Traffick Free
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January 2013

Trafficking: No Political, Cultural or National Boundaries

Posted January 26, 2013 in:

Chicago Council on Global Affairs :: THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
January 21, 2013

Attending this event was a life highlight for me. Not necessarily because of the words spoken by the panelists, but because I got to see (and hug!) a woman I have respected and admired for 4 years now. I'm not really a person who, at any given moment can rattle off a few people I'm dying to meet, but I can say that I've never been so honored to meet another human being than I was to meet Somaly Mam. I read Somaly's book, the Road of Lost Innocence, in my search for information after first hearing about the devastating crime of Human Trafficking. I was deeply touched by her story and her passion for rescuing girls experiencing a fate similar to hers. She is one of the bravest women I've ever heard of. After her successful escape from captivity, she dedicated her life’s work to saving victims, building shelters and programs for healing, and empowering survivors to become agents of change. She is the perfect example of someone doing what they can with what they have, despite how little, because something isn't right in the world. It's very simple to her: women and girls are suffering greatly and something must be done. There's no question or hesitation, she just acts the only way she knows how. Her smile, her beauty, her bubbly nature, and her positive outlook are what shine the brightest. Nothing about her suggests even a glimpse of the devastation she's experienced. During the discussion she said one of the girls she rescued asked her how she could believe in God, and she replied that it wasn't God who placed her in those dark places, it was God who rescued her and gave her the gift of life. What perspective! Hearing her speak also convicted me because I possess more resources than she did when she started this fight against human trafficking, yet she has managed to assist over 7,000 victims to date.

This event as a whole was especially powerful because it displayed a sense of teamwork on the issue of Human Trafficking. I loved what Scott Portman, Director of International Programs for Heartland Alliance International, said something to the effect of human trafficking being one of the few issues that crosses political boundaries. This is an issue almost every American, every human can agree on, regardless of political affiliation or agenda. Slowly but surely an alliance is forming and a glimpse of this partnership was seen in the conversation between Somaly of Cambodia, Susan Bissell of Canada, and Scott Portman of the United States. Their conversation offered a beacon of hope amidst a very dark issue.

If you haven't read Somaly's book, I highly recommend it! It will change you. It will also be our next Traffick Free Book Club book.
You can purchase her book and learn more about her here.

by:  Betsy Drach (pictured right, Somaly Mam center)
Graphic Designer & Traffick Free Volunteer

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day Brings Over 100 People Together to Educate and Motivate

Posted January 15, 2013 in:

In honor of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day - January 11, 2013, Traffick Free partnered up with CAASE, to present a screening of the documentary film Sex + Money at Overflow Coffee Bar in Chicago. Over 100 guests showed up for this important screening! This film follows a group of student photojournalists around the United States as they document various aspects of sex trafficking. This is an eye-opening film for many, as it shows places that you don’t expect sex trafficking to occur - right in your own backyard.

The filmmakers talked with former victims, buyers, supporters and even a former pimp. They visited a “massage front” in New York City where they asked for a special massage, and were directed across the street to another location. They witnessed a sting where a pimp was arrested on the spot as he tried to get a new girl to work for him. A main focus for them ended up being Phoenix, Arizona where Streetlight, a restoration home that can serve 48 victims of sex trafficking, is based. The filmmakers pledged to donate $1.1 million of proceeds from the film and related merchandise to Streetlight.

One topic that was mentioned in the movie that was carried over to the discussion panel was the fact that there are currently less than 100 beds available in restoration homes for the estimated 100,000 to 300,000 child sex trafficking victims in America. There definitely are not enough beds to help these children or adult trafficking victims even if they were freed today. Education, funding and laws related to the “Swedish Model” were some of the other topics discussed with the panel. While there is no immediate fix, they discussed that there are plans in the works including Traffick Free’s plan for 30-day emergency housing to be presented by the end of 2013.

If each of the 100 guests that showed up at this event tells even just one person about this film or about anything related to human trafficking, that brings us one person closer to putting a stop to this horrible crime.

If you believe someone has been trafficked or in danger, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-373-7888.

Other important resources:

www.facebook.com/traffickfree
www.sexandmoneyfilm.com
www.caase.org

By: Melissa Brand, Traffick Free Volunteer

Newsletter - January 6, 2013

Posted January 7, 2013 in:

Read the latest newsletter about upcoming events for National Human Trafficking Awareness Month from January 11-February 11, 2013.

Here's the link.