Sunday, January 27, 2013

What is the TVPRA? Act Now

January is Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery Awareness month.  Some of this information was contained in a previous post, but it's so important that it deserves it's own post. 

The TVPRA stands for the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.  The TVPA is the centerpiece of all U.S. laws against human trafficking and created the first comprehensive federal law to address human trafficking and modern-day slavery.  It was first introduced in 2000 and subsequently renewed in 2003, 2005 and 2008. The current TVPRA of 2008 expired on September 30, 2011.  In late 2012, there was a push to get it reauthorized, but congress failed to do so. 

The TVPA was designed to combat trafficking in the U.S. by increasing the charges of trafficking from a misdemeanor to a felony crime.  It also provides assistance for survivors and visa protection for victims that have been trafficked across international borders.  It also established a global minimum standard for confronting trafficking and slavery as published in the The Trafficking in Persons report.  This report examines the status of 184 countries for both human trafficking violations and efforts to stop human trafficking. Those efforts include passing prohibitive legislation, arrests of perpetrators, and convictions following arrests.

Is your Senator on the list for supporting the TVPRA?

You can increase the chances that the bill is revived in the new Congress by showing support for reintroduction.  Contact your state senators and and ask them to support the reintroduction and immediate passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Visit here for a Sample Letter. Visit here for a Sample Phone Call

You can also take the 100 postcard challenge issued by IJM.  Sign up here to have IJM mail you 100 Abolition Postcards, along with instructions and helpful tips. You collect signatures from friends, family, colleagues, etc and mail them back to IJM in the envelope provided.  The postcards will be delivered to your Member of Congress' offices in Washington, D.C. by IJM. 

This is a great opportunity to make your voice heard.

100 Postcard Challenge

Documentary "Nefarious"

This week our church hosted a screening of the award winning film Nefarious.  This hard-hitting documentary travels across 4 continents and 19 countries to expose the disturbing trends in
modern day slavery.  This was my second time viewing the movie and it was just as emotional for me as the first time I saw it.  The film really gives you a sense of how ugly this crime is.  Here are some of the countries highlighted in the film.

Eastern Europe is referred to at the Frontier of Failure.  In Moldova, 10% of the popluation is trafficked.  A large percentage are orphans.

In Amsterdam prostition is legal.  In the red light district girls wearing little clothing move suggestively behind glass windows trying to sell themselves.  However 60% of prostitutes report being physically abused.  Clearly legalizing prostitution is not the answer. 

In Thailand the extremely poor social conditions remove personal choice from the equation. Young girls go the the city looking for work.  The Thailand government won't grant them citizenship so they are unable to get a job.  It then becomes an exploitation of vulnerability.  The government actually had a billboard advertising the young women of Thailand.  Many times young girls are actually bought from their parents. 

In Cambodia  80-90% of parents are selling their daughters into the sex trade.  They will sell their own kids in order to get better things.  Meanwhile, the men sit around and drink beer all day. Girls are groomed to enter the sex industry and conditioned to do this to honor their parents with the money they make.  In Cambodia, when a girl is born, the parents are told "A girl - you scored the jackpot" because they know the girl can be sold.  Don Brewster of Agape told the story of visiting a "Karaoke bar."  There were 200-300 girls with #'s on their chest so they could be chosen by their #.  Sadly, there were 80 rooms in this karaoke bar and this particular owner owned 8 of this same type of karaoke bars. Even sadder was the receipt he received:

Beer $4
Grapes $5
Girl $3

He talked to 3 girls and tried to get them to leave, but before they could he had to get permission from the mothers.  All 3 moms said no because they needed the money.

Las Vegas girls are lured in by the illusion of glamour, but quickly find out otherwise.  There is actually a published "tricks of the trade" which in reality is more of a "stay alive guide."  The girls are told things like never wear scarves because you can be choked with them; when you enter a room drop your keys on the floor so you can look under the bed and see if there are handcuffs or a gun; don't wear high heals because you won't be able to run.

Sweden is the model for ending trafficking.  Here the law is aimed at stopping demand.  They arrest men for buying sex and the sentence is equivalent to a US felony.  This has changed the market for sex because buyers are afraid to get caught. Sweden has chosen to value the sanctity of human life over fueling the sexual appetite of men.  As a result Sweden has the lowest rate of trafficking. 

