Podcast appearances and mentions of martina vandenberg

In this latest FAST podcast episode, FAST's government and multilateral organizations lead, Andy Shen sat down with Caleb Thole from Global Hope Mobilization, a Malawi-based civil society organization, Martina Vandenberg from the Human Trafficking Legal Center, a US-based civil society organization, Sheri Levine-Shea from Barclays, Hennie Verbeek from the Netherlands Financial Intelligence Unit, and Brian Hoxie from the Forced Labour Division of US Customs and Border Protection, to discuss issues of asset recovery and compensation for victims and survivors. In this episode we will hear insights on, the significance of compensation to victims, what can be done to increase this compensation, inter-agency cooperation in support of cooperation; a case example of exploited workers receiving restitution; and FAST's recommendation that States should criminalize financially benefiting from forced labour, if they have not already done so, and make it a predicate offense to money laundering.

Martina Vandenberg is the president and founder of the Human Trafficking Legal Center, a non-profit organization that connects victims of human trafficking and forced labor with pro bono legal representation. She explains the importance of expanding worldwide access to justice, discusses the consequences of forced labor goods entering developed markets, and proposes compelling economic and legislative solutions.

In Episode 4, we consider how the financial sector can empower survivors of modern slavery. The episode first looks at why a lack of access to financial services can lead to greater vulnerability to modern slavery and human trafficking, how traffickers exploit victims financially through fraudulent financial identities, and the lasting impacts that this can have.The episode then turns to ask what can be done to try to solve or mitigate these issues, discussing the importance of having financial independence and what economic empowerment can look like for survivors. The episode concludes with a discussion of the FAST Survivor Inclusion Initiative, how it works, and the resources it provides to its members.This episode is hosted by Alexandra Cerquone, External Relations Manager at FAST and guests include Sara Crowe, Director of the Strategic Initiative on Financial Systems at Polaris; Timea Nagy, survivor leader, author and global anti-trafficking activist; Martina Vandenberg, Founder and President of the Human Trafficking Legal Center; Larissa Maxwell, Director of Illuminate, a project by the Salvation Army, Canada; Sarah Byrne, Attorney at Moore & van Allen; Megan Lundstrom, Founder of the Avery Center; Professor Barry Koch, Professor of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and independent consultant in the field of anti-money laundering compliance and risk management; and Professor James Cockayne, Head of the FAST Secretariat.For more information on this topic, please visit:FAST Survivor Inclusion InitiativeThe Survivor AllianceToolkit for Building Survivor-Informed Organizations

In this episode of Let's Talk Trafficking, Aashna, Sriya, and Sneha introduce special guest speaker Martina Vandenberg, a pro bono civil attorney fighting to achieve justice for victims of trafficking. They discuss her extensive knowledge about labor trafficking as she shares specific cases that victims took to trial to educate the audience about the legalities of the subject.

For many people, terms like “piracy,” “stowaway,” and “kidnapped” conjure up romantic visions influenced by the literature of Robert Louis Stevenson or C.S. Forester. But as this episode’s guests tell us, these terms actually have deadly serious meanings without much romance and with a great deal of grim reality to them.   Doyle Hodges, executive editor of the Texas National Security Review, sits down with Ian Urbina, investigative reporter for the New York Times and author of, The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier, and Martina Vandenberg, president of the Human Trafficking Legal Center, to discuss issues related to piracy, kidnapping, and stowaways on the high seas.

