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b'Most people don\\u2019t know there are more slaves today than at any point in history.

Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart, is merging his efforts to fight human trafficking through the Elizabeth Smart Foundation with those made by Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) (http://www.ourrescue.org/), a non-profit organization that specializes in rescuing children held by traffickers around the world and arranging for their captors\\u2019 arrests by local law enforcement agencies.

The merger has been a no-brainer, Smart says, considering what O.U.R. has done in a short amount of time.
\\u2022More than 265 enslaved victims of sex trafficking, mostly minors, are free due to O.U.R.\\u2019s rescue efforts.
\\u2022One hundred and twenty-three of these victims were liberated in three highly dangerous, simultaneous rescues in Colombia in a one-hour period in October 2014.
\\u2022These numbers are actually much higher when you consider that O.U.R. has dismantled several trafficking organizations and created a deterrent effect.
\\u2022More than 50 traffickers have been arrested, preventing the suffering of thousands of children who would have been subjugated by their captors.

\\u201cI work with a number of nonprofit organizations designed to protect children; teaming up with like-minded protectors enables us to pool our resources for greater impact,\\u201d says Smart, Program Director of Rehabilitation and Prevention of the newly merged organizations.

\\u201cTheir rescue missions not only entail a strike force of experts that include some of America\\u2019s best; they also focus on the long-term recovery of victims \\u2013 a vital part of this issue, as I\\u2019ve witnessed in Elizabeth.\\u201d

In just the last three weeks, O.U.R.\\u2019s rescue missions have taken place in four countries across Latin America and Asia. More than 40 victims were rescued and13 traffickers arrested, and lots of follow-up work is being conducted, Smart says.

\\u201cThese guys are impressive, with additional efforts including a new training project we have in place to train local governments, a DNA system and a strategy to help police forces track down and stop traffickers after a mission is been completed,\\u201d he says.

\\u201cWhat can you do to help? \\u2013 You can go to O.U.R.\\u2019s site and donate anytime.\\u201d

ABOUT OPERATION UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R) is a non-profit organization that rescues kidnapped children from slavery. O.U.R rescue teams are comprised of highly skilled ex-Navy Seal, CIA and other operatives. These teams work in conjunction with and in full cooperation with local police forces and governments to liberate children around the world. The O.U.R mission is straightforward: Using cutting-edge computer technology and human intelligence, O.U.R rescue teams go into the darkest corners of the world to help local law enforcement liberate enslaved children and dismantle the criminal networks.
Before dawn on June 5, 2002, Ed\\u2019s daughter Elizabeth Smart, age 14, was kidnapped from her bedroom. She was found alive nine months later on March 12, 2003, just a few miles from her home, with her captors, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Lleen Barzee (spelling???). Her abduction and recovery were widely reported in North American media and internationally. Ed Smart has become a nationally renowned spokesperson for child protection, advocating for legislation and non-profit organizations that focus on the prevention and recovery of missing children.
Ed is a world renowned child safety advocate and President of the Surviving Parents Coalition, and is internationally recognized as
About Ed Smart
an advocate for children\'s safety with particular focus on prevention, protecting children from \\u201cabduction, bullying, abuse and sexual assault.\\u201d Elizabeth\'s abduction motivated him to advocate for change in the safety of our children and families.
Since beginning his fight for children, Ed along with other children\\u2019s safety advocates tirelessly and successfully lobbied Congress and the Senate seeking passage of the National Amber Alert plan, the Adam Walsh Act, The Protect our children Act of 2008 and currently working cooperatively with other organizations on state felony arrestee DNA legislation.
He believes that \\u201cIt is more important than ever to empower our children to know they have choices to options and to remove their fears and feel safer in their world today.\\u201d He is currently program director of rehabilitation and prevention for Operation Underground Railroad OUR.
Ed received his Masters Degree in Business Administration, specializing in Urban Planning as well as his Bachelor Degree in Finance from George Washington University. He and his wife Lois are parents of six children and currently reside in Salt Lake City.'