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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 15, 2013 by Samantha

8th Circuit Court Decision Nabs Buyers

In the fight against sex trafficking, one of the things we focus on at Shared Hope is the importance of ending demand. While it’s absolutely true that victim services, rescue and restoration, and prosecution of traffickers are vitally important, it’s equally important that the buyers be held accountable. If there is no demand, there is no industry. And so, ending demand is a consistent part of our message.

Last week, we received exciting news related to the issue of demand! It involves two men who, on separate occasions, attempted to purchase sex with minor girls. Both were arrested and charged with sex trafficking under the federal criminal laws, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1591 and 1594.

Rather than deny their heinous action, both men argued that they were not traffickers, but merely “consumers” or “purchasers,” and therefore should be acquitted of the charges of sex trafficking. Despite their arguments, juries in both cases found them guilty as charged. The court, however, read the statute differently and agreed with the defendants that the law was not meant to apply to the actions of buyers.

The Justice Department appealed these decisions, convinced that the sex trafficking law was intended to include the actions of buyers of sex acts with adults who were caused to engage in prostitution through force, fraud or coercion, or minors without proof of force, fraud or coercion. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals released its opinion on January 7. The opinion is 20 pages long, but it can be summed up in this one sentence:

“Notwithstanding the defendants’ argument to the contrary, the… definition of ‘sex trafficking’… readily includes the actions of a purchaser whose sole purpose is obtaining a child for sex.”

In non-legal language, it simply means that the laws regarding domestic minor sex trafficking not only apply to those who sell, but also those who try to (and do) buy sex acts with minors.

Here are some other important statements made in the 8^th Circuit Court decision:

– “The meaning of the terms Congress selected in drafting [the sex trafficking law] are broad enough to encompass the actions of both suppliers and purchasers of commercial sex acts.”

– “It is far from absurd to conclude Congress intended [the sex trafficking law] to apply to purchasers…”

– “The term ‘trafficking’ does not inherently exempt purchasers.”

Now that the 8^th Circuit has established this precedent, prosecutors have another tool to punish buyers and seek justice for the victims of sex trafficking. This has the potential to be a game changer in the fight against sex trafficking, bringing the spotlight squarely on demand where advocates have tirelessly worked to put it. Over time, as potential buyers realize they could face serious consequences for their actions, demand could cease or be so dramatically reduced that the commercial sex industry is no longer profitable. If a pimp can’t make money exploiting women and girls, he has no reason to exploit them.

Next steps will require the continued support of the Department of Justice to the federal prosecutors willing to take on these difficult cases, to build a solid body of case law demonstrating the seriousness of the Department, and our society, to end demand.

8th Circuit Decision 1-7-13

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:

January 8, 2013 by webdesigner

The Defenders: Start Spreading The News

The title comes from the lyrics from the song, “New York, New York.” No, I have not been to New York recently — but I have had several opportunities to spread the news about Shared Hope and the Defenders.

In late November I was at my physician’s office and his nurse asked what I have been doing that day. I told her I was making phone calls for Shared Hope and she inquired about what our organization did. I asked if she would be interested in learning more about Share Hope and she said yes. The next time I was in Portland, I took three copies of Linda Smith’s books and gave them to her to pass around their office.

New Year’s eve, my wife Patti and I were invited to play cards with three other couples all of whom attended the church I pastored. The subject of Shared Hope came up. I asked if they had ever read Linda’s books. They replied that they had not. I went to my car and gave each couple a copy of each book including a Defender’s pledge card. I will follow up with each of them and encourage them to take the pledge.

In the past several years it appears to me that more people in the social justice movement have become both aware and active in the fight against Human Trafficking. It seems to me that a week does not go by without seeing an article or TV clip in the paper and electronic media and hour-long programs on sex trafficking can be viewed almost weekly.

Recently I sat and watched three hours of continuous programming on sex trafficking. Because of this increase in public awareness, speaking out against about sex trafficking is easier today than it was several years ago.

Part of our Defender pledge is to become informed and raise awareness. Join me in spreading the News not just on ‘”old Broadway” but at every opportunity.

Ron Hart
Shared Hope International Chaplain
Former Defender Outreach Coordinator