1. Is sex trafficking, sex slavery an issue in your country and region?
Human trafficking is a significant problem in Vietnam. As a developing nation, the Southeast Asian country is vulnerable to this practice, and it acts as both a source and destination for the enslaved. It is spurred along in part by corruption at checkpoints and border crossings. The vast majority of cross-border traffic flow involving Vietnam are with the neighboring countries of Cambodia, Laos, and China, but Vietnamese victims are also sent to Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore. China accounts for more than 65% of identified cases of trafficking originating in Vietnam. Due to their lower socioeconomic status, women are more susceptible to this than men. Many are tricked by promises of employment then sold to brothels as sex slaves, or forced into marriage. Children are also popular choices for sex trafficking and slavery; the demand for virgins and children is growing with the child sex tourism industry. In Vietnam, it is also common for children to be forced into begging or hawking on the streets. Though less common, men are also victims of human trafficking, usually for the purpose of forced labor in cannabis farms, brick factories, mines, sugarcane fields, etc. Usually these men belong to ethnic minorities. Traffickers come in many different forms, including recruitment agency staff and family members. Additionally, there exist larger organized crime groups that traffic humans internationally, even to the U.K. http://un-act.org/vietnam/
2. The article (pdf) Born Free talks about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which came into effect in 2016. Find out if human trafficking is addressed by one of the goals? What needs to be done to combat human trafficking?
The article largely discusses the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the UN at the turn of the century. Their inception, the MDGs have played a large part in deciding where donor dollars will be allocated, helping the development community organize and coordinate on an unprecedented scale. Unfortunately, the goals are not infallible, and leave out certain prominent issues, such as the human trafficking crisis. Trafficking has not as of yet been made a priority for the development community, and the illicit industry continues to thrive year after year. That is not to say that there are no organizations prioritizing human trafficking: the U.S. agency for Internation Development, Humanity United, the Oak Foundation, Walk Free, the Freedom Fund, and NoVo are all focusing solely on eliminating human trafficking. Additionally, many of the goals listed in The Outcome Document involve human trafficking in some way, and many of the subgoals would, if completed, could indirectly reduce the threat of human trafficking in developing areas. This is not enough, however. In this document, there are no clearly defined parameters of the problem as it currently exists, nor are there any quantified goals for its reduction. In order to affect great change on this problem, human trafficking must be prioritized as a global crisis. Instead of incorporating elements of the problem into other goals, the eradication of human trafficking should be a clearly defined goal in the MDG, and should receive the attention that is warranted for a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude.
3. AI is an area that needs more diversity. Why? How can there be changes? What needs to change?
Like all fields of study, artificial intelligence would certainly benefit from an increase in diversity. In her TED talk, Chimamanda Ngozi talks about “The Danger of a Single Story”. In summary, she claims that it is dangerous to rely solely on the narrative of a single group or experience (https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en). Human beings are shaped by our experiences, and everyone has something different to bring to the table based on our upbringing and environment. To only reference a select group of homogenous experiences while excluding the possibility for a difference of opinion is a dangerous way to operate.
In “Fei-Fei Li’s Quest to Make AI Better for Humanity”, Jessi Hempel describes Li’s rise to prominence in artificial intelligence, her creation of the now globally utilized ImageNet, and her struggle to bring more girls and minorities into the field. According to Li, the inherent biases present in AI engineers tend to be passed down to their creations (https://www.wired.com/story/fei-fei-li-artificial-intelligence-humanity/). In conjunction with the growing societal function of AI and the fact that most people working in the AI industry are white men, this paints a foreboding picture. Unless more scientists like Li are able to enter the industry and fight for a diversity, any biases held by white men are likely to begin shaping our society even more than they already do (https://www.wired.com/story/fei-fei-li-artificial-intelligence-humanity/).
In order to begin this change, we need to eliminate the concept of “gendered” professions, and it has to start in the schools. Education should be sought after based on interest, not sex. If a female shows interest in a STEM field, her interest should be nurtured and cultivated, rather than discouraged. If a man finds that he is passionate about nursing, or another position traditionally seen as effeminate, he should also be encouraged. It does not make sense to waste valuable human resources because we are unable to move on from antiquated notions about gender roles.
Globalization: Asia 