Last Minute Meaningful Gifts!

Need some last minute gifts for the holidays? How about buying something that will make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate? I love buying gifts that have meaningful backgrounds and that also give back to people in need through the purchase. It's like giving a double gift!

Here are my top picks this holiday season :

#1 A World Away's Olive Wood Napkin Rings

Have someone on your list who is tricky to buy for? Consider getting them a gift for their home. These beautiful Olive Wood Napkin Rings are handcrafted in the West Bank out of local olive trees by artisans in the Holy Land.

Olive wood is an important part of the cultural identity of the people in this region and woodcarvers receive much higher wages than the average minimum wage. By purchasing these napkin rings for just $26, you will help this great job continue to be available at Shepherd's Field Factory.

#2 Ten Thousand Village's Handmade "Village's Airways" Toy Plane Set

Need something for that special child in your life? Look no further than this fun, sturdy, handmade Village's Airways Toy Plane Set painted in bright colors and featuring six passengers from all over the world!

Made in Sri Lanka from sustainable composite wood, the purchase of this airplane will help give people living in Sri Lanka's rural areas fair employment where they would otherwise not find any. For just $44, your purchase will directly support Golden Palm Crafts in Sri Lanka.

#3 Kate Spade's Hand in Hand Gold Bangle Bracelet

I thought of a few people on my list who would love this Kate Spade 14k gold "Hand in Hand" bangle and I'm sure you can, too!

Not only is it a gorgeous bracelet, but it was designed to bring women all over the world into a partnership to support women who are trying to rebuild their lives in war-torn countries. To remind the wearer of this partnership, the bracelet is engraved with "hand in hand" on the outside and "there's strength in numbers" on the inside. Buy it now for only $48! 25% of your purchase will be donated to Women for Women International.

# 4 The Body Shop's Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream

My last pick is a gift you could buy for almost anyone on your list. Seriously, who DOESN'T need hand cream every now and then? The Body Shop's Soft Hands Kind Heart hand cream is not just a great beauty product, but it is working to put an end to sex trafficking of women and children all over the world.

Count up the number of people on your shopping list and buy a bottle for each of them right now, for only $7!! The best part of this purchase??? 100% of it's proceeds will be donated to ECPAT International!!

America's Most Wanted travels to Cambodia

One of my (most recent) and biggest heroines, Somaly Mam, was featured on America's Most Wanted tonight. I'm sorry to those who missed it for not posting this BEFORE the show aired this evening, but I still wanted to announce it anyway.

I am a big fan of AMW and try to catch it as often as I can on Saturday evenings. I think their approach to uncovering criminals is very successful and I applaud their work. I was THRILLED to find out that they were going outside of their normal boundaries to feature Somaly's work in Cambodia and more importantly, to uncover the darkness that is human trafficking to America's Most Wanted's viewers. Thank you, AMW and John Walsh for your important work!!

Here is a photo taken from AMW's website of Somaly Mam and John Walsh with some of the children Somaly has helped rescue from human trafficking in Cambodia...

For those of you that missed it - here's a short video clip from the show.

Will you march in with the Saints?

A dear friend of mine (who also happens to be my future sis-in-law!) brought this song to my attention a couple days ago and I cannot stop listening to it. She said that she thought of EHS and the whole fight against trafficking and was inspired to action through the words below... you'll see why once you read them. Even more once you listen to Sara Groves singing it! It has been my inspiration over the last two days...

When the Saints - Sara Groves

Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I cannot let it go

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it often overwhelms me
but when I think of all who've gone before and lived the faithful life
their courage compells me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

I see the young missionary and the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear

I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sister standing by the dying man's side

I SEE THE YOUNG GIRL HUDDLED ON THE BROTHEL FLOOR

I SEE THE MAN WITH A PASSION COME AND KICKING DOWN THE DOOR

I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

AND WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN,

I WANT TO BE ONE OF THEM
and when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them

Are you a MINDLESS shopper??

What a lot of us don't realize a lot of the time is that we MAY be supporting human trafficking/unfair labor within our everyday purchases. Do you know where each and every item you buy throughout your day comes from? I don't mean the "made in..." stamp, I mean, do you know exactly where, as in, what type of warehouse was it made in. And, who made it? How much were they paid? How many hours must they work in a day? Have any of these thoughts crossed your mind while shopping?

Has THIS crossed your mind?

I have to admit. On occasion, and more often than not, if I am being 100% honest, I am guilty of mindless shopping. My definition of mindless shopping is just that : Not thinking about the origins of the product you are buying.

In an effort to become more supportive of ANTI-trafficking, I have researched fair trade shopping and found that it is somewhat hard to find - and might I add, much more expensive. Being the frugal person that I am, I cringe when purchasing something that I know I can buy cheaper elsewhere. However, I have been working on reminding myself of the people - literally all the way across the world from me, working their butts off for little or nothing, not because they necessarily WANT to, but because they HAVE to or are being FORCED to - in order to make me a shirt, or a purse, or a pair of jeans for a bargain price. Many of them MUCH younger than the legal working age.

