Guest, Author at Shared Hope International

February 19, 2019 by Guest

Ambassador of Hope’s Ripple Effect

She had an idea, and followed it!

You start with your first invitation, and someone in the audience asks you to come to their group, and someone there asks you to their school, and the ripples multiply until you have to build a local team of Ambassadors to keep up!

As a new member of her small town Rotary Club, Pennsylvania Regional Coordinator, Megan Inghram simply had an idea to write a letter to the editor of the Rotary International magazine. She was hoping they would consider a feature article on sex trafficking and Shared Hope. She wasn’t even aware her letter had been published in the international publication until one of the local Rotarians called to tell her. She then asked her club to invest in Renting Lacy books for the local library and they agreed.

And that was the first ripple.

Megan delivered the display of Renting Lacy books to her librarian who responded, “It seems there should be a program with this. Do you have a presentation?” Incredulously, Megan thought, “Is this how it works? Can it really be this easy?”

At the next city council meeting, that librarian shared about the books and the upcoming Chosen showing. A local news reporter asked, “Do you really think this is a problem here?” She urged him to hear Megan’s presentation.

That was Megan’s first Chosen showing with a room full of thirty people. She was a bit nervous, and driving home realized she had never introduced herself! So she wrote a note to self – always introduce yourself first!

Later, while setting up a display in a library, a local news reporter was there to take pictures of the Rotarians presenting the books to the library. He asked Megan all about trafficking for an article he intended to write with the photo which he later published. Click here to read the news article that began the next ripple.

Megan has done great work to educate her community on sex trafficking and prepares them to combat this issue themselves!

February 13, 2019 by Guest

Survivors of Child Sex Trafficking are Never the Aggressor

Joint Statement by Shared Hope International and Center for Combating Human Trafficking on Sentencing by Kansas Judge Michael Gibbens

Under Federal and Kansas state law, persons who purchase sex from minors commit child sex trafficking; in fact, Kansas law specifically criminalizes such conduct as “Aggravated Human Trafficking.” Therefore, by definition, minors who are purchased for commercial sex are victims of sex trafficking. Yet, in 25 states, including Kansas, an alarming legal paradox exists that oftentimes prevents child sex trafficking victims from being identified and treated as victims of the heinous crime.

A February 3, 2019 sentencing by Kansas Judge Michael Gibbens has once again reminded us of the detrimental status of our nation’s non-criminalization laws. In reducing the sentence of a 67-year-old buyer, and referencing the 13 and 14-year-old victims, Judge Gibbens stated,

“So, she’s uncomfortable for something that she voluntarily went to, voluntarily took her top off for, and was paid for? . . . . I do find that the victims in this case in particular were more an aggressor . . . [t]hey were certainly selling things monetarily that it’s against the law for even an adult to sell. . . . Normally, I would think that the harm that would have been done by this kind of conduct would very, very substantial. I’m not convinced that that is so in this case.”

This case illuminates a culture that allows half of the country’s laws to regard minors engaged in commercial sex as offenders of prostitution, despite their status as victims of sex trafficking. Shared Hope International and the Center for Combating Human Trafficking at Wichita State University adamantly and unequivocally assert that survivors of child sex trafficking are never the aggressors or blameworthy for their own victimization. Together, we challenge the laws and culture that support penalizing, rather than protecting, youth who have experienced and survived commercial sexual exploitation.

We share the collective outrage for the reduction in the buyer’s sentence while daring the conversation to go further; we must amend our laws and shift our beliefs to ensure that no child is deemed a “prostitute” and prevented from receiving imperative protections and specialized services. We believe that when laws, practices, and beliefs are transformed in tandem, true perpetrators will be held accountable and survivors will be appropriately identified and protected; justice will be served.

