International Operations Centre for Children (IOCC)
Hope Fulfilled stands with the IOCC to see the end of child trafficking. The IOCC was founded on the principle that all people are born with an equal right to freedom and opportunity – an ideal that has driven the IOCC as an organization, today, the darkness and inhumanity of slavery exists. Millions of people worldwide are coerced into a life of forced service, as well as hundreds of thousands in even our developed countries. We acknowledge that slavery exists in the modern era, and we are committed to protecting the victims and stopping the perpetrators that benefit from this abhorrent trade against humanity.
Those exploited by modern day slavery have many forms and faces. They are men and women, adults and children, yet all are denied basic human dignity and freedom. The exploited can be abused within their own countries, or find themselves far from home and vulnerable. Whether they are trapped in forced sexual or labour exploitation, human trafficking victims cannot walk away, but are held in service through force, threats, and fear. All too often suffering from horrible physical and sexual abuse, it is hard for them to imagine that there might be a place of refuge.
We must join together within the global community to provide that safe haven by protecting victims and prosecuting traffickers. With improved victim identification, medical and social services, training for first responders, and increased public awareness, the men, women, and children who have suffered this scourge can overcome the bonds of modern slavery, receive protection and justice, and successfully reclaim their rightful independence.
Fighting modern slavery and human trafficking is a shared responsibility. We urge all people to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, we can and must end this most serious, ongoing criminal civil rights violation.