The Human Trafficking Project

MTV EXIT Live in Manila, Philippines

2011-10-27T13:10:00.000-04:00

From Business World: To raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking, MTV Networks has joined forces with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) to hold a concert in Manila this Saturday night at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds in Pasay City. The free outdoor concert will be

Food chain slaves

2011-10-24T12:47:00.000-04:00

From Al Jazeera: In the opening episode of Slavery: A 21st Century Evil, Al Jazeera's Rageh Omaar investigates food chain slavery, considered the easiest form of slavery to stamp out, in the US. The US has been leading the global fight against modern slavery. But, according to conservative estimates, there are between 40,000 and 50,000 slaves in the US today. So in this episode, Rageh questions

Beat Down Human Trafficking- Week #5

2011-10-21T13:15:00.000-04:00

Here's another track from the album Beat Down Human Trafficking! We will be releasing a new song off the album each Friday so be sure to check back next week for more. And if you like what you hear share it with your friends and help us raise awareness. Click to Download: J Nice- The Definition Beat Down Human Trafficking is a hip-hop album about modern day slavery. During a 10-

Sailing to Yemen with human traffickers

2011-10-20T18:16:00.001-04:00

From Aljazeera: By Glen Johnson There were more than 30 people crammed on the back of the truck as the vehicle bumped through the desert in eastern Djibouti. The passengers were men, women and children from Ethiopia and Somalia and myself. And all would be smuggled in boats from Djibouti to Yemen, as part of wider trafficking operations involving six countries - Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Djibouti

MTV Exit Live in Manila, Philippines Promo

2011-10-19T14:34:00.000-04:00

The event teaser for MTV Exit's Concert Event in Manila Philippines to raise awareness and fight human trafficking in Asia-Pacific.

New UN fund awards $300,000 to help rehabilitate victims of human trafficking

2011-10-18T13:13:00.003-04:00

From UN News Centre: Organizations in 12 countries that help victims of human trafficking seek justice, return home and otherwise recover from their ordeal were collectively awarded some $300,000 today in the first grant of a new United Nations fund. “A unique approach is being employed by the UN to channel severely needed funds to survivors of the horrific crime of human trafficking,” UN

Catholic Group Dropped From U.S. Human Trafficking Aid Contract Linked to Abortion

2011-10-17T15:09:00.000-04:00

From Bloomberg: A Catholic group lost a bid to continue providing assistance to victims of human trafficking for what it says may be the Obama Administration’s support for abortion rights. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was awarded a five- year contract that paid it $19 million to coordinate the services during the administration of President George W. Bush. The contract was extended

Fight Against Human Trafficking Loses Ground in 11 Nations

2011-10-12T13:13:00.000-04:00

From Bloomberg: By Victoria Pelham The international fight against human trafficking, from abuses of migrant workers to organized prostitution networks, lost ground in the past year, the U.S. State Department reported. The number of countries failing to comply with international standards to prevent human trafficking almost doubled to 23, according to U.S. State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in

Community Question: What anti-trafficking initiatives do you find innovative?

2011-10-11T13:19:00.002-04:00

What anti-trafficking programs, projects or ideas inspire you? From helpful technology to comic books, yoga classes to mountain climbing, mass freeze activities to music there is no shortage of ways we are coming together to innovate and help raise awareness of modern day slavery and make a difference. Share your thoughts with the community and let's collectively discover and discuss the

Sex, Human Trafficking Thriving In Australia

2011-10-10T13:46:00.000-04:00

From Voice of America: By Phil Mercer Anti-trafficking campaigners say human trafficking is thriving in Australia, with women brought from Asia forced to work in the sex industry. The warning follows the release of new details of two police investigations in Australia that have identified alleged links between legal brothels and illegal trafficking syndicates. Rights activists and

Beat Down Human Trafficking- Week #4

2011-10-07T12:54:00.000-04:00

Here's another track from the album Beat Down Human Trafficking! We will be releasing a new song off the album each Friday so be sure to check back next week for more. And if you like what you hear share it with your friends and help us raise awareness. Click to Download: J Nice- Human Trafficking Pt II Beat Down Human Trafficking is a hip-hop album about modern day slavery. During

Emmanuel Jal - Warchild

2011-10-05T01:57:00.000-04:00

Emmanuel Jal, child-soldier of Sudan turned Hip-Hop artist, has incorporated his experiences into his album "Warchild," released on May 13, 2008. The inspirations for the 13 songs on "Warchild" are rooted in Jal's impossible past. Learn more about Emmanuel

Human Trafficking at the Superbowl

2011-10-03T13:24:00.000-04:00

The attorney general is sounding an alarm today about the dark side of the Super Bowl. Greg Zoeller says there will be an increase in demand for the illegal commercial sex trade in connection with the Super Bowl and, he says, we ought to expect that some of sex workers who come here are the victims of human trafficking.