Be part of a movement that seeks genuine change to both the laws and practices that address exploited youth; together, we can ensure that youth survivors of sex trafficking are protected, not punished:

Education: The Center for Combating Human Trafficking offers training and technical assistance and also has a significant amount of free resources available.
Action: Sign Shared Hope International’s petition to Stop the Injustice and end the criminalization of child sex trafficking victims.
Continued Contribution:
- Slow down, pay attention, think critically, and seek solutions that move beyond technical, short-term responses and address the more complex root causes of trafficking.
- As states across the country, including Kansas, continue to develop their anti-trafficking and child sexual exploitation laws this legislative session, support legislation that offers true “Safe Harbor” protections for minors, ensuring youth survivors of sex trafficking are protected from criminalization and have access to critical forms of post-conviction or post-adjudication relief, including vacatur and records expungement.
- Many state laws, including Kansas, ensure that there is increased training for law enforcement officers and commercial truck drivers who might assist in identifying individuals who are trafficked. However, without adequate and accessible resources, increased identification can lead to increased criminalization of the very victims we seek to assist. Thus, improved legislation should consider training for those who are charged with determining outcomes and trajectories for youth survivors, especially stakeholders within the justice system, including prosecutors, probation officers, and public defenders.
- Hold elected officials accountable in applying the law as it was intended. This requires all of us to invest through time, talent, and treasure in our own local communities.

February 8, 2019 by Guest

Ohio Ambassador in Action

There is a lot of work and time required of Ambassadors as they support the work of Shared Hope in communities across the nation. Regional Coordinator, Amy Ryan Rued, and her husband, Jack, work closely with the Ohio Ambassadors, and specifically Greg Pace: “Here in central Ohio we do everything we can to create speaking opportunities.

With each presentation comes a commitment of time to show up and deliver our message to those we speak with. Greg is passionate about educating and helping to prevent child sex trafficking and it is a pleasure to have him on our team.”

Greg shares how he began working with the Ohio group in 2014, which was made up of concerned friends. His decision to become involved was based on a desire to help change our society in meaningful ways. “Working to move our society to become a safer place for women, and especially children, is extremely important. I see domestic minor sex trafficking as the lowest common-denominator of our dark side, and now that we have social science data behind us, we can work and demand that it ends.”

[easy-tweet tweet=”I see domestic minor sex trafficking as the lowest common-denominator of our dark side, and now that we have social science data behind us, we can work and demand that it ends.” user=”SharedHope”]

We asked Greg what it means as a man to be involved in fighting sex trafficking. “As a man, I have watched and lived the ‘boys will be boys’ attitude that so many of us use to excuse ourselves. It’s culturally acceptable to treat women as if they were carved out and laying in the grocery butcher’s case.” He points out that he emphasizes the dark side that this kind of treatment of women feeds into. “Personally, had I known, I would not have behaved at times towards women as I did as a young man. Being an Ambassador of Hope has an aspect of penance for me; giving back to this younger generation so they won’t hold the same attitudes I used to hold. At this stage in my own life it is a no-brainer … men MUST stop sexually degrading women, and must defend their safety and well-being from predators.”

Greg puts his Ambassador time and energy into speaking to high school students, and when there is time, he highlights the men’s Defenders program. He adds passionately, “ The ‘boys will be boys’ attitude begins when guys are young, so it is never too early to instill in them the harmful effects that too often result from seemingly harmless sexual banter and behavior toward girls. Once given this information, just being one of the boys entails an element of knowledge that can no longer be completely ignored.”

[easy-tweet tweet=”The ‘boys will be boys’ attitude begins when guys are young, it’s never too early to instill in them the harmful effects that too often result from seemingly harmless sexual banter & behavior.” user=”SharedHope”]

And that’s why it’s important for men to be Ambassadors and change the culture by mentoring young men to change their attitudes.

September 20, 2018 by Guest

What I learned through my Shared Hope Fellowship

By Aliz Nagyvaradi

I am grateful and humbled for the learning opportunity Shared Hope provided me this summer. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it has been truly impactful experience. Shared Hope has a 20-year history in the anti-trafficking field and its enduring presence makes it a leader in the field.

As a Policy and Communications Fellow, I mostly worked with the Center for Justice & Advocacy and the Communications Department on developing the Stop the inJuSTice campaign. This involved delivering the campaign message and sharing information about the non-criminalization of the victims of domestic minor sex trafficking with anti-trafficking stakeholders and the general public.

