Podcasts about trafficking victims protection act

​In a recent ruling, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York dismissed most claims in a lawsuit filed by six anonymous women against the Government of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and several officials, alleging complicity in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operations. The court determined it lacked personal jurisdiction over defendants such as former Governors John de Jongh and Kenneth Mapp, former Attorney General Vincent Frazer, and former Senators Celestino White and Carlton Dowe, leading to the dismissal of claims against them. Additionally, claims against former First Lady Cecile de Jongh were barred due to a prior settlement agreementHowever, the court allowed claims against Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett to proceed, citing sufficient ties to New York through alleged activities such as visiting Epstein's New York residence and soliciting campaign donations there. The court found plausible allegations under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and negligence claims, asserting that Plaskett's alleged receipt of financial and political support from Epstein in exchange for favorable political actions warranted further proceedings.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Judge Dismisses Jane Does' Epstein Complaint Against All But Plaskett | St. Thomas Source

​In a recent ruling, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York dismissed most claims in a lawsuit filed by six anonymous women against the Government of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and several officials, alleging complicity in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operations. The court determined it lacked personal jurisdiction over defendants such as former Governors John de Jongh and Kenneth Mapp, former Attorney General Vincent Frazer, and former Senators Celestino White and Carlton Dowe, leading to the dismissal of claims against them. Additionally, claims against former First Lady Cecile de Jongh were barred due to a prior settlement agreementHowever, the court allowed claims against Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett to proceed, citing sufficient ties to New York through alleged activities such as visiting Epstein's New York residence and soliciting campaign donations there. The court found plausible allegations under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and negligence claims, asserting that Plaskett's alleged receipt of financial and political support from Epstein in exchange for favorable political actions warranted further proceedings.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Judge Dismisses Jane Does' Epstein Complaint Against All But Plaskett | St. Thomas SourceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

​In a recent ruling, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York dismissed most claims in a lawsuit filed by six anonymous women against the Government of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and several officials, alleging complicity in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operations. The court determined it lacked personal jurisdiction over defendants such as former Governors John de Jongh and Kenneth Mapp, former Attorney General Vincent Frazer, and former Senators Celestino White and Carlton Dowe, leading to the dismissal of claims against them. Additionally, claims against former First Lady Cecile de Jongh were barred due to a prior settlement agreementHowever, the court allowed claims against Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett to proceed, citing sufficient ties to New York through alleged activities such as visiting Epstein's New York residence and soliciting campaign donations there. The court found plausible allegations under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and negligence claims, asserting that Plaskett's alleged receipt of financial and political support from Epstein in exchange for favorable political actions warranted further proceedings.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Judge Dismisses Jane Does' Epstein Complaint Against All But Plaskett | St. Thomas SourceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

In 2023, six survivors of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against Stacey Plaskett, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Delegate to Congress, and various USVI officials. The plaintiffs allege that Plaskett and other officials were complicit in Epstein's sex trafficking activities, claiming negligence and violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The lawsuit also targets former USVI governors and other high-profile officials, accusing them of enabling Epstein's crimes for personal and financial gain.Plaskett has strongly denied these allegations, calling the lawsuit "legally and factually frivolous." Her legal team argues that there is no evidence connecting her to Epstein's illegal actions and that her inclusion in the lawsuit is an attempt to exploit her public profile. Plaskett has filed motions to dismiss the case, asserting that the claims lack substantial basis and are a misuse of legal processes to gain monetary compensation. The court has not yet ruled on these motions to dismiss, and ongoing legal proceedings continue to address these complex allegations​.In this episode, we dive into her deposition.   (commercial at 13:30)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource9647388 Plaskett, Stacey E. 05-09-2023 [Confidential] (courtlistener.com)

