Love, Respect & Hope

On my ongoing quest to find the right partner for GNVF, I am conducting my first site visit to a safe house in SE Asia very soon. This will actually give me first hand exposure and experience with survivors of sex trafficking/exploitation, and the organizations that support them. Due to the confidentiality of potential partners, and the Executive Director's request to keep the organization and the women/children I meet out of my blog, I will only write in very general terms (no names, dates, pics). It'll be interesting to update my blog after I return, to report on the reality of the situation vs. speculation. My experience with overseas philanthropic travel has taught me that views are usually challenged, experiences usually exceeds expectations, and learning's are deep and meaningful.

The organization I'll be visiting offers a safe community for sexually exploited women. They are dedicated to empowering women to find self worth, healing and happiness through emotional support, education and job training. I'll be involved in the job training during the day, and outreach in the red light district area in the evening. 

This organization provides things that were absent from the victims before they found this organization  -- love, respect and hope. I feel absolutely privileged that I'll be living alongside these amazing women, and learning the true meaning of resilience, love and forgiveness.

"Where there is love, there is life" -- Gandhi

p.s.

Several more meetings with other potential partners are also set before the end of the year. Exciting plans are brewing behind the scenes, so you'll have to hold tight for the grand unveiling of the details behind the GVNF Anti-Trafficking Fund shortly after the New Year. Until then, check out http://www.gvnfoundation.org/programs/antitrafficking/

Resource Guide - Part 1

I've been asked to list additional resources from individuals looking for more information around the issue of sex-trafficking. Over the next several blogs, I’ll be sharing with you different resources (both film, article, website and book resources) to help you on your journey of understanding the issue better. This will be “Part 1” of this resource catalogue -- I’ll start this blog with film resources. Many of them were provided to me by the Executive Director of Restore NYC (Faith Huckel), and come highly recommended. I've attached links to web pages that provide further info on the resource, or a preview of the film.

Born into Brothels
Documentary film traces the lives of several children in the Red Light district of India. Winner of the 2005 Academy Award for Best Documentary Film. Born into Brothels was produced and directed by New York based filmmakers Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski.

http://kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels/dvd.php

Sex Slaves
Frontline presents a unique hidden camera look at the world of sexual slavery, talking with traffickers and their victims, and exposing the government indifference that allows the abuses to continue virtually unchecked.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/slaves/

Human Trafficking
Fictional movie traces the routes of several women and children as they are bought and sold by international traffickers. This dramatic film illustrates several forms of human trafficking, particularly the sexual exploitation of women and young children. It captures the stories of victims, perpetrators and those working to stop trafficking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4237pS55h4

Fields of Mudan
Fictional account based on real conditions, the 2006 Academy Awards qualifier written and directed by a FSU film student tells the story of Mudan, a young Chinese girl forced into an Asian underworld of child prostitution and modern day slavery by a brutal brothel owner.

http://www.fieldsofmudan.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN7x95heHhc

Excellent Resource

In my ongoing research of the facts, figures and stories behind the growing epidemic of sex trafficking, I’ve just come across a website with some excellent articles about trafficking & globalization, the recruitment of children into sex trade, and rescuing the victims.

The website is from the Not For Sale site – a grassroots effort to mobilize activists to deploy innovative solutions to re-abolish slavery in their own backyards and across the globe. Very similar to the GVNF mission, and a great example of a small group of people making a big impact in the fight against sex trafficking.


If you are looking for an introduction to the details behind modern-day slavery, I encourage you to browse their site – great information, and insightful commentary.

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/about/slavery/#rs_2

Not For Sale -- another example of changemakers amongst us.

Supply and Demand

A question I get asked often from people trying to understand the growing epidemic of sex trafficking is around how to cut off supply and/or eliminate demand. I think there are many organizations and government agencies trying to unlock the key to this dilemma, and while some success has been made, I don’t think anyone has found the golden ticket yet. Through my research, I have come across two organizations (one, which I have volunteered with), that are individually taking on the supply side of the issue, and the demand.

Eliminating Supply

While almost unfathomable to you and I, selling a child is sometimes the only way a family can afford to keep everyone else in their family alive. Many times, families don’t know they are selling their child into prostitution – they are told that they will be working in a neighboring city or country, and creating a better life for themselves. The money generated from the sale of a child (almost always girls) could buy food on a table, or an animal to generate long-term money for the family. The irony is that if a girl was put in school, versus sold to a brothel, over the long-term she could generate more money, support and status for her family.

