EVERETT — Members of the Zonta Club of Everett believe anyone can do something about the slavery that persists around the world.
That seems like a tall order, but it can be as simple as buying a fair-trade chocolate bar, club spokeswoman Michelle Dietz-Date said.
Living wages paid to those in struggling countries help cut down on the number of people who unwittingly place themselves in bondage to help support their families, she said.
In order to give people a background in human trafficking and modern slavery, the Zonta Club is hosting a Feb. 27 forum called Ignore No More at Everett Community College.
The focus of the forum, however, is to offer economic solutions to slavery, Dietz-Date said.
“It’s interesting how human trafficking finally has come into public awareness. Still, there are an estimated 27 million people worldwide who are in some sort of bondage,” Dietz-Date said. “We want people to know how they can safely make a difference for the victims of modern slavery.”
Fair trade is an economic approach that aims to help people in developing countries sell their products, she said. The focus is on exports from poor countries to developed nations, involving primarily handicrafts, coffee, chocolate, tea, cotton, fruit and flowers.
Those in slavery include people under age 18 involved in prostitution and people who have been delivered across international borders who then find out they must pay a large fee and can’t, Dietz-Date said.
“It’s a huge issue,” she said.
Cost for the forum, including a continental breakfast, is $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Students can attend for $15. Proceeds go to Zonta Club’s efforts to stop slavery and promote the status of women here and abroad.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Forum Feb. 27
Ignore No More: Economic Solutions to Slavery Today Forum, 8 a.m. to noon, Feb. 27, Parks Student Union, Everett Community College, 2000 Tower St., Everett. Register online at http://tinyurl.com/IgnoreNoMoreEverett.
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