human trafficking Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Shared Hope International

April 9, 2013 by SHI Staff

Guest Post: A Man to Fight for You (Part 2)

In July of 2012, a Toronto man saved a woman’s life by stopping traffic on a busy interstate as she stepped off of the bridge above it. The coverage explains his behavior as “instinctive.”

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bVsLEqJry4&w=560&h=315′]

But if it were, wouldn’t this heroism happen a lot more? Wouldn’t women feel less helpless and more secure if the men in their lives were physically there to listen, comfort and protect them? The woman from this story was determined to jump into eternity. But just as determined was a stranger that seemed to jump off a page of a Marvel comic book. Why? He noticed her and deemed her worthy to save. Which begs the question: “What made her worthy?”

For a fresh take on why men come to the rescue of women, I brain-picked Superhero film and comic fanatic /Youth Pastor of Horizon Community, David Conlee:

1. What’s your favorite superhero movie, and why?

Iron Man. His character, Tony Stark is deeply flawed, doesn’t have super powers, he’s not an alien, he wasn’t created by some industrial accident. But he’s a man with resources who leverages it all to right the wrongs he sees in the world.

2. Many of these films portray an ordinary man that discovers an injustice and inherently fights it. In 2002’s Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire keeps rescuing Kirsten Dunst, who continually finds herself in sudden danger. Is it instinctive for men to rescue vulnerable women?

I do believe that men desire to be providers…and because of that we want to solve problems, right wrongs, and rescue the “damsel in distress”. Men want to fix things, so when a woman is in trouble it taps into this primal nature to save her and make it right.

3. What about you? Presuming you were able, would you be less likely to rescue an unattractive woman?

Probably at least at a subconscious level. Men are visual processors and physical beauty is a motivator for us. It would depend on who she is and how much I would have to risk to rescue her.

4. What’s your favorite romantic comedy?

I’m a sucker for Pretty Woman (ironic given the subject matter above)!

Remember Lyla from Part 1? This survivor of sex trafficking prefers a sappy romantic comedy to a superhero film any night…27 Dresses being her favorite. They let her visit a world where a girl is actually honored enough to pursue. Where she’s no longer alone. Her boundaries are respected, and he was there “to make her better”. For 90-138 minutes, she’s transported out of reality, and into an almost giddy trance.

Why Not Intervene?

I think of that woman on the bridge and wonder if she felt there was no reason to go on living was because she didn’t believe she was worth a man’s time. Whether it’s a “Good Samaritan” showing deep concern, or her husband or father offering non-performance-based love, I’m convinced that more men have got to intervene.

Men, you can make a conscious decision to intervene when you see a woman in desperate need, attractive or not. In doing so, you destroy the barrier of perceived inequality. She is made in the image of God just as you are, worth just as much as you are.

The barrier of making her prove her worth must be destroyed. How can she prove her worth if she doesn’t realize it herself? Besides, trying to prove one’s own worth is exhausting.

I venture to suggest that she is worthy to be fought for simply because her lungs still hold breath and her life still holds purpose.

Chelan Rene’ Russ is an avid abolitionist, wife, mother, and blogger who lives in Portland, OR with her husband and 2 children. Visit her personal blog here.

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 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.

October 29, 2012 by SHI Staff

Trafficking Awareness: The Power of Education

Thanks for checking out this blog. I hope you walk away from this post learning a little about the commercial sex industry, and how to deal with personal addictions.

I just finished watching a TV Mini-series called Human Trafficking. Made in 2005, this fictionalized series brutally but authentically illustrated the seriousness of international human slavery.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so overwhelmed while watching a movie in my life. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the severity of trafficking, but keep in mind that it made my stomach churn, and at some points I felt nauseous. It is an incredibly raw series. Regardless of how hard it is to watch, it illustrates the brutality of the commercial sex industry so well.

This brings me to this week’s topic: education. When I say education, I’m not speaking of going to school (though I do think that is important!). Education is taking the time to learn the facts about a specific topic, and in our case, we are taking time to learn the brutal reality of sex trafficking. Through movies like Human Trafficking, survivor stories, and blogs like this, you can participate in very needed education.