In a particular sweatshop in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, children between the ages of 12-16 are forced to work 14 hour days with no education. They receive hardly any payment for their work, are exploited, and only given 2 short breaks for a small amount of food and tea to drink throughout the entire day. One child at the shop even stated his fear of standing up or drinking water because of what their boss might do to him if he did. Read more about their story, here.

The sad truth is, this is happening all over the world RIGHT NOW. Hundreds of companies around the world and especially in the U.S. are guilty of receiving their supplies from these types of businesses abroad. Why? It keeps costs down in order to deliver an attractive product at a cheap price to our consumer-driven country, while still giving the company a hefty profit rather than the ones putting the actual hard work into the production of it.

You may be surprised to hear names of companies who refuse to release information about their production facilities abroad. Companies like Abercrombie & Fitch, Ikea, Walmart, LL Bean, Pier 1 Imports, and Hanes are all guilty of unfair trade practices.

According to the International Labor Rights Forum, Gymboree, Hanes, and LL Bean all used forced child labor in 2010 based in Uzbekistan to supply their cotton. Children as young as 7 years old are forced to work in cotton fields all day long and even live in dormitories in remote areas during the time that they would normally be in school.

Ikea, Kohls, and Walmart all purchase bed linens from the same textile factory in Denizili, Turkey, where four workers have died in 2010 from unsafe working conditions.

Is the little less cash REALLY worth that? Is it really worth supporting something so awful?

Think about it next time you grab that awesome deal off the rack...Shop with the 2010 Shop with a Conscience Consumer Guide and help put an end to sweatshops and unfair trade!

Born Into Brothels

I stumbled upon a used book/dvd sale at my local library today and came across the movie "Born Into Brothels." I had heard about this film before in one of my online searches but didn't know much information about it. As it was only $1.00 at the sale, I decided I couldn't pass it up. As soon as I returned home, I looked up the film online and now cannot wait to watch it.

Born Into Brothels was filmed within the Red Light District of Calcutta, India and released in 2004. Although the film was directed by Zana Briski, it was filmed largely in part by children living within the RLD themselves. Briski originally sought to film the lives of India's sex workers but found out that she would not be able to access their lives enough to portray a truthful image. As a result, she relocated to Calcutta to become a part of the residence there and met many children who had literally been born into the brothels by the sex workers. She forged relationships with these children, taught them basic photography skills, and gave them cameras so that they could film the inside world of the brothels that outsiders could not capture.

The result of was more than Briski had bargained for. Briski decided to use the children's new photography skills to give them a chance at a better life. The film gained so much attention worldwide that many of the children were able to escape the brothels and enter boarding schools where they received an education and a proper place to live. Unfortunately, some of the children weren't given permission by their guardians within the brothels to leave and were forced to return by the film's end.

I will give a full report with my own opinion as soon as I get a chance to pop this film into the DVD player! In the meantime, check out the project here.

Updates!

Recent News :

"New Jersey is crossroads in sordid work of human trafficking" : by Herb Jackson

New Jersey is a crossroads for many types of human trafficking and the government is cracking down to put an end to it. Many factors contribute to New Jersey being highly susceptible to human trafficking including it's tri-state location with New York and Pennsylvania, it's transportation network, pockets of poverty, high wealth, and cultural diversity with many immigrant neighborhoods. Read more about recent specific cases here.

"Calif. Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Combat Human Trafficking" : by Valerie Gotten

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB657, a law that requires major retail sellers to disclose their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their direct supply chains. Check out the details here.

What you can do:

Think Twice Before Purchasing Chocolate...

"Your Favourite Chocolate could be made through exploitative Child Labour." by George Okore

Protect Your Children...educate them in being aware of the dangers of being lured into sexual exploitation with Adults Saving Kids educational resources.

Send Survivor Care Packages

Search in your area for rehabilitation centers for survivors of human trafficking and donate items to them for the survivors! Here are a few centers to check out :

Veronica's Voice SAFE Center in Nebraska

Dawn's Place in Philadelphia

Peace Rehabilitation Center in Nepal

Coming Soon! The Well Rescue House in Mexico City

Wonderfully Made

Looking to start your Christmas/Holiday shopping early? Girls, want to treat yourself to something nice? Guys, need a special gift for that special someone? ...Make a difference in the world by finding out WHO you are supporting/NOT supporting at the bottom of the production chain for the things you buy...SUPPORT SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE BETTER LIVES!!

Our West Coast Coordinator/Twitter Extraordinaire, Dianne, found another awesome business, Wonderfully Made, that directly supports survivors of human trafficking!

Wonderfully Made is a jewelry company that provides an alternative means of income for victims of human trafficking. By giving survivors a successful profession, it helps them from being vulnerable to returning to the slave industry. The jewelry is handmade by survivors and is produced into high quality products desired by Western consumers. Each piece is unique and meant to serve as a conversation starter to deliver a message of hope for victims of human trafficking.

