Canadian National Post: Ottawa unveils human trafficking education campaign

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http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Ott...942/story.html

Ottawa unveils human trafficking education campaign

REUTERS/Chris Wattie image: Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced the Blue Bindfold Campaign on Tuesday to educate Canadians on how to spot human trafficking.

Norma Greenaway, Postmedia News · Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010

OTTAWA — Canadians will be educated about how to spot human trafficking as part of major campaign announced on Tuesday by the federal government.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said raising national awareness about the horrors of what is often called modern-day slavery will be a key priority in the coming months.

“Today’s announcement seeks to engage all Canadians in recognizing and reporting when exploitation due to human trafficking is going on around them,” Mr. Toews said in a statement.

“These images are disturbing and uncomfortable because this crime is disturbing and uncomfortable — and it needs to be stopped. By exposing the reality of this terrible crime to the light of day, Canadians can better recognize and report evidence of criminal activity.”

Mr. Toews unveiled details of the new public awareness campaign at a news conference in Winnipeg.

He was joined by Tory MP Joy Smith, author of a rare private member’s bill that received royal assent in June, which set a minimum prison penalty of five years for people found guilty of trafficking in humans.

Mr. Toews said the campaign, dubbed the Blue Blindfold Campaign, will be delivered through a partnership of the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association, the RCMP Human Trafficking National Co-ordination Centre, and Public Safety Canada.

The goal is to inform the public of the prevalence of human trafficking in Canada and how to identify and report suspicious cases, he said.

The announcement was made amid government concerns a boat that landed off the coast of British Columbia last month that carried almost 500 people from Sri Lanka could be part of an international human smuggling operation. It’s believed the passengers paid thousands of dollars for the trip.

Mr. Toews also has suggested some of the passengers could be terrorists, members of the outlawed Tamil Tigers. The federal government also believes more ships could be destined for Canada.