RFP for Enhanced Task Forces Announced

From the DOJ Office for Victims of Crime:

OVC FY 10 Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking

Eligibility: Applicants are limited to state and local law enforcement agencies and nonprofit victim service organizations with a demonstrated established relationship and capacity to successfully partner among themselves and key stakeholders to support an enhanced approach to identifying, rescuing, and assisting victims of all forms of human trafficking. Applicants will only be eligible to apply if their application is made in conjunction with an application from a law enforcement agency or a victim service organization. Recipients of awards under this solicitation must be located in the community, jurisdiction, or geographic area specified in the application. Grantees currently receiving human trafficking funding from BJA and OVC are eligible to apply for this funding.

Overview: Through this solicitation, BJA and OVC seek to update the DOJ multidisciplinary anti-human trafficking task force model for contemporary relevance and incorporate lessons learned into a new model: the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking. This FY 2010 program will fund up to three Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force sites that will take a comprehensive approach to combating all forms of trafficking–sex trafficking and labor trafficking of foreign nationals and U.S. citizens (male and female, adults and minors). A total of six cooperative agreements are expected to be awarded. Three awards are expected to be made by BJA to support law enforcement agencies to coordinate the goals, objectives, and activities of the entire task force in close collaboration with the local U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and victim service provider partner; and three awards are expected to be made by OVC to support a victim service organization to coordinate the provision of a comprehensive array of culturally and linguistically appropriate services to all trafficking victims identified within the geographic area impacted by the task force.

Deadlines: Registration and Application: Registration is required prior to submission. OJP strongly encourages registering with Grants.gov several weeks before the deadline for application submission. The deadline for applying for funding under this announcement is 8:00 p.m. eastern time on July 27, 2010.

Please find the full RFP here.

Human Trafficking Fellowship: My Sister's Place, LexisNexis, and the Somaly Mam Foundation

From Idealist:

Human Trafficking Fellowship

Salary: $50,000 annually plus benefits
Education: JD
Location: White Plains, New York, 10601, United States
Last day to apply: July 8, 2010
Type: Full time
Language(s): English

Description:

Initiative Overview

The Human Trafficking Fellowship, a two year opportunity, represents the collaborative efforts of three organizations—My Sisters' Place, LexisNexis, and the Somaly Mam Foundation—that have come together to respond to the increased prevalence of human trafficking in the United States. The Human Trafficking Fellow, in conjunction with a Project Committee comprised of staff from each organization, will be coordinating this response, which includes ensuring that victims are assisted with a range of case management services, as well as providing technical assistance, researching and developing protocols, trainings, and best practice models for intake, case management and legal representation of victims of human trafficking. In addition, a strategic goal of the Initiative is to replicate this model of service delivery throughout the United States and to share best practices with international organizations serving victims of human trafficking.

The Fellow will join and be a member of a team of expert staff at My Sisters’ Place (MSP). MSP is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Westchester County, New York, that has grown from a grassroots task force and drop-in center formalized in 1978 into a cutting-edge leader and resource in the fields of domestic violence and human trafficking advocacy and services. MSP’s many programs include two emergency shelters, a 24/7 hotline, individual counseling and advocacy, children’s programs, support groups throughout Westchester, a legal center including family law, immigration and appellate divisions, life skills training, and extensive community education, training, and outreach programs.

Fellowship Description

• Oversee agency’s human trafficking project, including coordinating with local, state, and federal governmental and law enforcement agencies, other community partners, and agency staff to help victim’s access safety and services and to promote victim engagement with law enforcement.

• Provide technical assistance, training, and support to Legal Center Staff regarding legal representation and advocacy to victims of trafficking with Immigration and Family Law matters in the Westchester County Family Courts (Yonkers, New Rochelle, and White Plains) and the Integrated Domestic Violence Courts (Yonkers and White Plains) on a variety of legal matters including but not limited to: orders of protection, child support, paternity, custody and visitation matters.

• Together with guidance and assistance from the Project Committee (Somaly Mam Foundation, LexisNexis, MSP) research and create best practice model for human trafficking intervention, advocacy, legal representation and case management. Develop curricula to conduct peer training on best practices model throughout the United States and abroad.

• Provide technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and service providers working with potential trafficking victims to assess and identify victimization type and to begin to address victim needs.

• Work with the Project Committee to organize and conduct trainings, conference, and workshop presentations on human trafficking. Participate in media interviews to present MSP’s work and to discuss issues related to addressing the crime of human trafficking.

• Facilitate, organize and/or attend meetings and other events to advocate with local, state, and federal legislators for the drafting and passage of key legislation affecting the lives of victims and the agencies that serve them, in addition to accessing increased funding for services.

• Coordinate collaboration meetings with partner agencies to improve interagency communication and develop cross-training for staff.

• Oversee statistical data collection to ensure grant compliance, meet reporting deadlines, and identify/evaluate program needs.

• Assist with case management reimbursement contracts, including client spending limits, contract reports, and monthly billing.

• Other duties as assigned.

