Somaly Mam Store

Here is something you can do RIGHT NOW to support the fight against trafficking. The Somaly Mam Foundation Store uses the money they raise from their products to continue their awesome work rescuing slaves in Cambodia. Most of the jewelry products that they sell are handmade by survivors in Cambodia and the sale of them helps support their new life of freedom. Check out these beautiful pieces for sale on the website now :

These beautiful scarves (above) and necklaces (below) are handmade by survivors at the SMF Tomdy Center (rehabilitation center) in Phnom Penh. Each and every one is unique, like the survivors who create them, so styles and colors vary from piece to piece. They are made of pure silk and reflect the appreciation of the buyers support by being named, "Akun," which in Cambodian means, "Thank You."

The necklace below is the first product in the SMF Empowerment line. The pendant was designed by Somaly to portray the reminder that the world can only be changed when hearts and hands come together. This pendant is cast in sterling silver and is sold for $50. Wearing this pendant reflects Somaly's personal strength, as well as the wearer's commitment to support the fight against modern day slavery.

To buy any of these pieces, or to see what other great things are for sale at SMF, go to www.somaly.org/store

Somaly Mam

I have to post about this amazing woman again, today, because I am feeling so empowered and inspired by her lately. I am still in the process of reading her book, The Road of Lost Innocence, which I blogged about a couple days ago. Her book is one that I will tell EVERYONE I know to read. It has opened my eyes and changed my life forever. It is definitely a book that you cannot put down and once you read it, you cannot go on living without helping support the fight against human trafficking in SOME way.

Somaly recounts every horrible detail of her life growing up in Cambodia, being sold to numerous "masters" and mistreated by each one of them. The things this woman endured are like nothing we could ever imagine. Even reading her story is like reading a movie script of something that isn't real. It is almost too hard to believe that these things actually happened to her. The only way you can continue reading the book is knowing that she escaped from the hell she was subjected to and has now dedicated her life to doing the same for others.

She came from not even knowing what a real mattress or shower was as a twenty-something young woman who had been raped by hundreds of men in her life since before the age of 10 years old, to having a beautifully written memoir published and running a powerful, world-changing organization that has rescued thousands of slaves in Cambodia. Her story is truly a miracle and one worth shouting to the world from the rooftops. She lived her life being told by everyone she encountered that she was nothing, worthless, and ugly. When in reality, she is a beautiful woman who deserves love, life, and happiness. What a powerful story and one that will change the world forever.

Please please check out her organization - The Somaly Mam Foundation - at www.somaly.org - and PLEASE read her book ASAP - The Road of Lost Innocence. I picked mine up for $15 at my local Barnes and Noble. Part of the proceeds of the book go to the support of her organization which is actively rescuing slaves (some as young as 5 years old) and reintegrating them into society to live healthy, happy lives free of bondage.

Empowering Women

The Road of Lost Innocence, written by Somaly Mam, is the story of her own childhood in which she was sold by her grandfather into sexual slavery. For a decade of her young life, she was shipped in and out of a number of brothels in Cambodia, forced to live a life of deprivation in the human trafficking ring of Southeast Asia. She eventually gained freedom through the help of a French aid worker and uses her freedom to enforce change on the world. She has courageously campaigned raids on brothels in order to rescue sex slaves, built shelters, started schools, and an organization that has saved over 4,000 women and children in Cambodia from the same life she once suffered from.

Somaly Mam currently resides in both Cambodia and France. She co-founded an organization in Europe called Acting for Women in Distressing Situations, as well as an organization in the U.S. called The Somaly Mam Foundation, (check out the website here - http://www.somaly.org/) whose goal it is to save and socially integrate former Southeast Asian sex slaves into society. Glamour named her Woman of the Year in 2006 for her incredible work. She is a strong example for women all over the world to take a stand and make a difference.

