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Embassy Highlights

U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN David Carden Fights Human Trafficking

August 24, 2012
Ambassador Carden answers questions at the AC about how to end human trafficking.

Ambassador Carden answers questions at the AC about how to end human trafficking.

Ambassador Carden visits children and staff at NGO Blue Dragon.

Ambassador Carden visits children and staff at NGO Blue Dragon.

U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN David Carden returned to Hanoi on August 23 and 24 to continue America’s fight against human trafficking.

Ambassador Carden stopped by the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in Hanoi on August 23 to see one of U.S. Embassy Hanoi’s supported anti-trafficking efforts in action.  Blue Dragon founder Michael Brosowski recalled the encounter with a trafficked child selling flowers in Ho Chi Minh City that inspired him to launch Blue Dragon’s anti-trafficking efforts – today supported by a $300,000 grant from the U.S. State Department.  Mr. Brosowski added that street children in Vietnam have become an invisible problem because street children learn to disguise themselves.  However, a significant at-risk population of children remain in need of help.  Ambassador Carden observed Blue Dragon-organized classes and recreational activities at their residential and drop-in center for at-risk children.  He thanked the Blue Dragon staff for their efforts to provide access to education and a better future for these children.

The following afternoon, Ambassador Carden spoke at U.S. Embassy Hanoi’s American Center about how Vietnamese youth can join the fight to end human trafficking in ASEAN countries and around the world.  The program started with a screening of highlights from the 2012 MTV Exit concert in Hanoi that included an explanation of human trafficking and why it can be difficult to identify.  Five volunteers from the audience then asked Ambassador Carden five questions selected from the Embassy’s Facebook page about human trafficking.  Following the Facebook questions, Ambassador Carden opened it up for a frank discussion of human trafficking and received a variety of great questions from the audience members.  Go to http://www.facebook.com/usembassyhanoi to watch the video or read the text of Ambassador Carden’s answers and then share that information with your friends in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and around the world to bring an end to human trafficking.