Additional Qualifications:

• J.D./M.S.W. joint degree preferred; however, J.D. or M.S.W. will be considered
• Some direct service experience with trafficking victims, immigrants/refugees, or other vulnerable or disenfranchised populations
• Experience in the areas of legislative change/public policy or human rights activism, preferably involving any of the above populations
• Strong project management or coordination skills, including ability to work independently, assess priorities, take initiative, handle multiple assignments, and meet deadlines
• Strong public speaking and written communication skills a must
• Team player who can work collaboratively with and serve as a liaison between the legal and social services departments of MSP
• Ability to network and maintain strong relationships with governmental and community partner agencies.

How to Apply:

Send resume, cover letter, and brief writing sample by mail, e-mail, or fax to:

Director of Programs
My Sisters’ Place
One Water Street
White Plains, NY 10601
asiniscalchi@mysistersplaceny.org
FAX: (914) 683-1412

Interview with Maya Worman on Our Border

The Department of Homeland Security recently launched a new social networking site called Our Border. Maya Worman of DHS kindly agreed to answer a few questions about the site.

What is Our Border?

Our Border, http://www.ourborder.ning.com, is a social network maintained by the Dept. of Homeland Security that promotes direct communication and collaboration among its members by highlighting issues, ideas, and events relating to the Department's mission.

What is the goal of Our Border?

It is a meeting place for those interested in following issues, as well as those that are already active leaders in the issues discussed on Our Border. Members of Our Border can initiate or strengthen relationships within the issue areas of their choosing, collaborate with partners thousands of miles away, raise overall awareness and generate support for local efforts and events. The goal is simple: come to Our Border--talk about what you are working on, learn from your new partners, and share what works.

Who contributes to the site?

The membership is growing by word of mouth and direct invitations from content facilitators and current members to an international network of individuals, academic professionals, local and regional officials, decision leaders, emerging advocates and municipal governments--any person interested in preventing, interrupting or stopping human trafficking, or interested in learning the facts about the issue--is welcome to join.

What is your role in relation to Our Border?

I am a member of a group of DHS employees looking to develop and expand how the Department communicates with the public--through the utilization of social networks, face-to-face community meetings, and the information we make available on our main web site, www.dhs.gov. The federal government is committed to providing direct lines of communication about issues that affect us all, especially when resolutions require community engagement. Our Border is one of those direct lines.

How does Our Border relate to human trafficking?

Our Border is the host for the human trafficking group. By including human trafficking outreach and coalition building in Our Border, growing networks focused on advocacy in other areas--bi-lateral cooperation, commerce, travel and trade facilitation, etc.--have access to information and discussions about human trafficking that they may not have direct exposure to otherwise.

How can people get involved/can it be used to help fight human trafficking?

Joining the site is the first step. Join Our Border and then join the Human Trafficking group within Our Border. Encourage your friends to do the same to stay updated on what is happening in the realm of human trafficking. Advocates can use the site as an additional way to communicate, promote events, grow awareness, or share ideas. The site can be used as a repository for what is happening at the community level, and as a way to build coalitions with individuals, groups and federal law enforcement partners.

What tools are available on the site?

The site is similar to other social networking applications. The content is populated and utilized by the resourcefulness of its members. Discussion forums, picture and video sharing, direct communication, document storage, etc. are a few of the standard site tools.

What do you hope the site will accomplish?

We hope the site will be a valuable resource for its members. We hope that members will log on to find out what is happening in communities like their own, learning best practices or new ideas for combating a colossal problem. We hope that advocates will utilize this tool to connect with the public and explore the partnerships that Our Border has facilitated. We hope that students and emerging advocates find authoritative facts to share with their friends, schools, community groups, and that soon people on the street aren't surprised to learn about the millions of adults and children, at any given time, held against their will in forced labor and sexual servitude.

Seattle Against Slavery

Despite its relatively recent origin, Seattle Against Slavery (SAS) has already begin to harness significant grassroots support to comprehensively fight slavery in the Seattle area and beyond. Recognizing that ending slavery will require a range of efforts that engage multiple sectors, SAS has built a collaborative community of 33 local and national partner organizations. One of SAS's founders, Alex Sum, describes the coalitions as a "no-drama, non-politicized community of abolitionists." The impetus for SAS was a conference hosted by the Freedom Initiative Team in May, 2009, which partnered with International Justice Mission.

According to SAS's website, "Whether the work is local, national or international, rescuing victims or providing services to survivors, prosecuting perpetrators or creating new anti-slavery and anti-trafficking laws, we seek to connect all Seattle area individuals and organizations in a grassroots community with a vision to expand our network across the nation" [emphasis added]. Anti-trafficking work demands such a holistic approach to address the facets of the problem, from the myriad of needs of victims and survivors to the challenges of policy and prevention. Moreover, given the horrific nature of anti-slavery work at times, such a community is vital to the well-being of those on the frontlines.

