KAREN WALKOWSKI - ENDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN MINNESOTAKaren is the President of the Lake Minnetonka/Excelsior Rotary Club. She shared a quote from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have already chosen the side of the oppressor.” The movement to fight human trafficking (HT) began out of the selection of Minnesota as the Super Bowl host community and has grown from there. While not an expert on the topic of HT, Karen has embraced the fight against exploitation of people for labor or sex. There are more victims of HT than ever before (1.5 million victims in US). It is a $150 billion per year business ($99B for sex and $51B for labor). Minnesota had between 8,000 and 14,000 victims accounting for roughly $9.5B in business in a year. MN is in the top 13 states in the US for youth prostitution due to its port (Duluth), proximity to international border, two major interstates (I-35 and I-90) and the Mall of America. |