Benjamin Perrin spent a busy day in Toronto on Tuesday, October 12, officially launching his campaign to end modern-day slavery and his new book, Invisible Chains.
Interest in this issue has been high, in particular with the news of the largest human trafficking bust in Canadian history in Hamilton just before the Thanksgiving weekend.
Benjamin started his day early with an interview on Metro Morning, CBC Radio Toronto’s popular morning show. Host Matt Galloway talked with Benjamin about, among other things, the Hamilton case, craigslist, and what the Government of Ontario should be doing to combat human trafficking. Listen to the interview (opens a new window).
Online Press Conference
At 10 a.m., Benjamin held an online press conference to kick off his two-week awareness campaign, which includes public events in six cities across Canada.
You can watch the video of the press conference (below) to learn more about:
- The definition of human trafficking;
- Some of the key findings found during the three-year period researching Invisible Chains;
- Technology used by traffickers, including Facebook and craigslist;
- Evaluation of Canada’s response and the situation in Ontario.
Benjamin ended the press conference with some concrete recommendations for the federal and provincial governments.
In particular, Benjamin called on the federal government to:
- Adopt a National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking;
- Amend the Criminal Code; and
- Amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Recommendations for provincial governments included:
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Create and fund an agency to coordinate help for victims;
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Ensure human trafficking victims are eligible for provincial services; and
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Increase funding for Vice Units and specialized Crown prosecutors to prosecute traffickers.
Afternoon Interviews
After the press conference, Benjamin continued to do media interviews. He also held a news conference at Queen’s Park to highlight the situation in Ontario and the critical gaps in the province’s response.
A pleasant surprise came later in the day when the Globe and Mail published an article announcing that the Ontario government had written a letter to craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster to ask the online service to stop listing adult erotic services in Ontario, just as it had done in several U.S. states. Craigslist is known as a popular site where victims of sexual exploitation are frequently marketed by human traffickers.
Evening Book Launch
At 7 p.m., it was time for the sold-out book launch event at the University of Toronto’s Hart House. After a powerful 15-minute introductory video highlighting the issue of modern-day slavery and human trafficking around the world, Benjamin reminded everyone that modern-day slavery is happening in Canada today and that human trafficking is happening in our backyards.
Benjamin called on the Ontario government to:
- Establish a provincially-mandated government office to coordinate services to assist victims of human trafficking;
- Liaise with non-governmental organizations and federal agencies;
- Develop a provincial strategy to combat human trafficking with a focus on preventing human trafficking as well as identifying and assisting victims;
- Launch an integrated province-wide police task force to disrupt and dismantle domestic sex trafficking networks that have been identified by police;
- Prosecute the men who have paid to abuse these women and children to the full extent of the law.
He also reminded those in attendance that we should not rely on governments alone to bring about change. It is up to us as individuals as well. Benjamin ended the evening offering two practical steps we can take towards making positive change.
1. Get informed. A great way is to read Invisible Chains.
2. Do something. At the end of the book (and on the website), you find the top-ten things you can do.
After signing copies of his new book, Benjamin had to leave for his flight for Montreal where he will spend another day promoting his book and creating awareness for his campaign to end modern-day slavery.