Check out some of my favorite pieces :

This "Soleil Bracelet" includes a variety of quality beads and glass on a gold-fill chain. $75

These "Confetti Earrings" are made exclusively for Wonderfully Made by NightLight Designs in Bangkok, Thailand. They are a combination of black pearls and black lip shell beads clustered together on sterling silver earwires. Originally $50, now on sale for $25!

The long term vision of Wonderfully Made, taken directly from their website, is as follows :

That every trafficked victim and prostitute has the opportunity

to realize the freedom, beauty, and hope found in Jesus Christ.

The Body Shop

We all know that The Body Shop sells some amazing beauty products to help us enhance our natural beauty and live healthy lives...what some don't know is that The Body Shop is also committed to the environment, and now, to human rights. We are so excited to inform you all about their new (since 2009) global campaign to help fight human trafficking!

As part of their work to support important causes around the world, The Body Shop has recently launched a global campaign to "Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People." They are working alongside ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) in a campaign that seeks to raise awareness and funds for victims and others at risk of human trafficking.

SSTCYP was launched in 2009 and has since then gathered support from more than 40 countries worldwide. Part of the campaign includes the launch of their exclusive product, "The Body Shop Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream."

Proceeds from each hand cream are donated to ECPAT and other various organizations that are actively working to support victims and prevent future trafficking cases. It is estimated that sales of SHKH Hand Cream equal ONE EVERY 30 SECONDS. That means more than a staggering 1.5 Million dollars have been raised for anti-trafficking charity. MAJOR PROPS to The Body Shop for this amazing campaign.

How you can be involved :

1. Tell everyone you know about the SSTCYP campaign to help spread the word about the tragedy that is sex-trafficking and what we can do to help STOP it.

2. Buy a bottle of SHKH hand cream! Online or in stores!

3. Send tips of suspected trafficking reports to protect@ecpat.net

4. Visit The Body Shop's campaign webpage to read more details about the campaign and to sign their petition which is being brought to the UN in 2011 to encourage officials to implement stricter trafficking policies and legislation.

Hope Jewelry

I am SO SO excited about a website that I found today!!

Read on, bloggers!! :)

HOPE JEWELRY is an Arizona based company that sells jewelry made by sex-trafficking survivors around the world. Not only do they raise money and support for organizations in East Asia who are working to bring freedom to women and girls, but they also help spread the word through home gatherings to bring education and awareness to women all over the world that sexual slavery has a global impact and needs to end.

By shopping at Hope Jewelry, you will automatically be supporting the fight against sexual slavery. You will be doing your part to help empower victims around the world to use their God-given gifts as a way out of their bondage. Each item for sale is handmade by a survivor of sex-trafficking. They are each beautiful, unique, and hopeful. Here are a few of my favorites :

Embroidered Headbands made by survivors in India - Only $12 each!

Magazine Bracelets - made of recycled, rolled, shellacked, magazine pages by families in Uganda. Only $10 each!!

Multi-Colored Stone Bracelet made by survivors in Thailand. Only $27

Nepali-Ice Necklace handcrafted by survivors in Nepal. Wear long or loop once or twice for a layered look! Only $30.

French Market Bag - A mini-tote bag made by survivors in Shelano, India - only $22.

And many, many more GORGEOUS items on their website.

"Hope Jewelry isn't an accessory. It's a labor of love made by a woman who has been given an amazing gift...hope."

Check out all their beautiful items for sale, here, and join in the fight to end human sales! Buy JEWELRY to stop the buying of PEOPLE.

Akun

"Akun" in Cambodian means, "Thank You."

I already talked about this in a previous post, but I want to revisit it because I am still LOVING my Akun bracelet from the Somaly Mam Store.

Each bracelet is handmade by a sex-trafficking survivor and signifies their freedom and rehabilitation at the Tomdy Center in Phnom Penh. They only cost $15! Each bracelet is unique and a different color so you don't know what you're going to get until you open up your package! I received a beautiful, bright purple one and I absolutely love it. It inspires me to continue acting out against trafficking each time I wear it.

I encourage you to BUY ONE today!!! You won't regret it and your $15 will go a long way to help those in need.

Largest Human Trafficking Case in US History

6 individuals were busted for trafficking 400 Thai laborers into the US over the past 6 years and forcing them to work in various states across the country. In addition to the help of a Thai recruiting company, the scheme was led by Global Horizons Inc. The defendants face 10-70 years in prison.

Kudos to the FBI and the Department of Justice for taking this operation down. We hope for continued success in putting an end to trafficking operations across the US.

Read about the largest human trafficking case in US history here.

International Justice Mission

"International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, to prosecute perpetrators and to strengthen the community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems."

IJM has been fighting for justice around the world since 1997. Learn how to get more involved by visiting their website.

How you can be involved :

Fundraising- host an event such as a benefit race, concert, etc, to raise support and money for IJM.

