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Unavoidable Destiny | Celebrating Independence

July 4th commemorates U.S. independence from Great Britain 237 years ago. It was another 87 years before slavery was abolished. But has slavery really been abolished? Is everyone free? When will victims of human trafficking celebrate their “independence day”?

july4Firecrackers, parades, sales, and the décor of red, white and blue can be seen and heard each year as we celebrate Independence Day. Our freedom in the U.S. was hard won and indeed should be celebrated!  But we must remain aware that not everyone is free—freedom is only a dream for many.  There is no celebration of independence for victims of sex trafficking.  While the U. S. declared itself free of Great Britain 237 years ago, encoding our rights and freedoms into the law of the land involved the efforts of many.  Similarly, victims of human trafficking will achieve independence because of the efforts of many.

My own transformation from victim to survivor to liberator was assisted by many people that gave me strength to carry on my fight. To begin with, I received services that addressed the psychological trauma I endured while enslaved. Wonderful people in the anti-trafficking community provided support and encouragement which enabled me to confidently pursue my dreams. Kevin Bales shared my story in his book, The Slave Next Door, and introduced me to the idea that I could use my story as a tool to educate, inform, warn, encourage and even liberate others! I am empowered when my voice is heard by Attorneys General from around the country and when my employer, Shared Hope, seeks my advice on policy.  And I am deeply grateful for the help of Betty Llorente, past president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys who made my case the first human trafficking case taken on by the Dade County “Put Something Back” pro bono project.

In 1776, John Adams, leading advocate of America’s freedom said of Independence Day: “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty… solemnized with pomp and parade…from one end of this continent to the other….”

As I read this I wondered when and how we will celebrate the day of deliverance for victims of human trafficking.  I didn’t have to think long to realize there is already much to celebrate—I see survivors around the country who are playing an active role in the fight against human trafficking; they are writing books, putting on plays, providing services to other survivors, running successful businesses and much more. And I celebrate my recent graduation from college and my involvement in the anti-trafficking movement provides proof to other survivors that we can be overcomers.

Most of all, I celebrate the anointing of Jesus Christ on my life as I continue this journey, carrying out what I believe to be a divine assignment. What are you celebrating this Independence Day?

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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

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No Girl Left Behind

No Girl Left Behind 

Guest Blog Post by Dale Rylander

Abolishing the Demand for commercial sex is not about the legality or morality of commercial sex.  At one extreme, there are countries like the Netherlands where prostitution is legal.  Guess what?  Too few women “want” to be prostituted women, so the supply is being met by women that are trafficked.  At the other extreme, making all forms of sensual public displays by women illegal would require women to be fully covered anytime they are outside their home (Islamic Shar’iah laws).

Both extremes ignore the source of the problem – men’s inability to control themselves.  The problem is the Demand.  Reducing the Demand will have a dramatic impact on commercial sex because it reduces the number of buyers and thus removes the economic incentive.  Furthermore, that Demand will not be reduced or abolished by laws.

The Demand can only be reduced when men and women individually decide to hold men accountable for their attitudes and actions.  Yes, Women.  Women must stop dismissing the behavior of their sons (and husbands) as “boys will be boys.”

How should we hold each other accountable?  I am not a psychologist, but my typical reaction of destroying sexually explicit material in a burst of embarrassment, anger and shame is probably not the right answer.  Neither is calmly sitting down to discuss my reaction to each image.  To be honest, I am still struggling to find the best intervention strategy.  What I do know is I have no problem talking about, even showing my children, friends and peers, how to do many things.  Sex is not one of those things.

Surprise, surprise.  There are people willing to fill the void left by my silence for a profit.  For large profits because the Demand is so big.  Profits so huge that people are even willing to commit crimes to meet the Demand.

Is every prostituted woman trafficked?  Some reports suggest they are, if not overtly, then they are systemically forced into commercial sex by our society because women do not have equal employment opportunities.

Are there any women that want to be a prostituted woman?  My daughter just returned from a semester studying abroad.  She was in the Netherlands enrolled in a gender-study course approved by a respected and accredited US College.  As part of her course she talked with some prostituted women.  They told her they choose their profession.

There are many sides to this issue and our society needs to address them.  But no matter what my opinion is regarding these issues, I have the power to do something about the fuel that is driving this Demand.  I publicly pledge to not buy commercial sex and to hold everyone I know accountable for their attitudes and actions with respect to commercial sex.  I challenge you to do the same.

If just one girl anywhere in the world is trafficked into commercial sex then a crime has been committed.  If I know a crime has been, is being or could be committed and I do not do what I can to stop it – under US law I would be a criminal accessory.

We are proud our armed forces believe and practice “No Man Left Behind.”  As American citizens we should be proud to pledge and practice “No Girl Left Behind.”

 

 

Dale-June 2013 004Dale Rylander is a professional technology consultant.  He is married with three adult children.  His wife challenged him to take the Defenders Pledge.  Motivated by the enormous scope of this issue, he is working as the first Defenders Captain in Dallas to educate and challenge men in Dallas, in Texas, in the United States and around the world to change their attitudes and actions about commercial sex.

 

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Media & News Coverage 2013

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Music + Defenders

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Music + Defenders. During the month of June, Shared Hope specifically focuses in on what men are doing to fight trafficking.

On June 1, 2013 the Defenders USA hosted an awareness/benefit concert featuring bands James Younger and Ninth & Final. The point of the evening of music was to not only raise funds for the Defenders program within Shared Hope (we raised over $300), but also to educate youth and families about this issue — from a the male perspective. Over 70 individuals came out for the concert, and local nonprofits MST Project, Forward Edge, Abolition Now, and the NW Marriage Institute all set up booths at the event as well.

The evening started out with Coldplay-esque music from the very talented James Younger. After James finished his set, Defenders Manager Ed Ouellette took the stage to speak about the issue of domestic minor sex trafficking, and specifically what men can do to fight the issue. (For more ways to take action, click here.)

After the speaker, Ninth & Final played 10 original alternative rock songs.

This is just one of many events planned for this summer, and a great example of how talented individuals can partner with anti-trafficking organizations to make a difference.

How are YOU planning on fighting sex trafficking in your nation, state, and community this summer? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter, and by emailing edwin@sharedhope.org

 

 

 

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