SE TRATA - Spanish for human trafficking- is the name given to the community program between the Ricky Martin Foundation and Doral Bank geared to protect children and youth in Puerto Rico from human trafficking, a form of modern day slavery, a human rights violation, a crime against the state and the individual and a threat to human security. The Palermo Protocol defines trafficking in persons as:“the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion,of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.” The community program is the result of "Trafficking in Persons in Puerto Rico: An Invisible Challenge”, the first research on the third most lucrative crime and fastest growing illicit activity in the world. The pioneer investigation was an effort led by the Ricky Martin Foundation, the University of Puerto Rico and Johns Hopkins University, sponsored in part by Doral.  The research findings are the basis of this novel community program. Se Trata encompasses a massive educational campaign whose slogan , "Protecting them is our joint responsibility", calls on citizens to educate themselves about a crime of which children and youth in Puerto Rico are not exempt. Convinced that education is the best prevention strategy, the Ricky Martin Foundation and our  partners will organize workshops to train -at Doral’s Leadership Center- different groups on the issues regarding this modern scourge. Se Trata de Educar /  It’s about Educating • Organizing training workshops on prevention, protection and prosecution regarding the issue of human trafficking to non-governmental organizations, government employees, educators and members of the press. They will be carried out in June, with the objective of developing leaders and advocates on behalf of children’s rights. • Organizing leadership workshops for children and young people from the partner entities that constitute the Ricky Martin Foundation  Center in Loiza during September.     Se Trata de Dignidad/ It's about Dignity: • Learn about one of our testimonials that constitute our Investigation and you will understand why we are all part of the solution, we have used fictitious names to protect the victims. To read the full Investigation click here.    Human Interest Stories/ Case studies: [Liza] My mother was a prostitute and began exploiting me and my sister when I was just five. When I was younger, I remember I was in first grade, and she locked us down in a room, both me and my sister, in those beds with mosquito nets with the metal rod frames...she tied us there, and was given 100 pesos and the men had relations with us. At this age Liza was also sexually abused by her grandfather, her uncle, cousins and then her brother-in-law, all of whom threatened her so she could never accuse them. Her mother, she says, never knew. At the age of eight she was taken to a foster home…and was raped by her foster father, after which she realized that her mother was an accomplice in these acts. “Later, I began to realize that it was a business…because when I started growing up they told me how everything was.” Her mother was paid for her daughter’s services. When she was 13, Liza had her first son and never saw her son’s father again. She then lived with a man with whom she had a daughter, but later separated from him because of abuse. Liza clarifies that she does not work, but she prostitutes herself in order to maintain her vice and to shoot up every day. She says she does it, “To avoid thinking about how bitter I am, since my life is completely destroyed…I mean, I have no desire to live. Because honestly, as soon as someone tells me they are sick, I stick around them to see if I get sick too and die for real. That is what I do. If I meet someone who says he has AIDS, I stick around him because I’m tired of living, I expect nothing more from life. Se Trata de Protegerlos/ It’s about Protection • Download  banners on your blogs or websites and become a protector of children’s  rights. Help us raise awareness and spread the word. To download the banners click here. • Send your friends the TV ad to engage them in our cause.      Se Trata de Concienciar/ It’s about Awareness • Read the publication made by our partner UNICEF entitled "Progress for Children: A Report on the protection of children" and our Investigation, among other important documents.  Se Trata de Ayudar/ It’s about Helping • Donate any amount you can to strengthen our research, mass education efforts, workshops and public policy recommendations to combat this horrible crime. Make your donation.     Se Trata de Hacer la Diferencia/ It's about Making a Difference:   • Follow us on Twitter RM_Foundation and Facebook to learn about the development of our program. In August, as a second phase we will develop a product targeted to empower our children and as a fundraising tool.  Please send us an email to learn how it feels to be an advocate of children’s rights - rmf@rm-foundation.org