Documentary Screening - host a documentary screening in your home/school/church of IJM's

At the End of Slavery documentary.

Prayer - Sign up to become a prayer partner for IJM

Volunteer - Volunteer to serve on one of the many projects at IJM's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Buy Stuff! - Shop at IJM's online store to buy t-shirts, books, DVDs, and more in order to benefit the great work they are doing around the world. You can also donate to them through their online store!

Update!

I apologize for the lack of posts recently - we are getting SO close to our benefit concert, FREEDOM FEST, and have been super busy finishing up the plans for it.

FREEDOM FEST 2010 will take place on August 29th, 2010

at Delaware County Christian School

in Newtown Square, PA

from 4pm-9pm

100% of the concert's proceeds will be directly donated to Free the Slaves

The concert will feature local musicians, actors, dancers, artists, and our special guest speaker, Lee McClure, from Free the Slaves! T-Shirts, bracelets, and other general merchandise will be available for purchase, as well as hoagies, chips, sodas/water, and baked goods! All of this for a small, $3.00 admission charge.

If you want to join in the fight against human trafficking, please come out and support this event! We hope to see ALL of you there!!! Bring friends and tell everyone you know about this! Look for our event page on Facebook for more information and to invite your friends!

Covenant House

Today's post is dedicated to the Covenant House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for their awesome work fighting poverty, violence, and human rights violations to youth in the city.

Covenant House is a shelter home that provides services to homeless, at-risk youth. It is the largest private child welfare agency in its area (the Delaware Valley.) Their services include street outreach, education, job placement, legal services, and fighting human trafficking.

The street outreach team at the Covenant House is part of the Pennsylvania Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition. The team conducts training in various communities around the Philadelphia area, as well as working to identify places of trafficking in order to have them shut down.

Over 50 young people seek shelter at the Covenant House each and every night. Their stories are all different, yet the same. They are all searching for someone to show them that they care - to show them unconditional love and support no matter what. That is just what the Covenant House is set out to do.

Their work could not be possible without the financial support of individuals like you and me. If you are interested in more personal ways of donating, the house is always in need of in-kind donations in order to better serve the youth seeking shelter each night. Most importantly, keep the Covenant House and the youth in your thoughts and prayers!

NHTRC

The National Human Trafficking Resource Hotline is a national, toll-free hotline that is available to answer phone calls from anywhere in the country 24/7 365/year.

NHTRC is a program that is part of the Polaris Project; a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that envisions and is actively working towards a world without slavery.

To report trafficking tips, find information for anti-trafficking services in your area, or to request training from NHTRC, call 1-800-373-7888

Visit NHTRC's Homepage for more information on the hotline, their services, and to find out how you can support their work.

Do Your Part in Pennsylvania!!

Did you know?

Pennsylvania is home to many U.S. and international victims of sex and labor trafficking. These victims include minors. Slavery in PA includes but is not limited to, street prostitution, closed-network residential brothels, and many disguised labor operations such as nail salons, massage parlors, agricultural businesses, and domestic servitude.

Not only does PA house many slave operations, but it also exists as a "pass-through" state, which is extremely valuable to human traffickers. This is due to the state's many interstate highways that connect to trafficking hot-spots like New York and Ohio. Many truck stops in the state are known to host sex traffickers - especially those along the "Miracle Mile" in Monroeville, PA.

In 2006, the Pennsylvania legislature made human trafficking a 2nd degree felony offense, unless the victim is under 18, in which case it would be a first degree felony. In addition, traffickers must forfeit any profit gained from their crimes. However, since enactment, the state has failed to utilize the law. As a result, two important bills are in the process of being passed to improve the state's response to trafficking offenses.

The first bill is a bipartisan legislation to enforce that certain agencies and organizations MUST post the National Human Trafficking Hotline - which is a response agency with call representatives speaking over 100 languages who will provide immediate response to urgent calls.

The second bill would establish the PA State Human Trafficking Task Force/Advisory Committee. The statewide task force would build off of already existing coalitions in cities such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and provide local, state, and federal participants.

What YOU can do...

Do you live in Pennsylvania?

Do you want to join in this fight against human trafficking?

Contact your state legislator to urge them to pass this bill and join the fight against human trafficking! Read more about the bill and how to contact your legislators here!

Enslaved : Human Trafficking by Margaret Bailey

Beautiful women travel from distant lands

for a better life,

They see the red, white and blue as relief,

Yet, when they arrive,

They are coerced into misery and grief,

Sold like cattle to the highest bidders,

Used repeatedly to launder dollars,

Innocent foreigners caught up in

slavery,
No one says anything because it boosts

the economy,

Flesh being traded and used over and over again,

Superceding drugs as monetary gain,

Human beings have become an expensive

commodity,

Enslaved and trapped for the use of their bodies,

Some are victims of their own comrades,

who have come to America and extracted

the debaucherous scherades,

Holding women hostage with the new games

they have learnt,

until they are demoralized and their souls are burnt,

Who watches over these atrocities?

