Community Service in Costa Rica

* Article published on Tuesday, February 21st, 2017 on the Global Gazette of the Department of State of the US and World Learning

         All University of Costa Rica students have the opportunity to work on a community service program in order to build a better country, and I would like to tell you my experience. My colleagues and I spent a recent Saturday morning giving people information about human trafficking, which is a hidden crime that affects our nation and the entire world. This activity belongs to a project called “Migrants as Political Actors: New Ways of Expression.”

       We provided, through our signs, not only meaningful information to raise public awareness of the issue, but also shared some phone numbers related to reporting irregular activities to the police. In particular, one of the most shocking facts that we posted was that, according to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, only 1 out of 20 victims of human trafficking is identified by the police. In brief, as a result of our research and face-to-face interactions, we want people to have more tools to protect human rights.

        The picture was taken around one of the most iconic places in downtown San José, the National Theatre of Costa Rica, which is visited by thousands of local and international tourists throughout the year.