Beat Down Human Trafficking- Week #3

2011-09-30T12:52:00.005-04:00

Here's another track from the album Beat Down Human Trafficking! We will be releasing a new song off the album each Friday so be sure to check back next week for more. And if you like what you hear share it with your friends and help us raise awareness. Click to Download: J Nice- Set Up Shop Beat Down Human Trafficking is a hip-hop album about modern day slavery. During a 10-month

Support the Human Trafficking Project on Facebook

2011-09-29T12:58:00.005-04:00

Dear HTP community, Keep in touch by Liking us on Facebook! Share relevant events with the rest of the community on our fan page, let us know what you're doing to raise awareness and prevent trafficking and get notified of special offers on trafficking events around the country. We are constantly working to make HTP as helpful as possible, so if you have ideas for what you would like to see on

World must do better to tackle human trafficking

2011-09-29T12:48:00.000-04:00

From the UN News Centre: The President of the General Assembly today called for redoubled efforts to tackle human trafficking, which the United Nations anti-crime agency says is a multi-billion dollar industry and one that enslaves some 2.4 million people at any given time, many of whom are children “Although human trafficking takes place in the dark margins of our societies, we must not ignore

Clinton Global Initiative: The Key Players Fighting Human Trafficking

2011-09-28T12:22:00.001-04:00

From the Huffington Post: The Clinton Global Initiative took a frank look at human trafficking with a panel that included MTV, the Body Shop and a student who busted a trafficking ring. CGI, an annual meeting that brings together leaders from around the globe to tackle some of the world's most pressing problems, convened Tuesday to Thursday. A trafficking panel discussion on Thursday

South Korea: The stimulus plan, sexism, and sex trafficking

2011-09-27T10:34:00.001-04:00

From the Washington Times: By Youngbee Dale The San Francisco Chronicle reported the story of You Mi Kim, a woman from South Korea forced into prostitution in the United States to pay off her $40,000 credit card debt. To pay off her heavy debt, she worked in a massage parlor that was actually a brothel, serving dozens of men in downtown Los Angeles and San Francisco.Since the Chronicle

Launch: The mtvU Against Our Will Campaign

2011-09-26T22:05:00.000-04:00

From mtvU: The mtvU Against Our Will Campaign was launched in September 2011 in partnership with Free the Slaves, GEMS, and Polaris Project. The campaign amplifies America's college students' efforts to end modern-day slavery in the U.S., and empowers them to learn more and get involved. The name mtvU's Against Our Will Campaign, reflects the simple fact that this violation of our most

The Philippines: 40% of male foreign tourists on sex tours

2011-09-23T13:30:00.002-04:00

From the Phil Star: At least 40 percent of male foreign tourists in the country, including Americans, come for sexual tourism, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said yesterday. “I estimate that maybe up to 40 percent of foreign men who come here come for sexual tourism and that is unacceptable. And any of them engaged in things that violate the law whether they are American or other foreigner

Global Anti-Slavery Action Map Advances Fight Against Human Trafficking

2011-09-21T20:06:00.001-04:00

From Market Watch: End Slavery Now (ESN) today announced the successful launch of the new anti-slavery "Action on the Ground" project map, the first comprehensive and interactive web-based app to track the global fight against human trafficking. The new tool allows partner NGOs around the world to upload projects, photos and links; making it easy to see what organizations are doing to rescue,

A Conversation Among Men About Sex Trafficking

2011-09-20T14:25:00.000-04:00

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women held a panel titled, A Conversation Among Men About Sex Trafficking on December 2, 2009 in New York City at the NYU Wasserman Center. The panelists included author, Aaron Cohen, actor/activist Michael Cory Davis, musician/philanthropist, Peter Buffett and Poet/activist Jonathan Paul Walton. The causes of human trafficking are many with male

Human Trafficking on the Silver Screen: The Whistleblower

2011-09-19T13:18:00.001-04:00

From Women's News Network: In 1999, Kathryn Bolkovac, a single mother from Nebraska and a seasoned cop, joined the U.N. peacekeeping force in Bosnia, a country still in tumult after its brutal civil war. Her job was to investigate the sex trafficking of young women from Eastern Europe. Once she began collecting evidence from the victims she discovered that a number of U.N. officers – the very

