Boston College students stood out from the crowd last weekend at the second symposium on human trafficking held at the motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brighton. Among the many religious sisters, police officers, and students who spoke at the event was Lisbee Mumford, A&S '09, leader of the newly formed group for Rallying Efforts Against Contemporary Trafficking (REACT). Founded in September, REACT is a special initiative of Americans for an Informed Democracy (AID) and already has over 70 members.
Mumford led a session in which she spoke about combating human trafficking in the realm of higher education, how BC supported her in becoming an activist for the cause, and how they can further support the cause by including classes that address human trafficking issues in the curriculum.
"We really see that as students our voice is a powerful tool. We have so many resources as students - we have the time and the energy to devote to this issue," she said.
Mumford became involved in issues of human trafficking during the summer following her sophomore year when she received a BC grant to travel to Thailand and work directly with victims of human trafficking. "I was thrown into a situation where I was in way over my head, but it was so inspiring to put a face to this issue," she said. Since the trip, she has worked with international organizations in Geneva and with the Catholic Charities organization in Newark in the fight against human trafficking. This summer, Mumford and 15 other students from around the nation formed the National Student Coalition Against Slavery (NSCAS).
Last fall, she organized a campus-wide symposium on sex trafficking in Southeast Asia. The reaction to this event inspired Mumford to create REACT this fall. "One of the reasons for the creation of the group is that [human trafficking] is at our doorstep. What makes this issue so important is how much Americans are ingrained in this industry," Mumford said.
The United States has a serious human trafficking problem. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 20,000 women and children are trafficked into the United States every year for forced labor. Forty-six percent of those people are worked into prostitution. On Oct. 24, the FBI began a three-day, cross-country operation against human trafficking, which freed 46 girls and one boy from forced child prostitution.
Over the past decade, the U.S. government has taken a strong stance against human trafficking. In a 2006 Traffic in Persons report, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, "All nations that are resolute in the fight to end human trafficking have a partner in the United States. Together we will continue to affirm that no human life can be devalued or discounted." In 2000, the U.S. government issued the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, which allows trafficking victims to apply for permanent residency through a "T visa."
REACT is working to raise awareness on campus and throughout Boston about the plight of those abused through human trafficking. Their many campaigns will include a clothing drive, political initiatives in Boston, film screenings, and a week-long event in the spring.
"I hope that this group can provide greater awareness. The student voice is powerful and integral to student movements," Mumford said.
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