Nevertheless, while broad efforts with diverse areas of expertise are necessary for addressing slavery in a community, pulling such a team together is easier said than done. Thus, the diversity of SAS partner organizations is particularly impressive. Partners range from victim care and rescue organizations in the Seattle area - such as the Asian and Pacific Islander Women & Family Safety Center, the Seattle Police Department, and the Washington Advisory Committee on Trafficking - to awareness and/or fundraising organizations - such as Climb for Captives and Film, Faith & Justice. SAS also works with other coalitions, like the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE).

If you are interested in getting involved, SAS and its partner organizations offer a variety of volunteer opportunities, from project management to public speaking to events coordination. You can email SAS at seattleagainstslavery@live.com for more information or visit them on Facebook.

Like many anti-trafficking groups, SAS's vision is "Ending slavery in our lifetime;" the organization focuses on starting locally, "one city at a time starting with Seattle." SAS's efforts and vision reflect a belief that local efforts, when leveraged with grassroots support and multi-sector collaboration, can create global change.

Sweden Takes Action Against Sex Trafficking

Sweden, currently holding the EU Presidency, is calling for a strengthening of international cooperation and coordinated action to combat the increasing global problem of prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes. Sweden is calling upon other EU countries and the international community to adopt even more effective measures to combat this serious violation of human rights, and of individuals human dignity, this barrier to social equality and gender equality.

Sweden regards trafficking and prostitution as intrinsically linked and Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce a law (1999) criminalizing the purchase of sexual services.

In July 2008, the Government confirmed its commitment to action by adopting an Action Plan against prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes and committed SEK 213 million to the introduction of 36 measures up to 2010. The Action Plan covers five priority areas: greater protection and support for people at risk and for victims, a stronger emphasis on preventive work, higher standards and greater efficiency in the justice system, increased national and international cooperation, and educational and awareness campaigns.

The consensus among Swedish experts is that efforts to combat prostitution and human trafficking must take into account judicial, social and gender perspectives and be based on the human rights principle. Societies that claim to defend principles of legal, political, economic and social equality cannot allow human trafficking to flourish. The eventual elimination of human trafficking is achievable.

Open Sourced On-line Modern Anti-slavery Event Tomorrow

Best Practices to Combat Human Trafficking: Forced Labor - an on-line event

• When: Monday, November 16, 2009, 10 am - 12 pm (EST)

• With:
• E. Benjamin Skinner (moderator) - Fellow, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; Author of A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery
• Karen McLaughlin - Director, Massachusetts Human Trafficking Task Force
  Roger Plant - Head, Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour, International Labour Organisation
• Anna Rodriguez - Founder and Director, Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking

• URL: For more information and to register, visit the event page here.
  

• Co-sponsored by the Initiative to Stop Human Trafficking and the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation’s Government Innovators Network
  
  This webinar is hosted online. Registration is required, and free of charge.

Human Trafficking and the EU

On October 19th, European Union marked the EU Anti-Trafficking Day. As the European Union inches closer to adopting a treaty that could, among other things, increase the EU's anti-trafficking work, it makes sense to consider the reality of trafficking in the EU as well as the EU's role in addressing trafficking as a supranational entity.

According to an article in the AFP, "the United Nations said on Sunday [October 18th] there could be around 270,000 victims of human trafficking in the European Union and urged greater efforts to combat the illegal trade." The article goes on to report that "Authorities in Europe were aware of only a tiny proportion of the victims, said the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), estimating there were 30 times more people affected than were known about."Human trafficking is also extremely underprosectued in Europe, according to the United Nations. Bernama.com cites a "report by the Press Trust of India (PTI) [on a] study that finds that fewer people are convicted for human trafficking in Europe than for less-frequent crimes like kidnapping."

While such incredible disparities between the number of victims and the number of victims identified are a universal norm around the world, action at the EU level is vital for effectively combating slavery in Europe. Near the end of October, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Eva Biaudet, and the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Ambassador Janez Lenarcic issued a statement underscoring the importance of the EU in addressing trafficking. A press release from the OSCE quotes Biaudet as saying "Fighting trafficking means having zero tolerance towards exploitation, particularly exploitation of women and children. . .If we fail to combat the increased tolerance of exploitation, the effects of the global crisis will be felt in our socio-economic development for decades to come."

The statement highlights different EU-level policies and programs that have a role in combating slavery. The report also addresses the role of the economic crisis in increasing the number of people vulnerable to trafficking, pointing to the EU's role in economic development and immigration policy, both of which impact people's vulnerability to trafficking situation. They applaud the EC Proposal for a Council Framework Decision on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings, and protecting victims for its efforts to establish an EU-level policy that focuses on victims' needs, while addressing prevention and prosecution.

The EU also hosted the Towards EU Global Action against Trafficking in Human Beings Conference in late October. Its goals were:

• "to strengthen the EU policy ands action against trafficking in a the external dimension where action previously has not been taken comprehensively,
• to contribute to development of the EU’s increasingly important partnerships with third countries and in that context a particular challenge, i.e. trafficking,
• to consult with all concerned stakeholders in view of the Action Oriented Paper,
• to collect and collate best practices and concrete proposals for action against trafficking in partnership between the ERU and third countries."