Her book can be found at your local bookstore, or can be ordered on Amazon, here :

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Lost-Innocence-Cambodian-Heroine/dp/0385526229/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277763867&sr=1-2

Taken

I want to focus on the movie, Taken, today, because I think it's important for all Americans to watch. Human trafficking does not only happen to "foreigners" outside (or even inside) the U.S. ANYONE is prey to human trafficking.

Taken tells the story of two young American females who get kidnapped by Albanian traffickers and forced into prostitution during a trip to Paris. The movie is for sure an action-packed thriller. And although it has some unrealistic events in it, I believe the overall aim is to expose the crime, which it does so very successfully.

I would bet that most Americans who watch this movie don't believe that this is something that REALLY, truly happens. But, it does. If you don't see it happening, it's because you haven't looked for it. Forced, sexual slavery is a very real issue all over the world and anybody can be a victim of it.

On the Homefront

While catching up on human trafficking news updates this morning, I came across 2 that I thought were definitely worth sharing with you today :

#1 : There are exactly 6 states in the U.S. who do not have any laws against human trafficking. They are : Hawaii, Massachusetts, Wyoming, South Dakota, Ohio, and West Virginia. With this many states in our country not supporting the fight against human trafficking, it makes it much easier for traffickers to seek haven from officials.

The LA Times posted this article today to explain that Hawaii, a state highly prone to the crime, is in a position to leave this group and become the 45th state to enact anti-trafficking laws. It is, in addition to California, and other border states, one of the most prone to trafficking because of its location.

(Above photo shows an abolitionist group rallying for the bill to be passed)

The legislation must be passed by Gov. Linda Lingle in order to be enacted, and even then, has some major holes. The law would only enforce against sex-trafficking, leaving out the more prevalent issue in the U.S., forced, slave labor. Still, the bill would definitely be a step in the right direction.

Read more here : http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_15360002

#2 : The Chicago Tribune announced this morning that a new state law is set to be enacted next week that would allow wire-taping to take place in human trafficking cases. This would make gathering evidence against traffickers much easier, making the fight against them proactive instead of reactive. Wire-taping in human trafficking cases is already used in about 12 other states in the U.S.

Read more here : http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-sex-trafficking-2-

20100623,0,5402640.story

Dawn's Place

I was thrilled to come across a website the other day about a campaign called Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition. One of the organizations I discovered while reading through this was Dawn's Place.

Dawn's Place is an organization based in Philadelphia that proactively supports women who have been negatively affected by sexual exploitation. They provide immediate shelter in a beautiful 3-story home for women who escape from their pimps/johns. Once a woman has come under the shelter of Dawn's Place, she is given trauma recovery services, as well as, most importantly, vocational training so that she can re-enter the world into a secure job market.

In addition to providing shelter and services to exploited women, they also work to expose the problem to the public through education, prevention, and fights for public policy reform.

The name, "Dawn's Place," was created in memory of an innocent, prostituted woman who was murdered in Camden, NJ. The need for a proper rehabilitation and healing place was seen by a group of willing anti-traffickers. Dawn's Place grew out of their vision for that need. Praise God!

Pray for more places like Dawn's Place to continue to pop up around our world. Many of these places exist, the more we expose ourselves to them, the more help we can be to trafficked individuals. Who knows when you might cross the path of someone in need?

EHS Update!

We are making awesome progress with logo/web/product designs. I am blessed to have a dear friend who has a gift in graphic design and was willing to volunteer to create our logo for us. She took my small vision and created something absolutely beautiful! She encompassed everything we want the organization to be in one small logo. Amazing! If you ever need any graphic design work done, please let me know and I'll share her contact info with you!

Here is the new logo :

EHS = End Human Sales = a gateway to organizations actively fighting against human trafficking and slavery

Chain/Handcuffs = The handcuffs represent all of the people living in bondage; the chain is being broken in representation of EHS fighting to help those enslaved break free.

Butterfly = freedom and rebirth for all those set free from slavery and human trafficking, as well as the rebirth of a world completely free of the crime.