Here is the movie trailer:



To purchase Nefarious  Click Here.  The film cost $20, but the education you receive is priceless.  Consider purchasing the film and hosting a movie night for your neighborhood or church group.  If you are showing to less than 30 people you do not need a license.  100% of ALL proceeds will go directly toward combating the global crisis of sex slavery

Friday, January 25, 2013

My "It's Not OK" Moment

A few weekends ago we had a wonderful message at church.  The pastor was speaking about his experience of running 100 miles for children in Africa.  100 miles!  I can't even imagine.  The last two summers I ran a 1/2 marathon with Team World Vision to raise money for clean water projects for communities in Africa.  It was the hardest thing I've ever done.  At the time I couldn't even think about running a full marathon much less 100 miles.  The reason he was doing this, along with 4 other runners, was to get children sponsored through World Vision.  In his message he posed the question "Have you had an It's Not OK Moment?"  For him it was on a trip to South Africa where he met an 8 year old little girl.  He was visiting the place where they lived.  He asked her where she slept and she took him around the corner and pointed to a cold cow dung floor.  He asked her where her bed was and she pointed to the ground.  He asked her if she had a blanket or something to sleep with and she held up a thin sheet full of holes.  God wrecked his soul and he bend over weeping saying "God, this is not OK"

To view his message click here

My "It's Not OK Moment" happened when I  was viewing a video at church a few years ago.  They highlighted the issue of human trafficking in some country that I don't remember.  What I do remember is the image of the young girls being rescued.  I remember seeing girls that must have been 6 or 7 years old being pulled from this dark room.  It wrecked me, but I didn't know what to do with those feelings.  The Lord kept laying the issue on my heart over the next year or so.  I began researching and reading books about human trafficking.  I was horrified to learn how far reaching this was.  When I first began my research I thought of this as something that only happens in other countries.  I was shocked to  learn that it was even going on here in the United States!  I started this blog as an outlet for all the emotions I was feeling in my research of human trafficking. It's a way for me to organize my thoughts and hopefully educate others.  I feel like I am trying to find my way and discover how God wants to use me on this.  Perhaps right now it is for me to spread the word that these things are happening.  Many people are simply unaware.   

I have been extremely fortunate that my church was willing to bring awareness to this issue.  They asked me to head up a volunteer team for human trafficking within the Compassion and Justice ministy.  Even though this is way out of my comfort zone I said yes.  For me this could not be one of those things where I thought "Someone else would be better suited for this" or "Someone else will be able to take care of that."  So we are hosting quarterly forums to raise awareness.  We are hoping that over the summer we can take a group of volunteers and go serve at one of the local organizations. 

I think sometimes we get comfortable with our lives and we would rather not know how others are hurting, broken, forgotten.  We choose to look the other way.  But God calls us to help those who are forgotten.

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.  (Isaiah 1:7)

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.  Psalm 82:3-4

If you have not had an "It's Not OK Moment" will you ask God to open your eyes to the forgotten, the voiceless, the powerless?  I'm reminded of the song by Brandon Heath.  The lyrics to the chorus are powerful...

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see


The forgotten, the voiceless, the powerless.
It breaks my heart. It breaks God's heart. 
How will you remember those who are forgotten?

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Movies and Documentaries About Trafficking

Movies

 
Human Trafficking
The Lifetime cable channel made TV history with this ambitious, acclaimed original miniseries on the horrifying phenomenon of human trafficking, or sexual slavery. It follows the fictional cases of young women around the world, lured or abducted, sometimes right off the street, into a world of unspeakable brutality--which the filmmakers show in almost overwhelming detail at times.

Amazing Grace
The inspiring story of William Wilberforce and his passion and perseverance to pass a law ending the slave trade in the late 18th century. Several friends, including Wilberforce's minister, a reformed slave ship captain who penned the beloved hymn Amazing Grace, urge him to see the cause through.

Trade
When 13-year-old Adriana is kidnapped by sex traffickers in Mexico City, her 17-year-old brother, Jorge, sets off on a desperate mission to save her. As Jorge dodges overwhelming obstacles to track the girl's abductors, he meets Ray, a Texas cop whose own family loss leads him to become an ally. This film is a thrilling story of courage and a devastating expose of one of the world's most heinous crimes.

Taken
When his estranged daughter is kidnapped in Paris, a former spy (Liam Neeson) sets out to find her at any cost. Relying on his special skills, he tracks down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launches a one-man war to bring them to justice and rescue his daughter.

