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Home>Archives for Guest

June 24, 2013 by Guest

2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Release

On June 19, Secretary of State John Kerry released the 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report, an evaluation of 188 countries’ efforts to combat human trafficking. by : Jessica Garber

Written by: Jessica Garber – Intern at Shared Hope International 

On Wednesday, June 19th, Secretary of State John Kerry released the 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report, concluding that there are approximately 27 million people enslaved worldwide. Throughout the past year, world efforts to end human trafficking shed light on 46,000 victims. While the fight to end modern-day slavery is an extensive one, Kerry announced a benchmark success: the number of global convictions of human traffickers has increased by 20 percent since the 2012 report release, displaying progress on a worldwide level.

The Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) assessed 188 countries for this year’s report, and evaluates them based upon “the extent of their governments’ efforts to comply with the ‘minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking’ found in Section 108 of the TVPA” (U.S. Dept. of State Website). The countries can be ranked in three tiers, Tier 1 being the highest. However, just because a country may be ranked in Tier 1 does not mean that they do not have a human trafficking problem, but rather indicates that their government has acknowledged the existence of the problem and made efforts to address it. Thirty countries ‘made the grade’ for Tier 1, including the U.S and the U.K. Ninety-two countries made Tier 2, such as Switzerland, Romania, and Vietnam, meaning that they haven’t quite reached TVPA’s minimum standards. Lastly, 21 countries, including Russia and China, were classified as Tier 3 and are “found by law not to be taking the affirmative steps necessary to fight human trafficking.” The TIP Office also creates “watch lists” which alert the country that they might be making their way downward toward a lower tier. There are 42 countries on the Tier 2 watch list, meaning that they need to be cautious about slipping down to Tier 3.

Aside from the information release, Kerry shed a hopeful light on the issue of human trafficking, an issue that seems now to be taking on more of a presence in the public sphere:

“There is abuse that can take place in even the most improbable places in the most probable ways. And I learned then, looking in the eyes of young women who had been the victims of these crimes, that they were terrified of being victimized again, by the process, by the system. And nobody quite understood what it meant to a victim or the ways you could help victims through the system. Only when we started focusing on victims, not just as potential witnesses but as survivors, human beings entitled to respect and dignity, that’s when we started to provide people with a greater measure of justice. And that’s when we were able to give people a better chance at rebuilding the future.”

 –John Kerry, 2013 TIP Report Release, 6/19/13

You can download the report, free of cost, from the State Department’s website: http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2013/index.htm

September 19, 2012 by Guest

Survivor Panel Informs and Educates at Awareness Event

On Thursday, August 30, concerned citizens and activists in D.C. learned about sex trafficking from a survivor perspective. Policy Assistant at Shared Hope International, Shamere McKenzie, moderated a panel discussion that allowed the audience to ask questions and discuss pressing issues in the fight to end sex trafficking. The event took place at Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse in Washington, D.C. and was hosted by DC Stop Modern Slavery (DC SMS), a D.C.-based grassroots organization that works to raise awareness of modern-day slavery.

DC SMS will be hosting the 2012 Stop Modern Slavery Annual Walk at the National Mall on Saturday, September 29, from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Hundreds of advocates and concerned citizens along with numerous anti-trafficking organizations will make the mile-long walk in unity to express their support for eradicating child sex trafficking NOW! The event includes live entertainment, speakers and resources.

The night began with Bethany and the Guitar rocking the house, supporting the eradication of trafficking through their indie beats. The music was uplifting and lyrics beautifully written. McKenzie then moderated the panel discussion, which consisted of remarks by survivors Barbara Amaya and Stacey Lewis.

Amaya spoke about the stigma of criminal convictions on victims of sex trafficking in the United States. Currently, only 7 states allow survivors to clear their record of convictions gained during their time in trafficking. In most states victims are burdened with convictions on their permanent records, which follow them into and throughout adulthood. Amaya recommends citizens make a difference on this issue by writing their legislators and demanding new laws and policies be implemented.