When the "oldest profession" keeps those

in power happy,

Enslavement of foreign women is everywhere

imaginable,

It's time the World did something about it!

Instead of remaining silent as if it never happens......

Website!

You can now visit us at...

End Human Sales' Official Website!

The website is still under construction, but our emailing list is activated, so head over to the site and enter your email information to be on the list of the first to hear our updates and event news! Thank you all in advance for your support!

Baby Halder

While picking up some necessities at the Dollar Store the other day, I picked up a book titled, "A Life Less Ordinary." Now, I usually am not one to buy books while at the Dollar Store. I do, from time to time, when I see a book I recognize, otherwise, I just pass them by. Well, this particular book caught my eye (truthfully) because of the pretty cover. Once I read the title and saw that it was a memoir, I figured, what the heck, what's there to lose with a $1 price-tag??

When I got home and unpacked all of my goodies, I sat down and opened to the front cover to read what this book was about. Before I could even finish the inside-cover summary, I dove right into the first chapter. Although I haven't finished it yet, I got so excited about it that I had to post about it today!

"A Life Less Ordinary" is a memoir about poverty and brutal child labor throughout the life of its author, Baby Halder. Halder was abandoned by her mother at age 4, married off to a cruel, abusive man at age 12, and endured all sorts of physical, emotional, and mental trauma throughout her life.

Finally, at the age of 25, she began working for a sympathetic retired academic, who caught her browsing through his library one night. In response, he gave her a pen and paper and encouraged her to attempt writing. She stayed up late nights to write her story down from then on. Her employer, Prabodh Kumar, was so impressed with her writings that he encouraged her to continue and offered to edit her work. Originally written in Bengali, the book has been translated into several Indian languages, as well as English, and has become a best seller.

Baby Halder's story is a one of true ashes to beauty...from an exploited life to a praised one, the true story of her life literally set her free. You will not regret reading her story. Get it here!

Stella's House

Phillip Cameron is a preacher, singer, author, and founder of an international missions organization reaching the U.S., Scotland, Romania, Moldova, and more. I'd like to focus this blog post on his missions work in Moldova.

On a trip to Moldova in the early 90's, Phillip witnessed horrible conditions in its orphanages. In a specific orphanage he visited in the small town of Hincesti, babies were literally freezing to death. Over 30 children were dying each year from the cold. Phillip decided he had to do something about it. As a result, he opened a Mission House, called Hebron's Hope, and began helping the orphanage save the children. Since the organization has been working with the orphanage, no more children have died from the cold.

Another particularly sad truth about the orphanages is that they must release the children at the age of 16. This causes many young girls to be easy targets for sex predators on the streets of Moldova. Hundreds of thousands of women are trafficked into the sex industry in Moldova each year. In order to provide refuge for these young girls, Phillip Cameron Ministries built a shelter in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. The shelter was named after a young girl that Phillip had met on an initial visit to the orphanage and who had died as a victim of sex trafficking. Her name was Stella. The shelter was named Stella's House.

Since the opening of Stella's House in 2006, the need for shelter for these young women has continued to grow. Stella's House 2 was opened in 2009 and Stella's House 3 in early 2010. Construction has already begun on Stella's House 4. All of the houses are adjacent properties and will be one secure campus when the fourth house is finished.

Please Read more about Stella's House and consider donating to the ministry. Without help like this, thousands of children in Moldova will be sent away from orphanages and fall through the cracks never to be seen or heard from again. Donate Money to the ministry to help rescue more girls from the streets. Another really unique and great way to be involved with Stella's House is to buy something from their registry! Through the registry, you can buy specific items that are needed in the homes for the girls. PLEASE get involved with this awesome ministry. It is only through organizations such as this one that human trafficking will come to an end! They can't do it without support, though! Please consider it!

Twitter Challenge

Dianne has really been making me think a lot in the past few days about this evil crime we are set out to fight! Please follow our Tweets - I promise, she will challenge you to think, too!

Just yesterday, Dianne posted a link on our twitter page to an article posted by IPS (Inter Press Service) on June 17, 2010. The article highlighted the Southeast Asian response to the U.S.' recent annual report on Human Trafficking. Many people throughout the region are now urging officials of the ASEAN (Association of South-east Asian Nations) to make changes in its policies regarding Human Trafficking.

Just last year, ASEAN shared its definition of what constitutes human trafficking. They placed human trafficking in a category of a security challenge, separating it from labor migration, which they placed in a social/cultural challenge. What was revealed was a narrow misconception of the problem - and a need to reform said definition in order to combine human trafficking with labor migration and tackle the two together.

ASEAN includes Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Most of these countries were ranked lowest on the U.S. report this year, which included stories of Burmese women forced into prostitution in Malaysia, and children forced to sell sweets and other goods on the streets of Thai cities.