In her welcome statement to the conference, Beatrice Ask, Minister for Justice, stated "But the work done so far is not enough. We need to broaden our approach. The main purpose of this conference is to strengthen the co-operation between government administrations, international institutions and NGOs in countries of origin, transit and destination. There is a mutual dependence between us in order to effectively fight and prevent trafficking in human beings. We have to work together, and we need to step up our efforts."

Minister Ask's words are applicable to all of us involved in working to end modern-day slavery.

Corporate Responsibility

I have written several times on this site about the role our habits as consumers can play in combating human trafficking. While I believe that as individuals we can play a powerful role in ending slavery, corporations must also become active in this movement.

In March 2009, UN Global Compact, the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) and the ILO, released the results of a survey they conducted on companies' awareness of human trafficking, awareness of how trafficking might affect their businesses, and belief in the need for them to be actively involved in anti-trafficking through their business practices. As stated in the report, Human Trafficking: Everybody's Business, "Although the connection between business and human trafficking may not be initially evident, human trafficking should be of pressing concern to companies - especially those with international operations and/or complex supply and production chains."

The bulletin of information on the results points out that multiple levels of subcontractors and labor recruitment agencies, often in multiple countries far from corporate headquarters, can make it difficult for corporations to accurately know whether slave labor has been utilized in part of the supply chain unless the company is pro-active in monitoring for trafficking. The report notes that, even as corporate activity is becoming increasingly complex and dispersed across different locations, corporations have a number of reasons for fighting trafficking through their policies and production activities. Reasons range from the altruistic - human trafficking is morally abhorrent and a human rights violation - to the more selfish and pragmatic - human trafficking violates international law and could lead to negative relationships with shareholders.

Despite the report's argument that corporations have a significant role and stake in fighting trafficking, the results of the survey suggest that most companies, though aware of human trafficking, do not believe they have such a role or do not know how to fill it. According to the survey "less than 20% of participants indicated that human trafficking posed a serious threat to the security of their global supply chains and only 31% identified being motivated to address human trafficking in order to manage risk and maintain the company’s reputation." At the same time, "Participants showed particular interest in gaining greater knowledge about international standards and showed interest in exchanging information about industry best practices."

Some corporations and organizations are leading the way in mobilizing the private sector to fight slavery. As reported by the Human Trafficking Project earlier this month, LexisNexis has taken an active role in using its services to combat trafficking by providing technology for Polaris Project. According to their website, "LexisNexis is committed to combating human trafficking by offering direct financial support and legal and technical advice to organizations working in the field to eradicate the illegal trade wherever it exists."

Last month, the HTP also reported on the Nomi Network, which is working to leverage the market to provide long-term economic stability for trafficking survivors and those at risk of trafficking. The organization, Business Travellers Against Human Trafficking, works to educate business travelers about their particular role in this issue. It also aims to mobilize them to recognize and report trafficking, and to pressure hotels, airlines, and other industries to adopt anti-trafficking policies.

Currently, UN.GIFT and the UN Global Compact are soliciting examples of companies who have developed policies and practices to combat and prevent human trafficking in their business efforts.

LexisNexis & Polaris Project Fight Trafficking

Anti-human trafficking partnership between LexisNexis and the Polaris Project. These organizations have partnered to help combat human trafficking such as forced labor and sex slavery.

Clinton Foundation to Highlight Human Trafficking this year: Opportunity for Action!

Bill Clinton speaking on the Today Show. Please watch until the end where trafficking is highlighted.

Today marks the final sessions of the Clinton Global Initiative's Annual Meeting 2009. Former President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative have announced that this year CGI will be bringing human trafficking on the agenda as part of their efforts to empower women and girls and build human capital. You can watch the previous sessions as well as today's live sessions here as webcasts.

You can also visit their website to see the resources they are encouraging people to explore as part of the Action Areas on Building Human Capital. The links included are from Free the Slaves, UNODC, End Human Trafficking Now, the ILO, the International Cocoa Initiative, among many others.

While CGI is working towards efforts that end all types of trafficking, one highlighted partnership includes that with the Body Shop. CEO of The Body Shop International, Sophie Gasperment, unveiled a new report addressing the global issue of child sex trafficking on Thursday:

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) this year is offering a unique opportunity to bring world leaders together to recognize the importance of tackling child sex trafficking, an issue, by its very nature, affecting every country around the world. At the CGI, Ms. Gasperment will unveil an innovative 'Progress Card System' which paints a global picture of how the world's governments are taking action and assesses their progress in their efforts to tackle child sex trafficking in more than 40 countries worldwide.

Another initiative that is teaming up with CGI that was announced at the Annual Meeting was the Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking (ASSET):

An alliance against human trafficking and forced labor wants companies to examine whether they are indirect sponsors, with leaders at the Clinton Global Initiative saying on Thursday it could even boost business.

Julia Ormond, founder and president of the Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking, said her organization was seeking to team up with three companies willing to examine their supply chains for any abuses and to share the resulting knowledge widely. She said consumers often seek out products that are made using ethical sources and demand could increase.