Lewis is a playwright and actor who uses her skills to incorporate anti-trafficking messages into her work. Lewis spoke about the role of media in both promoting and preventing sex trafficking, and said that certain media exposure is important for educating the public about the issue so that they can take action. She ended the evening with a moving and powerful spoken word piece on her experience in the sex trade.

The event was a powerful reminder of the importance of this movement to address the sexual exploitation of women and children in the sex trade. If you are interested in getting involved, come out and walk towards freedom with team Shared Hope International on September 29! Follow this link to register for our team.

To learn more about DC Stop Modern Slavery and the walk, visit www.smswalk.org  and www.stopmodernslavery.org

For more information on the women who participated in the panel, visit www.survivorsofslavery.org

August 17, 2012 by Guest

Baking Toward Freedom: How One Woman is Changing the World From Her Kitchen

In the United States alone, at least 100,000 children are exploited through prostitution every year.  Based on the facts, it is easy to understand how an individual might feel completely helpless and alone in the fight against child sex trafficking.   Gail Ferguson, a baker from Virginia Beach, Virginia, understands the powerless feeling that tends to overwhelm individuals who desire to make a difference in the trafficking of children.

When a bicycle accident put Gail out of work, she started baking in order to make ends meet.  Eventually, Gail became a licensed baker and started to work out of local restaurants.  Gail was asked to bake around 300 cake pops for a women’s conference at her church.  She soon realized that such a large number of cake pops was no easy task for one woman, and she vowed that day to never make another cake pop!  However, the vow was short lived when Gail realized her tasty treats were a huge hit.  Everything clicked for Gail when she was able to hear presenters from the conference talk about the realities of the sex trafficking industry.

“I realized that God could use the little cake pops in a big way to make a difference in a child’s life that is caught in human trafficking.  And it was something that I could do now!”

Gail knew at that moment how she could use her passion and talent for baking to combat the sex trafficking industry, and she realized she could do so from her kitchen.

Gail started small.  She began selling her newly named Freedom Pops at local coffee shops in the area.  She was able to display brochures and information from the conference’s organization alongside her Freedom Pops, and she gave the organization a percentage of her profits.  Soon, a friend of Gail’s brought Freedom Pops to her office at the Christian Broadcasting Network.  Again, Gail’s desserts were a hit, and she received numerous calls for orders.  One of the calls happened to be an interview request about Gail and her Freedom Pops.  Gail was ecstatic about the prospect of an outstanding boost in business; however, she had a funny feeling in her gut that it was not the right time to grow her business.“I knew that orders would soon come in from everywhere, and I was still doing this out of my home.  As much as I wanted to say yes, I knew that I had to wait for this interview to happen.  I knew I needed to take my time to give this the best I had.  I knew I would have more miracles to talk about and better opportunities to share with the world if I waited.

(From Left) Gail’s daughter Perry, Gail’s mother, Gail’s daughter Brooke, and Gail

Although unknown to Gail, the timing was actually perfect.  That same day, Gail watched an interview on CBN with Shared Hope International’s founder Linda Smith.  Gail was so moved and inspired by all the work that Linda and Shared Hope International were doing both abroad and in the United States to stop human trafficking.  She began displaying Shared Hope’s brochures alongside her Freedom Pops.  According to Gail, that’s when the ball really started rolling.

The following December, she had so many orders for Freedom Pops ranging from treats for bible study groups to Christmas gifts for businesses’ VIP customers, not to mention the growing demand from her usual coffee shop and restaurant orders.  Although her business was growing each day, she knew that this was the perfect time to take her stand in the fight against human trafficking.

“I felt that God was telling me to give all my profit in the month of December to Shared Hope.  And so I did.  And to top it off, that month Shared Hope was matching all the gifts that were being given.”

Gail continues to use her Freedom Pops as her way to take a stand and make a difference in the lives of children caught in the sex trafficking industry.