The American Assistance for Cambodia started a program called Girls Be Ambitious, and yes…they bribe families to keep girls in school. A family can generate $10/month if their girl has perfect attendance in school. This means that we could keep a girl out of sexual slavery and from being trafficked, for $120 a year. Think of it…the cost of a pair of shoes or dinner out on Friday night for us, could literally save a girls life.

Eliminate Demand

Recently, I worked closely with an organization based in NYC called Stop Child Trafficking Now. SCTNow has chosen to fund a bold, new approach—one that addresses demand—by targeting child predators for prosecution and conviction. They fund special operative teams (retired FBI/navy personnel), who identify predators to arrest, charge, prosecute and convict. Their philosophy is listed on their website:

Rescuing child victims, while important and essential, does nothing to stem the tide of child trafficking. Economic principals prove that supply is a byproduct of demand. When demand goes up, so too does the supply to meet that demand. Conversely, if the demand goes down, then so too will the supply. As long as these predators buy and exploit children, there will continue to be a market and a demand for them. SCTNow's philosophy is to give its undivided attention to the demand side

Both organizations are unique in that they are attacking the problem, before it results in a victim, or survivor needing rehabilitation. Just another example of courageous and focused organizations making a significant difference to attack this global issue head-on.

Must Read

Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people. George Bernard Shaw

It's been a couple days since I last posted a blog...I was traveling on business, but had the opportunity to finally finish Half The Sky by Nicholos Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. I've mentioned excerpts of the book in previous postings, but after finishing the book, it became clear there are common themes surrounding the solutions to sex trafficking, rape as a weapon of war, maternal health issues and gender inequality. Takeaways from all the solutions boiled down to 2 main themes:

1. Empowering women begins with education.
2. The most effective change agents on the ground aren't foreigners, but local women. Grassroots efforts work (GVN has been supporting local community projects for almost 10 years! Go GVN!).

I've said it before, but I'll say it again -- if you are looking for a gritty, challenging and honest portrayal of the oppression of women today, and the change agents taking on the issues, this is a must read. The most fascinating parts of the book showed examples of resourceful and courageous individuals who pushed the line, and risked their own life to better the life of other women. These women were not considered "reasonable" by the society around them, so they resorted to "unreasonable" behavior to break free of oppression, and move the dial forward for women's rights, equality, safety and rehabilitation.

What a great honor to be working with GVNF to support these hero's amongst us.

p.s. Don't forget to check out our new donation portal to support the Anti-Trafficking Fund. Funds raised will go towards grassroots efforts in the field, and support those change agents amongst us.

http://www.gvnfoundation.org/programs/antitrafficking/

Why Investment in Girls Makes Sense

I mentioned in a previous blog that I’m reading Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn's new book Half the Sky, which focuses on the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. I started to read this book, since it focuses on the sex trafficking epidemic, and lays out solutions to end it. While I’m only a couple chapters into the book, an interesting section on women and the economy caught my attention. Since GVNF and I are solidifying projects to fund education based initiatives to support women who have been victimized by sex trafficking, I was encouraged to read extremely compelling facts that support our mission. Unleashing women's potential through education not only empowers them, but also contributes to gender equality, fighting poverty, and economic progress of the entire community:

Investment in girls’ education may well be the highest-return investment available in the developing world – Lawrence Summers, Chief Economist World Bank (1990’s)

Women’s empowerment helps raise economic productivity and reduces infant mortality. It contributes to improved health and nutrition. It increases the chance of education for the next generation – UNDP

Progress is achieved through women – Bernard Kouchner, founder of Doctors Without Borders

Just another reminder why the support, after-care and education of the women and children victims of sex trafficking and slavery is not just important, but imperative.

It's Official

This week, Global Volunteer Network Foundation officially added an Anti-Trafficking Fund page and donation option to their website!

http://www.gvnfoundation.org/programs/antitrafficking/

Posting our official page is an exciting first step! Next, Courtney Montague and myself are finalizing proposals around projects and partner organizations we'd like to support. We should have details to share with you towards the end of November! More to come.