As Defenders, we have all taken a pledge. Part one of that pledge says “I will not participate in pornography, prostitution or any form of the commercial sex industry.” Now, I think guys would all agree that part one of this pledge is way easier said than done. You see, the commercial sex industry works like a drug. The chemicals in your brain begin to spin as you indulge, and you leave the experience getting a very temporary wave of good feelings. This leads you to constantly desire more and more, and after a very short amount of time, your body can be addicted to the temporary good feelings that these experiences provide.

That being said, what if I told you that the addiction to the commercial sex industry could be avoided or healed? What if I told you that those temporary good feelings would no longer feel good? Thats where education comes in to play.

As a Defender, I hope you’ve realized that the commercial sex industry has more brutality to it than meets the eye (if you are unfamiliar with the common myths of the sex industry, go here). As you can see through videos like this, where survivors share the facts, the industry is awful. Girls are hurt. Girls are raped. Some girls even die. Girls are locked in rooms like prisoners. They are slaves. Through learning the facts and being willing to be educated on this topic, your feelings on the commercial sex industry will begin to change.

I can say from personal experience that once you are educated, the commercial sex industry begins to stop producing those very temporary waves of good feelings. When you go to indulge, you can remember the facts. You can remember the brutality. More importantly, you can remember the girls. And from personal experience I can say that when you go to indulge, remembering the education you have puts a halt to your desire to indulge in any kind of commercial sex, whether that be pornography, prostitution, or any method of commercial sex. Your mind goes from being a consumer to a person who cares. By remembering the facts, your heart can move from objectifying women to respecting them.

So, in conclusion, I know from personal experience the power that education offers. Be educated, and educate others. You’d be surprised what kind of difference it can make. Remember the facts. Lets honor part one of our pledge.

For more educational resources, you can see this article by Abolition Now.

July 27, 2012 by SHI Staff

Shared Hope International Launches Billboard in Times Square

The call came in like any other.

An agency that creates and places ads in Times Square was interested in talking to us about advertising in Times Square.

As a non-profit organization, we view every dollar as a donor dollar. We are diligent stewards of what has been entrusted to us to restore the lives of others. Advertising in Times Square didn’t quite fit our advertising budget or our promise to our donors.

Faster than we could make a few cursory remarks, thank them for calling, and get back to our work- they mentioned one of our favorite words—donated. Their client had reserved—and paid for—three months of advertising on the CBS “Super Screen” in Times Square. Unfortunately for the client, the product they were going to advertise was still in development and wouldn’t be ready for the start date of the ad.

That’s when opportunity came knocking on our door.

The ad agent had an advertising spot that was already paid for but nothing to advertise. She cared about the issue of sex trafficking and wanted to use this opportunity to donate the airtime to an organization that would bring about greater awareness of the issue. And that’s the story of how Shared Hope ended up with a 15-second commercial in the center of Times Square for the next three months!

Our ad is playing on the CBS “Super Screen” at 42^nd St. between 7^th and 8^th Ave in the heart of the Times Square Plaza. 1.5 million people pass through Times Square daily and will be exposed to the issue of sex trafficking.

About the Times Square Sex Trafficking Ad

The ad depicts a “normal” American girl. She was cute. A good student. An athlete. A target of a human trafficker. Brianna was targeted to become a product in the commercial sex industry. Men she knew lured her with warmth, generosity, promises and love. Soon she was tricked into working in a strip club. Right before Brianna plummeted into the deepest terror and torture of sex trafficking, she was rescued. Frantic parents, a knowledgeable police officer and Linda Smith, Shared Hope’s president and founder, created a safety net that allowed Brianna to be rescued. She allows her picture and story to be used for ads such as this so YOU will be alert and aware of the dangers that lurk, trapping unsuspecting youth into the hell of sex slavery.

We need YOU to stand with us! Every woman and child is not fortunate enough to so narrowly escape the terrifying grasp of sexual slavery. Please take a minute to share this video with your friends and family to prevent the loss of another innocent life to the illicit sex industry.