In 2023, six survivors of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against Stacey Plaskett, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Delegate to Congress, and various USVI officials. The plaintiffs allege that Plaskett and other officials were complicit in Epstein's sex trafficking activities, claiming negligence and violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The lawsuit also targets former USVI governors and other high-profile officials, accusing them of enabling Epstein's crimes for personal and financial gain.Plaskett has strongly denied these allegations, calling the lawsuit "legally and factually frivolous." Her legal team argues that there is no evidence connecting her to Epstein's illegal actions and that her inclusion in the lawsuit is an attempt to exploit her public profile. Plaskett has filed motions to dismiss the case, asserting that the claims lack substantial basis and are a misuse of legal processes to gain monetary compensation. The court has not yet ruled on these motions to dismiss, and ongoing legal proceedings continue to address these complex allegations​.In this episode, we dive into her deposition.   (commercial at 13:30)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource9647388 Plaskett, Stacey E. 05-09-2023 [Confidential] (courtlistener.com)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

AB 3139, as amended, Weber. Data privacy: vehicle manufacturers: remote vehicle technology.Existing law establishes various privacy requirements applicable to vehicle manufacturers, including limitations on the usage of images or video recordings from in-vehicle cameras in new motor vehicles equipped standard with one or more in-vehicle cameras. Existing law provides various protections to persons who are escaping from actual or threatened domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and other abuse, including providing for a means to keep the names and addresses of abuse survivors confidential in public records.This bill would, among other things, require a vehicle manufacturer that offers a vehicle for sale, rent, or lease in the state that includes remote vehicle technology to do certain things, including ensure that the remote vehicle technology can be immediately manually disabled by a driver of the vehicle while that driver is inside the vehicle by a method that, among other things, is prominently located and easy to use and does not require access to a remote, online application. The bill would require a vehicle manufacturer to offer secure remote means via the internet for a survivor to submit a vehicle separation notice that meets specified requirements. The bill would define “survivor” to mean an individual who has a covered act committed, or allegedly committed, against the individual. The bill would define “covered act” to mean, among other things, certain crimes relating to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.This bill would require a survivor to submit a vehicle separation notice through the secure remote means described above within 7 days of the date on which the survivor used the method of manually disabling remote vehicle technology and would require the notice to include prescribed information, including a statement by the survivor signed under penalty of perjury that a perpetrator who has access to the remote vehicle technology in the vehicle has committed committed, or allegedly committed committed, a covered act against the survivor or an individual in the survivor's care, or a copy of specified documents that support that the perpetrator has committed committed, or allegedly committed committed, a covered act against the survivor or an individual in the survivor's care, including a signed affidavit from, among other specified individuals acting within the scope of their employment, a licensed medical care provider.By requiring a survivor to submit a statement signed under penalty of perjury or requiring specified individuals to sign an affidavit, the bill would expand the crime of perjury and impose a state-mandated local program.This bill would make a vehicle manufacturer that violates the above-described provisions liable in a civil action brought by a survivor for, among other things, reasonable attorney's fees and costs of the prevailing survivor, in addition to any other remedy provided by law. The bill would specify that any waiver of the requirements of the above-described provisions is against public policy, void, and unenforceable. statutory damages in an amount not to exceed $50,000 or not to exceed $100,000 for a knowing violation.This bill would define various terms for these purposes, purposes and would make related findings and declarations.The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.DIGEST KEYVote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal Committee: yes   Local Program: yes  BILL TEXTTHE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, and related crimes are life-threatening issues and have lasting and harmful effects on individuals, families, and entire communities.