"The public will rally behind purchasing product from a clean supply chain," Ormond said.

On ASSET's website, you can take a first step as a consumer to buy products free of slave labor by signing the Consumer Pledge, which not only pledges your commitment to support corporate efforts to free their supply chains of slave-made goods, but also signs you up to receive updates on these efforts and therefore make it easier to live up to this pledge.

New Documentary on Trafficking to be Screened in New York City

I was first drawn to the film Fatal Promises by the outstanding outreach effort of Anneliese Rohrer, who contacted HTP about posting information about the film's upcoming screenings in New York City. Upon taking a look on the film's website, I noticed a host of familiar faces and stories from both Ukraine and New York State in the film's preview. Last night, I had the privilege of speaking with Kat Rohrer about the making and upcoming screening of Fatal Promises, which Kat directed. The film provides a "comprehensive look at the realities of human trafficking versus the rhetoric of politicians and pundits who claim to be making significant strides in combating this horrific crime against humanity." The title, according to Rohrer, represents the fatal promises made by traffickers to their victims and the seemingly empty promises made by the international community to stop the crime and assist victims.

The synopsis of the film does not exaggerate when it states that the film is comprehensive: it covers the crime as it exists in both sex and labor trafficking with the stories of both male and female victims, a defining reality of trafficking that is often overlooked. When asked about how this film will make its own unique mark in the anti-trafficking media and film, Ms. Rohrer referred to this aspect of the film, and of the film's additional focus on the "hypocrisy on every level in every country "often put forward by lawmakers who lack the political will to put pen to paper when it comes to drafting effective anti-trafficking laws.

This is Rohrer's first feature film, and is the culmination of over four years of research and collaborative efforts. Her inspiration from the film started from a New York Times article in 2005, and she decided to do something through film, her expertise. This was followed by fact-finding missions to Ukraine and other areas of Europe and around the United States where Rohrer interviewed victims, stakeholders and activists like Emma Thompson and Gloria Steinem. Rohrer even utilized tools like Google Alerts on "human trafficking" to receive news about upcoming events in the counter-trafficking field that helped her connect with activists in the US. Some of the activists and organization are now featured on the film's website (a great idea for other individuals looking for continuously updated news on human trafficking).

I was particularly moved by Rohrer's description of the interviews that she and her crew conducted with a victim by the name of Katja, who was victimized in a suburban US neighborhood and now speaks about her experiences on major news networks and even testified to Congress. Rohrer credits Katja for being instrumental to the creation of the film through her strength and courage to work with the crew and share her story.

Today (Sep. 15) kicks off a week of screenings in New York City at the School of the Visual Arts Theater. This will then be followed by a week of screenings at Cinema Village and trafficking related events including panel discussions featuring activists and NGO representatives. Rohrer continues to work closely with Emma Thompson and the unique art installation "Journey." We will hopefully be seeing the two unique media displays together in several cities around the US. Rohrer stated there are several follow-up actions being planned for after the NYC screenings, including the possibility of an amended film for the European market to include more information on the destination countries in Europe.

For individuals looking to get involved, the film's website offers numerous outlets for people who want to contribute to the cause. Some of them include:

Attend the screenings! All participants will receive tools to help them report trafficking and create awareness. TIckets for the Cinema Village screening can be purchased here.

Purchase handmade jewelry from Justice Juels. Proceeds will benefit Faith, Hope, Love, a victim services agency in Odessa, Ukraine. This is an organization from which Rohrer and the film's crew gained a lot of valuable insight and information. They provide comprehensive victim services, and their efforts have been recognized by multiple international organizations.

Listen to the new song by Felicia Alima featuring Chino called "Trade."

To receive regular updates on how you can get involved or attend related events, please sign up for their newsletter (Contact: fp@greenkatproductions.com) and Facebook page.

The preview at the beginning of the post was embedded from Kat Rohrer's blog and is also available on the website of Fatal Promises.

NGO: Traid Ladder of Hope

I recently received an e-mail from a member of an organization called, "Traid Ladder of Hope." She was seeking for support to establish shelters for human trafficking victims in North Carolina. Granted, human trafficking in the United States is nothing new. But I have never imagined North Carolina as a state of high human trafficking rate.

I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Sandra Johnson ( founder) and Danielle Mitchelle (executive director) of the organization, " Triad Ladder of Hope-- an anti-human trafficking organization located in North Carolina. The two representatives of Triad Ladder of Hope answered a few questions regarding the organization and its anti-human trafficking effort:

YK: Tell me a little bit about your organization:

Sandra: I worked for a year under a federal grant. Seeing the need for more faith based organizations to get involved in the human trafficking issue, Triad Ladder of Hope Ministry was born. The human trafficking issue is a social issue which should be addressed by our churches.

YK: What is the current situation of human trafficking in NC?

