National Human Trafficking Awareness Day-- 2010

What is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day?  

January 11, 2010 is a day set aside for all of us to unite and help spread the word that SLAVERY STILL EXISTS and that together we can make a difference! The more people who know the more people we can mobilize.

We are asking that all of our supporters help educate their family, friends, co-workers, and peers about the reality of human trafficking. On January 4, 2010 President Obama signed a proclamation declaring that January is “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” acknowledging that SLAVERY STILL EXISTS -- YOU CAN BE A VOICE OF CHANGE!  

HERE ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP:  

Follow our tweets all day on Twitter and RT to your network!

Share this with your friends.

Post this link on your blog or Facebook page. 

Make a donation to contribute to our SAFE home for women who have been rescued from trafficking right here in the St. Louis area.  

To learn a little bit more, you can watch this video to hear about the trafficking issue from ICA Staff, Jennifer Jones.

Join us again on February 1st for National Freedom Day!  

Between now and then snap a photo of yourself spreading the word about slavery.  Be CREATIVE, write in the snow, make a shirt, sign, or whatever else you decide and send it to cdodson@crisisaid.org for a chance to win a gift card from Starbucks and a SAFE campaign t-shirt!   

Should we legalize the sex trade?

One question that we are occasionally asked to answer is whether or not we think it would be best to legalize the sex industry in order for ‘prostitutes’ to become ‘sex workers’ who have the “ability, social supports, and freedom to put themselves through school and/or turn to more lucrative careers?” 

When stated objectively this is a question which appears to be harmless enough...right?  However, when this question is actually fleshed out it becomes about as ironic as using the words ‘prostitute’ and ‘freedom’ in the same sentence... 

 Let’s start by asking a few questions: 

1.  If a man knocked on your door and offered you $20 to rape your 12-year-old daughter, would you find that to be a “normal” request that was no different than the solicitations of the vacuum cleaner salesmen or the Schwann’s man?   
2. If I were to offer you a career that had [on the low end] a 26% chance and [on the high end] a 73% chance of infecting you with the HIV/AIDS virus within a year, would you willingly agree to take it?1 
3. If I told you that this same career would offer you a 68% chance of contracting PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder], nearly DOUBLE that of the returning Iraqi war veterans would it increase your chances of “willing participation?2 
4. Would you find it “normal” if you witnessed a person approaching a poverty-stricken mother of three in order to demand sex from her on the street?  

If you answered “no” to any of these questions than you see the horrible inconsistency in a belief that legalizing an oppressive industry might be a “benefit” to anyone involved other than perhaps those who wish to prey upon the weak and profit at the expense of the oppressed.  

To sum up our response.  While we appreciate your concern for these women’s access to social supports, and medical benefits we would ask that you force yourself to think through the irony of such a question.  At one moment, it acknowledges the humanity and dignity of these women in its assertion that they should have access to healthcare, benefits, education.  Then, it turns immediately around and totally objectifies women and children as “things which might be had by the highest bidder.”  This is an issue that we speak strongly about because it is our belief at International Crisis Aid that the answer to the problem of the sex industry is not to legalize it, but rather combat it holistically. 

Sex Trafficking: Resources for action in 2010!

With the SAFE home underway here in the St. Louis metro area we have received a lot of questions regarding resources that we find helpful for teaching people about the reality of sex trafficking in the United States. While there is no single work that can possibly explore all of the awful depths of this issue, here are a few resources that we really appreciate and recommend to you if you are looking to gain some further insights into the nature of this "business."   

BOOKS:

Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen

A Crime So Monstrous by Benjamin Skinker

Terrify No More by Gary Haugen

Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy by Kevin Bales

MOVIES and DOCUMENTARIES:

The full FRONTLINE: SEX SLAVES documentary can be found at their website or by clicking HERE. 

The full CARGO: Innocence Lost documentary can be found by going to their website or by clicking HERE. 

HOLLY is a full length movie that follows the story of one girl in the sex trafficking industry in Cambodia. 

CALL AND RESPONSE: full documentary can be found HERE. 

A FEW WEBSITES and AGENCIES THAT WE RESPECT:

SOLD PROJECT

Salvation Army Initiative Against Human Trafficking

US State Department's 2009 TIP Report

STOP THE TRAFFICK

Lets make it our pledge to care for those in our communities who are victims of this horribly oppressive industry in 2010, your partnership really makes a difference! 

Contact us to see how you can help with the SAFE home: St. Louis.

Sex Trafficking in our own backyard.

NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

MATT J. WHITWORTH

SEPTEMBER 24, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING INITIATIVE

FORMER BLUE SPRINGS MAN, WOMAN PLEAD GUILTY 

TO SEX TRAFFICKING OF DAUGHTER

CHILD SOLD AS SEXUAL DOMINATRIX FOR

BOTH ONLINE, IN-PERSON SESSIONS

For the full text, click here:  http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/news2009/barkau.ple.htm

October Newsletter

Hello all, here is ICA's monthly newsletter for you to enjoy!  We are thankful for all of you who played a part in helping October to be a wonderfully successful month for all of ICA's programs.  You are a blessing to many and we are thankful for your partnership.  Don't forget to drop us a comment or let us know if you have any questions that we can answer for you!  

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSTANT SUPPORT!

Inaugural 5K Run for Freedom a Success!

Thank you to all of you who participated, volunteered, or supported International Crisis Aid's inaugural 5K Run/Walk for Freedom this past Saturday. It was a beautiful morning filled with selfless people who are passionate about seeing justice come into the lives of children here in the United States who are victims of this horrible crime. [Still curious about the reality of sex trafficking on "this side of the pond?" Click HERE to link to a great documentary on how this issue works in our "developed" country.]

For those of you who missed it, here is a little "Top 10" recap of the morning : 

Thank you to all the ICA volunteers who came super early to make this event a success!

Route marshalls in their awesome orange vests.

Harris-Stowe drumline marching in to start the race off with a "bang."

ICA president Pat Bradley explains the significance of the 5K Run for Freedom for domestic trafficking victims.

ICA Program Director Jennifer Jones surveys the crowd of runners before the start of the Inaugural 5K Run for Freedom.

Start line.

And they're off...

Thank you to Joan Johnson of Balloons, Blooms, and Baskets for donating balloons for the a meaningful "balloon release."

88 white balloons represented the current number of girls that ICA's has rescued. The single red balloon represented the millions who still wait.

Congratulations to all of our runners for crossing the finish line and being a part of a monumental occasion.

Thank you to sports radio's "E-Mak" who was our emcee for the event and helped make the day a success! 

Overall, we had a wonderful run and raised over $20,000 for the first domestic home for trafficking victims in the United States! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED, and a special thank you to the following people who donated their time, resources, and expertise to make this event a great success:

Balloons, Blooms, and Baskets

Victory Church 

"E-Mak" -- host of Team 1380's sports talk "E-Mak Show"

Bradley Chiropractic

ProDocs

Fleet Feet

Saint Louis University

Mozaic

JIL Technologies

Sex Trafficking in the United States

With the countdown to the 5K Run for Freedom winding down, we thought you might enjoy a snip from a documentary that explains the phenomenon of sex trafficking in the United States.  Cargo: Innocence Lost explores how the business of sex trafficking has become a $9 billion dollar a year industry and why it still remains a shrouded crime in our nation.  The full documentary features "compelling interviews with some of the country’s top officials on the subject, victims’ advocates and victims themselves, who were rescued in Texas." 

CARGO INNOCENCE LOST- DECEPTION

We hope you get a chance to check out this great work and become inspired to help International Crisis Aid establish the first home for domestic victims of this horrible crime by running (or walking) in the 5K Run/Walk for Freedom on September 19 from 7:00-10:00am on the campus of Saint Louis University.  You can click HERE to pre-register for the race. 

Did you know?

TRAFF*ICKING IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK:

State Level: Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court for obtaining five minors that he commercially s*xually exploited for more than two years.  He advertised the five girls on the internet and dropped them off at local motels where he forced them to perform s*xual services in exchange for cash.  You can read the whole story by clicking HERE. 

National Level:  Current statistics from the University of Pennsylvania estimate that 300,000 minors are at risk of being commercially s*xually exploited this year.  A simple search for articles related to trafficking at the national level will reveal plenty:  HERE are a few.  

International Level:  BBC covers the tradition of the Devadasis (temple prost*tutes) in India who are dedicated at a young age and grow up within a ritualized system of s*xual abuse and are not allowed to receive an education of basic health care.  The tradition of the Devadasis is just beginning to be questioned due to the high contraction rate of HIV/AIDS among the Devadasi workers.  To listen to the podcast click HERE. 

Trafficking is not an easy issue to talk about.  We know that.  But it is a reality for more than a billion women, men, and children as we speak.

Join us as we seek to bring freedom to victims of trafficking:

*Donate to International Crisis Aid by clicking on the DONATE button to the right.  

*Run in our 5K Run/Walk for Freedom on 09/19/2009 (better yet, create a team and run together!)  Teams are eligible to win some amazing contest prizes; check out the 5K RUN FOR FREEDOM PAGE to find out more and register to run!