shared hope International Archives - Shared Hope International

October 7, 2024 by Leif Larson

Greetings attendees of the 2024 JuST Training Conference.

My name is Marian, and I’m a grateful OG survivor!

This year, I celebrated 20 years clean and sober and out of life. At the some time, I am 10 years healed from triple-negative breast cancer.

While maintaining sobriety and health issues are experiences mainstream society faces, those of us moving forward after the trauma of paid rape have a challenging journey.

The road from victim to survivor to survivor leader is an individual journey. Along the way, we bond with others at different points of our growth, sharing experiences, failures, and triumphs.

I want to let you know of a unique opportunity for attendees of this year’s jUST conference. We, the ‘Older Gals; or ‘Older Generation’ of survivor leaders, will be your opening keynote session,

OG’s Speak Out: Navigating Life Beyond Exploitation

Some refer to us as ‘Elder Survivors,’ a term of endearment and respect, because we have had rich journeys as survivor leaders for decades. We are friends, colleagues, and, most of all, sisters.

Our sisterhood has standard systems of prostitution and the journey out. It is that journey out that we will share in our conversation with each other and you. Meet my sisters!

Hello, I’m Vednita

I am the founder of Breaking Free. Younger generations tell me in group settings that things are different from when I was “in the life.” I ask, how? You’re still exploited, whether it’s direct or indirect exploitation. The technology may evolve, but the degradation of being used, purchased for a price for sex, or pornographic imagery still reduces you to an object.

Hello, I’m Terry

I joined the movement when I met Vednita Carter, Founder of Breaking Free. She introduced me to the issues surrounding exploitation, and it was then that I understood I was not alone. I began reading books by fellow survivors like Andrea Dworkin and articles by Melissa Farley and Gail Dines. In reading the stories, I started to see a bigger world where hope sprung. I had so many questions and didn’t know where to find the answers because I was afraid to voice my fears. Many of the answers came from conferences like JuST.

Hello, I’m Audrey

Those of us who have been in the movement for a while have much to offer. You have some up-and-coming leaders who are missing an opportunity to learn from OG’s! Mistakes we’ve made, like not prioritizing self-care and learning when to say no. Women of color share experiences and bring awareness so they don’t feel alone when discouraging things arise. They can keep moving forward and work with allies who want to support them, but they often need to hear from survivors to do so successfully. It can help you reach back and gather strength from OGs to keep moving against the naysayers and the struggles.

We are looking forward to hosting you in a salon, which has its roots in the aristocracy of France in the late 17th and 18th centuries.

Historically a male-dominated structure, the gathering discussed literature, art, philosophy, music, and, of course, politics. It was to become the model for the feminist movement, providing a space to discuss issues of social status and power.

There is no better forum to discourse on the disenfranchised and disempowered due to sexual violence. In this intimate setting, without harsh light, seated in a circle, tears may flow, and laughter may follow. Heartbeat to heartbeat, humanity is the goal—dignity and respect for all.

Delving into life after various systems of prostitution will allow you a unique opportunity to engage with us older gals as we share our multifaceted path to healing.

Our journeys range from the 1980s to 2024. We are providing not only personal perspectives but also historical, socioeconomic, legal, and political viewpoints.

Street, online, and image-based exploitation will be discussed, as well as laws used against us and laws we fought for!

We have a deep bench to use a sports phrase. From Executive Directors and officers of NGOs to policy experts and civilian law enforcement, our experience has, in many ways, established lasting threads in the tapestry of the “movement.”

Those threads are sinew binding together adversity, disrespect, pain, and loss with strength, healing, love, and liberation. This is the reality of our tapestry: never forgetting what we’ve been through but choosing to live forward-thinking and focused.

Join the conversation with us, the ‘old gals,’ the ‘older generation’ of survivor leaders, as we allow the strength of our friendship and accomplishments to give hope. Survivors and allies, come one, come all!

“Through our narratives, we aim to offer insights from our diverse journeys. From rebuilding shattered self-esteem to reconciling with loved ones, we have faced and overcome many challenges. Our stories illuminate the profound wisdom gained through adversity and the sacredness of the journey toward wholeness.”

