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October 29, 2012 by SHI Staff

It’s a Drug

In the past week, two large events have taken place in Portland to help end human trafficking. Exactly a week ago, the 2-day Do You Know Lacy? sex trafficking awareness training took place. The training had over 200 attendees. Just yesterday an event called ConnectPDX took place, where organizations from all over the Pacific Northwest gathered to create a common plan to end human trafficking. This next blog post is a compilation of my thoughts from these events.

I could write pages and pages about the wisdom that was shared, but today i’m going to focus on something related to the Defenders. But before I begin, here is a reminder of what our Defenders pledge is:

1. I will not participate in pornography, prostitution, or any form of the commercial sex industry.

2. I will hold my friends accountable for their actions toward women and children.

3. I will take immediate action to protect those I love from this destructive market.

Shamere McKenzie, a sex trafficking survivor, says this about men:

“Men–Understand. Understand what it is to be a man. Understand why a woman was created from your rib. Understand that a women was not taken from your head to be on top of you, or your feet to be below you, but from your rib to be beside you. Men need to stand up and be Defenders for women.”

Ultimately, as Shamere pointed out, it’s men that need to stand up and defend women. These girls are being violated, and we cannot just sit here. Men have to rise up and stop this issue. After all, are we not the demand for this brutal business? And if we are the demand, are we not the cure as well? We are the ones that have to stop this problem. (For more information on the supply and demand culture, I recommend you watch this video by our friends at the EPIK Project)

Men, when it comes to ending the trafficking in this world, it’s our job. As a fellow Defender pointed out at the Do You Know Lacy? training, we have absolutely no right–ever–to disrespect any human being. When we look at pornography, go to the strip club, or purchase a prostitute, we are objectifying these women. We are completely taking away their rights, saying that they are ours for the taking.

I want to take some time to talk about pornography. After all, that’s not related to trafficking at all, right? Well, as I’ve done my research on pornography, I’ve found that they are completely intertwined. As it turns out, you cannot have one without the other. To put it simply, pornography is simply the pictures or videos of the prostitution. Ultimately, if you are supporting pornography, you are supporting trafficking. in some way.

What if I told you that pimps used pornography to train the little innocent 12-year-old girls on how to treat the client? What if I told you that pornography is used by pimps to advertise their girls, and what if I told you that buyers often demand that the little girls do the acts that they saw in the pornography they viewed? All of these are true. It happens, and It’s real.

If that doesn’t convince you pornography and trafficking are intertwined, lets talk about science.

In the drug world, marijuana is referred to as the gateway drug. People call it this because of a thing called habituation. When a person experiences the high that marijuana offers, their brain falls in love with it, and of course they continue to use it because it satisfies them so much. Eventually, habituation kicks in and his/her brain gets used to the high that marijuana offers. After a while, the marijuana high no longer satisfies the person, so he/she has to move on to something more powerful. This cycle continues on forever.

Pornography works the same way. It’s actually proven that the same chemicals are spinning in your brain when you indulge in pornography. When you view pornography, you get a certain “high,” but eventually that kind of pornography doesn’t please you anymore, and you have to move on to something even more hardcore. Pretty soon, pornography won’t even please you, and that’s when people move on to the more physical things, like prostitution and private strip clubs shows. This is not a slippery slope argument; this is a scientific fact.

So, where do we go from here? I hope you have realized that pornography is deeply intertwined with human trafficking. If you have, and you struggle with sexual addiction, know that there is hope. As Defenders we can support each other, and acknowledging that you have this addiction is the first step towards healing. If you haven’t already, take the pledge, and then get friends to join you. Support each other. Create a men’s support group.

In the words of a fellow Defender, Nick Lembo, “We are supposed to be sexual beings. But when you take it outside of what it’s supposed to be, lives are ruined.”

Together, we can end demand. We are Defenders.

