Who We Are
Our History:
This Task Force was formed at the Human Trafficking Awareness Symposium sponsored by the Zonta Club of the Pikes Peak Area and Youth With a Mission in September 2008. Over 300 interested persons attended to learn more about trafficking and to see what might be done in our community.
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After September 2008 we built our membership base, defined who we are and what our mission is. We selected awareness from our mission statement as our first emphasis and developed 15 minute and 30 minute presentations to present to organizations throughout Southern Colorado. We met with law enforcement advocacy groups, and spoke with many organizations in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, including a human trafficking overview to an International Woman's Day Celebration at UCCS.
The Zonta club conducted Community Needs Assessments in Colorado Springs for Polaris Project largely in 2008, with additional assessments by the Task Force in 2009. These were followed by a collaboration of the Task Force with the Zonta Club of the Pikes Peak Area and Youth With a Mission for a second Human Trafficking Awareness Symposium in October 2009 which brought national, state, and local speakers to our area. From their inspired messages we selected Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and a Service Provider Network as our major areas of emphasis for 2010. Our third Symposium in September 2010 allowed us to emphasis a personal story of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, and the hope for change. Our 4th Symposium was on October 22, 2011, and examined Supply & Demand.
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Year by year we have expanded our activities and influence. We currently reach out to the community in these ways:
Monthly Meetings
Community Presentations
Annual Symposium
Diversion Program
Survivor Support
Prevention - Intervention - Connection
Our Mission
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PREVENTING labor and sex trafficking through awareness and advocacy.
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INTERVENING in the human trafficking cycle through collaboration with individuals, agencies and organizations.
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CONNECTING those impacted by modern-day slavery to restorative resources.
Our Vision
to end modern-day slavery in Southern Colorado.
What is Human Trafficking?
Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity. It involves an act of recruiting, transporting, transfering, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad.
Trafficking is a lucrative industry. It has been identified as the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. It is second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable illegal industry in the world. In 2004, the total annual revenue for trafficking in persons were estimated to be between USD$5 billion and $9 billion.