Audry, Marian, Terry, and Vednita

June 24, 2014 by Guest

SAVE Act Targets the Advertisement of Human Trafficking Victims

By: Eion Oosterbaan

As its use becomes increasingly universal, the Internet has drastically changed the face of human sex trafficking. Through this medium, criminals have found a way to expand their reach of influence while simultaneously reducing the risk of their detection by law enforcement to a significant extent. Traffickers, or pimps, have taken their business operations from the streets to the online realm, openly advertising their victims as if they are items for sale on websites like Backpage.com and Craigslist. This new practice has caused the selling of human beings for sex to become enormously profitable as human sex trafficking now generates $9.5 billion yearly in the United States. With hundreds of potential buyers from all over the country viewing these ads daily, a trafficker can make anywhere from $150,000 – $200,000 per child victim in a given year.

Even more surprising is the fact that websites earned a total of $45 million in revenue from prostitution advertising in the United States last year. In the average month Backpage.com receives $4-$5 million from these types of ads, which often involve underage children. Legitimate, legal, multimillion dollar corporations are currently profiting from criminal activity and the plight of trafficked children as they generally choose to ignore the fact that their services are facilitating these crimes. It should be noted that not every corporation has disregarded this issue, however, as Google has recently made a highly publicized decision to remove all pornographic ads and links to sexually explicit websites from their services.

In order to limit the prevalence and profitability of human sex trafficking and to hold services like Backpage.com accountable, Congresswoman Ann Wagner and members of the Republican Task force on Human Trafficking in the 113th Congress have worked to create the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act (SAVE Act). The SAVE Act seeks to criminalize the advertisement of commercial sex acts with minors and victims of human trafficking by amending Section 1591 of the Federal Criminal Code to include “advertising” to the types of conduct that constitute the crime of federal sex trafficking. This act would effectively target the traffickers posting the ads in addition to the website organizations where the ads are posted. The bill has already passed through the House of Representatives with overwhelmingly bipartisan support, and has just recently been introduced in the Senate.

The SAVE Act directly coincides with Shared Hope International’s current activity in its fight to eradicate human trafficking. Shared Hope has taken a proactive approach to the issue of these illicit advertisements by using its resources to identify, track, and report instances of human trafficking activity on websites like Backpage.com. The criminalization of human trafficking advertisements would significantly increase the impact of this work. In addition, Shared Hope International’s Sex Trafficking Identification and Response Training would provide the necessary capacity to deal with these types of advertisements.

*Facts and statistics retrieved from the Family Research Council presentation on the SAVE Act at:

http://www.frc.org/eventregistration/pornography-and-sex-trafficking-stopping-online-advertisers-of-trafficking-victims-with-the-save-act

June 4, 2014 by Shamere

Unavoidable Destiny | The Abnormal Return Home

As a native of Jamaica, my anticipations of returning home are always filled with excitement and joy. I think of visiting family members, activities and events and the food. While this trip is filled with excitement and joy it is also filled with a bit of nervousness and fear. For the very first time, I will witness the effects of human trafficking on my island home of Jamaica.

In 2007, Shared Hope published the Demand Report which is a “comparative examination of Sex Tourism and Trafficking in Jamaica, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States.” Through this report I was exposed to the harsh reality and truth that sex trafficking occurs on the small island of Jamaica. In addition to the Demand Report, I delved into the Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report, to further my knowledge on sex trafficking in Jamaica. The TIP report “represents an updated, global look at the nature and scope of trafficking in persons and the broad range of government actions to confront and eliminate it.” Although Jamaica was not included in the first two years of the publication of the TIP report, since its inclusion in 2003, Jamaica has fluctuated from a tier 2, to a tier 2 watch list to a tier 3, the lowest rank possible.