“They have helped make people aware of this crime and the growing rate that it is taking place in our world.  I see so many of us pulling together , knowing it is going to take all of us working together to put a stop to human trafficking and see freedom become a reality for these children.”Although the fight is far from over, Gail and her Freedom Pops serve as a constant reminder that one person can make a difference in the fight against trafficking.  The power to end human trafficking lies within individuals like Gail who utilize their skills and passions to raise awareness and bring about change within their communities.

Interested in learning how you, like Gail, can make a difference in the lives of children right now?  Visit http://sharedhope.org/GetInvolved.aspx for details on how to start.

For more information about Freedom Pops, or to place an order, contact Gail at freedompopsAOoco@gmail.com 

July 24, 2012 by Guest

ESPN Supports Domestic Child Sex Trafficking? Village Voice Media Makes Sports Channel a Culprit

Do you watch ESPN? Great channel, right? Did you also know that ESPN is inadvertently supporting the sex trade of American children? ESPN Inc. advertises through Village Voice Media – who in turn advertises American children on their classified escorts site Backpage.com.

Shared Hope International has documented over 200 children who have been sold for sex on Backpage.com in the United States, most victimized in the last 3 years. Shared Hope believes that just one trafficked child is enough reason to act. However, Village Voice Media, the parent-company of Backpage.com, has taken no responsibility for the victimized children and refuses to shut down their escorts’ site to deter the growing number of victims. Also, Village Voice Media is projected to make $26 million this year from their online escort section alone.

Multiple states are trying to take action to protect children from being exploited through online classified sites like Backpage.com’s adult section through legislative action but currently the company is claiming protection under the 1st Amendment and the Communications Decency Act of 1996 which states that a business is not liable for third-party content. Nonetheless, 51 Attorneys General, 19 U.S Senators, 2000 multi-faith religious leaders, 53 leading anti-trafficking experts and organizations and over 250,000 people have stood up and demanded that Village Voice Media shuts down Backpage.com’s escort section. And it is definitely time for Village Voice Media to listen to them.

At this point, Village Voice has proven that they are uninterested in losing revenue made off the commercial exploitation of our children; therefore it is time for Americans to rise up in defense of our children being sold on Backpage.com.

ESPN is one of 40 companies which U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D- Conn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) wrote a letter in April 2012 asking them to withdraw their advertising from Village Voice Media. Multiple companies including Starbucks, T-Mobile and AT&T removed advertisement from Village Voice newspapers because they did not want to be associated with domestic child sex trafficking.

 

As a consumer you have a great deal of power, so it is up to you to harness that power for the protection of children from sex slavery and sex trafficking. Inform these companies that you want domestic child sex trafficking eradicated and for that to happen, they must stop advertising with Village Voice Media. If they don’t, you will be forced to remove your economic support from their company.

Businesses identified by the Groundswell Campaign who continue to support child sex trafficking by advertising with Village Voice Media:

2929 Entertainment
American Apparel, Inc.
American Automobile Association
Android
Angelika Film Center
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlantic Broadband
Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau
Bacardi USA, Inc.
Blick Art Materials
Blue Man Productions, Inc.
Brooklyn Museum
Buffalo Wild Wings
Cancer Fund of America, Inc.
Champs Sports
Charter Communications
Cirque du Soleil
Clear Channel Communications, Inc.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY – New York State Psychiatric Institute
CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries, Inc.
Dave and Busters
Denver Botanic Gardens, Inc.
Diageo PLC
Disney
ESPN, Inc.
Focus Features (Moonrise Kingdom)
Foot Locker, Inc.
Foursquare
Guitar Center
H.D. Buttercup
Hard Rock Café
Harrah’s Resorts
HOOTERS
Houston Symphony
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Icelandair
J&R
JR Electronics
KCRW
LA Philharmonic
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
Landmark Theatres
Lincoln Center Theater
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation
Lululemon
Marriott International, Inc
Mayo Clinic
Mesa Arts Center
MetroPCS
MGM Resorts International
Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co.
Miller Light
Minnesota Orchestra
Minnesota Wild
Monsanto
MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE – Mood and Personality Disorders Research Program Department of Psychiatry
MTV2
New Belgium Brewing Company, Inc.
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc.
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.
St. Louis Rams
The Bowery Presents
The Salvation Army
Ticketfly
Total Bank
Toyota Motor Corporation
United Way Worldwide
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Denver
Veo optics
Walt Disney Pictures
Warner Brothers Entertainment
Whole Foods
YWCA of Minneapolis
YWCA Twin Cities
Zagat