Shared Hope’s Center for Justice & Advocacy offers the most in depth, accurate and comprehensive legal knowledge and research in the field of domestic minor sex trafficking. Ten weeks were certainly not enough to be able to engage in the full breadth of Shared Hope’s work and research. I am still astonished by the complexity of the issue of child sex trafficking. It has many areas of intervention and details that require a high level of attention and collaboration with various stakeholders from different sectors. Due to the multifaceted character and prevalence of this crime in each and every state in the US, partnership and teamwork, frequent meetings across the country, and online resources are vital to making decisions and changing state laws, so that victims of child sex trafficking have access to trauma-informed services and are not punished for the crimes committed against them.

What I have learned about anti-trafficking work through my fellowship?

Partnership is crucial. Counter trafficking requires teamwork; one organization alone is not enough to effectively fight sex trafficking.
Education is key. In order to notice the signs of sex trafficking and to identify victims, we have to learn what to look for. Shared Hope’s awareness and training programs are designed to do that.
Private sector engagement is important. Companies that are in the travel, tourism, hospitality, or conferencing/meeting sectors can do so much to end the cycle.
Language counts. Any time we are talking about this issue, such as delivering a campaign message or wording bills, we have to be aware of how language impacts the perception of survivors and the overall fight against trafficking.
Dedication is also a key. We need to be persistent in our advocacy work and look for allies. Changes do not happen overnight, but through consistent work, we are able to make progress and generate change.
Collaboration with survivors is essential. We cannot combat human trafficking without including and elevating the voices of survivors.
A nationwide grassroots movement is a critical element of the anti-trafficking work. Shared Hope International’s volunteer Ambassadors of Hope are able to bring the message and spread awareness about trafficking in their communities, workplaces, and through their networks.
Everyone can take action. By sharing information about child sex trafficking, talking to your family members and friends, or contacting your legislator as a constituent you can make a difference.

I have also been fortunate to participate in Shared Hope’s JuST Faith Summit in June 2018, which mobilized people of faith to address the issue of domestic minor sex trafficking in their communities. As a staff member, I had the chance to inform the attendees about the Stop the inJuSTice campaign, as well as to attend the plenary sessions and workshops held by dedicated professionals and survivors of sex trafficking. Hearing about the journey of survivors and seeing how their faith helped them, provided an unexpected learning experience for me. I gained courage through their stories. Encountering the dedication and collaboration of stakeholders from Christian-based and survivor-led organizations was more than inspiring—it was truly transformational for me.

Coming from a legal background, I also felt comfortable contributing to the legal research that our policy work requires. While I was researching the online trafficking laws of the 50 states, I learnt a lot about the recent Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, and the criminal abuse of technology that allows sex trafficking and child online exploitation to grow rapidly.

During my time with Shared Hope, I have recognized parallels and similarities to some of the experiences I have had at the University of San Diego Kroc School of Peace Studies: the power of survivor narratives, the complexity of the issue, and the need for experts to pioneer efforts to eradicate sex trafficking. The courses at the Kroc School helped me develop critical thinking about human rights violations. At the same time, they contributed to my learning on how to address complex social problems and provide solutions to them. At the very beginning of my studies, my faculty advisor suggested that I think strategically when choosing my internship placement for the summer. I am glad that I took his advice. I only applied for internship positions which fell into my area of interest and required the skills and background that I could put in practice, but could still provide me with challenges and exciting opportunities to improve professionally. The work I was involved in at Shared Hope International was the perfect match for me.

Certainly, my fellowship with Shared Hope has been one of the most valuable experience I have had in the US so far, both personally and professionally. My faith has become stronger, which helps me in pursuing a meaningful career, one that has an impact on lives. I am equipped with all of the tools and resources that I need to become an effective anti-trafficking advocate. I have also become an official volunteer Ambassador of Hope, and am looking forward to working on Shared Hope’s projects in the future.

June 4, 2018 by Guest

Biblical Justice & Social Justice

By Christine Erickson, Director, Children-at-Risk “OneLess” Ministry Grace Church – Eden Prairie, MN

Biblical Justice & Social Justice

Is there a difference?

