Stopping Traffic: The Movement to End Human Trafficking 2017
Distributed by Stopping Traffic
Produced by Siddhayatan Tirth Productions in Association with the International Society of Human Unity
Directed by Sadhvi Siddhali Shree
DVD , color, 79 min.
High School - General Adult
Criminal Justice, Sex Crimes, Human Trafficking, Sociology
Date Entered: 11/05/2018
Reviewed by LaRoi Lawton, Library & Learning Resources Department, Bronx Community College of the City University of New YorkThis film is not for the light of heart regarding the topic of human trafficking, the second largest criminal enterprise in the world today. Given the intensity of the subject, Stopping Traffice should be previewed before being shown to a classroom audience. It features interviews with activists, sex trafficking survivors, government officials, national and global, former traffickers, and organizations working every day to end this crime. The term “sex trafficking” is referred to here as “slaving.”
Listening to the many real life scenarios was very uncomfortable but necessary in order for me to write this review. And that is the point—the subject matter is horrendous but there are people and organizations out there that are extremely active in “stopping traffic.” Remember that this is at best, a 32 billion dollar enterprise with the United States being one of the top countries from which victims come. Whether the victims are local or global, the general public needs to be continually made aware that this problem is everywhere-even in our own communities. The film explores the ‘culture of desire’ that permeates our global society as well as the physical and sexual abuse of not only girls but boys as well. It takes an in-depth look at those forces that today are fighting the global effort to end this vile and horrific stain against humanity. In retrospect, Stopping Traffic also challenges the hegemony of current border discourses to combat human trafficking, arguing that the focus on borders is misplaced and that the dominant border paradigm of security, criminality and law enforcement needs to be replaced by a human security approach in order for anti-trafficking efforts to be effective.