In addition to moving ahead at a good pace with the GVNF Anti-Trafficking Fund, I am also in the midst of preparing for a site-visit to a safe-house in Northern Thailand in mid-November. This trip serves two purposes:

1. Work in a safe house for victims of sex trafficking, and spend time with the survivors to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and needs of survivors
2. Vet out a potential partnership with GVNF

For security purposes, the Executive Director of the safe-house has asked me not to name their organization or post pictures without his approval. Clearly, the intent is not to harm anyone staying in the shelter, so I will only talk about the upcoming trip in general details, not naming specific locations or posting pictures.

Your support and feedback continue to inspire me and help with the development of the Anti-Trafficking Fund. We made great progress this week with the launch of the website page, and with your ongoing support, we will make a difference in someones life who has been victimized and exploited by sex-trafficking. One step at a time, with your help, we can be the change we want to see in the world.

3 Things You Can Do to Empower Women

Last week, Oprah Winfrey launched a For All Women Registry program on her website, becoming another high profile participant in the global fight against sex trafficking (go Oprah!). While exploring her site, I came across some excerpts from the Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's new book (which I just so happen to be reading...will give you a full review once I finish!) called Half the Sky. The three main themes which address the 3 Things You Can Do to Empower Women are (quoted directly from oprah.com):

Make girls smarter

Many pregnant women living in poverty don't get enough iodine, so their fetuses' brains do not develop properly. Their children routinely lose ten to 15 IQ points—particularly the girls, for reasons not fully understood. The solution: Iodize salt, at the cost of a couple of pennies per person per year.

Support a woman's business

With a microloan of $50, a woman can start a business, producing income she can use to feed her children and send them to school.

Keep a girl in school

A girl who gets an education will have fewer children, earn more money, and be able to help her younger siblings.

Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn, are at the forefront of anti-human/sex-trafficking crusade, and have spent years researching the topic of abuses of women in third world countries, and the resources they need to give them a fighting chance. Reading this excerpt was very encouraging, since GVNF has already identified these as some of the areas we would like to focus our Anti-Trafficking Funds towards. Courtney and I have our next meeting on Friday to vet a potential Anti-Trafficking Fund recipient and project, and I'll report on our next steps post meeting.

As an old Chinese proverb says "women hold up half the sky." Yes they do, and perhaps if you and I galvanize our resources and love, and provide to those that face oppression everyday, we can ensure that we continue to hold up half the sky, and maybe even, a bit more.

Terrify No More

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke

Throughout the development work around the GVNF Anti-Trafficking Fund, I'm beginning to read a lot more about the sex-trafficking epidemic in an attempt to understand the issue at a deeper level, determine survivor needs, and pinpoint organizations that are making a difference. Terrify No More (written by the President of International Justice Mission - Gary Haugen) portrayed the horrific crimes against children in Cambodian brothels, and a detailed account of Gary's team infiltrating and gathering evidence to free the girls. Great read -- highly recommend it.

I began reading it to prepare myself for a site visit I'm making to a safe-house in Northern Thailand next month. While the accounts in the book were graphic and hard to read at times, I felt it was an honest portrayal of the evil that exists, and the power of truth . "Truth compels people of goodwill to act; and because all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing, the end is near for the perpetrators of injustice when the truth compels good people to do something." Terrify No More, Gary Haugen

What compels you to act?

(stay tuned for more upcoming details on my site visit to a safe house in Thailand!)

Walk to Stop Sex Trafficking

September 26th, 2009 marked a special day for me. I walked the Golden Gate Bridge with 120 other walkers to raise awareness and funding for Stop Child Trafficking Now. I got involved with SCT Now when I met the founder back in May 2009. She told me about her passion for this issue, and her mission to raise money to address the demand side of sex trafficking. I knew at that point I wanted to get involved.

Along with the Community Walk Organizer, we kicked off the inaugural walk (along with 40 other walks across America) over the Golden Gate Bridge last Saturday. SCT Now supports special operative teams which collect evidence against perpetrators, and bring them to justice with local authorities. Their belief is that if they address the demand side of the business, sex trafficking can be eliminated. 

The efforts of a single operative team will do more to save children than millions of dollars put toward rescuing victims.  Even a handful of new convictions will become a strong deterrent to buyers heretofore undeterred.  A predator pays as little as $25 for 15 minutes of sex with a child.  For the same amount of money, a 4-man team of operatives can be placed on the field to stop him (Source: SCT Now website).

On September 26th, very person walking, or who supported a walker, gave the victims of sex trafficking a chance. A chance to find a way out, a chance to find a life where dignity and respect are paramount. Thank you to all friends and family who supported SCT Now, and gave a girl a chance.