Online Course Launched to Help Jamaicans Identify Human Trafficking

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaicans now have free access to an online course designed to educate them about human trafficking and equip them with the tools to recognize and report the crime while protecting themselves and others from falling victim.

smanjtraThe course, available at at www.onrtip.gov.jm and launched by the Office of the National Rapporteur in Trafficking in Persons.

Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang, in a speech delivered by the Minister of State in his ministry, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, said it was vital for every Jamaican to be able to identify and help combat human trafficking.

“Recent alarming statistics indicate that the main perpetrators of child trafficking in Jamaica are parents and guardians. It is important, therefore, to sensitise and train relevant officials and others on strategies to curb this crime. When we spread awareness by providing the relevant information, we are able to prevent individuals from falling victims of being trafficked. It can happen in any community and victims can be of any age, race, gender, nationality, so prevention is a key pillar to combat human trafficking,” he said.

“Prevention is defined as an activity that is geared towards trafficking in persons from happening and, therefore, it involves preventing non victims from victimisation and trafficked persons from re-victimisation. With this online course, we will be able to reach a wider demography and to enhance their knowledge on the heinous activity with just a click of a button.”

Dr. Chang said his ministry has been working tirelessly to combat human trafficking.

He said significant strides have been made in preventing the crime, protecting victims and prosecuting offenders, and the efforts would continue.

“We’re committed to further tackling elements like this that pose a threat to the people of Jamaica. We will not relent in the fight against crime in all forms. We want to recognise that human trafficking is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach and, therefore, together we can make a difference,” the national security minister said.

Meanwhile National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Diahann Gordon Harrison, said the free course, divided into three modules, is aimed at creating a robust network of prevention and protection for vulnerable individuals. Each module includes a self-test to ensure that participants understand the material, she explained.

A digital e-learning tool was previously developed in partnership with the British High Commission that could be accessed by stakeholders via a thumb drive. Gordon Harrison said the online course was developed to expand access to the information.

“The biggest threat that Jamaica faces in the anti-human trafficking fight is the absence of knowledge – that absence of recognition that human trafficking is not a foreign thing but it is in fact a Jamaican thing and it affects Jamaicans, both in our country and outside of our country,” she said.

According to Gordon Harrison, human trafficking is one of the most aggressive forms of organised crime globally, generating billions in illegal profits.

“When we look at the statistics, I think the last dollar figure indicated that it is one that amasses over US$150 billion in terms of the profits that traffickers really live off and continue to exploit people to enrich themselves,” she said.