Matthew Baxter

World Studies Hybrid

Mr. Bienkowski
Hour 1
Human trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for the
purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor, or the extraction of organs. Human
trafficking can occur within a country or internationally. This is a violation of
human rights of movement through coercion and commercial exploitation.
Human trafficking is thought to be one of the fastest-growing activities of
transnational criminal organizations. Countless films have illustrated the
harsh realities of human trafficking, such as the 2010 documentary Not My
Life. This movie acknowledges that trafficking and slavery are universal
crimes, affecting millions of human beings all over the world, and zeroes in
on the fact that the vast majority of trafficking and slavery victims are
indeed children. The driving question for this documentary is "What kind of
society cannibalizes its own children? Not My Life features dignified and
inspiring testimonies from survivors; depictions of trafficking, exploitation,
and slavery in all parts of the world including forced labor in Africa. This
documentary addresses human trafficking by establishing the problem
through personal stories and shocking imagery, and then provides hope
ways it can be ended. Overall, I thought watching Not My Life was a great
way to get an overview of the issue of human trafficking.