SHI Staff, Author at Shared Hope International

February 5, 2013 by SHI Staff

4 Ways to Fight Sex Trafficking

Anyone can join the fight against domestic minor sex trafficking. Here are 4 simple ways you can take action today. Share them with your friends, family, and coworkers. Let’s each do our part and together end demand for sex trafficking.

1. Write a letter to your local media editor or congressional representative, to inform them
about domestic minor trafficking. Let your representatives and newspapers know that victims of
child sex trafficking exist in every state, even your own. Ask your legislators to commit to providing
safe shelters for victims, and increased penalties for buyers and traffickers. The more phone
calls, letters, and emails your legislator receives, the more action will occur. Visit our “Join the
Cause” page for more information.

2. Fight for justice online! Use social media and blogs to spread the word to your online community
of friends, family and neighbors. Participate and invite your friends to our Facebook or
Twitter accounts. Spread awareness by sharing videos, blogs, articles, pictures and other information
via social media. Join the conversation on YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter or Facebook (for both
the Defenders and Shared Hope).

3. Host or attend an awareness event in your community! How? Host an awareness event, sports
competition, fundraiser, candlelight vigil, march, movie screening, dinner, walk, run, yoga or
Zumba class with free materials and information provided by Shared Hope International.
Who’s in charge? You are! Gather your friends, neighbors and colleagues. We’ll also connect you
with other Shared Hope supporters in your area. Together, we can make a difference!

4. Join the cause! Become an Ambassador of Hope or a Defender. Ambassadors of Hope go
through an online or in-person training to become equipped to speak on behalf of Shared Hope
International. Defenders are men who take a pledge and take action to fight against domestic minor
sex trafficking and the commercial sex industry. Visit www.theDefendersUSA.org for more
information.

Click here to download the “4 ways to take action” pdf

January 31, 2013 by SHI Staff

Close and Johnson will work to erase Oregon’s “D” rating on sex trafficking issues

Link to Download Full Press Release from www.leg.state.or.us

Oregon State Capitol
900 Court Street NE, S-303
Salem, Oregon 97301
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Michael Gay
January 30, 2013 503.986.1955
503.781.8559

Salem, OR – Senator Betsy Close (R-Albany/Corvallis) and Senator Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose)
are introducing legislation to fight the purveyors of the sex trade in Oregon and protect its victims.
Both Senators believe that by working across party lines and with organizations like Shared Hope
International, the legislature can pass legislation to protect minors from the commercial sex trade.
“This is an issue of safety and justice,” said Close. “When you hear the stories and statistics
surrounding this modern slave-trade, it cries out for action. I think Republicans and Democrats
together can take a stand for the victims of sex trafficking.”
It is easier to not confront the horrors associated with an issue like Oregon’s sex trade,” said Close.
“We would prefer to think something this terrible couldn’t happen in our state. But it is happening,
and to ignore it is to be complicit in it. It is our responsibility to not only be aware but to act in the
defense of sex trafficking victims, and to fight for its end.”
Oregon recently received a “D” in a report card from Shared Hope International, an organization
dedicated to fighting sex trafficking. The report outlines several flaws in Oregon’s sex trafficking law.
Close plans on working with Senator Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) to push legislation closing the
loopholes and ending sex trafficking in Oregon.
“We want to end the menace of sex trafficking in this state,” said Johnson. “By making some changes
to Oregon law, this legislature can help prevent trafficking from happening, prosecute it vigorously
when it does, and give its victims hope.”
Legislative concepts proposed by Shared Hope International and introduced by Close and Johnson
deal with criminalizing domestic minor sex trafficking, increasing sentencing allowances for
consumers, suppliers and facilitators of sex trafficking, providing greater protection for child victims
of sex trafficking and giving investigators and prosecutors additional tools.
The 2013 legislative session begins on February 4th.

###

January 23, 2013 by SHI Staff

“HOPE” Through a Men’s Accountability Group

(Guest Post by Jon Bean of the MST Project)

I want to tell you about The Hope Campaign. The Hope Campaign is a men’s accountability group resource for men, many of whom may be coming to the understanding for the first time that something needs to change. Maybe they are involved with prostitution, porn, or other more illicit activities but they are starting to understand that this isn’t the way things should be. We want to connect with these men and help them process the rediscovery of hope. What sort of changes need to happen in order to draw near to God? What does a life of victory look like? Is there anyone that I can be vulnerable with about my story who won’t judge me and is willing to love me where I’m at while at the same time, lifting me up?

The Hope Campaign is based on our own experiences dealing with sexual sin, and how we were able to answer those questions and others that came up. We made the choice to walk away from that lifestyle and discover what it meant to live in intimacy with Christ rather than intimacy with darkness.

We learned to be open with others and talk about things like not being alone, removing the masks that we hide behind, and how we affect our connection with God, by choosing to connect with darkness instead. We have seen God work when we opened our hearts and He has worked through the lives of other men that we allowed to be a part of our lives. We trust God to use this material in the process of restoring these men to a place of victory and intimacy with Christ. Men who are restored and living lives of victory, will not want to return to the lives they were living. They will take the experiences that they lived in the past and use them to lift other men up, to choose not to victimize and exploit, but rather to protect and defend those that are most vulnerable. We know this because we have seen this happen in our own lives and hearts.

To learn more about the Hope Campaign, or men’s accountability groups, you can contact me at jon@mstproject.com.

January 16, 2013 by SHI Staff

Let’s Be Heroes – The Defenders USA

For those of you that don’t know, my name is Ethan Morrow, and since September I’ve been the Defenders Intern here at Shared Hope. I’ve been helping out with various things, running the Defenders Social media, and writing blog/vlog content.

As life often does, my life is moving in ways I can’t explain, and I’m feeling called to do other things now. That being said, this will be my last Defenders blog post for a while here at the Defenders’ office. I’m very sad that I have to leave, but I’ve learned a lot during my time serving here.

My time here has been filled with joys, sorrows, trials, and definitely some tears. It’s been so inspiring for me to see thousands of people gather together to make a difference and end the demand for human trafficking. My time here has shown me the beautiful power that exists in this world. Together, we can accomplish so much.

If I wanted to leave the Defenders with one message to all men out there, I would say this: brutality and evil doesn’t just cease to exist. Shared Hope is going to continue to work to create laws that end human trafficking, and we will continue to provide restoration and care for the victims of this brutal industry — and that is a beautiful thing. But, in my opinion, what a lot of guys fail to understand is the fact that we live in a supply-and-demand culture. If we, as men, do not change our lives and end the demand for commercial sex, someone will continue to provide the product.

Through laws that we pass, the number of women and children trafficked may decrease drastically, but if there is still a demand, there will still be a product. Over 100,000 children are sexually trafficked and exploited every year, and it is up to us to stop it. With our commitment and dedication, a brutal $9.8 billion/year U.S. business will cease to exist.

I’ve seen amazing things happen in my time here at Shared Hope, so I know that we as men can do this. Please, take your pledge seriously. Hold your friends accountable. Start an accountability group. Find a way to make your life a life that ends the demand for human trafficking. Men, we can save lives. Actually, I should say that men, we will save lives.

It’s been a pleasure working with the Defenders, and I look forward to working here again in the future. Men, together we can end demand. I’ll end my final blog post in the same way I ended my first blog post.

Let’s be heroes—let’s be Defenders.

January 9, 2013 by SHI Staff

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month

President Obama is declaring January to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. See how Shared Hope is participating and how you can get involved by viewing the events below.

‘Top 4 Fridays’ Interactive conversation video series on Google hangout:

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