As a child growing up, I do not recall ever hearing or even witnessing anything that can be identified as human trafficking. I do remember hearing conversations about “go-gos” which is the equivalent to a stripper, but these were always adult women. In fact, “go-gos” are looked down upon by many citizens of Jamaica. Since my own trafficking ordeal, I have returned to the island four times and still didn’t see any signs of trafficking. Based on the two afore-mentioned reports, it is evident that trafficking exists on the island despite me not seeing any evidence. Sex trafficking takes a different form in Jamaica compared to America. In America, we have the standard forms of trafficking: pimp control, gang control, familial and survival sex. In Jamaica, sex trafficking mostly takes the form of familial, survival sex and sex tourism. With Jamaica being a third world country, I will definitely conclude that the major reason human trafficking continues to exist is due to the lack of economic opportunities. According to the Demand Report, many residents of Jamaica demonstrate and verbalize their belief that the severe economic situation of Jamaica forces a culture of “making do.” This culture of “making do” leads girls into sexual activity at an early age either by the idea of an opportunity or a better life or through force by parents or guardian as outlined in the Demand Report .

This trip, I will be visiting two homes that provides sevices to victims of sex trafficking (funded by Shared Hope International) on the island, in addtion to visiting some of the places where trafficking occurs and speaking with survivors. I am not sure I am ready to accept this reality. We all know abuse and injustice occurs but we don’t have to deal with it, as we simply place it to the back of our minds. I can no longer leave it in the back of my mind. I am preparing to accept the weigh of confronting, in person, that my country and my people are being scarred by sexual exploitation and violence.

I am really looking forward to speaking with students and survivors on the topic of “overcoming adversity.” Wether it is being a victim of sex trafficking or facing economic hardship, we are all faced with some forms of adversity. Many times, young people simply need a little encouragement and support when faced with adverstity instead of being rediculed. Therefore, I am happy to share about my own adversity, examples of how I am overcoming it and some words of encouragement.

I am very honored to join Shared Hope in Jamaica as we conduct a site visit to our Jamaician partners. I will be blogging while I am there so check back as I take this journey of an abnormal return home. Who knows, you just maybe offered a plate of ackee and saltfish (the national dish) and some festival similar to the picture on your right.

May 23, 2014 by Shamere

Unavoidable Destiny | First Semester Back in College

Education is a very important part of restoration for survivors of human trafficking. However, it can be very challenging at first, especially after a nine year break from school. In my last blog, I spoke about how nervous I was to return to school but that nervousness was quickly drowned by feelings of discouragement once I arrived in Chicago.

Prison would have been a better option. This thought lingered in my mind for several weeks after I moved to Chicago to complete my education. Here I was, in a new city, on a scholarship, at a University with a social justice mission but would rather be in prison. For many people returning to school meant they had to think about how they would pay for tuition, fees and text books but these were of no concern to me since these expenses were already paid. I had to worry about a place to live.

First Day in Chicago — First day in Chicago

Prior to moving to Chicago I thought I would arrive a week before school started, find a place to live, move in and get settled before the start of the semester. A very kind friend offered to open their home to me while I looked for a place of my own. I was under the assumption that crashing on their couch wouldn’t be too bad, it would only be for a short time until I found a place and moved out.

It took two months to find a place to live. Due to my felony conviction, I was denied because I couldn’t pass the background check. I broke down many times just thinking about how I got into this predicament. How could the trafficker use his tactics of manipulation and fear to hold me in exploitation and now, though I’m free, I continue to suffer the consequences of my actions under his direction.

“Why me?” became my solemn cry. I wanted to quit school and move back to D.C. Instead of being in school, I wanted to be in a courtroom fighting on my own behalf. Through the coercion of my pimp, I committed criminal acts, driven by the fear of the brutal torture I received when I was not compliant. Yet, I was punished with a felony and given probation. Although I was free from the physical bars of a prison cell, I felt confined to the reality that my victimization didn’t matter and I will forever pay the price for what was done to me by a gorilla pimp.