Whistleblower
When Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac accepts a U.N. peacekeeper position in post-war Bosnia, she discovers a deadly sex trafficking ring. Risking her own life to save the lives of others, she uncovers an international conspiracy that is determined to stop her, no matter the cost. With masterful acting and a heart-racing plot, The Whistleblower is an acclaimed film inspired by actual events.

Holly
Ron Livingston delivers a powerful breakout performance as a "comfortably numb" American, immersed in a dangerous and shocking culture of corruption, slavery and deceit. Disgusted and inspired, he finds true meaning in his life as he frantically searches through both the beautiful and sordid faces of Cambodia, risking everything in a desperate attempt to save the life of one girl, Holly... before it's too late.

Trade of Innocents
In present day South East Asia, down dark alleys, in secret rooms, children are for sale. Parallel story lines intertwine and twists unfold against the backdrop of the dangerous human trafficking world, in a story of struggle, life, hope and redemption.

Not Today
Living as large as any 20-year-old could dream, Caden Welles's expectations of a never-ending party in India crash hard-but not as hard as his conscience when he refuses to help a starving man and his little girl. Attempting to right his wrong, Caden's eyes are forced open to a world few Americans know exists: the thriving human-trafficking trade. Spurred by a true purpose, an unexpected friendship and the prayers of his mother and girlfriend, Caden leads an unlikely search for the girl.

8 Days
After sneaking to a party with her friends, 16-year-old Amber Stevens goes missing. Forced into the world of sex trafficking, her family and community fight to get her back. Inspired by actual events.

In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery in Louisiana. Stripped of his identity and deprived of all dignity, Northup is ultimately purchased by ruthless plantation owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender) and must find the strength within to survive. 12 Years A Slave is both an unflinching account of slavery in American history and a celebration of the indomitable power of hope
 

Documentaries


Take an unforgettable journey with six actress/advocates and New York Times journalist Kristof to meet some of the most courageous individuals of our time, who are doing extraordinary work to empower women and girls everywhere. These are stories of heartbreaking challenge, dramatic transformation and enduring hope. You will be shocked, outraged, brought to tears. Most important, you will be inspired by the resilience of the human spirit and the capabilities of women and girls to realize their staggering potential.
 
A feature documentary that seeks to raise awareness about the 27 million slaves in the world today. The film includes ground breaking performances by Grammy award winning and critically acclaimed artists as well as luminaries such as Madeleine Albright, Nicholas Kristof (NY Times), Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Dr. Cornel West and many other prominent political and cultural figures who weigh in on the 21st century slave trade
 
Travel across four continents, through 19 countries, and into dingy Cambodian karaoke bars, Amsterdam's infamous red-light district, Moldovan orphanages, legal Nevada brothels, and the street corners and alleyways of metropolises worldwide for more than a glance at the fastest-growing organized crime industry in the world with the groundbreaking, tell-all Nefarious: Merchant of Souls.
Very Young Girls is an exposé of the commercial sexual exploitation of girls in New York City as they are sold on the streets by pimps and treated as adult criminals by police.

Based on the book Not for Sale by David Batstone, this DVD covers what modern day abolitionists are doing to fight the rampant terrors of human trafficking in the US and abroad. Traveling over 120,000 miles across five continents. Producer and Director Robert Marcarelli and his film crew gathered undercover footage on this billion-dollar industry and interviewed the heroes who are determined to see it end.

Filmmaker Libby Spears went undercover to infiltrate brothels in South Korea and Thailand. She held first-hand interviews with victims, their pimps, and their abusers.  She was astonished to find the degree to which Americans were influencing the global demand and growth of the sex trafficking industry.

The Price of Sex  http://priceofsex.org/
Photojournalist Mimi Chakarova, who grew up in Bulgaria, takes us on a personal investigative journey, exposing the shadowy world of sex trafficking from Eastern Europe to the Middle East and Western Europe

Not My Life  http://notmylife.org/
Features interviews with more than 50 trafficking victims. From 10 year old girls raped in USA truck stops, brothels in Indiana, to street beggars in Africa.  Narrated by Glenn Close

Sex + Money http://sexandmoneyfilm.com
A documentary about domestic minor sex trafficking and the modern-day abolitionist movement fighting to stop it. Since September 2009, the crew has traveled to over 30 states and conducted more than 75 interviews with federal agents, victims, politicians, activists and more.

Chosen http://sharedhope.org/store/chosen-dvd/
A documentary by Shared Hope International.  Tells the shocking true story of two ‘All-American’ teenage girls tricked into trafficking. Eighteen-year-old Brianna was an honor-roll student, cheerleader and worked at a local café. Thirteen-year-old Lacy was an active member of her youth group, and a volunteer in her community.