Click here to read more details

In addition to the article above, Dianne also posts many thought-provoking statements, including "Fact of the Day" and sentiments to cause you to really think about your life and how you might be able to sacrifice a little bit to help those less fortunate. Props to her for having the courage to face this world's ugliness and for urging us all to do the same! Be sure to follow! Here are a few of her tweets for those who haven't been following ...

Fact of The Day: More than 2/3 of sex trafficked children suffer additional abuse at the hands of their traffickers.

What then is freedom ? The power to live as one wishes.

Can you imagine life where u were OWNED by someone? Where u are an item or a tool for someone's needs and there was no way out?

Fact of The Day: Around half of trafficking victims in the world are under the age of 18

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

Staying Connected

We are officially (almost) 100% plugged into the social networking world! Although we haven't joined MySpace (yet), we are attempting to create as many avenues of networking as possible so that YOU can stay connected to us at all times!

Special thanks to our partner and logo creator in LA, Dianne Ruiz, for taking up the task of being our official "Twitter Specialist!"

You can now reach us through...

Facebook , Twitter , and Blogspot!

And, VERY soon, you will be able to link right in with us at our Official EHS Webpage ... stay tuned for updates! Our webpage will feature an E-Mailing list to help you be the first to hear about our future benefit events and fundraisers!

We hope you'll follow us and join us in the fight against human trafficking!

Oklahoma's Stepping Up!

We are excited to dedicate another post to a U.S. state actively working to END human trafficking.

In Cushing, Oklahoma, the Regional Community Policing Institute hosted a training seminar for state and area law enforcement officers on human trafficking. Although there are no active cases of human trafficking in their community, they are taking a strong step to confront this harsh reality and put an end to it.

The training took place on Monday, July 12 and included instruction from 5 different police officers. Many different area agencies participated in the event, including the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and area sheriff and police departments.

Props to Oklahoma for being PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE!

Major Props to Portland!

Giving a major shout out to the city of Portland today for their awesome movement to end Human [sexual] Trafficking!

They have officially named July "Human Trafficking Awareness Month" and have scheduled numerous events to host this month in order to promote awareness and call attention to leaders to END human trafficking!

They kicked off the month with a rally formed by Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary this past Saturday. US Attorney for Oregon, Dwight Holton, spoke at the event and told the rally that prostitution is a form of slavery and has become a major, thriving problem in Portland. US Senator for Oregon, Ron Wyden also spoke at the event.

Portland is also in the process of creating a bipartisan bill that would crack down on human traffickers and financially support shelters for victims of trafficking.

AWESOME job, Portland! Keep up the great work! We hope that this will catch attention in other states and cause them to act out as well.

Hard work?

This morning, as I get ready for the last day of my work week, my feet are dragging, I am yawning, and my body is sore and wanting very much to get back in bed. I want to complain about how hard I have worked all week and then realize... do I really know the meaning of HARD work? Relative to what I normally do, yes, this week was harder, but I cannot call it hard work.

I have a boss who appreciates me as more than just a monetary asset to the company. He shows gratitude for my hard work. He rewards me with bonuses and days off. I can call out sick when I don't feel well and I can take vacation each year. I EVEN get PAID. And at the end of the day, if I decide that I don't enjoy working at this company anymore, I can quit and walk away on my own FREE will.

I just realized this morning how EASY my work is compared to MILLIONS around the world. 27 million people are victims of slavery - FORCED, UNPAID labor. They are treated worse than we could ever imagine. Lets ask and answer a few questions about their situation...

What kind of work are they made to do? Anything is fair game with slave owners...as long as it violates the victims' basic human rights, they are satisfied.

What happens when they do a good job? They don't get physically attacked that day.

Are they paid? Nope.

How many hours do they work? Around the clock. 16-20 hour days, usually with nothing but a dirty cot or cement floor to sleep on the few hours in between.

Can they quit? Under the brainwashing of the slave owners, no. Usually when a victim attempts to leave, they are beaten badly and then threatened by the owner. Their families are threatened to be killed or put into slavery as well.

Some people live their entire life on this earth in slavery. That means not ONE day of making their own decision. Hours upon hours of unpaid work, beatings, and general mistreatment.

So, after all that, can I even begin to call my work "hard?"

Akun Bracelet

I was so pleasantly surprised yesterday afternoon when I arrived home from work and found this in my mailbox! :

Well, obviously not ALL of that, BUT, I received one of my ordered Akun bracelets from the Somaly Mam Foundation (a foundation based in the United States that supports the freedom of human [sex] trafficking victims in Cambodia.)

The cool thing about these bracelets is, not only are they helping rescue victims of human trafficking, they are MADE by survivors of human trafficking. This means that each and every bracelet is unique and different from the next. Colors, designs, etc all vary from bracelet to bracelet and you never know what will come in the mail when you order one!

I received a beautiful, bright, purple bracelet yesterday and along with it came a card describing the bracelet's importance and what it means to the Somaly Mam Foundation when you buy one. The bracelets are called "Akun," meaning, "thank you," in Cambodian. Each time you look down at your wrist and see your bracelet, you will be reminded of the fight against trafficking and the survivors who are being helped all around the world by foundations like SMF. Please support this foundation. Click Here for more information on the foundation.

