Volunteers participate in Red Sand Project in front of the Capitol.
An interactive art event at the state Capitol Complex on Tuesday aimed to raise awareness for anti-human trafficking initiatives.
Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR) and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Pennsylvania (PennCAC) co-hosted the event, the Red Sand Project, to coincide with World Day Against Trafficking in Persons..
Red Sand Project is a national participatory artwork initiative created by artist Molly Gochman to raise awareness for human trafficking victims and survivors who have been overlooked, or “slipped through the cracks.”
“History will judge whether we are silent on this issue, or whether we choose to stand, to lead, to fight for victims, to fight for survivors, to fight for being trafficked through modern day slavery,” Rep. Thomas Kutz (R-87) said at the event.
Volunteers with the YWCA and the Child Advocacy Center of Central Pa., along with other community members helped fill cracks in the sidewalk in front of the Capitol.
Nonprofit leaders and government officials help facilitate the Red Sand Project at the Capitol.
“This event […] provides us with an opportunity to confront the social, economic and political frameworks that facilitate trafficking as both a crime and a public health issue,” said Zozan Kucukaydin, anti-human trafficking services coordinator at PCAR.
PCAR and PennCAC co-hosted the event in partnership with local victim service programs, including YWCA and UPMC’s Child Advocacy Center of Central Pa., and with participating state representatives Justin Fleming (D-105) and Thomas Kutz (R-87) and Senior Deputy Attorney General Heather Castellino.
Central PA is a hotspot for human trafficking, according to Fleming, due to its expansive transportation infrastructure.
“We’ve got highways that will take you to major cities, major metropolitan areas in less than four hours,” he said. “But that also makes our area in central Pennsylvania a target and a ripe area for human trafficking because escape is made so easily because of our transportation and infrastructure.”
According to Castellino, who leads the human trafficking division of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the forefront strategies in combatting the issue are advocating for survivors and educating the public on the true nature of trafficking.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and it’s important to understand what it is,” she said. “I ask you all to educate yourselves on that, because what we understand about human trafficking also shapes what we advocate for.”
For more information on the Red Sand Project, visit their website.
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