Langley’s own Tara Teng offers up that advice for anyone who wants to make a change in the world.

Miss World Canada 2012 and the holder of other beauty pageant titles was at the Zumba for Hope fundraiser on Dec. 8 at Walnut Grove Secondary, where she graduated.

The second Zumbathon raised money to fight human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

Teng has always said pageants are a way for her to garner public attention for the issues. She’s travelled abroad as part of her efforts.

Teng told the crowd that taking part in the fundraiser was a way for them to have an impact.

“Start here, start now with what you have,” she said.

Teng noted that slavery is not something to read about in history books. There are currently more slaves and people being trafficked than ever before in human history because it is a lucrative industry that relates to forced labour, child labour, sex trade workers and even families. Some children are sold by their impoverished families.

Around the world 27 million people are trapped in slavery.

Teng noted that people in a place like Langley may assume it only happens abroad but for the past decade Walnut Grove has been one of the Lower Mainland’s top spots to recruit young people for the sex trade.

“Every school is,” she added. “Every mall is. Any public place you’ve find youth, you’ll find recruiters.”

Before the Zumba fundraiser got started, Teng spoke to the crowd about what to look for in young people, the telltale signs of being recruited. (See her tips at www.langleyadvance.com.)

Teng sits on the End Exploitation Langley team with Todd Hauptman, Andy Harrington, Danny Ferguson, Derian Julihn and Carmen Rempel, representatives from various community and social service agencies. It was created in 2010.

“We’ve created a municipal action plan to combat trafficking,” Teng said.

It’s being presented to local governments and the Langley School District, including principals. In the works is having a Pro-D day training session for teacher.

Teng said the intent is to be proactive, before people get pulled in. Often it comes down to people know understanding that they are being groomed by recruiters, alienated from their former life.

Teng noted that people in a place like Langley may assume it only happens abroad but for the past decade Walnut Grove has been one of the Lower Mainland’s top spots to recruit young people for the sex trade.

“Every school is,” she added. “Every mall is. Any public place you’ve find youth, you’ll find recruiters.”

Before the Zumba fundraiser got started, Teng spoke to the crowd about what to look for in young people, the telltale signs of being recruited. (See her tips at www.langleyadvance.com.)

Teng sits on the End Exploitation Langley team with Todd Hauptman, Andy Harrington, Danny Ferguson, Derian Julihn, and Carmen Rempel, representatives from various community and social service agencies. It was created in 2010.

“We’ve created a municipal action plan to combat trafficking,” Teng said.

It’s being presented to local governments and the Langley School District, including principals. In the works is having a Pro-D day training session for teachers.

Teng said the intent is to be proactive, before people get pulled in. Often it comes down to people understanding that they are being groomed by recruiters, and will be alienated from their former life.

END EXPLOITATION LANGLEY ACTION PLAN

Submitted by: End Exploitation Langley team

Todd Hauptman, Tara Teng, Andy Harrington, Danny Ferguson, Derian Julihn, Carmen Rempel

Overview

The United Nations in 2009 estimated that 79.4% of all human trafficking cases around the globe are sexual exploitation. This is not just a foreign crisis, but also a local challenge that must be met with clear and achievable goals to combat this crime. The reality is that exploitation happens in every community around the world, including Langley. Since 2010 a group of concerned Langley residents began working to bring awareness to this reality in our community. We believe that if this action plan is implemented that girls and boys will be prevented from being exploited. Together, we can be a model for communities around Canada.

Mission Statement

To facilitate an education and prevention strategy to combat sexual exploitation and trafficking in Langley. The task force aims to become a model for other communities around the nation.

Objectives

1. To develop a Langley specific, student focused human trafficking resource and education toolkit & website

2. To facilitate all Langley stakeholders (government, non-profits, service groups and others) to declare Langley as an “exploitation zero tolerance community” by 2013 as a symbolic gesture and statement to those who wish to exploit our citizens.

3. To take action to ensure that all leadership & frontline workers of identified organizations working with vulnerable persons receive training on the sexual exploitation and human trafficking in Langley.