At just $15/each, how can you NOT support this awesome cause?!

Order yours today, here!

FREEDOM FEST

In case you've missed our advertisement for FREEDOM FEST 2010, here is some info for the event :

FREEDOM FEST is EHS' first ever benefit event.

We are donating 100% of the event's proceeds to Free The Slaves.

By attending FREEDOM FEST, you can be a part of a global fight to end human trafficking and modern-day slavery. The FEST will feature live music, dancers, actors, video footage, our special guest speaker, merchandise, food, raffles, and more!

Our special guest speaker, Lee McClure, is the outreach and research coordinator for Free The Slaves. We are so excited to get as many people as possible involved in this cause! Help us by supporting us at FREEDOM FEST 2010.

The entrance fee for the concert will be $3.

FREEDOM FEST

AUGUST 29th, 2010

4pm - 9pm

DELAWARE COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA 19073

Trafficking Case in Philadelphia

On June 30, the Philadelphia Inquirer released a report of a human trafficking case partially based in Philadelphia. The traffickers were a group of 5 brothers from Ukraine. Only 4 of the brothers have been arrested at this point, but the fifth is being sought after in Ukraine.

The brothers, the Botsvnyuks, recruited workers abroad, mostly in Ukraine, under the promise of legitimate jobs in the U.S. Once the workers agreed to the job, the Botsvnyuks confiscated their passports and any other identification, smuggled them across Mexico's borders into the U.S. and forced them to work 16 hour days with no pay, under the threat of violence. Some of the female workers were raped by the eldest brother, others were beaten, and if they ran away, their families were threatened to be killed or put into sexual slavery in Ukraine.

It is estimated that about 30 victims were trafficked illegally into the country. Only eight of those victims have been identified and agreed to cooperate with enforcement officers to testify against the Botsvnyuks. Two of them are women, six are men. They will be allowed to stay in the country legally once the investigation comes to a close.

The operation went on for 7 years from 2000-2007 throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Crews were ran out of a row home in the Port Richmond area of Philadelphia. The operation ran under the disguise of a cleaning business and changed names many times. The cleaning crews were put to work in night shifts at various businesses in the Philadelphia area, including Walmart, Target, K-Mart, and Safeway.

The investigation, directed by the FBI, Immigration and Customers Enforcement, state and local police, began in 2005 with a tip from overseas. The case took years to unravel because of language barriers, fear, and mistrust on the victims' parts towards the U.S. enforcement officers because of experiences with corrupt justice systems in their homelands.

Read the full story here : http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/97508149.html?cmpid=15585797

Independence Day

Today, and every year on the 4th of July, the United States of America celebrates its independence, which was gained from the Kingdom of Great Britain, through the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.

Like most other Americans today, I will be attending barbecues, spending time with family, relaxing, eating, laughing, and enjoying a day off from work. I will see a fireworks show, maybe take a dip in the pool, and at the end of it all, head to the beach and spend another day celebrating there. This morning, I question myself and wonder how often I have taken these liberties for granted? Thousands of people around the world do not have the freedom, the opportunity, or the resources to have such a celebration as this. And yet, we do this all the time, not only on the 4th of July. Today, I challenge myself, and others, to truly remember at what cost we have gained our freedom.

Hundreds of thousands of men gave their lives in the American Revolutionary War because they believed it was worth it to leave behind a life of freedom to their children and the generations that would follow. Let us celebrate their honor, dignity, and courage and the life that we live today because so many men are willing to continue to fight to this day for our freedom.

Let us also not forget that although our country is free, there are thousands of people living within it that are not. We may celebrate our country's freedom from England, but our country is made up of millions of people, many of whom on this very day are NOT living a free life.

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency estimates that 50,000 people are trafficked into or transited through the U.S.A. annually as sex slaves, domestics, garment, and agricultural slaves. The United States is a destination country for thousands of men, women, and children trafficked largely from Mexico and East Asia, as well as countries in South Asia, Central America, Africa, and Europe, for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Three-quarters of all foreign adult victims identified during the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 were victims of trafficking for forced labor. Some trafficking victims, responding to fraudulent offers of employment in the United States, migrate willingly—legally and illegally—and are subsequently subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude or debt bondage at work sites or in commercial sex. An unknown number of American citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country, primarily for sexual servitude.

The chart below gives a visual representation of the different types of slavery currently existing in the U.S. and the percentages of each.

As you celebrate your freedom today, please consider the men, women, and children who are living in slavery. Consider joining in the fight against human trafficking. Pray for these people today. FREEDOM IS A PRIVILEGE, do NOT take it for granted!

EHS Update

We are now the official owners of www.endhumansales.org! The site is still under construction, but we are so happy and excited to own the domain! Hopefully we'll have all of the kinks worked out very soon and have the site up and running in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned!

