About . . . Var Addthis_config = {"services_compact":"email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin", "services_expanded":"email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin"};." 55 Little Known Facts about Human Trafficking. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
"GHB200 Human Trafficking Bill." Georgia General Assembly Legislation. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
"Human Trafficking Brutal and Widespread in Georgia." - CBS46 News. WorldNow and WGCL-TV, 11 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
Dixon, Duffie. "Atlanta Airport Unveils Sex Trafficking Signs." 11Alive. 11 Alive ATL, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2015
"FBI: Atlanta a Hub for Human Trafficking." - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports. 2015 Fox Television Stations, Inc, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
Although our reach has been rather limited, we have still touched a number of people. As of the writing of this, we have 30 followers on instagram and 10 followers on twitter. Although they seem like small numbers, they are mostly people we don’t know. That means that our content is truly reaching people far and wide. Our goal of this project was to raise awareness for this disgusting kind of trade. And, though to a limited extent, we have raised awareness. One of my personal (Lily) groundbreaking moments was when I taught someone about the horrors of human trafficking. This particular student knew nothing about human trafficking, not even that it existed.We utilized social media by posting facts and news articles. I like to believe that we did raise some awareness and that there are people who appreciated our accounts.
All in all, I believe that this project was successful. Although our reach was small, it was still a reach. The letters were very beneficial to us. They allowed us to make commentaries and suggestions for the state on what we believed needed to be changed. The various social media websites helped us understand how truly hard managing social media can be when it's not personal. At the same time, the social media helped spread our word. Lastly, the weebly we created was something that made us feel like we actually doing something. I am sure that the weebly also helped people understand human trafficking. So, we conclude that our project was a success!
Reflection (10 pts)
LILY:
This project was really amazing to me. I learned so much about the terrifying things that happen in America, but I also learned how to report my findings. I learned how to write a proper letter to my state representative in efforts to get them to notice human trafficking. Although Georgia has some of the toughest laws against human trafficking, it is far from enough. It was very hard to do this project at times. I ran into various problems with social media, because I didn’t want to be a ‘friend’. I wanted to be a ‘page’ for a ‘brand’ or ‘organization’. From this, interestingly enough, I learned how to manage social media when it’s not for personal use. There’s a huge difference between my personal instagram and the public instagram. However, in comparison with other projects, this has to be one of my favorites. However, in comparison with other projects, this has to be one of my favorites. It combined the usage of modern-day technology and old-style blogging. It was so exciting to work on this project.
References (10 pts)
..
"55 Little Known Facts About . . . Var Addthis_config = {"services_compact":"email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin", "services_expanded":"email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin"};." 55 Little Known Facts about Human Trafficking. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
"GHB200 Human Trafficking Bill." Georgia General Assembly Legislation. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
"Human Trafficking Brutal and Widespread in Georgia." - CBS46 News. WorldNow and WGCL-TV, 11 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
Dixon, Duffie. "Atlanta Airport Unveils Sex Trafficking Signs." 11Alive. 11 Alive ATL, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2015
"FBI: Atlanta a Hub for Human Trafficking." - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports. 2015 Fox Television Stations, Inc, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.