human trafficking.doc

George Zimmerman appeared in court not only to seek his release as he awaits trail - he used the opportunity to apologize to the dead boys parents who attended the proceedings.I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son, he said. I did not know how old he was, but I thought he was a little bit younger than I was, and I did not know if he was armed or not. The fact that Trayvon Martin was not armed, and that Zimmerman was, is partly why the case has attracted so much attention. Florida has whats called a Stand Your Ground law that allows people to use deadly force if they feel their lives are in danger. Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense after Martin attacked him. Zimmermans father testified by telephone about how his son looked after the confrontation.His face was swollen quite a bit, said Robert Zimmerman. He had a protective cover over his nose, his lip was swollen and cut.Prosecutors portray Zimmerman as the aggressor who confronted Martin as he walked back to his fathers home from a nearby convenience store. Prosecutors contend that Zimmerman has a history of violence.Zimmermans wife Shellie contradicted that in her testimony by phone.Prosecutor: You would tell the court that he is not a violent person?Shellie Zimmerman: Absolutely, he is not a violent person or a threat to the community.APThe parents of Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton, left, and Tracy Martin, sit in the courtroom, April 20, 2012, during a bond hearing for George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida.Also hanging over this case is the controversial subject of racial profiling. Martins family and supporters argue that Zimmerman, a white Hispanic, neighborhood watch volunteer, stopped Martin because he was black. That has led to numerous protests across the country. Part of this outcry came after police initially allowed Zimmerman to go free. And the volatility of the case was on the mind of Zimmermans attorney after the hearing.It is an enormously high profile case and there is a lot of anger - or lets say a lot of high emotions - that exist, said defense attorney Mark OMara. I dont want that to spill over on to the family or my clients safety. The hearing ended with the court setting conditions for Zimmermans release.I am going to grant the motion and set bond in the amount of $150,000 with the following conditions - electronic monitoring GPS, said Florida judge Kenneth Lester.The judge also ruled that Zimmerman must check in with authorities every three days. He is scheduled to return to court in May to be formally chargedHUMAN TRAFFICKINGIts estimated tens of millions of people may be the victims of modern-day human trafficking. On Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime pledged closer cooperation to tackle the problem.The two agencies have signed an agreement in Vienna to ensure national borders are better managed in what they call an integrated, modern and humane way.We can quote several sources, but there is no concrete and accurate information. It is believed that there are between 12 and 27 million victims of trafficking. This is really something due to the fact that there are no worldwide mechanisms in place to detect appropriately victims of trafficking, said Laurence Hart is the head of the migrant assistance division of the International Organization for Migration.Big businessThe International Labor Organization estimates human trafficking and migrant smuggling is a $32 billion a year industry.The idea of a trafficked person used to be basically a stereotype of a woman that was brought into prostitution. Now the profile of a trafficked person is becoming more and more expanded because nowadays we have an increasing number of men, who are trafficked for labor purposes, he said.For example, many trafficked men from Asia find themselves in the fishing sector in Africa. Many African women have been trafficked to Asia.Men, women and children may be abducted or lured into trafficking with the promise of a better life.Hart said, Often times what happens is that the person, to have specific work, a specific job, has to pay an intermediary. And the intermediary is asking for some money for that and the person does not necessarily have that money. So he says, I will pay you back. Then that becomes a bond because that debt (is) never paid back or because that debt seems to be never-ending.Prior to the new agreement, the IOM and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime already worked closely in many parts of Africa, as well as Colombia in South America.Basically, our cooperation with UNODC is related to capacity building. So, how to strengthen existing referral mechanisms, shelters and training of, for example, the judiciary, the law enforcement and the civil society which are involved in the counter trafficking, he said.IOM also offers direct assistance to trafficking victims to help them return home.Consumer goods from forced labor?Hart said trafficking victims may be forced to manufacture consumer goods. But the companies they work for are often not aware of this.Were finding increasingly a number of companies who are asking us how can we make better traceability in our supply chain and make sure that what we sell, what we produce, is not the result in any way of people who are victims of trafficking, he said.