Kenya: Sex-trafficked women and girls also vulnerable to organ trafficking

2011-09-15T13:08:00.002-04:00

From Women News Network: By Gitonga Njeru With the highest rate of human trafficking in East and Central Africa, several nongovernmental organizations in Kenya are now under investigation by INTERPOL , the world’s largest international police organization, with 188 member countries. The Interpol Sub-regional Bureau for Eastern Africa is based in Kenya’s capital in Nairobi. Young women as

Global Forum on Human Trafficking, Oct 21-22, 2011 in Silicon Valley

2011-09-14T13:40:00.000-04:00

From the Not for Sale Campaign: Creating a future free of human trafficking requires collaboration and innovative thinking. The 2011 Global Forum will discuss and explore new models and tangible solutions to the real problems that cause trafficking world-wide. We will be there, let's meet up! Learn more about the forum

'The Help' 2011? Domestic Worker Abuse Widespread

2011-09-13T13:12:00.001-04:00

From Forbes: By Anushay Hossain Last week, I finally saw the film version of “The Help,” based on the best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett about the lives of African-American maids working in white people’s homes in 1960′s Jackson, Mississippi. I hadn’t read the book prior to watching the movie which I really loved. Although the movie showed the racists and unfair treatment of primarily

Summit to address tech solutions to fight trafficking

2011-09-12T12:45:00.001-04:00

From CNN: How can technology be used to fight human trafficking? It's the question technology leaders, including Twitter founder, Jack Dorsey, will try to answer in an anti-slavery forum in the Silicon Valley next month. Steven Rice from Juniper Networks, the summit host, talked to CNN's Richard Quest about the summit and the role of technology in the anti-slavery fight. QUEST: What will

Beat Down Human Trafficking- Week #2

2011-09-09T13:58:00.005-04:00

Here's another track from the album Beat Down Human Trafficking! We will be releasing a new song off the album each Friday so be sure to check back next week for more. And if you like what you hear share it with your friends and help us raise awareness. Click to Download: J Nice ft. Meryl- Human Trafficking Beat Down Human Trafficking is a hip-hop album about modern day slavery. During a

Human Trafficking By the Numbers

2011-09-08T14:48:00.000-04:00

From the Bureau of Justice Statistics: Federally funded task forces opened 2,515 suspected incidents of human trafficking for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010. Federal agencies were more likely to lead labor trafficking investigations (29%) than sex trafficking investigations (7%). Among the 389 incidents confirmed to be human trafficking by high data quality task forces.

Human trafficking increases in Ukraine

2011-09-07T13:28:00.000-04:00

Police officers and human rights workers decry Ukraine's expanding human trafficking industry. Sunita Rappai reports.

Slave Labor in Tomatoland

2011-09-06T13:02:00.000-04:00

From Care2: By Jaelithe JudyIf you live in the United States and you eat fresh tomatoes in the wintertime, you’ve almost certainly tasted a tomato that was picked by a slave. “That’s not an assumption. That’s a fact,” reveals U.S. District Attorney Douglas Molloy to former Gourmet magazine contributing editor Barry Estabrook in Estabrook’s book, Tomatoland. Molloy is a veteran government

Malaysia: Loopholes in maid hiring

2011-09-05T11:07:00.000-04:00

From the Star: By P. ArunaThe Indonesian Embassy has criticised the Government's move to allow hiring of maids without going through agencies, saying it opened up loopholes for human trafficking. “Direct recruitment violates our laws and regulations,” said its minister counsellor for information, social and cultural affairs Suryana Sastradiredja. He warned Malaysian employers that they could be

New effort to spot human trafficking in Houston

2011-09-02T13:17:00.000-04:00

From ABC: By Katie McCall Human trafficking is a significant but hard to spot problem in Houston -- and across Texas. Now a new effort is underway to raise awareness, including an entire month dedicated to educating people about it. Houston is, unfortunately, a hub for human trafficking, which usually involves young women brought here for prostitution because of our proximity to the

Virginia making gains in curbing human trafficking

2011-09-01T13:08:00.000-04:00

From the Washington Examiner: By Emily Babay Virginia has improved what had been a dismal record on curbing human trafficking, according to a national anti-trafficking organization.Polaris Project, which runs the national human trafficking resource center, had previously rated Virginia in its lowest tier. But after the state passed three anti-trafficking bills last year, Virginia is now ranked

Forced Labor: Slavery Spreading in Thailand & Cambodia

2011-08-30T18:25:00.000-04:00

From UPI: Human trafficking in Cambodia and Thailand is no longer limited to women and children, a Cambodian rights activist said. Poor formers in Cambodia are convinced to leave home on the promise of better work in Thailand. Many are finding themselves on long-haul trawlers in the South China Sea and forced to work against their will. "It's slavery. There's no other way to describe it,"