Work for our first benefit event : FREEDOM FEST 2010 is coming along so great! We have lots of support from local businesses and so many friends and family offering their time and talents to help us make this a successful event. We officially have a venue as of last week and flyers are printed up and being handed around to as many businesses, schools, and people we can find to give them to. The concert will take place on August 29th, 2010 from 4pm-8pm with a reception following including lots of cool merchandise and yummy food, at Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square, PA. We are featuring a bunch of super talented local musicians, actors, and dancers, along with our special guest speaker, Lee McClure, of Free the Slaves. Lee McClure is the outreach and research coordinator for FTS. We are so thrilled that he is going to make it out to the event and we hope that lots of you do as well! 100% of the event's proceeds will be donated to Free the Slaves. Come on out and show your support to the millions around the world suffering from human trafficking...help us END HUMAN SALES and FREE THE SLAVES!

The Face of a Trafficking Victim

Years later,

I try to reassemble my heart.

Unearth what was buried.

For protection. For safety.

Pretending to have a normal life.

Just like you.

Ceaselessly, I was what they made me be.

Everyone's expectations crushing me.

Not wanting to disappoint.

Needing to please.

No matter the cost.

Or else.

Each trafficking victim experiences

the shame of shattered self.

Broken soul.

Regardless of the color of my skin,

the shape of my eyes,

the country I was born in,

the money I grew up with.

Despite my vices,

background,

education.

If I had two parents,

or one,

or none.

I was sold by parents

to feed a drug addiction.

Or tricked,

lured.

Hungry for love.

Kidnapped off the streets

near home.

Out for ice cream.

Or running from something worse.

Only to exchange one abuse,

one violation,

one exploitation

for another.

Our faces are different,

We endured harshness.

Hell.

Humiliation.

Violence.

Man after cruel man.

Haunted by nightmares.

Fear.

Feelings of unworthiness.

Unearthing layer

after layer.

It is time.

Tears pour as I dig deeper

and deeper.

Dangerously close to the core.

Where pain festers.

Unable to be hidden any longer.

The truth screams to be released.

Who am I?

I lost myself so long ago.

Gushing away with my blood

After the first blow to my womanhood.

The real me slipped away.

To protect myself.

Hiding.

To be found again,

years later.

When it is safe.

Time to turn hell into heaven.

Find a purpose in this evil.

I am the face of trafficking.

An age old horror,

that has resigned too long.

Raise an army.

See the reality.

Save our children.

The beautiful faces of our children.

I hear their stories.

After they hear mine.

They are young women.

And old.

Whispering their similar tale.

Finding their voice.

No longer allowing

power to sadistic captors.

We prevail.

I have had many faces.

Forced to be many people.

Finding myself

has been a long journey.

A chilling road.

I need to know that little girl again.

Bind and heal her wounds.

Nurture strength

from within.

From above.

-Theresa Flores

My Definition : A Poem, by Theresa Flores

Do not ask why I can act so well,

For I had to in order to survive.

Do not ask how old I was when I lost my virginity,

For the age is not a reflection of having an option.

Do not ask how many men I have been with,

For I do not know the answer.

Do not ask why I can perform certain sexual acts so well,

For my practice was unwanted and vast.

Do not ask me my story,

For you really don't want to know.

Do not ask me to lie,

For I prefer the truth over lying for my survival now.

Don't ask me how I became so strong,

For you can't even imagine.

Don't ask me why I am so spiritual,

For only the angels were with me on my darkest journey.

Do not ask me how many times I was pregnant,

For only God knows how many times He removed the seeds from me.

To spare me an even harder burden.

Don't ask me if I had a choice or why I didn't run.

For what person would endure what I did if given a choice?

Do not ask me if I have been abused,

For you can not even fathom the abuse that took place.

Do not ask me what I was like when I was young,

For the person no longer exists.

Do not ask me what regrets I have in life or what I would change if I could,

For I have no regrets about the decisions I made.

For you see,

I did what I had to do to protect my family,

I had no choices.

I became strong and found the spirit within myself.

I became the woman I am today due to all of my experiences.

Both negative and positive.

Many will say I shouldn't allow these things to define me.

But it does.

Yet only in the positive way I permit and allow it to.

Theresa Flores is a human trafficking survivor. In her book, "The Slave Across the Street," she shares her story as an All-American young girl who suffered, enslaved, in the hands of ruthless traffickers - all while "living" in her parents wealthy home, in an upper-middle class suburb of Detroit. She was coerced and tricked by a group of Chaldeans into years of sexual slavery. They threatened her with her and her family's reputation, and more importantly, their safety and lives. She is now a survivor, using her freedom to expose this part of the human trafficking world to America, in order to raise up support in this country to fight against this grave injustice. She also hopes that her story will give hope to other victims who have suffered under the same sort of mistreatments as she did. Find her story, read it, and share it with those around you to spread awareness that human trafficking is REAL in the U.S. and NEEDS to be STOPPED.