Selling a human being. Abusing a child. Stealing from a widow. Most, if not all of us, would agree that using force or fraud to exploit the vulnerable is evil. We carry within us an innate sense of right and wrong, a conviction that oppressors should be punished and the weak protected. We want justice.

Justice in its simplest form, means to set things right. Yet, how do we know what is right? Who defines “right”? Is it society-at-large or the culture we live in? Is there a moral law that we inherently know to follow?

Biblical Justice

As Christ-followers, the answer is simple. Our sense of justice is imparted to us by our Creator God. He is loving, kind, and merciful and He is also righteous, holy, and just.

“The Rock, His work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14).

God is just. It is part of His character, which means He is always just. He cannot be unjust, and He defines and sets the standard for justice.

We hear that God is love and God is holy more often than we hear that God is just. And we may readily agree that God sets the standard for love and holiness, but do we understand that He also sets the standard for justice? Pursuing biblical justice means we follow God’s way to make right that which is wrong, and we look to Scripture to define what is “right”.

We do not have to look far to see that Jesus is our standard of righteousness. Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, died a sacrificial death and rose again to make right that which was wrong. It is because of Jesus and His work on the Cross that we can be justified and made right with God. And Jesus also demonstrates a beautiful example for us to follow in the New Testament as one who cared for the outcast and reached out with compassion to help those most often overlooked. Jesus pursued justice. He physically and spiritually rescued those in need. Healing the leper in Matthew 8 and caring for the woman caught in adultery in John 8 are just a few examples.

As we look at the life of Jesus and the mandate given throughout Scripture, it is clear that Christ-followers are called to “do justice”. We are called to take action and confront evil, to care for the vulnerable, and to make right that which is wrong. This mandate is not new. It is not a cultural fad or something that is simply a trend in today’s society. Throughout the Old and New Testament, our call to do justice is clear.

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute,” (Psalm 82:3).

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and please the widow’s cause,” (Isaiah 1:17).

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others,” (Luke 11:42).

Social Justice

Social justice is a common term used today. A brief online search will uncover varying definitions of what it means. One definition says social justice is “promoting a just society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity”. On one hand that sounds fine, but looking deeper, it is rather vague and can lead to many different conclusions about what justice really looks like.

In contrast to social justice, which focuses on a temporal view of addressing injustices in society, biblical justice starts with the eternal in mind. It starts by seeing people as God sees them – recognizing that we are all created in the image of God. And it is incumbent upon Christ-followers to pursue physical and spiritual freedom for the oppressed so others can also become what God created them to be. If we have experienced freedom, how can we not pursue freedom on behalf of others?

As the Church, we may partner with those doing the work of social justice in our communities, but let us not be confused about our ultimate mission. Our mission is not about picking up another cause because it sounds appealing and makes us look good. Our mission is about fully embracing the cause of Christ. The end goal of biblical justice is seeing lives reconciled to God and eternally transformed.

What can we do?

One day there will be perfect justice, carried out by a perfectly holy and just God. In the meantime, evil is pervasive throughout our world. Children are sold into sex slavery. The poor are beaten and forced to work without pay. Human trafficking or modern-day slavery continues in every country, city, and community. There are more than 35 million slaves in the world today, more than at any other time in history.

Can we, the Church, lead the way and pursue justice on behalf of the oppressed, the widow, the orphan, and the enslaved? If we know the One who is completely just, should we not lead the charge? YES!

Fueled by the compassion of Christ, we engage in issues of injustice – protecting the vulnerable, fighting for those held in oppression, walking alongside the wounded and pointing them to the One who heals, restores and redeems.

Pursuing justice starts and continues with a foundation of prayer, because we know it is His battle not our own. It involves time and sacrifice. It means stepping out of our comfort zone and persevering with patience. It means walking in wisdom and not jumping in haphazardly or foolishly. Our just God leads and we follow as He empowers us through the Holy Spirit. So, let’s go. Let’s engage in the fight for biblical justice.

Prayer is the first step towards biblical justice

Prayer is a huge part of biblical justice. This month, join us for 30 Days of Prayer, and our National Day of Prayer to End Child Sex Trafficking on January 31.

Learn More

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