Human Trafficking in Chicago

2011-08-29T13:35:00.000-04:00

Dozens of girls, some as young as 12, were pulled into a human trafficking ring that forced them into prostitution, State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said today. The girls and women, some of them homeless, were recruited on CTA trains, the Internet or during random meetings on the street, Alvarez said while announcing that nine people were charged under a state anti-human trafficking law

Thailand urged to stamp out human trafficking

2011-08-24T15:26:00.000-04:00

HTP on Facebook and Twitter

2011-08-23T12:13:00.003-04:00

HTP Followers, We have created a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Please help us increase our impact by "liking" the HTP page on Facebook and following us on Twitter at @HumnTrafficProj. Spread the word to stop modern day slavery. Thank you! HTP team

UN Urges Asia to Enforce Human Trafficking Laws

2011-08-22T14:21:00.000-04:00

From Voice of America: By Ron Corben Senior United Nations officials say countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region including Thailand, Cambodia and Laos are failing to apply existing laws aimed at combating human trafficking. The conclusions come as a U.N. envoy on human trafficking concluded a 10-day assessment of Thailand's efforts to curb labor migration abuses. The U.N.'s

Beat Down Human Trafficking- The Definition

2011-08-19T13:18:00.001-04:00

The first single from the album Beat Down Human Trafficking. Click to Download: J Nice- The Definition More to come! Happy Friday, The HTP Team

ATEST/CNN Forum on Human Trafficking

2011-08-18T14:42:00.000-04:00

ATEST and the CNN Freedom Project hosted a forum on human trafficking in Washington, D.C. on June 23, 2011. Moderated by CNN anchor Jim Clancy, participants included Mira Sorvino, Congressman Chris Smith, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, CNN International's chief Tony Maddox, survivor and advocate Rani Hong, human trafficking expert Kevin Bales, and Humanity United's David Abramowitz.

Kids Talk About Slavery

2011-08-17T14:54:00.000-04:00

What happens when you ask a bunch of kids to define slavery? Free the Slaves visited the Agape International Spritual Center and asked the children: What is slavery? The answers were very enlightening.

She's 10 and May Be Sold to a Brothel

2011-08-17T14:50:00.001-04:00

Nicholas Kristof has been writing articles for The New York Times regarding human trafficking for years. His most recent article highlights the personal side of the internationally lucrative business. From The New York Times on 1 June 2011:M. is an ebullient girl, age 10, who ranks near the top of her fourth-grade class and dreams of being a doctor. Yet she, like all of India, is at a turning

Touching Base

2011-07-13T18:37:00.000-04:00

Dear HTP Community, You may have noticed we haven't updated the site in a while. That's because we are currently figuring out HTP's next steps, and in the meantime are taking a brief reprieve from posting content. Don't worry though, we will be back in the swing of things by August! And for all of you who have gotten in touch about wanting to help but haven't heard back from us, apologies for

Batting Up for a Cause

2011-05-11T07:24:00.001-04:00

While my knowledge of the D.C. Nationals, or any major league baseball team for that matter, is limited, I will be cheering them on as they take on the Cardinals June 15. For this particular game, the Nationals have teamed up with the DC Human Trafficking Task Force to bring attention to modern day slavery. People who would otherwise not be inclined to learn about the issue will have

EEOC Makes Headlines with Labor Trafficking Suit

2011-05-02T07:07:00.001-04:00

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has brought formal charges against labor contractor Global Horizons Manpower, Inc, in what is being deemed the largest case of labor trafficking in the United States. The EEOC is alleging that the California based contractor recruited hundreds of Thai workers from 2003 to 2007 to work on several U.S. farms under false pretenses of a better life

What About American Girls Sold on the Streets?

2011-05-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

Nicholas D. Kristof/The New York TimesWhen we hear about human trafficking in India or Cambodia, our hearts melt. The victim has sometimes been kidnapped and imprisoned, even caged, in a way that conjures our images of slavery.But in the United States we see girls all the time who have been trafficked — and our hearts harden. The problem is that these girls aren’t locked in cages. Rather, they’re

State fair vendor abused workers from Mexico

2011-04-28T07:35:00.002-04:00

By Marnie Eisenstadt / The Post-StandardIn three booths at last year's New York State Fair, 19 men worked in conditions close to slavery. They made and sold chicken gyros and french fries for 16 to 18 hours a day with a 15-minute break and one meal. They were paid $1 an hour. They slept nine or 10 men to one bug-infested trailer, sometimes two to a bed. Some became ill. They worked like this

Ask Fox 35 to Report on Human Trafficking

2011-04-27T07:27:00.002-04:00

From Polaris Project:On April 19, Fox 35 Orlando reported that a Sheriff from Polk County arrested “60 alleged prostitutes, pimps and johns” following a week-long undercover bust targeting “escort services”. However, this crackdown was not simply involving alleged escort services, but young girls who - under the control of pimps - performed sex acts for johns.Polk County prostitution bust targets

Ashley Judd Joins Human Trafficking Fight

2011-04-26T23:06:00.001-04:00

From CBN News: Actress Ashley Judd has traveled across the globe to raise awareness on human trafficking and the damage "modern-day slavery" can have on victims.

