Eliminate sexual exploitation of children around the world
Soundings Connnect is taking action to help eliminate sexual exploitation of children around the world.
Did you know that each year there are 40 million victims of sex-trafficking globally? As meetings and events professionals who travel regularly throughout our careers, we are in the unique position to help combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the United States and around the world.
ECPAT-USA is the trailblazing organization at the forefront of policy advocacy and community education regarding anti-child trafficking in the U.S. and beyond. As “buyers of travel” who frequent hotel rooms, we represent one of the most logical communities of supporters for ECPAT-USA to partner with. We are proud to support an organization that is fighting to eliminate human trafficking.
We are sharing this information with our network, to support EPCAT-USA’s mission. By adopting an anti-trafficking stance, we’re learning about how we can serve ECPAT-USA as meetings and events professionals.
EPCAT-USA: 20 BY 20 CAMPAIGN
EPCAT-USA has launched an industry-specific campaign tailored to business event professionals. Meetings and events professionals often move through airports, commercial buses and hotel rooms, many of the same spaces where human trafficking takes place.
The goal of the campaign is to help train 20,000 business event professionals to become BE Protectors by 2020. EPCAT-USA’s 25-minute online course is designed for business event professionals and provides (CE) credit for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential.
We seek to bolster EPCAT-USA’s efforts to strengthen their network by putting systems in place that will protect victims of human trafficking. Traffickers use travel infrastructures, like airlines and hotel rooms, to exploit their victims. EPCAT-USA will help business event professionals understand what to look for and how to combat human trafficking.
HOW SOUNDINGS CONNECT FREELANCERS CAN GET INVOLVED
Soundings Connect is offering a $10 Amazon gift card or a $10 donation to Refuge for Women for each freelancer who takes EPCAT-USA’s e-learning course. This course will include information about human trafficking, signs of sex trafficking and labor trafficking, why traffickers use the travel industry and how to take action.
We are hopeful that the travel professionals in the Soundings Connect network will take steps to help us support EPCAT-USA and victims of human trafficking. Let’s spread the word throughout our industry.
HOW SOUNDINGS CONNECT CUSTOMERS CAN GET INVOLVED
Travel purchasers can express interest in working with suppliers that address human trafficking. Corporate travelers can also report suspicious activity while traveling. When associates know what they are looking at and know what to do, they act. ECPAT-USA recommends that companies support the initiatives highlighted in this resource.
HOW SOUNDINGS CONNECT TRAVEL INDUSTRY PARTNERS CAN GET INVOLVED
ECPAT-USA partners with the private sector to implement policies and programs that protect children. When associates know what they are looking at and know what to do, they act. ECPAT-USA recommends that travel suppliers support the initiatives highlighted in this resource.
To learn more about EPCAT-USA and what you can do, click here.
For more about the 20 by 20 campaign, click here.
To sign up for the e-learning course, click here.