    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 9225--DEC. 31, 2014

    Proclamation 9225 of December 31, 2014

    National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2015

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    For more than two centuries, the United States has worked to advance the
    cause of freedom. Stained from a history of slavery and shaped by
    ancestors brought to this country in chains, today, America shines as a
    beacon of hope to people everywhere who cherish liberty and opportunity.
    Still, our society remains imperfect, and our Nation has more work to do
    to uphold these values. At home and around the globe, we must continue
    to fight for human dignity and the inalienable rights of every person.
    Today, millions of men, women, and children are victims of human
    trafficking. This modern-day slavery occurs in countries throughout the
    world and in communities across our Nation. These victims face a cruelty
    that has no place in a civilized world: children are made to be
    soldiers, teenage girls are beaten and forced into prostitution, and
    migrants are exploited and compelled to work for little or no pay. It is
    a crime that can take many forms, and one that tears at our social
    fabric, debases our common humanity, and violates what we stand for as a
    country and a people.
    Founded on the principles of justice and fairness, the United States
    continues to be a leader in the global movement to end modern-day
    slavery. We are working to combat human trafficking, prosecute the
    perpetrators, and help victims recover and rebuild their lives. We have
    launched national initiatives to help healthcare workers, airline flight
    crews, and other professionals better identify and provide assistance to
    victims of trafficking. We are strengthening protections and supporting

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    the development of new tools to prevent and respond to this crime, and
    increasing access to services that help survivors become self-
    sufficient. We are also working with our international partners and
    faith-based organizations to bolster counter-trafficking efforts in
    countries across the globe.
    As we fight to eliminate trafficking, we draw strength from the courage
    and resolve of generations past--and in the triumphs of the great
    abolitionists that came before us, we see the promise of our Nation:
    that even in the face of impossible odds, those who love their country
    can change it. Every citizen can take action by speaking up and
    insisting that the clothes they wear, the food they eat, and the
    products they buy are made free of forced labor. Business and non-profit
    leaders can ensure their supply chains do not exploit individuals in
    bondage. And the United States Government will continue to address the
    underlying forces that push so many into the conditions of modern-day
    slavery in the first place.
    During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we stand
    with the survivors, advocates, and organizations dedicated to building a
    world where our people and our children are not for sale. Together, let
    us recommit to a society where our sense of justice tells us that we are
    our brothers' and sisters' keepers, where every person can forge a life
    equal to their talents and worthy of their dreams.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
    the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2015 as
    National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, culminating in
    the annual celebration of National Freedom Day on February 1. I call
    upon businesses, national and community organizations, families, and all
    Americans to recognize the vital role we can play in ending all forms of
    slavery and to observe this month with appropriate programs and
    activities.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of
    December, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    ninth.
    BARACK OBAMA