Liverpool is set to rally together to “fight the urgent human trafficking crisis”.
Amidst the global refugee crisis “continuing to put millions of people at risk for human trafficking”, Liverpool residents are raising awareness for those caught in modern-day slavery worldwide and educating others about identifying potential victims. This weekend, on Saturday, October, 15, the city will join thousands of people around the world to participate in global anti-human trafficking A21’s 8th annual Walk for Freedom.
The event is an annual day of global awareness and local action in the fight against human trafficking, reaching hundreds of cities and towns across the world with the important message: that “modern-day slavery still exists, and it’s often hidden in our neighbourhoods in plain sight”.
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The walk will commence at 11:00 am departing from the Hilton Hotel, in Liverpool One, through the city centre, and concluding at the Hilton Hotel. Participants will be walking in single-file lines and distributing flyers with information about local trafficking hotline numbers, victim identification strategies, and how to make a report.
Walks will take place in hundreds of cities in dozens of countries across six continents raising awareness for the millions “who remain enslaved across the globe”. To date, Walk for Freedom has reached over 250 million people across 72 countries, with “thousands of events, tens of thousands of participants, and over 500,000 awareness materials distributed”.
A21’s Liverpool Walk Host, Beatriz Roberts, said: “We know trafficking is happening here in Liverpool, and when we work together we can stop it. Our community has rallied together to take urgent local action and to be part of a global solution in the fight against human trafficking.
“We know this walk will increase awareness and education about the realities of modern-day slavery. As awareness spreads through our neighbourhoods and in communities around the world, vulnerabilities will decrease. As education increases, so will identification and restoration efforts for the millions of people who are being exploited and enslaved across the world.”
Christine Caine, A21’s co-founder, added: “The lasting impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic along with devastating ripple effects from Russia’s war against Ukraine have heightened pre-existing vulnerability - making countless individuals more susceptible to traffickers tactics than ever before.
“That’s why Walk For Freedom is more important than ever because awareness is essential to safeguarding vulnerable populations from the schemes of traffickers. There’s power in gathering together, in showing up in force, and equipping communities across the world with the tools to identify victims and trafficking vulnerabilities, and take action right where they are.”
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