Tricked http://trickedfilm.com/
Meet the pimps, the johns, the police, the parents and the victims of the America’s thriving sex trade.  A comprehensive documentary that uncovers America’s dirty secret. It’s an industry that is fueled by greed, fantasy and the commercial sexual exploitation of American children and girls.

The Pink Room http://thepinkroommovie.com/story/
The Pink Room follows the journey of Mien and other young girls in the turbulent world of sex slavery that at times seems unfathomable.  Mien grew up in Svay Pak, just eleven kilometers outside the capitol city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a vast and vicious epicenter of child sex slavery. The Pink Room shows passionate determination in attacking the complex issue of human trafficking with an even more complex and diverse response of rescue, restoration, reintegration and prevention.





Free Movie Screening of Nefarious


Please join us on Thursday, January 24th at 6:30 p.m. for a free screening of the award-winning film “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls” to learn more about this growing crime. This hard-hitting documentary travels across 4 continents and 19 countries to expose the disturbing trends in modern day slavery.

Members of Bright Hope be joining us to share this film and answer questions about the work they are doing to rescue victims.
Material is not suitable for children. A strong PG 13 rating is recommended.

To register:
http://www.willowcreek.org/crystallake/grow/classes
Willowcreek Church 220 Exchange Parkway in Crystal Lake220

Monday, January 21, 2013

Organizations Fighting Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor.  

There are a number of incredible organizations in the United States that are working very hard to help these children.  These are just a few of them.  Consider supporting them through donations or volunteer work.  Sign up for their email list to stay informed.


For Global Trafficking:
Freedom Firm (www.freedom.firm.in) fighting sex trafficking in India

International Justice Mission (www.IJM.org) fighting trafficking and other injustices globally

Love 146 (www.love146.org)

Polaris Project (www.polarisproject.org),

Bright Hope (www.brighthope.org) located in Hoffman Estates, rescuing in India

Half the Sky (http://www.halftheskymovement.org/) fighting trafficking and other injustices globally

 
For Domestic Trafficking:
Salvation Army PROMISE program (
www.sapromise.org) operates a safe home for victims

Stop Child Trafficking Now (www.sctnow.org) focused on getting the “johns” in sex trafficking

Shared Hope (www.sharedhope.org)

CAASE (http://caase.org/) based in Chicago focused on ending demand

Dreamcatcher Foundation (http://www.thedreamcatcherfoundation.org) Helping young girls in Chicago

The Red Run (http://theredrun.org/)  Run or walk a 5K in Algonquin to raise awareness and money for the cause

Hotlines:
Cook County Human Trafficking Response Team Hotline: (312) 718-4449

National Human Trafficking
Resource Center Hotline
1-888-3737-888

STOP-IT
Chicago Salvation Army Trafficking Outreach Program and Intervention Techniques Hotline
1-877-606-3158

Methods of Recruiting and Control


Methods of Recruitment

·        Kidnapping or abduction   
·        False promises of love and support (they target vulnerable children)
·        Deception – promises of modeling career, recording contract, etc.
·        Solicitation by other women or girls recruiting on behalf of the sex trafficker;
·        The “loverboy” approach of appearing genuinely interested in a romantic relationship while gradually coercing the victim into prostitution.

 
Methods of Control: 

  • Violence:  Rape and physical abuse
  • Threats to family members: traffickers threaten to abuse or murder family members if a victim refuses to work or attempts to run away.
  • Sense of shame: Some victims feel such an acute shame about the activities they have been forced into that they fear exposing themselves, and their secrets to anyone.
  • Debt Bondage: Some victims feel obligated to pay off their “debt” for food, clothing or shelter
  • Sense of loyalty to the abuser: This may take place as a result of brainwashing or traumatic bonding. Some victims are made to feel that they themselves have done something wrong and that the trafficker deserves to punish them.
  • Drugs:  Often they will get the victims addicted to drugs
  • Branding with tattoos

Why Don’t They Ask for Help?
·        Shame, embarrassment or stigma

·         Self-blame due to degradation and brainwashing process routinely used to control victims (this can result in an inability to view self as a victim) 

·         Fear of retaliation or deportation 

·         Isolation or lack of social support and connections 

·         Learned helplessness 

·         Lack of knowledge of available services 

·         Lack of knowledge of victims' rights 

·         Lack of trust 

·         Feelings of being indebted to their captor