Shared Hope International will honor Congressman Wolf for lifetime dedication to eradicating trafficking
ARLINGTON, VA. – Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10) has been named a 2014 Lifetime Pathbreaker Award recipient for his continuous leadership in combatting child sex trafficking.
Congressman Wolf is one of the House of Representatives’ leading crusaders for human rights. He believes members of Congress have an obligation to speak out for those who are persecuted around the world—a belief that led him to some of the most remote and desperate nations to witness and address grave human rights violations. His global perspective on human trafficking spurred national action on the issue. Congressman Wolf actively implored the Obama Administration to increase its efforts to combat child sex trafficking facilitated through online classified sites like Backpage.com. As chairman of the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. Wolf used his position and passion to strengthen anti-trafficking laws in the U.S. In 2014, Rep. Wolf championed a FY 2015 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee bill that included $429.5 million for Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution programs. Rep. Wolf has historically supported increases for Victims of Trafficking grants to develop stronger programs for victims.
In 2000, Rep. Wolf recognized the need to energize the global conversation about the issue of trafficking and share innovative approaches to combat the problem. At the recommendation of Rep. Wolf, the U.S. Department of State engaged Shared Hope International to hold Pathbreaking Strategies conferences in six countries to facilitate this discussion and generate solutions. The conferences led to significant change in the national responses to human trafficking in countries that were lagging behind the global response. During this process, the Pathbreaker Award was established to recognize the pioneering efforts of individuals around the world who broke the trend of inaction and initiated proactive responses to prevent trafficking. See all Pathbreaker Award recipients.
“Congressman Wolf’s resolve to combat sex trafficking will make a lasting impact globally, nationally, and locally in his home state of Virginia,” Shared Hope International President and Founder Linda Smith said. “He served as the inspiration for the Pathbreaking Strategies Conferences in 2000. How fitting that nearly 15 years later, Shared Hope International has the opportunity to honor him with the award that was truly inspired by his leadership and dedication to the issue.”
The 2014 Pathbreaker Award recipients also include Brendan Johnson, United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota and Marian Hatcher, Project Manager for the Sheriff’s Women’s Justice Programs at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Attorney Johnson and Ms. Hatcher will accept the award on November 7 during Shared Hope International’s JuST Conference in Washington, D.C.
MEDIA MATERIALS
For media convenience, a variety of video clips and resources, including survivor comments, are available at this location: vimeo.com/sharedhope/albums. Clips are password protected, please contact Taryn Offenbacher at Taryn@sharedhope.org for access.
ABOUT SHARED HOPE INTERNATIONAL: Shared Hope International was established in 1998, by former U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith, to prevent, restore, and bring justice to women and children in crisis. We provide leadership in awareness, training, prevention strategies, restorative care, research, and policy initiatives. For more information about Shared Hope International, go to www.sharedhope.org.
For more information contact Taryn Offenbacher at (602) 818-3955 or taryn@sharedhope.org.
