Media Alert - Leaders in the Fight to Stop Human Trafficking Meet in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG, Oct. 14 /CNW/ - Today, UBC Law Professor Benjamin Perrin and MP Joy Smith will be holding a press conference to address the issue of human trafficking in Manitoba and on what measures must be taken to end human trafficking and related sexual exploitation. A number of topics will be addressed, including:

    
    -   Exposing specific sex trafficking incidents involving Manitoba's
        women and girls;
    -   A response to Winnipeg Police Service charges against Graham James
        based on allegations from Theoren Fleury and what measures should be
        put in place to monitor child sex offenders travelling abroad;
    -   Call on the Province of Manitoba to join Ontario in demanding
        Craigslist shut down their erotic services ads for selling minors and
        trafficking victims;
    -   Support desperately needed for a national action plan on human
        trafficking called for recently by local MP Joy Smith.

    Date:     October 14th, 2010
    Time:     12:00pm - 12:30pm CST
    Location: MP Joy Smith's Constituency Office, 1795 Henderson Highway,
              Winnipeg, MB
    

Benjamin will also be speaking this evening about how to combat human trafficking as part of his book launch of "Invisible Chains" and National Public Awareness Campaign to End Modern-Day Slavery in Canada.

    
    Time:     7:00pm CST (doors open 6:30pm)
    Location: McNally Robinson - The Atrium, 1120 Grant Avenue
              Winnipeg, Manitoba
    

MP Joy Smith will be honouring the heroes of human trafficking on Satruday October 16. Hear the stories of fomer trafficking victims and police officers who risked their lives to protect innocent women and children.

    
    Time:     7:30 pm
    Location: Eastview Community Church
              3500 DeVries Ave
              East St. Paul, Manitoba
    

Benjamin Perrin is an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law, a faculty fellow at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, and a leading expert on human trafficking. He also recently launched his book, "Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking", the first book ever published to expose the issue of human trafficking in Canada. As a senior policy adviser and a witness before several Parliamentary committees, he has advised the federal government on this issue. He has also worked overseas with victims and assisted in the prosecution of child sex offenders as executive director of The Future Group, a non-governmental organization that he founded in 2000 to combat human trafficking. In 2009, Perrin was honoured by Hillary Clinton and the U.S. State Department as a "hero acting to end modern-day slavery" - the first Canadian to be recognized by this award.

Invisible Chains is the first book ever published to expose the issue of human trafficking in Canada. Human trafficking involves the sexual exploitation and forced labour of a diverse array of victims: Canadian citizens and newcomers, adults and children, women and men. The book is based on a three-year investigation and documents cases reported by police, provincial officials, immigration, and non-governmental organizations as well as accounts from victims and their families. It also evaluates Canada's response and makes specific recommendations. More information about the book and human trafficking in Canada is available at www.endmoderndayslavery.ca.

MP Joy Smith will be honouring the heroes of human trafficking on Satruday October 16. Hear the stories of fomer trafficking victims and police officers who risked their lives to protect innocent women and children.

    
    Time:     7:30 pm
    Location: Eastview Community Church
              3500 DeVries Ave
              East St. Paul, Manitoba
    

For further information: Media Inquiries: Sabrina Sullivan, Public Awareness Coordinator, 630-235-9384, [email protected]; Andrew Smith, Office of MP, Joy Smith, 204-230-7164, [email protected]