Thank you, Dianne, for your hard work on this logo, we DEFINITELY could not have done it without you!!

Our website is currently under construction and will hopefully be up and running within the next few weeks. Now that we have a logo to work with, we are able to build the website around it.

Please keep EHS in your prayers, that the Lord will continue to provide a way for us to make a difference in His kingdom.

News, News, News

Lots of new articles today pertaining to human trafficking news, and luckily, lots of positive things to note here.

#1 : In a Market Watch press release today, the NYC premier of an anti-human trafficking documentary, REDLIGHT, is announced. REDLIGHT successively exposes the largest humanitarian crises in the world today through the true stories of children who were victims of human trafficking and the miraculous story of a powerful pair of women who fight to save them. The film will be shown at NYC's SVA Theater with a Q&A session to follow, led by filmmakers Guy Jacobsen and Adi Ezroni. The purpose of the event is to bring more people into the light about this heinous crime in order to rally more supporters into the fight against it.

Read more here : http://www.marketwatch.com/story/highly-acclaimed-human-trafficking-documentary-redlight-premieres-in-new-york-2010-06-21?reflink=MW_news_stmp

#2 : The U.S. State Department released its 2010 report on global human trafficking. The annual report is now in its 10th year and showing success through the progress of a few countries' overall rank. Countries are placed into 3 different tiers depending on performance against the crime. The lowest tier, tier 3, is subject to cuts in non-humanitarian aid from the U.S. This year's report placed 13 countries in the 3rd tier. That number is, however, 4 countries less than last year's report, which officials say reflects growing awareness and anti-trafficking/slavery campaigns.

To get a more detailed account of which countries ranked lowest, read the article here : http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/human-rights/US-Report-Cites-13-Countries-for-Human-Trafficking-96326094.html

#3 : U.A.E cracks down on tourism companies suspected of trafficking crimes. Dubai Police Commander-in-Chief Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, called for the set-up of a strict campaign inspection against suspicious companies in the city. This is exactly the type of jurisdiction that needs to be occurring all over the global scene. One of the biggest problems in the campaign against human trafficking and slavery are non-compliant public justice systems. If more international justice systems were willing to crackdown on forced labor operations, instead of covering up for them, the problem would be much more manageable.

Read more about the Dubai campaign here : http://www.business24-7.ae/companies-markets/travel-hospitality/tourism-companies-face-trafficking-crackdown-2010-06-22-1.258090

Expressions of Freedom

Over on Facebook, my cousin thought it would be a great idea to get others involved in Freedom Fest 2010 by asking for expressions of freedom through pictures. Here is her album blurb :

July 4th is just around the corner. And so is our benefit concert: Freedom Fest - a benefit concert supporting the fight against slavery and human trafficking.In honor of YOUR freedom which is so victoriously protected and unwaveringly given to you, take a picture and share it with everyone! We'll put all the photos in our album. Spread the word...

FREEDOM IS NOT A PRIVILEGE,

IT IS A RIGHT!

I cannot take credit for the photo below, but I think it portrays everything about those suffering from being trafficked or enslaved so beautifully...If you'd like to post a photo to be incorporated in Freedom Fest 2010, head over to Facebook, post one on EHS's page, and we'll add it to the album! http://www.facebook.com/pages/End-Human-Sales/126246137409033?ref=ts

On the Homefront : Missouri

KY3 of Springfield, Missouri posted an article on their website yesterday to inform its readers that human trafficking is a reality right here in the US. Although the article does not deal with a specific instance of human trafficking in Missouri, I think it is a great informational tool. The more the media unveils this crime, the more people will want to get involved to stop it. My favorite piece of this article encourages widespread awareness :

"A lot of people will say, 'Why here? Is this really a problem?'

[It] is a legitimate question. The very nature of trafficking

though is that no one would know," said Seal.