Danielle: Pretty much the same as the current HT situation everywhere…it's bad. It's hard to know all the numbers and statistics because it is so underground. We work with survivors of Human Trafficking in the Triad and through hearing their stories, we know this issue is much bigger than anyone can comprehend. However, when people ask me for statistics in NC my answer is always the same: What number are you looking for? What number will make you care? What number is enough? Because as far as I am concerned, 1 case of Human Trafficking in NC is TOO MANY!

YK: Your organization has an interesting name. Does it have any meaning behind it?

Sandra: “Triad” represents the area in which we live and minister. “Ladder” is a visual picture of our motto … “Rebuilding lives One Step at a time”.

Danielle: We didn't want to just raise awareness about the issue of HT. We want to help victims get rescued and become survivors. We want to be the ladder that gives them the steps to have renewed hope in their lives. There are also 4 rungs on our ladder b/c we have 4 “steps” to help us focus on eradicating slavery in our communities and bring hope to victims.

EDUCATION is the key to eradicating modern-day slavery in our communities. Triad Ladder of Hope utilizes volunteers to organize campaigns against slavery and raise awareness in our communities. We offer training and education on why trafficking happens, how it takes place, identifying predators, identifying and interacting with potential victims. We offer training and education to churches, law-enforcement, service providers, schools, and anyone else who will listen.

RESCUE: We work closely with law enforcement and the community to help identify potential victims or trafficking situations and to rescue victims from their situation.

RESTORATION: After rescue, victims have many needs such as shelter, food, clothing, legal help, protection, and counseling. We work to meet those needs and walk the victim through the process. We are currently working toward opening a shelter where trained staff will continue to help victims through the restoration process.

RE-ENTRY: Once a victim has been rescued and worked through the trauma of exploitation they need to re-enter society. We walk with them through the process of employment training, becoming self supporting and independent.

YK: What are some specific examples of your anti-human trafficking effort?

Sandra: In raising awareness, we recently found out how much sex trafficking was happening in the local high schools through gang recruitment in NC. So we decided to start raising awareness with students. We gave away free t-shirts to middle and high school students that say “Slavery Still Exists…” and on the back it says “in North Carolina”. With the shirts we hand out cards with sex trafficking and gang involvement facts. We encourage them to wear the shirt and tell their friends what they have learned. Our website is also listed on the shirt for students to find out more information. (You can check out the t-shirts on our website and even buy one. For every shirt you buy, it gives us the ability to give away 2 free shirts to students).

Last July, we also trained over 170 law enforcement officers and service providers on how to recognize victims of Human Trafficking and what to do if they come in contact with someone they think is a victim. We do presentations on HT in undocumented immigrant communities in hopes of getting tips on trafficking situations. Sometimes, we even have victims contact us after hearing one of our presentations.

As a faith-based organization, we recently implemented a program called 1 in 100. It is a program that we ask 100 churches in the triad to join us in the fight against slavery. We believe that slavery is a COMMUNITY problem so the community should step up to fight it. We want 100 churches to say, “No, we will not tolerate slavery in our own backyard!”These are just a couple examples but feel free to check out our website and sign up for our newsletter to hear more.

YK: Does your organization work with other community organizations, service providers, or law enforcement or government?

Sandra: We are a part of the Health and Human Services Rescue and Restore Campaign; on the NC Human Trafficking Task Force; and Christian Women’s Job Corps organization. We work with all agencies of law-enforcement, World Relief and other non-profit organizations to help victims re-enter society. Danielle: Of course! We all have a part to play and one of the things I love about anti-trafficking efforts in the Triad is that we are working together! See above about our Rapid Response Team. Also, when working with our clients (HT survivors) we work hand in hand with FBI, local law, Legal Aid and many NGOs to ensure that our clients are being taken care of. YK: Do you utilize volunteers and, if so, how do you recruit volunteers and who are they?

Danielle: We depend heavily on volunteers. Every time we do an awareness event we encourage people to come to our weekly volunteer meeting and get involved. We do Awareness events about twice a week. Our volunteers help out in a lot of ways but mostly with awareness events, training and outreach.

YK: What about your organization’s unique efforts do you think makes it a particularly effective in the means of raising awareness of trafficking?

Sandra: Triad Ladder of Hope exists for our community. Community means that we help each other. There are people who find themselves in our community, desperate but too afraid or unable to ask for help. It may be the night watchman that notices, or someone living in the next apartment. We all need to be aware in order to eradicate slavery in our community. We offer training to local churches and other organizations to educate each of us who live here. We work closely with the local law enforcement agencies and first responders both with training and victim assistance.

Danielle: I had to decide a while back that I will not be able to eradicate slavery in the world during my lifetime, probably not even in the USA. However, I do believe that if we all work together then in 5-10 years we CAN start to see slavery eradicated in the Triad. We really focus on people fighting slavery in their own community. After all, how can we fight slavery in other countries if we allow it to happen in our own city?

YK: How do you see your organization evolve in the future?

Sandra: Our dream is to become so successful in the Triad that other parts of the state will get involved in their communities and fight along with us. We want to change lives by creating laws and awareness to allow these victims to become contributing members of our communities.

YK: How can people support your organization and its initiatives?