Although thoughts of giving up crossed my mind, I didn’t have the guts to quit. I am NOT a quitter but a fighter, determined to succeed no matter how hard it may seem. It seemed I had taken my eyes off my prize—the very reason I was going to school to get my degree. I must fulfill my dream of becoming an attorney and ultimately fight for girls who may end up in my situation so they do not have to face these same struggles. I pressed my way through failing the first half of the semester. It was difficult to focus the attention I needed for school when I had yet to find a home.

I got a glimpse of the sun breaking through my gloomy skies as I remember the One in whom my faith lies. I turned to the only source I know, the One who is able to keep me from falling – Jesus Christ. By March 1, I moved into a brand new apartment, with brand new appliances. The landlord was aware of my background and approved me. With only two months left in the semester, I had work to do. I couldn’t afford to fail the first semester and the library became my best friend. Friday nights when all the students were getting ready to hit the town, I was in the library trying to catch up.

My mentor, Professor Donoghue, author and historian, was my biggest motivator. When I had the look of depression on my face he would always provide me with encouraging words. As part of my scholarship from Loyola, I am conducting research on the history of sex trafficking but Professor Donoghue encouraged me to apply for another fellowship. I applied, doubtful that I would be selected for the fellowship. The Director for the Center of Experiential Learning, Dr. Green, and the Undergraduate Research Program Manager, Dr. Warner, said they were impressed by my application and awarded me with the Social Justice Research Fellowship where I will be conducting research on the bottom girl phenomenon in sex trafficking and presenting my findings at the 2015 Week of Excellence at Loyola University.

A little faith is all it took to get me back on the path of determination. I completed the semester passing every class. Thanks to the other survivors who shared their struggles in returning to school and a host of supporters who continue to motivate and encourage me in my uphill battle.

May 9, 2014 by Guest

In Congressional Briefing, Panelists Discuss Exploitation of Vulnerabilities That Lead to Child Labor

By: Elizabeth Clapp

On Tuesday, April 8, a Congressional Briefing was held on Capitol Hill, entitled “Combating Exploitative Child Labor.” In attendance was Senator Tom Harkin, along with a panel of activists and professionals working within the anti-child labor trafficking movement. These individuals are on the front lines, helping young children who have been exploited by working in harsh conditions for the profit of others. David Abramowitz of Humanity United noted that child labor is “morally, physically, [and] socially harmful,” and that it keeps children from gaining opportunities such as education. One of the focuses of the briefing was on the exploitative roots of the industries that feed off of child labor trafficking.

A primary way that children end up working in these dangerous conditions is through the economic vulnerability of their families. Shauna Bader-Blau of Solidarity Center observed that in Liberia’s rubber plantations, if parents are given more than they can handle in workload, they will often recruit their families to help them fill the quota in order to pay the bills. Another way in which children end up in exploitative labor is if their families cannot afford to put them into school. As Ms. Bader-Blau confirmed, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) there are often school entrance fees that families cannot pay. Therefore, their children may join the tens of thousands of other kids working in the DRC’s cobalt and copper mines. The promising futures of children are stolen because the economic tables are turned against them and their families.

Shared Hope International acknowledges that economic vulnerability can be a factor that leads to exploitation, whether that comes in the form of labor or sex trafficking. That is why we partner with organizations worldwide to fight the epidemic of exploitation, focusing on sex trafficking. One of our partners is Asha Nepal, an organization that provides Nepalese trafficking survivors a welcoming home. These women are often lured by the prospect of a better job – only to become trapped in the sex industry. By offering education and job skills training programs, we work to encourage financial stability and independence.

Learn more here about Asha Nepal and the stories of Nepalese trafficking survivors.

We also partner with Sparsh, an organization based in India that provides a sanctuary for survivors of sex trafficking in India’s brothels and their children, as well as the children of the mothers still trapped in the brothels. One mother recalls she had worked long hours in a factory and heard about a job with higher wages. What she didn’t realize is that the new job required her to sell her body, health and dignity for hours each day in an Indian brothel. Economic disincentives such as these steal opportunities for a better life and drive people of any age into the exploitative sex trafficking and labor trafficking industries.

Learn more here about Sparsh and the stories of women escaping from India’s brothels.