Read the full article here : http://www.ky3.com/news/local/96602464.html

Freedom Fest

Freedom Fest is our first benefit event we will be involved in! Freedom Fest is a benefit concert to support the fight against modern-day slavery and human trafficking. The concert will take place in the Philadelphia suburbs at the end of this August (2010), Lord willing!! There will be a variety of musicians, public speakers, and video clips. Admission will be free of charge so that the concert can be open to the general public. Merchandise (food, t-shirts, stickers, cds, etc.) will be sold to raise money for organizations (specifics will be announced later) that are actively involved in the abolition movement. We are so excited about this and hope you will stay tuned for future updates!!

Definitions

Human Trafficking : the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor; a modern-day form of slavery. It is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.

Slavery : The state of one bound in servitude as the property of a slaveholder or household.

Human Rights : As stated in Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights : All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Freedom : the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without; the right to enjoy all

the privileges or special rights of citizenship, membership, etc., in a community or the like.

Brotherhood : the belief that all people should act with warmth and equality toward one another, regardless of differences

in race, creed,nationality, etc.

Luke 10:25-28

²⁵And one day an authority on the law stood up to put Jesus to the test. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to receive eternal life?” ²⁶What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you understand it?” ²⁷He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.’(Deuteronomy 6:5) And, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ” ²⁸“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do that, and you will live.”.

Who is your neighbor? Anyone in need. Don't just restrain yourself from doing negative things to those around you because you wouldn't want them to be negative to you. ACTIVELY bring positivity to those around you. HELP others in situations where you would want to be helped. SACRIFICE a little of what you have for those who have none.

Our Progress

In order to keep you up to date with End Human Sales (EHS), I'd like to share with you what we are currently working on.

1. Web Design : I am fortunate to have the help of my brother who has experience designing websites. We are working on the overall look of the website and logo as well as what information to include in it in order to have it as ready as possible before we share it with the online community.

2. Product Design : One of the ways we'll be raising money for abolition is through original EHS products we are designing. These include jewelry, t-shirts, stickers, etc that can be used as a visual way for each buyer to make others aware of the cause and get them involved as well.

3. Benefit Events Planning : We have lots of things in the works in this category. The collective mind wheels have been turning and we are dreaming of benefit concerts, races, sales, etc.

4. Prayer!!! Lots and lots of prayer has been involved in the creation of this organization in the hopes that we can move forward with what the Lord has planned for us in this movement as well as the movement itself. This is a major way ANYONE can get involved. Pray for more organizations to be formed to fight slavery and trafficking. Pray for those enslaved. Pray for the traffickers to turn away from their actions. Pray for the people supporting trafficking that they will repent from their lifestyle.

Pray, Pray, Pray. And stay tuned for future updates!! :)

Not For Sale

One of the first pieces of literature I came across in my hunt for more information on human trafficking and slavery was "Not For Sale," written by David Batstone. Batstone successfully weaves together poignant narratives of those in bondage as well as those effectively fighting against it. It is a great tool to inform and call people to action.

Not For Sale also happens to be a campaign organization that equips modern-day activists with innovative solutions to act against slavery and abolish it once and for all. They help give platforms for change to students, people of faith, athletes, consumers, and businesses. Check out the amazing things they are doing and how you can be a part of them at : http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

Bead for Life

One of the main proponents of Human Trafficking is poverty. When an individual is living in a state of extreme or devastating poverty, they are much more vulnerable and susceptible to schemes and tricks to accept job offers that turn into forced labor or prostitution. Sometimes families do not have enough money to put food on the table and will take any job offer they can find. Traffickers portray glamorous job opportunities (usually abroad) that sound too good to be true and those desperate for a little bit of money will most times jump at the chance. They'll later find out, once they have accepted the job, relocated away from their family, and given up their identity to their new "employer," that they have been schemed and have no way out. Other times, traffickers will offer loans to help get the family out of their devastation, only asking for a couple years work in return for the money. Once the family accepts the loan, the trafficker sucks them into believing that they owe them more than they really do and some families will get stuck working in labor camps for the rest of their life.

