Media Release
Washington, Feb 3: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 31, 2020 to combat human trafficking and among the top dignitaries invited to the White House to witness this auspicious event was none other than our eloquent Mangalurean Harold D’Souza.
“Stigma and shame of being trafficked is not by choice but used by force, fraud, and coercion on the victim by the perpetrator. Survivors flip these struggles into strength, by sailing against the storm of stigma created by society, to turn it into a success story to empower the vulnerable population from this horrendous epidemic,” reflects Harold D’Souza.
The order creates a new position within the domestic policy council that will be ‘solely devoted to combat human trafficking.’
The United States declares 2020 as the year of ‘Freedom First’, in recognition that human dignity, autonomy, and freedom are essential to the exercise of our rights and liberties, and that delivering on unfulfilled promises of freedom for the millions of people whom traffickers are exploiting must remain one of our first priorities. The year 2020 is noteworthy for the anti-trafficking movement, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 and the adoption of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, commonly regarded as the ‘Palermo Protocol’, spoke ambassador-at-Large John Cotton Richmond.
Dancy and Harold D’Souza, co-founder of Eyes Open International operate a non-profit organization focused on protection, education, prevention, and empowerment of community members across the globe.
This effort has been spearheaded in large part by Ivanka Trump, the President’s daughter and top adviser, who has made human trafficking one of her initiatives. She delivered opening remarks at the two-hour summit at the White House Friday focused on the issue. The President also attended and made remarks. In attendance were survivor of human-trafficking Harold D’Souza, vice president Mike Pence and attorney general William Barr, with other dignitaries.
It has been truly exemplified by Mangalurean Harold D’Souza challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.