“How many kids need to be exploited before they [Backpage.com] change their business model?” – Ernie Allen, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

July 21, 2012 by Guest

Operation Cross Country – 79 Children Rescued, 104 Pimps Arrested

In a collaborative measure between the FBI, state and local law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children this past June, 79 children were rescued and 104 pimps were arrested. The operation encompassed a three-day attack on child sex trafficking that stretched across 57 cities in the nation.

This was the sixth Operation Cross Country conducted by the FBI’s Innocence Lost National Initiative.

Innocence Lost National Initiative: Task Force

There have been 47 Innocence Lost Task Forces which have recovered over 2,200 children and have arrested 1,017 pimps and their associates. These arrests have resulted in long sentences; some pimps have been sentenced to 25 years up to life in prison. Additionally, law enforcement has seized more than $3 million in assets from the human trafficking criminals.

Victims and Pimps

Chart showing the number of children and pimps apprehended by city during Operation Cross Country VI.

FBI Division Juvenile Pimp
Albuquerque 0 0
Atlanta 3 5
Baltimore 0 1
Birmingham 0 0
Boston 1 3
Chicago 3 3
Cleveland 0 1
Dallas 6 0
Denver 2 3
Detroit 6 3
El Paso 1 1
Houston 0 1
Indianapolis 0 0
Knoxville 0 0
Las Vegas 4 4
Los Angeles 5 3
Miami 2 4
Milwaukee 6 0
Minneapolis 0 4
Newark 0 3
New Orleans 3 10
New York City 1 1
Oklahoma City 3 7
Omaha 0 2
Philadelphia 2 2
Phoenix 2 1
Portland 3 6
Richmond 0 2
Sacramento 6 6
St. Louis 2 2
San Antonio 0 2
San Diego 2 7
San Francisco 6 7
Seattle 6 7
Tampa 3 3
Washington Field Office 1 0
Totals 79 104

Chart Source

 What happened to the buyers?

The information released by the FBI does not address any investigation into the “buyers” of sex with minors. The Operation was focused on victims and pimps. However, DEMAND/buyers are an issue that Shared Hope International believes must be addressed in stings such as this. The men who pay for sex with minors, or the “market-fuelers” of domestic minor sex trafficking need to be arrested and prosecuted along with the pimps. It is, of course, illegal to pay for sex with a child yet the buyers often get away with nothing more than a fine, if arrested at all. This practice must stop and be replaced with harsher penalties if sex trafficking is to be eliminated in the United States.

Without buyers buying the “product” the industry itself would cease to bring profit and children will no longer be sold for sex.

What happens to the victims?

There are a handful of shelters in the U.S. specifically designed for victims of sex trafficking where they can receive protection, restorative care and education. However, the need greatly outweighs resources. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) takes the responsibility for offering counseling and assistance to these children so they can adjust back to normal life. However, Ernie Allen of NCMEC says that many of the rescued children could go back to their traffickers; “these kids are really damaged…it is not only important that they get help – but they need a specialized kind of help.”

Following Operation Cross Country, Ernie Allen and FBI acting executive assistant director Kevin Perkins called for an increase in comprehensive social services. Allen told a story from an earlier Operation Cross Country, “I was called by a prosecutor who said, ‘I know I’m not supposed to lock her up but my domestic violence shelters won’t take her, the runaway shelters won’t take her so I have no choice but to put her in secure detention for her own protection.” Allen says he hopes that America is waking up to the need for restorative and secure care for these victims.

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