September 19, 2012 by Guest

Survivor Panel Informs and Educates at Awareness Event

On Thursday, August 30, concerned citizens and activists in D.C. learned about sex trafficking from a survivor perspective. Policy Assistant at Shared Hope International, Shamere McKenzie, moderated a panel discussion that allowed the audience to ask questions and discuss pressing issues in the fight to end sex trafficking. The event took place at Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse in Washington, D.C. and was hosted by DC Stop Modern Slavery (DC SMS), a D.C.-based grassroots organization that works to raise awareness of modern-day slavery.

DC SMS will be hosting the 2012 Stop Modern Slavery Annual Walk at the National Mall on Saturday, September 29, from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Hundreds of advocates and concerned citizens along with numerous anti-trafficking organizations will make the mile-long walk in unity to express their support for eradicating child sex trafficking NOW! The event includes live entertainment, speakers and resources.

The night began with Bethany and the Guitar rocking the house, supporting the eradication of trafficking through their indie beats. The music was uplifting and lyrics beautifully written. McKenzie then moderated the panel discussion, which consisted of remarks by survivors Barbara Amaya and Stacey Lewis.

Amaya spoke about the stigma of criminal convictions on victims of sex trafficking in the United States. Currently, only 7 states allow survivors to clear their record of convictions gained during their time in trafficking. In most states victims are burdened with convictions on their permanent records, which follow them into and throughout adulthood. Amaya recommends citizens make a difference on this issue by writing their legislators and demanding new laws and policies be implemented.

Lewis is a playwright and actor who uses her skills to incorporate anti-trafficking messages into her work. Lewis spoke about the role of media in both promoting and preventing sex trafficking, and said that certain media exposure is important for educating the public about the issue so that they can take action. She ended the evening with a moving and powerful spoken word piece on her experience in the sex trade.

The event was a powerful reminder of the importance of this movement to address the sexual exploitation of women and children in the sex trade. If you are interested in getting involved, come out and walk towards freedom with team Shared Hope International on September 29! Follow this link to register for our team.

To learn more about DC Stop Modern Slavery and the walk, visit www.smswalk.org and www.stopmodernslavery.org

For more information on the women who participated in the panel, visit www.survivorsofslavery.org

August 15, 2012 by SHI Staff

Reunited: How Reshma Reclaimed Her Baby

Reshma looked like a child herself as she lay sobbing for her baby. In painful recovery from a C-section, but with no baby in her arms, she was inconsolable. Seven months earlier, she had nearly decided to abort, but a missionary she happened to meet in Kathmandu urged her to preserve the life and promised to take the baby and raise it. Besides abortion, that was her only other choice.

Reshma’s pregnancy was the result of one of the many times she was raped. From a remote village in Nepal, she was lured to the city with the promise of work, and ended up enslaved by a bar owner that sold girls for sex along with the drinks. She had no family to run to, no friends in the city, knew of no place to flee where she and her child could survive, so in mid-May when the baby came, the nameless little girl was delivered from Reshma’s womb into the hands of the missionary family.

The family had heard about Shared Hope’s partner, Asha Nepal, outside Kathmandu—a place that understood and loved young women like her and would offer her a place to recover from her surgery—and they made arrangements for Reshma to come to Asha Nepal. She was received with warmth and tenderness, something she was amazed to experience. But more than that, she learned that this was a place that was alive with children also! As she lay on her bed, hearing their voices, the regret of giving up her baby overwhelmed her. She had no idea there was a place like this–that would love and care for her—much less her child too!

The Shared Hope team arrived at Asha Nepal the day after Reshma came to them and was immediately caught up in the dramatic events as Asha Nepal’s director interceded with the missionary family to reunite mom and baby. With sadness but with blessing, they agreed to give back the precious little one that Reshma named “Angel.” There was great emotion at Asha Nepal and a joyful welcome into their new family when little Angel was placed in the arms of a beaming Reshma.

The timing of the Shared Hope visit was serendipity! It gave us a first hand, vivid demonstration of how our supporters love and generosity changes tears of sorrow to tears of joy! We’re so thankful!