(b) Survivors of violence and abuse often lack meaningful support and options when establishing independence from an abuser, including barriers of financial insecurity and limited access to reliable communication tools to maintain essential connections with family, social safety networks, employers, and support services.(c) Perpetrators of violence and abuse increasingly use technological and communication tools to exercise control over, monitor, and abuse their victims.(d) Remote vehicle technology, including mobile phone wireless connectivity and location data capabilities that are manufactured into vehicles, are among the technological and communication tools perpetrators of violence and abuse can, and have, used.(e) According to The New York Times, “Modern vehicles have been called ‘smartphones with wheels' because they are internet-connected and have myriad methods of data collection, from cameras and seat weight sensors to records of how hard you brake and corner. Most drivers don't realize how much information their cars are collecting and who has access to it.”(f) Under the federal Safe Connections Act of 2022, survivors of domestic abuse are empowered to protect themselves and their loved ones by requiring telecommunications providers, upon request, to separate their mobile phone accounts from the accounts of their abusers.SEC. 2. Chapter 36.5 (commencing with Section 22948.60) is added to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, to read:CHAPTER  36.5. Remote Vehicle Technology  22948.60. (a) For the purposes of this chapter:(1) “Covered act” means conduct that is any of the following:(A) A crime described in subsection (a) of Section 40002 of the federal Violence Against Women Act (34 U.S.C. Sec. 12291), including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.(B) An act or practice described in paragraph (11) or (12) of Section 103 of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. Sec. 7102) relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons and sex trafficking, respectively.(C) An act under state law, tribal law, or the Uniform Code of Military Justice (Chapter 47 (commencing with Section 801) of Title 10 of the United States Code) that is similar to an offense described in subparagraph (A) or (B).(2) “Designated person” means a person who provides care to a survivor and meets both of the following criteria:(A) The person has been authorized by the survivor to submit a request pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 22948.61.(B) The person did not commit, or did not allegedly commit, a covered act against the survivor.(2)(3) “Perpetrator” means an individual who has committed committed, or allegedly committed committed, a covered act against a survivor or an individual under the care of a survivor.(3)(4) “Remote vehicle technology” means any technology that allows a person who is outside of a vehicle to access the activity, track the location, or control any operation of the vehicle or its parts, that includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:(A) A Global Positioning System (GPS).(B) An app-based technology.(C) Any other remote wireless connectivity technology.(4)(5) “Survivor” means an individual who meets either of the following criteria: has had a covered act committed, or allegedly committed, against the individual.(A)The individual has had a covered act committed or allegedly committed against them.(B)The individual provides care to an individual who has had a covered act committed or allegedly committed against, and that caretaker did not commit or allegedly commit the covered act.(5)(6) “Vehicle manufacturer” means a vehicle manufacturer or remanufacturer, as defined in Section 672 of the Vehicle Code.(b) Subdivision (a) does not require a criminal conviction or any other determination of a court in order for conduct to satisfy a definition.  22948.61. (a) A vehicle manufacturer that offers a vehicle for sale, rent, or lease in the state that includes remote vehicle technology shall do all of the following:(1) Ensure that the remote vehicle technology can be immediately manually disabled by a driver of the vehicle while that driver is inside the vehicle by a method that meets all of the following criteria:(A) The method of manually disabling the remote vehicle technology shall be is prominently located and easy to use and shall does not require access to a remote, online application.(B) Upon its use, the method of manually disabling the remote vehicle technology shall inform informs the user of the requirements of subdivision (b).(C) The method of manually disabling the remote vehicle technology shall does not require a password or any log-in information.