Helping to alleviate the amount of poverty can help to curb the amount of trafficking that occurs worldwide. Bead For Life is an excellent organization that has been working hard at fighting extreme poverty worldwide for the past 6 years. Launched in Uganda in September of 2004, Bead For Life creates opportunities for women in Uganda to lift their families out of extreme poverty by selling beautiful handmade jewelry from recycled paper. The organization provides sustainable communities by reinvesting 100% of their net profits back into development projects for impoverished Ugandans. The development projects provide income, food, education, and healthcare for the communities. Read more on the organization's website about the women that make the jewelry and how they have been able to not only spread health and wealth in their own communities, but also the miracle of hope for families living in poverty worldwide.

Wondering how you can be a part of this awesome organization? Host a Bead for Life party! By hosting a BeadParty, activists can make a stand against poverty no matter the location. The organization provides support for the party from start to finish. When you sign up to host a party, BFL will send you a BeadParty package including lots of fun tools to help inform your guests about the issue and how the organization is helping to make a difference. You'll also be selling beautiful jewelry that your guests can keep as a reminder of how each and every individual in this world CAN make difference in the lives of those less fortunate.

Interested yet??? Please visit : http://www.beadforlife.org/indexH.html

Awareness to Action

When I first stumbled across the reality of human trafficking, I couldn't believe that I hadn't previously not only been aware of how horrible it really is, but more importantly, how prevalent it is in our world today. Not just in "our" world, but in "my" world. The world I grew up in; my untouched, perfect little world. Was I in for a surprise or what?

I read articles about women who had been trafficked from Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia into the U.S. to work as sex slaves in MY neighborhood. In MY own little corner of the world that I always thought was so removed from international crises. In my own little neighborhood, full of wealthy, church-going, old stone houses with white picket fence-living suburbanites. How could such a heinous crime happen in such a picture-perfect place? I couldn't believe what I was reading. From that moment on, I knew I had to do something.

On a rampant 5 hour online-search to find anything and everything I could to educate myself further on the issue, I came across numerous books, websites, and documentaries acting as flashlights and lighthouses in the darkness. Each book, video clip, and article sheds light into a little corner of the world-wide slave industry, unveiling criminals and rescuing prisoners one step at a time. I wanted to be one of those lights, too. That's when the idea for End Human Sales began developing in my mind.

I'd like to continuously share with you each of the sources that I have stumbled across in this journey that have been most effective in calling me to action. We'll start with the film "Human Trafficking," because visual experiences tend to stay and replay in our minds, prying at us to relive them over and over again and begging us to do something about it. THAT type of awareness will call you to action.

"Human Trafficking," directed by Christian Duguay, first aired on Lifetime television in 2005. It follows the stories of 3 young women, Helena, Nadia, and Annie, in their unfortunate journey through the human trafficking sex trade. You can watch the video in 16 parts on YouTube, or buy it on Amazon for less than $10. Follow this link to buy the video on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Trafficking-Sutherland-Isabelle-Sarah-Jeanne-Fanny-Laure/dp/B000ETR9VU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1276268696&sr=8-1

Join Us!

This blog is being created in conjunction with endhumansales.org in an effort to fight the fastest growing international crime in our world today : Human Trafficking.

We want to exist for the sole purpose of making YOU and others aware of the horrible reality of human trafficking and modern day slavery in order to teach everyday people how they CAN make a difference in this world.

Slavery is NOT a thing of the past. At this moment, it is estimated that 27 million people are enslaved all around us. Men, women, and children are being bought and sold into forced labor and prostitution in thousands of locations all over the world. This is not one of those stories you hear about in the news that doesn't effect where you live. Slavery is happening EVERYWHERE. If you're not seeing it now, you are not looking for it.

Join us in this growing global effort to free innocent human beings from their bondage and mistreatments. Become a follower of this blog, and follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=31706746#!/pages/End-Human-Sales/126246137409033) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/endhumansales) for updates and news.