Anti-Trafficking Specialist Position with ABA ROLI

2011-04-20T06:40:00.000-04:00

From the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative: Anti-Trafficking Specialist, Mongolia Location: MongoliaOrganization: American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative Reference Number: None givenJob Level: Volunteer Contact: Email jobs@staff.abanet.org Description:In support of ABA ROLI’s program to strengthen strategic litigation with respect to human trafficking, the

CNN Freedom Project

2011-04-18T07:46:00.001-04:00

It is not often that news stations highlight the horrors of human trafficking, even though there are an estimated 12 million persons enslaved throughout the world. In fact, this is a crime so hidden that many people are unaware of its existence. However, for the next year, the CNN Freedom Project has pledged to take a stand against human trafficking by affording it the national coverage that

Artists urge Guggenheim boycott

2011-04-05T06:11:00.005-04:00

From Al Jazeera: Artists say construction workers at Abu Dhabi landmark art museum are being exploited. While there is no explicit mention of human trafficking, the precarious conditions (i.e. substandard housing, confiscated passports) some of these workers are facing should merit an investigation. In a press release last month, the Guggenheim stated that there will be some independent

Support HTP: Like us on Facebook!

2011-04-04T14:26:00.004-04:00

To the HTP Community, We are excited to announce that we have recently added the Facebook "Like" button! Our Call to Action to You and All Readers of HTP: Please help us spread the word by clicking the Facebook "Like" button on any article you found helpful, engaging or moving. As a reader we greatly appreciate and count on your word of mouth to help fulfill our mission of raising awareness

Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Strategy and Operations e-Guide

2011-04-04T07:12:00.001-04:00

From the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center: "Developed in partnership by the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), this e-Guide is a resource for both established and new Task Forces. Established Task Forces can use it to enhance existing operations or as a tool to assist in the revitalization of

HTP has a new website address!

2011-04-01T22:58:00.000-04:00

Dear HTP Community, Please note we have a new website address: www.traffickingproject.org A simple but important change- we are growing up step by step. As always please get in touch if you have any suggestions on how we can improve the site to cater to your needs, we are all ears and want to hear from you! Have a great weekend, - The HTP Team info@traffickingproject.org

Demand Change: Everyone Can Work To End Modern Slavery

2011-04-01T08:49:00.003-04:00

From the U.S. Dept. of State Official Blog By Ambassador Luis CdeBaca Last week, a court in New York sentenced a client of a prostituted child. So often, such a crime goes uncharged, or if an arrest is made, the case is unnoticed, unreported. But because the defendant was NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, not an anonymous "john," the case was heavily covered. The pimp who

Is Sucker Punch About Human Trafficking?

2011-03-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

Well, not exactly. It is a fantasy movie about how a young girl escapes into her imagination from the very dark reality of her life. That reality, however, is the story of a girl who is locked away in a corrupt asylum where the girls are forced to dance and prostitute themselves for the profit of the man who runs the asylum as well as other profitable illegal businesses. While the movie did not

Human Trafficking for Begging: Old Game, New Name

2011-03-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

Press Release: Beggars are a part of the street landscape of any major European city. ‘But don’t be fooled’, warns Iveta Cherneva, author of Trafficking for Begging: Old Game, New Name. ‘The children and elderly women begging on the street are often forced beggars – victims of human trafficking.They are a part of a ring with organizational complexity comparable to that of a medium-size business

Wyden Reintroduces DMST Deterrence and Victim Support Act : S.596

2011-03-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

From Shared Hope International: What you need to know about this legislation: • It will provide $2m to $2.5m a year in funding to six state and local pilot projects to serve and shelter child victims of sex trafficking. • Applying entities must have a multidisciplinary, collaborative plan to combat the sex trafficking of minors. • 67% of funds must be used for direct services and shelter for

Half the Sky Movement

2011-03-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

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No More Dirty Gold

2011-03-21T07:01:00.002-04:00

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Walking Merchandise: Child Smuggling and the Snakehead Trade