(D) Upon its use, the method of manually disabling the remote vehicle technology shall does not result in the remote vehicle technology, vehicle manufacturer, or a third-party service provider sending to the registered owner of the car an email, telephone call, or any other notification related to the remote vehicle technology being disabled.(E) Upon its use, the method of manually disabling the remote vehicle technology shall cause causes the remote vehicle technology to be disabled for a minimum of seven days and capable of being reenabled only by the vehicle manufacturer pursuant to paragraph (4).(2) Offer secure remote means via the internet for a survivor to submit a vehicle separation notice that includes a prominent link on the vehicle manufacturer's internet website that meets both of the following requirements:(A) The link is titled, in bold and capital letters, “CALIFORNIA SURVIVOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ASSISTANCE.”(B) The link provides a designated internet website portal that provides a survivor the ability to submit a vehicle separation notice and includes a form that enables a survivor to submit the information required by subdivision (b).(3) Upon the request of a survivor, reset the remote vehicle technology with a new secure account and delete all data from the original account.(4) Reenable the remote vehicle technology only if the registered owner of the car notifies the manufacturer that the remote vehicle technology was disabled in error, and a survivor has not contacted the vehicle manufacturer to provide the information required by subdivision (b) within seven days of the remote vehicle technology being disabled.(b) A survivor shall submit a vehicle separation notice to a vehicle manufacturer through the means provided by the vehicle manufacturer pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) within 7 days of the date on which the survivor used the method of manually disabling remote vehicle technology required by subdivision (a), which shall include the vehicle identification number of the vehicle and either of the following:(1) A statement by the survivor signed under penalty of perjury that a perpetrator who has access to the remote vehicle technology in the vehicle has committed committed, or allegedly committed committed, a covered act against the survivor or an individual in the survivor's care.(2) A copy of either of the following documents that supports that the perpetrator has committed committed, or allegedly committed committed, a covered act against the survivor or an individual in the survivor's care:(A) A signed affidavit from any of the following individuals acting within the scope of that person's employment:(i) A licensed medical or mental health care provider.(ii) A licensed military medical or mental health care provider.(iii) A licensed social worker.(iv) A victim services provider.(v) A licensed military victim services provider.(B) A copy of any of the following documents:(i) A police report.(ii) A statement provided by the police, including military police, to a magistrate judge or other judge.(iii) A charging document.(iv) A protective or restraining order, including military protective orders.(v) Any other relevant document that is an official record.(c) (1) Only if, for technological reasons, a vehicle manufacturer is unable to comply with paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), the vehicle manufacturer shall create a conspicuous mechanism that is easy to use by which a survivor or a designated person can submit a request to disable a vehicle's remote vehicle technology.(2) A vehicle manufacturer shall disable remote vehicle technology within one business day after receiving a request from a survivor that includes the information required by subdivision (b) and is submitted pursuant to the mechanism required by paragraph (1).(d) This section does not authorize or require a vehicle manufacturer to verify ownership of a vehicle, the identity of a survivor, or the authenticity of information that is submitted by the survivor.  22948.62. (a) In addition to any other remedy provided by law, a vehicle manufacturer that violates Section 22948.61 shall be liable in a civil action brought by a survivor for all of the following:(1) Reasonable attorney's fees and costs of the prevailing survivor.(2) A civil penalty Statutory damages in an amount not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per violation, or a civil penalty statutory damages in an amount not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per violation for knowing violations.(3) Actual damages or three times the amount at which the actual damages are assessed for knowing or reckless violations.(b) Any waiver of the requirements of this chapter shall be against public policy, void, and unenforceable. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.