Danielle: Volunteer. Sign up for the Victim Partnership Program where 100% of your donation goes directly to a service for a victim. The more partnerships we have, the more victims we can help. Encourage your church to be 1 in 100 if your church is in the Triad of NC.

For more information, visit http://www.triadladderofhope.org.

Video by The Killers now available

From UTalkMartketing.com:

The Killers release video to highlight human trafficking issue

The Killers have partnered with UNICEF and USAID to produce a disturbing music video that dramatically highlights the dangers and impact of trafficking for sexual exploitation, particularly for young women.

The video, for the band’s track ‘Goodnight, Travel Well’ from the album ‘Day & Age’ has been created in collaboration, MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) and follows a similar collaboration between the broadcaster and Radiohead.

Importantly for marketers, the music video represents an innovative and creative way to fuse musical content with pro-social messaging.

The ‘Goodnight, Travel Well’ video has been released globally across all of MTV’s platforms in 168 countries. It has the potential to reach more than 500 million households worldwide.

It has also clocked up over 80,000 views on Unicef’s official YouTube channel.

"We are deeply shocked and appalled that women and children are forced into such exploitative situations. We hope that through MTV's efforts and this powerful video that millions of people across the world learn about this tragic form of modern-day slavery,” said The Killers.

The Killers are bringing critical human trafficking messages to a global audience, said Olivier Carduner, USAID’s Regional Mission Director for Asia.

“By using a variety of mediums – music videos, anime, film, and online content – as well as live concerts, we are reaching vast numbers of young people, those most at risk of being trafficked,” he added.

“This campaign capitalizes on The Killers’ and other bands’ and movie stars’ images and MTV’s brand appeal to transform people’s views about trafficking and provide a platform for NGOs, governments and law enforcement agencies to prevent trafficking and assist victims.”

The’Goodnight, Travel Well’ video was developed by Australian advertising agency CRC, with support also provided by UK music consultancy Huge Music.

It provides insight into the realities of trafficking, in particular the trafficking of children and adolescents into forced prostitution, and provides a link to information about how people can help to end exploitation and trafficking.

Catch it by watching it below.



I chose the UTalkMarketing article as opposed to the UNICEF release, MTV release or Killers webpage because this article highlights just how many sectors pay attention to social messaging through collaboration between private companies, international organizations and musical artists. 'Goodnight, Travel Well' is an excellent example of this type of collaboration, and the imagery is quite disturbing.

This article is already outdated, however. Youtube shows there has been over 99,000 hits now!

State Department Video Coverage of 2009 TIP Report Release

Please find a link to HTP's previous post and the full report here.

Kevin Bales: The Business of Slavery

"On one level businesses would say it's not my job to deal with this... but the truth of the matter is if you're buying and selling [a product that involves slavery somewhere along the product chain] then you are involved... but [the company alone] doesn't have to solve the whole problem... it's about teamwork."

- Kevin Bales

Western New York Trainings on Human Trafficking

Free Trainings: Recognizing Human Trafficking in Western New York

While the term “human trafficking” tends to elicit images of foreign people trapped in foreign countries, the U.S. Department of Justice recently cited over 1,200 alleged cases of human trafficking in the United States over the last two years. These statistics include cases indentified in WNY. There are few identified patterns when it comes to characteristics of victims of human trafficking. They are old and very young, foreign-born and US citizens, men and women, college students and impoverished, and are subjected to labor or sexual exploitation or both. The International Institute of Buffalo, Farmworker Legal Services of New York, and local co-sponsors in six counties are collaborating to provide a free training to participants who wish to learn about this important topic. Information will include the definition of trafficking, best practices in victim identification and services and cooperation among stakeholders to help better respond to this issue locally.

The next training will be:

Chautauqua County

When: Monday, March 30, 2009, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Horizon Room, Williams Center, SUNY Fredonia
280 Central Ave, Fredonia, NY 14063
Who: Intended audience includes government and social service providers, educational staff, medical personnel, religious and cultural groups, legal assistance providers and victim advocates.

Sponsored by International Institute of Buffalo, Farmworker Legal Services, and the Women’s Studies Program at SUNY Fredonia.

RSVP with name, title, and organization by March 16, 2009
716.883.1900 ext. 326 or tassistant1@iibuff.org

Please inform and encourage others that may find this training useful. In the next four months, similar trainings will also be held in the counties of Wyoming, Orleans, and Allegany. Please call or email for more details on future trainings.

Four People Arrested For Sex Trafficking Of Immigrant Women In South Florida

Image from a campaign by the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking

From The Miami Herald:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, in coordinated South Florida raids, arrested four suspected sex traffickers and rescued nine trafficking victims who had been forced into prostitution in several brothels, federal authorities said late Friday.

Officials said actions occurred in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

In a statement, authorities identified the four suspects arrested Wednesday as Arturo Rojas-Gonzalez, Elodia Capilla-Diego, Fidel Gutierrez-Gonzalez and Rosalio Valdez-Nava.

According to criminal complaints, ICE conducted an investigation into more than a dozen brothels and stash houses where immigrant women were forced into prostitution.

