www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, January 31, 2014 | 6 Modern day slavery Human traf cking is described as modern-day slavery. That is the description courtesy of Public Safety Canada. The crime robs its victims of their most basic human rights and is occurring worldwide, in Canada and now allegations of here in Oakville. In the past week, Halton Regional Police announced two instances where they have come across two alleged female victims -- one in Burlington and the other in Oakville. This week, three people have been charged with human traf cking offences. In recent years, Oakville's Shae Invidiata has been vigilant in promoting awareness of human traf cking through the advocacy group she founded called [free-them]. In 2011, Halton police received $38,400 from the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to combat the crime. The grant was to fund special investigations targeting the sex trade, increased surveillance of suspected human traf cking activities and of cer training. Human traf cking occurs when victims, who are mostly women and children, are deprived of their normal lives and compelled to provide their labour or sexual services, through a variety of coercive practices for the direct pro t of their perpetrators. Exploitation often occurs through intimidation, force, sexual assault and threats of violence. The Canadian government has taken steps to bring action against these terrible crimes. Canada was among the rst countries to ratify the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Traf cking in Persons, especially Women and Children, according to Public Safety Canada. It has enlisted support from provincial and territorial governments and stated it needs co-operation amongst law enforcement, civil society and others. The Government of Canada's National Action Plan to Combat Human Traf cking launched in 2012 and proposes strategies that will better support organizations providing assistance to victims and helps to protect foreign nationals, including young female immigrants who arrive in Canada alone, from being subjected to illegitimate or unsafe work. The National Action Plan vows Canada will not tolerate this crime, victims will be given the help they need and perpetrators will be brought to justice. According to Public Safety Canada, globally, it is estimated that human traf cking is amongst the most lucrative of criminal activities, rivalled only by drug and rearms traf cking and generating billions of dollars annually for sophisticated criminal organizations. At any given time, it is believed that worldwide, at least 2.5 million people are forced to perform degrading, dehumanizing and dangerous work in conditions akin to slavery. And the numbers are increasing. It must be stopped. Editorial S K A T I N G F O R "Connected to your Community" C . I . A . 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 52 | Number 14 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI On Jan. 26, Children in Action (C.I.A.) hosted a skate-a-thon to fundraise for clean water projects in Sierra Leone. CIA is a youth group co-founded in 2012 by Oakville's Vishal Vijay, 13, and Ishan Vijay, 11, with a few of their friends. They are passionate about social justice issues affecting children at home and abroad, such as hunger, lack of education and clean water. The event at Canlan Ice Sports included a demonstration by professional gure skater Elyse Molnar. Xavier Boucher, left, and Luke Ahonen, play on the ice during the event. | photo by Eric Riehl Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution Former councillor always loved Oakville Re: Former councillor Allan Day was a real gentleman, Oakville Beaver, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014. Thank you to the Oakville Beaver for running the story about our father Allan Day who passed away on Dec. 27, 2013. Dad loved Oakville and he believed that it was an honour and a privilege to serve his community as a member of Oakville and Letters to the editor CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Halton County Council and as a founding member of the predecessors to Conservation Halton. Thank you for sharing his story with Oakville residents. Diane Leblovic, Burlington Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Challenging everyone to rethink organ donation Re: Two years later she has a new kidney, baby and a dream, Oakville Beaver, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. Thank you for raising the awareness of the need for organ donors. The wonderful story of Jennifer Malabar and her new baby, Sage, is one of the happy endings. Tragically, there are many people who die waiting for an organ. I am donating a kidney to my younger brother on Jan. 30. His wait time for an organ would have been up to 10 years. My brother is fortunate we are a match and we are praying for success. I would like to challenge everyone in Oakville to rethink the issue and look at it this way: if you or one of your loved ones needed an organ donation, would you want one? There is only one way to ensure that outcome. Please log onto www.beadonor.ca, register as a donor and make your family aware of your wishes to donate. Remember, you never know when it might be you or your family who desperately needs this gift of life. Sandra Blane, Oakville Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5040 Mainway, Burlington ON, L7L 7G5, or via e-mail to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. 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