In 2023, six survivors of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against Stacey Plaskett, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Delegate to Congress, and various USVI officials. The plaintiffs allege that Plaskett and other officials were complicit in Epstein's sex trafficking activities, claiming negligence and violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The lawsuit also targets former USVI governors and other high-profile officials, accusing them of enabling Epstein's crimes for personal and financial gain.Plaskett has strongly denied these allegations, calling the lawsuit "legally and factually frivolous." Her legal team argues that there is no evidence connecting her to Epstein's illegal actions and that her inclusion in the lawsuit is an attempt to exploit her public profile. Plaskett has filed motions to dismiss the case, asserting that the claims lack substantial basis and are a misuse of legal processes to gain monetary compensation. The court has not yet ruled on these motions to dismiss, and ongoing legal proceedings continue to address these complex allegations​.In this episode, we dive into her deposition.   (commercial at 13:30)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource9647388 Plaskett, Stacey E. 05-09-2023 [Confidential] (courtlistener.com)

In 2023, six survivors of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against Stacey Plaskett, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Delegate to Congress, and various USVI officials. The plaintiffs allege that Plaskett and other officials were complicit in Epstein's sex trafficking activities, claiming negligence and violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The lawsuit also targets former USVI governors and other high-profile officials, accusing them of enabling Epstein's crimes for personal and financial gain.Plaskett has strongly denied these allegations, calling the lawsuit "legally and factually frivolous." Her legal team argues that there is no evidence connecting her to Epstein's illegal actions and that her inclusion in the lawsuit is an attempt to exploit her public profile. Plaskett has filed motions to dismiss the case, asserting that the claims lack substantial basis and are a misuse of legal processes to gain monetary compensation. The court has not yet ruled on these motions to dismiss, and ongoing legal proceedings continue to address these complex allegations​.In this episode, we dive into her deposition.   (commercial at 13:30)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource9647388 Plaskett, Stacey E. 05-09-2023 [Confidential] (courtlistener.com)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

In 2023, six survivors of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against Stacey Plaskett, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Delegate to Congress, and various USVI officials. The plaintiffs allege that Plaskett and other officials were complicit in Epstein's sex trafficking activities, claiming negligence and violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The lawsuit also targets former USVI governors and other high-profile officials, accusing them of enabling Epstein's crimes for personal and financial gain.Plaskett has strongly denied these allegations, calling the lawsuit "legally and factually frivolous." Her legal team argues that there is no evidence connecting her to Epstein's illegal actions and that her inclusion in the lawsuit is an attempt to exploit her public profile. Plaskett has filed motions to dismiss the case, asserting that the claims lack substantial basis and are a misuse of legal processes to gain monetary compensation. The court has not yet ruled on these motions to dismiss, and ongoing legal proceedings continue to address these complex allegations​.In this episode, we dive into her deposition.   (commercial at 13:30)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource9647388 Plaskett, Stacey E. 05-09-2023 [Confidential] (courtlistener.com)

Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with Ambassador Sam Brownback, Co-Chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit, former U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (2018-2021), former Governor of Kansas (2011-2018), United States Senator (1996-2011) and Member of Congress (1995–96). Topics of our conversation with Ambassador Sam Brownback include: * recent journey to Israel with former Governor Mike Huckabee and Ambassador Ken Blackwell, * the rise of anti-Semitism in America, * the Iranian threat in the Middle East and beyond, * America's economy, unsustainable growth of the national debt, illegal immigration, * threats to Western Civilization. The conversation also focuses on the state of religious freedom around the world and the forthcoming International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, DC. In 1986, Sam became the state's youngest Secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture. In 1994, he was elected to represent the 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996 where he carried the first comprehensive federal anti-trafficking law. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 declared human trafficking a federal crime and increased protection for victims. In the Senate he was a leading advocate for freedom of religious liberty around the globe. Sam worked actively on the issue in multiple countries and was a key sponsor of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996 where he carried the first comprehensive federal anti-trafficking law. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 declared human trafficking a federal crime and increased protection for victims. In the Senate he was a leading advocate for freedom of religious liberty around the globe. Sam worked actively on the issue in multiple countries and was a key sponsor of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Sam honored a term limits pledge and ran for Governor of Kansas in 2010. He became the 46th Governor of the Sunflower State in 2011 and was re-elected in 2014. President Trump nominated Sam to serve as Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom in 2017. He resigned as Governor of Kansas on January 31, 2018 and was sworn in to his diplomatic post the next day. He served as Ambassador until January 2021. He currently serves as co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit and is a Senior Fellow with Global Christian Relief. He is also chairman of the National Committee for Religious Freedom. americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 Twitter: @SamuelBrownback @ileaderssummit @AmericasRT @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 65 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