2011-03-16T06:49:00.001-04:00

Last Spring, Rob Nguyen and Ethan Downing decided that they wanted to raise awareness about a lesser-known division of human trafficking. In the following year they tracked down lawyers, journalists, social workers, and trafficked individuals in order to create an informative and startling documentary about Chinese human traffickers known as snakeheads. The film, Walking

Trinidad and Tobago: The Beginnings of a Human Trafficking Investigation

2011-03-14T06:45:00.001-04:00

I spent the best part of December 2010 and January 2011 in the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad is located only a few kilometers north of Venezuela and because of that proximity - among other geographic factors - it has become a thriving transition point for both the drug and arms trades.My question was, what about human trafficking? There’s a reason that the trafficking

Save the Children: International Women's Day

2011-03-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Save the Children celebrates the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day with videos of success stories of brave women and girls.From Save the Children:In many poor communities around the world, sons are considered a blessing, while daughters are viewed as a burden. Often, families marry off their daughters early — sometimes as young as 9. Then, education ends and health risks grow. Young

Launch of the CNN Freedom Project

2011-03-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

From CNN:This year CNN will join the fight to end modern-day slavery and shine a spotlight on the horrors of modern-day slavery, amplify the voices of the victims, highlight success stories and help unravel the complicated tangle of criminal enterprises trading in human life.iReport Freedom Project ChallengeThink you can't make a difference? Take a stand against human slavery. Submit a photo or

Roll Out Your Yoga Mat on March 12 To Raise Awareness and Help Survivors

2011-03-04T06:00:00.003-05:00

From Yoga Stops Traffick:Wherever you are in the world, get ready to roll your mats out on 12th March 2011 for YOGA STOPS TRAFFICK, a worldwide yoga event to raise awareness about human trafficking. Last year YST brought together 1,500 people in 20 countries, 51 yoga studios, parks, homes, beaches and mountaintops around the world. With your help YST raised over £15,000 for Indian organization

The Dark Side of Chocolate--Who’s Paying for your Sweet Tooth?

2011-03-03T07:42:00.002-05:00

It is certainly not the first time allegations of slave labor have surfaced in the coca industry, but the documentary film, The Dark Side of Chocolate, takes the conversation to the next level. In The Dark Side of Chocolate, film creators Miki Mistrati and U. Roberto Romano go undercover to the Ivory Coast, to see for themselves what really goes on. While numerous accusations have been made

Tiffany Williams: Silencing Human Trafficking Victims in America

2011-03-02T06:10:00.001-05:00

From Other Words:Women should be able to access victim services, regardless of their immigration status.Thanks to a wave of anti-immigrant proposals in state legislatures across the nation, fear of deportation and family separation has forced many immigrant women to stay silent rather than report workplace abuse and exploitation to authorities. The courts have weakened some of these laws and the

Call for Presentations: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking

2011-02-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking organizers invite you to submit an abstract for the 2011 Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking!Anyone who has academic or professional work to present should submit an abstract of up to 300 words (no more) on their submission website.The presentations will normally be 25

Kevin Bales on WGBH's One-on-One

2011-02-21T06:39:00.001-05:00

From the WGBH program One-on-One:In this One-on-One conversation, Bales discusses the realities of contemporary enslavement, the motivation behind his work, and how our generation can bring slavery to an end.

BBC World Debate on Trafficking

2011-02-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

The BBC World Debate program recently held a debate on Human Trafficking with panelists Laura Agustin, Author of "Sex at the Margins"; Sophie Flak, Executive Vice-President of Accor; Rani Hong, Trafficking Survivor; Siddharth Kara, Author of "Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery"; and Ronald Noble, Secretary General of Interpol. Unfortunately, BBC videos are not embeddable, so I

Request for Information for the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report

2011-02-13T21:53:00.001-05:00

From the Federal Register The Department of State (“the Department”) requests written information to assist in reporting on the degree to which the United States and foreign governments comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons (“minimum standards”) that are prescribed by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, (Div. A, Pub. L. 106-386) as amended (“

Teach Your Students about Child Slavery

2011-02-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is an excerpt from the magazine of Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. I thought this was an interesting way of trying to broach such a difficult topic with young students. The site also includes a short list of teaching tips as well as more information about the sample coursework described below.Enlisting Students to Confront Modern SlaveryOrganizations like

UN Trafficking Fund

2011-02-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

Press Release: UN Trafficking Fund announces new grant opportunities for NGOs as donations near US$ 1 million The first steps toward the establishment of a UN-led ‘Small Grants Facility’ for victims of human trafficking were taken today in a move aimed at strengthening on-the-ground assistance to survivors of this brutal crime.A public call will be made over the coming months through the UNODC

Forced Labor News from January

2011-02-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

Throughout the month, there are many cases or stories that break regarding forced labor. They are usually not on the front pages of our newspapers, rather they are buried deep and sometimes are only accessible through the internet. These are some of the stories, both headline articles and those that are not, from January.Several exclusive country clubs in south Florida were found to be

Spain's salad growers are modern-day slaves, say charities

2011-02-07T06:51:00.001-05:00

From The Guardian:The Costa del Sol is famous for its tourists and beaches but just behind them is a hidden world of industrial greenhouses where African migrants work in extreme conditionsCharities working with illegal workers during this year's harvest claim the abuses meet the UN's official definition of modern-day slavery, with some workers having their pay withheld for complaining.

DOJ Launches New Enhanced Enforcement Initiative

2011-02-04T05:00:00.001-05:00

From the U.S. Department of Justice:Department of Justice Announces Launch of Human Trafficking Enhanced Enforcement InitiativeWASHINGTON – The Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor announced today the launch of a nationwide Human Trafficking Enhanced Enforcement Initiative designed to streamline federal criminal investigations and prosecutions of human trafficking offenses. As part

Department of Justice seeking new Director for Human Trafficking

2011-02-03T09:47:00.005-05:00

From USA Jobs:Director for Human TraffickingDepartment: Department Of JusticeAgency: Civil Rights Division, Offices, Boards, and DivisionsSalary Range:$123,758.00 - $155,500.00 /yearOpen Period:Friday, January 28, 2011 to Friday, February 18, 2011Position Information: Full-Time Permanent Duty Locations:1 vacancy - WASHINGTON, DCJob Summary:The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division

Super Bowl a magnet for under-age sex trade

2011-02-02T07:51:00.004-05:00

From MSNBC:ATLANTA — Pimps will traffic thousands of under-age prostitutes to Texas for Sunday's Super Bowl, hoping to do business with men arriving for the big game with money to burn, child rights advocates said. As the country's largest sporting event, the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will make the Dallas-Fort Worth area a magnet for business of all kinds.

California Against Slavery: Development / Capital Campaign Manager

2011-01-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

From Idealist California Against Slavery (CAS) has an immediate opening for a Development/Capital Campaign Manager with proven record of successful large scale fundraising. The Manager plays a crucial role in raising $1M by November 2011 to fund the CAS ballot initiative. ABOUT: California Against Slavery (CAS) is a 501(c)4 non-profit, non-partisan human rights organization. Founded in 2009,

Underage Sex Trade Still Flourishing Online

2011-01-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

From CNN.comBy Amber Lyon and Steve TurnhamHer ankles and wrists are shackled. She's wearing used sweats in the bright colors of the jailhouse, orange, blue and yellow. She shuffles to the courtroom to face the judge, her mother, and an uncertain future. Selena is a 13-year-old who was sold for sex. She wants to go home to her house in the suburbs and the baby sister she hardly knows. And

The Super Bowl and Human Trafficking

2011-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

The 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas will bring thousands of people to the city in the hopes of witnessing greatness. Sadly, in the shadows of all the glitz and glamour, as many as a few thousand children will be trafficked as sex slaves, bought and sold countless times throughout the event.In 2009, the Florida Department of Children and Families assisted 24 minors who were trafficked as sex

Keep Human Trafficking Victims in the Brothels to SAVE them? Who would have thought?

2011-01-21T07:00:00.004-05:00

What is the first step to take in saving a victim of sex trafficking? My initial reaction, and I venture to say that many others share my view, that removing the individual from the brothel would be the most sensible first step. However, my logic went to hell after reading about a group named of Freeset.Freeset, located in the Kolkata red light district, has a mission identical to hundreds of

Country Club Slavery

2011-01-20T07:06:00.000-05:00

South Florida Country Clubs Contracting in Slave Labor: Feds A husband and wife are accused of forcing 39 Philippine immigrants into slavery By WILLARD SHEPARD and TODD WRIGHT Updated 2:43 PM EST, Tue, Jan 11, 2011 Country clubs are often reserved for the rich and well off and have the best amenities money can buy. But membership in several exclusive South Florida clubs came with a sinister

Fair Trade Universities

2011-01-19T07:06:00.000-05:00

Upcoming OVC Web Forum: Serving Child Victims of Sex Trafficking

2011-01-14T06:18:00.000-05:00

Serving Child Victims of Sex TraffickingJanuary 19, 2011—Join an Online DiscussionOn January 19, 2011, at 2 p.m. (eastern time), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will present a Web Forum discussion with Mollie Ring on best practices for serving child victims of sex trafficking. Ms. Ring is the Director of Anti-Trafficking Programs at the Standing Against Global Exploitation (SAGE) Project, a

Freedom Network Conference

2011-01-13T01:35:00.003-05:00

9th Annual Freedom Network ConferencePresentations and workshops by experts on human trafficking issues for Advocates, Legal Representatives, Social Service Providers, Government Officials, Prosecutors, Law Enforcement OfficersConference Registration:Registration Fee: $295Early Bird Registration before Feb. 5th: $265Third person or more from same organization: $265Registration fee includes

Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2011

2011-01-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

This year, HTP has signed on to a letter produced through a collaborative effort in Boston, Massachusetts to produce a statement in light of Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Today is also your opportunity to find out what is going on your local community, and find a way to get involved. Towards the bottom of the letter are some suggestions. And please remember that we here at HTP are always

Forced Labor News from December

2011-01-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Throughout the month, there are many cases or stories that break regarding forced labor. They are usually not on the front pages of our newspapers, rather they are buried deep and sometimes are only accessible through the internet. These are some of the stories, both headline articles and those that are not, from December.A couple in South Florida was sentenced for forcing almost 40 Filipinos to

‘I can’t get my sister back:’ Investigators warn of sex traffickers targeting Natives

2011-01-05T07:00:00.005-05:00

By KYLE HOPKINS for The VillageA disproportionate number of women working in the Anchorage sex trade are Alaska Native and pimps and sex traffickers are pursuing Native girls at events like AFN, police warned tribes and villagers today.“There have been traffickers and pimps who specifically target Native girls because they feel that they’re versatile and they can post them (online) as Hawaiian,

Same Crime, Different Face

2011-01-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year, the BBC aired a five part series called “Working Lives” about modern day slavery. I recently caught one part of it on BBC International. This particular part of the series focused on Kenyan women who found themselves enslaved as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia.What struck me about this segment of program was that the focus was not on prostitution or the sex trade. Certainly

2010 Year in Review

2011-01-03T13:08:00.005-05:00

2010 was an exciting year for anti-trafficking work, from the inclusion of the U.S. for the first time in the Trafficking in Persons Report, to the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the TVPA, to the European Union passing a new directive aimed at addressing trafficking. The year also saw a number of high profile cases and challenges. As we look forward to increased action in 2011, here are

Child Marriage

2010-12-22T10:24:00.004-05:00

From Talking Points Memo:On Thursday night, hours before passing the tax cut compromise, House Republicans thwarted a bill that aimed to protect girls around the world from being coerced into child marriage. They opposed it because, they claimed, it might fund abortions. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), was blindsided. After the Child Marriage Protection Act passed the Senate

A Reexamination of The Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor

2010-12-22T07:02:00.000-05:00

Though it has been several months since the release of The Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, a careful examination of the report’s pros and cons is still in order. The intent of the report is to provide a reliable source for consumers and companies so they can make ethical choices about where they purchase and source products from, with the hope that if

Domestic Sex Trafficking and Pimp Culture

2010-12-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

By Emily Biggs:The pimps who are trafficking young women and girls on the street in the U.S. have a great marketing tool; the media. As Americans when we hear the words “sex trafficking” we immediately think of women and children overseas who are being forced into the sex trade, or who are brought into the United States for the purpose of sexual exploitation. We usually do not think closer to

Call to Action: Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010

2010-12-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

From the Polaris Project Action Site: On December 9, the U.S. Senate passed S.2925, “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010.” This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Senators Wyden (D-OR) and Cornyn (R-TX) and was passed with unanimous consent in the Senate. With only one week left in the Congressional session, the House must now adopt the Senate

Welcome HTP's Newest Contributor: Bia Assevero

2010-12-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

Be the ChangeWe live in a world that faces a great many challenges. Some of those challenges are economic, others are social and others still are political. To complicate matters even further, they are all interlinked; poverty leads to crime leads to the deterioration of social structures, which leads to political instability, which leads to economic instability, which leads to environmental

A Woman. A Prostitute. A Slave

2010-12-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

Originally published November 27, 2010 by Nicholas D. Kristof in the New York TimesAmericans tend to associate “modern slavery” with illiterate girls in India or Cambodia. Yet there I was the other day, interviewing a college graduate who says she spent three years terrorized by pimps in a brothel in Midtown Manhattan.Those who think that commercial sex in this country is invariably voluntary —

Labor Trafficking News from November

2010-12-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

Throughout the month, there are many cases or stories that break regarding forced labor. They are usually not on the front pages of our newspapers, rather they are buried deep and sometimes are only accessible through the internet. These are some of the stories, both headline articles and those that are not, from November. Markus Löning, Germany's Human Rights Commissioner, criticized Uzbekistan