On the same case, here is more information from Local10.com:

Detention hearings are scheduled for each of the defendants on Tuesday.

ICE conducted an intensive investigation into more than a dozen brothels and stash houses where immigrant women were being forced into prostitution. Through statements of former victims, corroborated by surveillance and evidence obtained through search warrants, ICE arrested the four alleged brothel operators as part of a larger criminal organization operating similar brothels across South Florida.

Officials also worked with non governmental organizations to identify, rescue and provide assistance to the victims.

Stakeholder Collaboration Pays Off in the Philippines

From News Balita:

November 5, 2008

Department of Justice (DOJ) undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor hailed the initiative of the private sector and other non-governmental organization in assisting the government in its fight against human trafficking syndicates.

Blancaflor particularly praised the steps taken by pioneering computer and software giant Microsoft Corporation in educating through the internet young women throughout Asia regarding the evils and dangers of dealing with illegal labor recruiters.”

Microsoft’s initiative will do a great deal in boosting the campaign against human trafficking. It will definitely bear fruits one of these days,” he said.

Blancaflor stressed that the government’s limited resources in going after these syndicates make this alliance with the private sector very convenient.

He said NGOs and private sectors allies of the DOJ are very useful in providing information and logistic support in going after human traffickers.

Blancaflor made this pronouncement shortly after he informed the media that Philippine and Malaysian authorities succeeded in neutralizing a Kuala Lumpur-based Singaporean national, Alfred Lim, who is involved in human trafficking of Filipinas and other nationalities.

He said the arrest and filing of appropriate charges against Lim by Malaysian and Philippine authorities speak well of the cooperation between Southeast Asian nations in the war against human trafficking.

Read the full article

American Express Members Project: End Human Trafficking

From the Earth Times:

September 12, 2008

A unique hybrid for-profit/non-profit social venture led by Charleston-based Lulan Artisans was selected as one of the Top 25 projects for the 2008 American Express Members Project. Entitled End Human Trafficking: Sustainable Livelihoods, they hope to garner enough votes by cardholders in the next two weeks to fund this initiative.

In many parts of Southeast Asia, women have few options in gaining employment. Thousands are trafficked and lost into prostitution every year. Lulan Artisans, an expert in micro-enterprise luxury textiles, is ready to expand their successful model to build weaving centers and train 6000+ artisans in Southeast Asia.

This project is focused on economic stability and development by investing in infrastructure, training and development for future weavers. They will build 50-80 persons weaving centers and provide fiscal support for five years. Each group will have control of the center and act as an affiliate business enterprise.

To build the centers Lulan's partner is Architecture for Humanity, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco that brings professional design, development and construction expertise to communities worldwide. Architecture for Humanity was recently recognized by the 2008 National Design Awards and profiled on CNN.

The project will use local materials to create inventive, off-the-grid weaving centers and also train the community to build and develop these into thriving facilities. These centers will utilize hybrid solar, rainwater collection and natural ventilation. Designs will be 'open sourced' for anyone to replicate through Creative Commons licensing on the Open Architecture Network. This way innovation is shared and more communities benefit.

By actively empowering local weavers through a phased ownership plan and providing fair wages, Lulan Artisans also supports their artisans' families with education, housing support, and healthcare. Lulan fuses contemporary design with centuries-old techniques. By respecting the local holistic approach and using all-natural materials they honor the growth cycles, traditions, and regional specificity of the artisans.

More info on this project

Sex Trafficking from the Philippines to Malaysia

From the Inquirer:

MANILA, Philippines—A non-government organization advocating migrant workers' welfare urged the government on Thursday to forge an anti-human trafficking agreement with Malaysia following the rescue of Filipino women forced to become prostitutes in the Malaysian state of Sabah.

The Blas F. Ople Policy Center quoted recent media reports from Malaysia relating how the eight Filipino women, allegedly recruited from Zamboanga about three months ago to work as waitresses, were forced to work as prostitutes upon their arrival in arrival in Sabah.

Acting on an informant’s tip, the police raided an apartment in Penampang, a small town adjacent to the capital city of Kota Kinabalu, where the women, aged between 18 and 25, were kept.

“The illegal recruitment and trafficking of Filipino women to Malaysia is fast becoming a thriving enterprise and we call on the Malaysian and Philippine governments to forge a bilateral pact against human trafficking,” the center's president Susan Ople said in a statement.

Ople said that based on the information gathered by the Center, previous victims of human trafficking were promised decent jobs in either Kuala Lumpur or Sabah by their recruiters who turned out to be receiving P3,000 per head from a syndicate in Malaysia.

“With mere P3,000, the recruiter turns a blind eye on whatever fate awaits the recruit bound for Malaysia,” she said.

The former labor undersecretary said local governments must also work together with other NGOs and relevant government agencies in a grassroots public information drive against human trafficking.

“The recruitment is now done door-to-door in both urban and rural areas and the only way to stop this is through active public vigilance leading to higher arrest and conviction rates,” she added.

Read the full article