Trafficking is defined by The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of commercial sex acts or labor or services using force, fraud, or coherence. According to the United Nations 2016 Report on Trafficking in Persons, women and girls make up 71% of all human trafficking. The Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative found that 60% of identified sex trafficking victims were recruited by a family member or intimate partner, and 87% of identified labor trafficking victims were recruited by a non-family member, such as a friend, acquaintance, business contact, or neighbor. And the FBI's Innocence Lost National Initiative discovered the life expectancy for sex trafficking survivors is 7 years. We need to END Trafficking. Welcome to Normalize The Conversation, your host Francesca Reicherter is joined by human rights activist, Sophia Fisher. For over five years, Sophia has been working in the anti-trafficking space with a passion to help open the conversation while educating us on how to identify trafficking and understand how it manifests. Join Fran and Sophia as they dive deep into human trafficking – from definition to warning signs to saving lives. ---- Normalize The Conversation is an initiative of Inspiring My Generation focusing on normalizing the conversation, bringing education and awareness to the forefront, and amplifying global voices to spark change and hope. Inspiring My Generation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission of suicide prevention through awareness, conversation, education, and support. Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook: @Inspiring My Generation Visit our website: inspiringmygeneration.org. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/normalizetheconversation/support

Sandie and Dave reflect on how far the movement has come since the Trafficking Victims Protection Act passed in October 2000, and was soon followed by the United Nations Palermo Protocol in December 2000. In 2023, we are positioned to move beyond awareness. Ending human trafficking requires everyone--educators, business leaders, social workers, attorney, nonprofits, and the church--to do more! Key Points Alert your community that January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month and bring visibility to the issue. Listen to Survivors on the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. Consume consciously and use the Sweat & Toil app to have age-appropriate conversations with your child. Join the Ending Human Trafficking: Strategies for the Church Today book challenge: Read the book in 31 days for the month of January. Send the book to three people--a great Christmas gift!! (at ivpress.com use EHTlearn for 30% off + free shipping) Start a book club to read and discuss together using our leader's guide (coming soon). Attend local Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month events - check out GCWJ's January events: January 7 - Train the Trainer from 9 AM-12 PM January 11 - Sextortion film screening from 6-8 PM January 28 - Smart Families, Safe Kids from 11 AM - 2PM Join the Ending Human Trafficking podcast challenge using the 31 Day Podcast Challenge Toolkit (coming soon). Love the show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! Become a Patron Transcript Dave [00:00:00] You're listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode number 288, Practical Strategies to Go Beyond Awareness. Production Credits [00:00:10] Produced by Innovate Learning, maximizing human potential. Dave [00:00:29] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. My name is Dave Stachowiak. Sandie [00:00:35] And my name is Sandie Morgan. Dave [00:00:37] And this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. You hear us say that at the beginning of every episode, and we do invite you every time to start by studying the issues, and we often have that invitation at the end of our conversations. For those who haven't already, go to endinghumantrafficking.org to download Sandie's guide as a starting point. And yet there is so much that you can do, regardless of how much you have listened to us or what your level of expertise is, or perhaps you're just picking this up for the very first time. The mission of the Global Center for Women and Justice is to take action and to move beyond just awareness and to actually take action in order to have some wonderful things begin to move forward. And you can, regardless if you've been thinking and contributing for a decade, or perhaps you've just downloaded this episode for the first time today. There are many things you can do that go beyond awareness and that you can take action on right now. Today we're going to look at six. We're often asked, Sandie and I, what can I do to move forward? In addition to listening to the show, in addition to going on the website, what can I do to move forward? And we've got six key things for you. Things that are very timely in the next couple of months that will help you to move forward and to take action to go beyond awareness. Sandie, I'm so glad we get to have this conversation because there's a lot happening, isn't there? Sandie [00:02:13] Oh, my goodness. There really is. And when I think back to 2011, when you invited me to start this podcast, I had no idea we would still be doing it 11 years later at my desk. But the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed in October 2000 and shortly after the United Nations passed the Palermo Protocol.

