Mayor Says Human Trafficking Training Was Important

On Wednesday, RET International completed training with persons in the transportation industry on human trafficking. It was a programme that the University of Belize has signed on to as one of its e-courses. A significant number of the participants hailed from Belize City, the biggest municipality in terms of population. Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner says the training was key in helping individuals spot the activity around them.

 

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Human trafficking is not only relegated to Belize. It’s all across the world.  It’s a million, billion-dollar industry. And having this first step and this starting point, we really should begin to see some returns. RET has done a wonderful job in putting together this project, especially the training arm of it on just having the starter awareness on recognizing that human trafficking is a sophisticated sort of operation. And so having people aware – your bus drivers, your taxi drivers your enforcement officers being aware through this manual, you could begin to put some measure of dent in that activity. This sort of project really reemphasized and bring forth the awareness campaign to – you can participate in being able to highlight human trafficking. It may go right past you. You might see a young person attach onto to someone, a stranger, and you – it might just pass you look. Having this manual now and having the training done by RET individuals, you will be able to now quickly recognize that sort of activity.”