“The most staggering statistic I found was that foster care children are four times more likely to be exposed to sexual abuse. That’s a breeding ground for trafficking.”
Kutcher then provides fact-based evidence to suggest that the foster care system in the United States provides a specific data-set that reflects what happens when displacement occurs abroad. In order to “seriously put an end to slavery,” we have to first understand all of the factors that lead to the “unintended consequences of our actions or in-actions.”
“When people are left out, when they’re neglected, when they’re not supported and when they’re not given the love that they need to grow, it becomes an incubator for trafficking.”
After touching on everything from the sex trade industry to modern-day slavery, child pornography, technology, money, the foster care system and the refugee crisis, Kutcher brought everything home with his explanation of the out-bound pipeline—mental health.
“Once someone is exposed to this level of abuse, it’s a mental health issue…there’s not enough support, and we have to have the resources on the other side.”
After calling upon the government to join forces in the fight against modern slavery, the actor closed his speech with a plea to those sitting before him:
“The right to pursue [happiness] is every man’s right. I beg of you that if you give people the right to pursue, what you may find in return is happiness for yourself.”
Watch the full speech below: