Survivor Advisory Council–A First

A Survivor Advisory Council on Human Trafficking will soon give their input to the President’s Inter-agency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF).  The council was introduced on January 5th…

This article talks about the first-ever Survivor Advisoy Council.  Secretary of State John Kerry chaired the meeting. Agencies reported on progress in several areas: 1.) victim services, 2.) rule of law 3.) procurement and supply chains, and 4.) public awareness.  Stopping the lucrative business of trafficking will take a multi–sector effort in order to increase the risks to the traffickers involved in the crimes. Success also means bringing together survivors, advocates, and multi-level officials to work toward common goals.

One of the survivor advisory council members, Ima Matul, said, “As a collective group of survivors, we have dedicated a huge part of ourselves to the anti-trafficking movement, to respective advocacy efforts. Together, we are changing perception, fighting for justice, and ultimately, over the years, we are contributing to one shared goal: to end modern slavery everywhere it exists. We are a diverse group. Our individual experience as survivors will add a rich expertise to the council.”

Valerie Jarrett, a Senior Advisor to the President, made the introduction of the Survivor Advisory Council which is made up totally of survivors.  This gives them a means of formally provide input on policies. At the last meeting, President Obama appointed the eleven council members.

This article in Human Rights First “applauds the formation of the council and welcomes the appointees, who will add immense value to the administration’s efforts.”

To learn more about this new advisory council and how survivors of trafficking can provide input to policy makers who might bring about positive changes, simply click the link below to read this entire article.

View Article on Human Rights First