The practice of illegally transporting people, typically for the purpose of forced labor or sexual exploitation, is the definition of human trafficking. This issue is also commonly categorized as “modern day slavery.”
“Human Trafficking generates billions of dollars of profit and is second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transactional crime,” said Jason Coladonato, the designated emcee. “It is a hidden crime as victims rarely come forward to seek help because of language barriers, fear of their traffickers and fear of law enforcement.”
Students at Cabrini University gathered in the Widener Lecture Hall on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 8 to attend the viewing of the 2017 Documentary, I Am Jane Doe. The film follows the stories of a variety of women in their journey to legislatively combat “Backpages.com,” a Craigslist-style auction website. The site has notoriously become a high-traffic area for underage girls to be illegally advertised as sexual escorts against their will.
Throughout the duration of I Am Jane Doe, it is revealed that every attempt at shutting down the website is ultimately dismissed by the court. With each loss, a wave of groans and gasps collectively washed across the audience. As the credits rolled and the lights were switched back on, an eerie, solemn silence filled the room. Several students could be seen quickly wiping away tears as they had been visibly moved by the piece.
To make the film more relevant to students, a short video was shown to the audience prior to the documentary. The PSA was created by several Cabrini students and explained how the King of Prussia Mall, a 10-minute drive from campus, is a notorious hot-spot for human trafficking in our area. The purpose of showing the clip was to prove just how close to home the issue really is.
The movie night was held to raise awareness on the effects and dangers of human trafficking. Along with the showing of the film, donations were also being collected in a bin located in the front of the lecture hall. Clothing, personal hygiene items, travel toiletries and feminine products were just a few examples of items being collected for the donation. All contributions collected are to be sent to the Cabrini Closet, an organization created by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to provide aid to victims of human trafficking. The Missionary Sisters along with Karol Brewer, who is the University’s partner with the Cabrini Closet, were the sponsors for the event.
Cynthia Ross is the creator and instructor of the ECG 200 course, Human Trafficking: Voices for the Vulnerable. She expressed what she hoped students would take away after watching the film.
“I feel sometimes students are very unaware. They’re unaware of their surroundings, they take things for granted, and they wouldn’t think twice if someone came up and asked them a question,” Ross said. “The cunningness of trafficking is that you can become seduced is such a little amount of time and you don’t even realize it’s happening to you. You have to watch on buses, trains, concerts, casinos, or other nightlife. That’s when they prey on people.”