This year marks 20 years since the US first made a historic commitment to ending modern slavery.“We’ve accomplished so much in the last 20 years,” said John Richmond, US ambassador-at-large of the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, during the June 25 release of the 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report.Related: 'American exceptionalism': EU travel bans show US is abdicating global leadership, former CDC head says“Our engagement on this has made a difference. This report and the US have made a positive difference.”Every year, the US issues an annual report that ranks countries by their progress fighting human trafficking. Countries in the lowest category are restricted from receiving US aid.The 2020 report lists 22 countries receiving improved rankings for their work on the issue over the past year.“The department put this out on time without any delays in the midst of a global pandemic and that itself serves to show the priority this administration and the secretary has placed on this issue,” Richmond said, reminding the audience that President Donald Trump had also hosted a summit on human trafficking, and issued an executive order to combat online child exploitation.But advocates across the globe warn that with the pandemic and economic downturn, there’s an urgent risk that more people will fall prey to human traffickers. They say the report is poorly timed, and counterproductive.“At this moment, at the 20th anniversary, the State Department wants to tell a story of success and progress. And that's just not the story that the data tell.”Martina Vandenberg, The Human Trafficking Legal Center“At this moment, at the 20th anniversary, the State Department wants to tell a story of success and progress,” said Martina Vandenberg, the founder and president of The Human Trafficking Legal Center. “And that's just not the story that the data tell.”Especially because right now, she says, the global pandemic is making more people vulnerable to human trafficking.Related: As Lebanon’s financial crisis worsens, migrant workers are being dumped on the streets like ‘trash’“So, what we're seeing around the globe is people going into greater debt. People now trapped in countries to which they have migrated, but completely unemployed,” she said. “And the likelihood is that those people will be more vulnerable to indentured servitude and more vulnerable to forced labor when the world begins to open up again.”Vandenburg also takes issue with the US giving itself the highest possible ranking. Many advocates felt that the US deserved to be downgraded this year.Jean Bruggeman is the executive director of Freedom Network USA. She says many of the president’s border and immigration policies increase wait times and denials, putting more people at risk for trafficking, including vulnerable populations, like LGBTQI people.“I do not think that the United States is engaged in sustained efforts. And I think the report tells you that when they say that, you know, they maintained prosecution efforts, at best, they reduced efforts to provide protection. And the only prevention work they do is federal agency training, which is not actually prevention. It’s not actually changing the circumstances, which puts people at risk.”Related: Options dwindle for Venezuelan migrants across Latin America during the pandemicNeha Misra, a specialist at the Solidarity Center, a nongovernmental organization, says the report’s rankings have always been somewhat politicized, but this year’s takes it to another level. She questions, for example, the upgraded ranking of Saudi Arabia, and says it may lead that country to do less to combat trafficking.“Even countries that don't get US aid, reputationally, it meant a lot. It was embarrassing to be on [the] tier-three or the tier-two watchlist. And if the tier rankings don't mean anything, then that reputational pressure is gone.”Neha Misra, Solidarity Center“Even countries that don't get US aid, reputationally, it meant a lot. It was embarrassing to be on [the] tier-three or the tier-two watchlist. And if the tier rankings don't mean anything, then that reputational pressure is gone.”For survivors who are now in the fight against human trafficking, the report is disheartening, says Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman. He was kidnapped in Honduras as a child and smuggled into the United States by human traffickers.Related: In Ciudad Juárez, a new 'filter hotel' offers migrants a safe space to quarantinePiraino-Guzman was appointed by President Barack Obama to the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking in 2015.“I’ll be honest with you. I think we need to stop pretending that we're moving forward.”If the US isn’t honest about the reality of human trafficking, he said, it’s not really serving the people who need help the most. 

Martina Vandenberg, Founder and President of the Human Trafficking Legal Center, describes patterns of trafficked labor in supply chains, recent cases and how her organization is holding traffickers accountable through civil litigation and criminal restitution. HT Legal leverages pro bono support from law firms to gain compensation for survivors.

The New Yorker contributor Jenna Krajeski recently met with a woman who calls herself Esperanza. In her home country, Esperanza was coerced and threatened into prostitution, and later was trafficked into the United States, where she was subjected to appalling conditions. Esperanza eventually obtained legal help, and applied for something called a T visa. The T visa contains unusual provisions that recognize the unique circumstances of human-trafficking victims in seeking legal status. It has also been a crucial tool to obtaining victims’ coöperation in prosecuting traffickers. The Trump Administration claims to want to fight the problem of human trafficking, but Krajeski notes that its policies have done the opposite: T-visa applicants can now be deported if their applications are rejected. This dramatic change in policy sharply reduced the number of applications from victims seeking help. “If what [the Administration] cares about is putting traffickers in prison, which is what they say they care about, their prosecutions are going down and will go down further,” Martina Vandenberg, the president of the Human Trafficking Legal Center, says. “Trafficking victims under the circumstances can’t actually coöperate.”  

The New Yorker contributor Jenna Krajeski recently met with a woman who calls herself Esperanza. In her home country, Esperanza was coerced and threatened into prostitution, and later was trafficked into the United States, where she was subjected to appalling conditions. Esperanza eventually obtained legal help, and applied for something called a T visa. The T visa contains unusual provisions that recognize the unique circumstances of human-trafficking victims in seeking legal status. It has also been a crucial tool to obtaining victims’ coöperation in prosecuting traffickers. The Trump Administration claims to want to fight the problem of human trafficking, but Krajeski notes that its policies have done the opposite: T-visa applicants can now be deported if their applications are rejected. This dramatic change in policy sharply reduced the number of applications from victims seeking help. “If what [the Administration] cares about is putting traffickers in prison, which is what they say they care about, their prosecutions are going down and will go down further,” Martina Vandenberg, the president of the Human Trafficking Legal Center, says. “Trafficking victims under the circumstances can’t actually coöperate.”