4. To facilitate an educational class presentation on human trafficking and prevention tools to every student in Langley from grades 7 to 12 starting in September 2012. To create a Langley specific report on Human Trafficking & Exploitation

Phrase 1 Action Plan

1. Create website & training curriculum

2. Facilitate “Children of the Street Society” presentations in all schools starting in September 2012

Phase 2 Action Plan

1. Facilitate the education of every stakeholder organization about the realities of human exploitation & trafficking by doing the following core actions

a. Create/modify a presentation with built in questionnaire/feedback mechanism for the organization

b. Show presentation to leadership

c. Work with leadership to show presentation to staff

d. Work with leadership & staff to educate and protect clients or customers

e. Complete feedback process with leadership

2. Create a Langley community macro report based on feedback from all stakeholder organization

Phase 3 Action Plan

1. Facilitate all Langley stakeholders in declaring Langley as an “exploitation zero tolerance community”

2. Facilitate every single frontline worker, including social workers, health care professionals, and potential victims are educated about the indicators of human trafficking and exploitation. This training would be based upon the Office to Combat Trafficking In Persons or OCTIP free online training that would also include specific Langley based information. www.pssg.gov.bc/octiptraining

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

The following are the immediate needs to make this vision a reality:

1. $4,000 for a strong comprehensive resource based website

2. $2,000 for Langley based video highlighting sexual exploitation in this community

3. $2,000 to bring in presenters from Children of the Street Society to local schools

4. As many volunteers as possible to help make it happen

5. Significant in-kind donations

6. Publicly declare Langley a exploitation zero tolerance community.

7. Support Phrase 1 Action focus.

Why Prevention?

It has often been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and so we would like to ensure that every front-line individual in Langley is properly educated on the indicators for human trafficking. We believe this is the most important and cost effective solution. Author and human trafficking expert Benjamin Perrin suggests in his book Invisible Chains that even police officers and court judges who should know about this tragic crime aren’t informed enough to be aware of the signs. The need for this type of education at all levels is illustrated by the recent West Vancouver case where a women from Tanzania was promised a job in a hair salon but when she arrived in Vancouver her passport was confiscated and she was forced into domestic slavery--working 18 hours a day without pay. She was befriended by a trained social worker. When this woman told the social worker that she was a domestic slave and what had happened to her the social worker thought she was crazy. The social worker thought she was mentally ill because she thought this does not happen in Canada. We believe education is critical to curbing this crime in our community.

Background

A growing grassroots movement in Langley has been forming to combat and fight against sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Freedom Week in March 2011 was the beginning of a localized effort to bring awareness and work to combat modern day slavery here in our own backyard. Following up on Freedom Week we had a successful evening on January 19, 2012 at Wake Up: A Night Against Exploitation where we gathered together local Langley leaders to unite in our effort to end sexual exploitation. Since then we have formalized a partnership with Youth Unlimited to form a community task force in an effort to prevent sexual exploitation through educational opportunities. All of our efforts are independent and unique however, we are doing them in partnership with Youth Unlimited.

Partnership

Youth Unlimited is faith-based non-profit organization that has been serving the Lower Mainland region of BC for over 60 years and is dedicated to improving the lives of young people from all sorts of backgrounds. Their mission is simple and that is to transform a generation from the inside out. They do this without a complex methodology but rather seek to just “be there” for young people and to help meet their holistic needs (physical, spiritual, emotional, relational & intellectual). Youth Unlimited has a strong commitment to fighting sexual exploitation in Lower Mainland communities. For these reasons we feel End Exploitation Langley and Youth Unlimited are a natural fit to partner together. For more information on Youth Unlimited check out http://www.youthunlimited.com. Task Force Structure We will be an independently run community- based task force that works to prevent sexual exploitation in our community. We fell that the most effective approach would be to remain an independent organization that works in close partnership with the Township or City of Langley. We are seeking to build a team of influential Langley residents and leaders from all segments of our community who demonstrate compassionate concern and the utmost quality of care for individuals who are at-risk for exploitation or currently trapped by exploitative circumstances within our community.

Conclusion

Sexual exploitation happens in our community and it must stop. Communities must work to develop and establish a united strategy against exploitation. Prevention, we believe, is the approach that will ensure the most meaningful and cost effective results. Therefore we are seeking to develop a prevention strategy that focuses on education. With your support, we can make this happen.