By Deacon Mary Delancey
Come to the Ocala Downtown Square during First Friday Art Walk on January 5 from 6-9pm to support this event beginning our observance of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The Red Sand Project is a participatory artwork that uses sidewalk interventions to create opportunities for people to question, connect and take action against vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking, modern slavery, and exploitation.
Myths and misconceptions about human trafficking are widespread in our community. Many believe that human trafficking involves transporting victims in or out of country; the largest proportion of those trafficked never cross their countries’ borders. Many believe that victims of human trafficking are snatched off the street by strangers; although this can happen, it happens in 1-10% of cases, with the largest proportion of victims recruited through the internet or by persons know to them.
You cannot prevent something if you really don’t understand what it is. At the Red Sand Project we will be helping people know that human trafficking happens in Ocala/Marion County. This is a awareness event but we will also have information about prevention and how everyone can be involved.
We will create a visible reminder that we will not let the vulnerable “fall through the cracks,” but will help their needs to be as seen as the red-filled cracks in the sidewalks around the Square.
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