For millions of trafficking victims worldwide, pro bono lawyers may be their chance to reclaim freedom and dignity. But for the attorneys providing pro bono, these cases can be complex and resources can be hard to find. In this report from On The Road at the 2018 Equal Justice Conference, host Kimberly Sanchez talks to Patrick Arenz, Faith Morse, Vincent Nappo, and Martina Vandenberg about what makes taking on human trafficking cases as a pro bono attorney worthwhile. They discuss the kinds of cases they’ve experienced and provide resources and tips for lawyers interested in anti-human trafficking litigation. Patrick Arenz is a trial lawyer with Robins Kaplan who litigates and tries high-stakes cases, including cases involving patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and other commercial disputes. Faith Morse is an associate attorney at Kelly Andersen Law where she has worked on cases involving nursing home abuse, medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, and more. Vincent Nappo fights hard for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to obtain justice against abusers and the entities who facilitate such atrocities. Martina E. Vandenberg is the founder and president of The Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center (HT Pro Bono).

The Prevalence of Human Trafficking in the United States and the Legal Framework for Bringing Justice to Human Trafficking Survivors.Discussion with Martina Vandenberg on the work of the Human Trafficking Legal Center and the prevalence and characteristics of human trafficking in the United States. We discuss the international and legal framework, whether the United States is meeting its international obligations and consider particular issues relating to diplomatic immunity when human trafficking is committed by diplomats in the United States. We also discuss prosecutions under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the application of its mandatory restitution provisions. Additionally, we discuss U.S. government awareness programs such as the Blue Campaign and their effectiveness and the best legislative and litigation strategies for eliminating this egregious crime.For More Info:http://www.htlegalcenter.org/https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?http://law.slu.edu/sites/default/files/Journals/alexandra_levy-martina_vandenberg-article.pdfhttp://www.htlegalcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/FF_SL_AW02_WEB.pdfhttp://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htmhttps://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods/https://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/survivor-reentry-project.htmlhttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ProtocolTraffickingInPersons.aspxhttps://www.globalslaveryindex.org/https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/awareness-traininghttps://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/blue-campaignhttps://www.state.gov/j/tip/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s2308

Martina Vandenberg discusses the misery caused by trafficking and slavery, including in our own neighborhoods, and describes the work her organization is doing to support those able to break free.

It is estimated by Walk Free that 30 million men, women and children are held in forced labor and servitude. It is a $32 billion business and growing. The fight against slavery and human trafficking is a cultural, ethical, and moral imperative for all businesses to insure there are no slaves or forces labor workers in the supply chain. In the age of professed transparency and the ways in which fundamental human rights are being challenged, it is critical that businesses take a stand against profits coming from any sort of human trafficking. By cutting off the revenue and supply chain at a business level you cut off the ability of those who enslave and traffic to make a living on the back of others. Martina Vandenberg, Monique Villa, Pamela Reeves

The International Labour Organization estimates that 20.9 million people around the world are currently held in forced labor and servitude. Human trafficking is constantly in the headlines in the United States, but it can be hard to separate fact form fiction. Martina Vandenberg debunks the myths and examine concrete case studies compiled in her two decades combating trafficking in the US and abroad. Martina Vandenberg, founder and president of The Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center in Washington, DC, and former researcher for Human Rights Watch, has spent nearly two decades fighting human trafficking, forced labor, rape as a war crime, and violence against women. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 26006]

The International Labour Organization estimates that 20.9 million people around the world are currently held in forced labor and servitude. Human trafficking is constantly in the headlines in the United States, but it can be hard to separate fact form fiction. Martina Vandenberg debunks the myths and examine concrete case studies compiled in her two decades combating trafficking in the US and abroad. Martina Vandenberg, founder and president of The Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center in Washington, DC, and former researcher for Human Rights Watch, has spent nearly two decades fighting human trafficking, forced labor, rape as a war crime, and violence against women. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 26006]

The International Labour Organization estimates that 20.9 million people around the world are currently held in forced labor and servitude. Human trafficking is constantly in the headlines in the United States, but it can be hard to separate fact form fiction. Martina Vandenberg debunks the myths and examine concrete case studies compiled in her two decades combating trafficking in the US and abroad. Martina Vandenberg, founder and president of The Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center in Washington, DC, and former researcher for Human Rights Watch, has spent nearly two decades fighting human trafficking, forced labor, rape as a war crime, and violence against women. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 26006]

Experts discuss "end demand" campaigns that are primarily focused on abolishing prostitution by criminalizing the consumers of commercial sex. Are such policies effective in curtailing trafficking, and what impact do they have on marginalized communities? Speakers: Andrea Ritchie, Heather Doyle, Lisa Kelly, Martina Vandenberg, Noy Thrupkaew, Pye Jakobsson. (Recorded: April 12, 2012)