Find Dennis Mark:https://www.redeemedtx.org/ We asked a Human Trafficking Revover Expert Your Questions and this is how he responded: Question: Are not Christians simply enforcing their worldview and religion on other people when they force laws on Sex Trafficking? Answer: Most of the people who use this verbiage are oftentimes the ones benefiting from the exploitation, mainly the traffickers (pimps) and the consumers (a.k.a. johns). Question: I mean, you can't legislate morality, right? Answer: No, but you can legislate and prosecute exploitation. Question: How should the Church respond to people who are actively being trafficked? Answer: Everything survivors of human trafficking need to be successful is sitting in the pews of our church. Overcoming their own fears, moving from being paralyzed to engagement, and living out their faith at the level they understand the Word. Question: What if they are still committed to their lifestyle? Answer: One of the biggest mistakes and myths about trafficking is this idea of “choice.” So much more to that… Question: How can a Christian respond effectively to those who are being trafficked? Answer: With the fruit of the spirit, the ideas of love found in 1 Corinthians 13 and holistic healing…understanding and meeting a person's emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual needs as they are affected by trauma, and yes, trauma affects each of these areas. Question: Isn't this an issue of the heart and not an issue for government intervention as far as laws are concerned? Answer: Yes, it is an issue of the heart, but it should be the heart of our elected officials to use their heart and provide a compassionate response to the exploitation of the innocent. In 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed and signed into law to provide the prevention of trafficking, protection of all victims, guidelines for prosecution, and provision of services. In this law was built the ability to reauthorize this act and amend it with improvements as more knowledge is gained. Question: Don't laws prohibiting a commodity simply create a black market? Answer: It is already illegal and it is a “underground” market or a viable sub-culture. What is dangerous is legalizing it so that the demand increases and thereby increasing the need for supply which typically involves younger victims. Question: Shouldn't these women be able to just walk out the door? Answer: Yes, but it is extremely important to understand the reality of coercion. Question: If they are really being forced into this, why not just call the police? Answer: I teach a six-hour course on the realities of survivor care and two-hours is dedicated to just answering this question. It's not about choice, its about control and eliminating options. Question: Pornography is usually practiced between consenting adults, why should we prohibit anything to do with artistic expression? Answer: Again, not expression when coercion and exploitation are involved. Question: Everyone needs to sow their wild oats and experience sexuality of various kinds before they settle down in a marriage. What's wrong with engaging in these acts with these people who are doing it to my understanding willingly if this ultimately benefits my future marriage since I won't want to do it later. And if men can't get sex, doesn't the Sex Trade also reduce violence against women when men can just pay for it when they couldn't get it while dating? Answer: I'm not sure I can good conscience combine the words “Sex Trade” and “reducing violence” in the same sentence. How dark do you want me to share? Question: Effectively, for all of the above reasons, isn't the Sex Trade a societal good? Answer: Effectively, NO. Question: Doesn't the Constitution provide freedom of association? Answer: Yes, and I assume you mean Intimate Freedom of Association. But exploitation crosses a line into the violation of the 13th Amendment and the aforementioned TVPA. Question: How is allowing sex work any different from any other form of occupation? Answer: I'm going to repeat this premise often, “Not choice or an occupation, but exploitation.” Question: “If Houston is at the top of the sex trade for national and international exporting what does the increase in volume of illegal border crossings mean for your ministry, the Human Trafficking Industrial Complex, and Political Structure? What policy measures, in your opinion, should be considered given current circumstances?” Answer: Not sure where this information is found, but two fundamental problems exist with the statement, 1) “sex trade for national and international exporting”, the reality of sex trafficking in Houston is that rough average of 85% of victims identified are not international victims, and 2) “at the top of the sex trade”, where and how Houston ranks has been grossly misrepresented, especially as “number 1”. In 2019, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Texas prosecuted 42% of trafficking related crimes in the United States. Does that mean we are worse? The better and more accurate answer is that because of the length of time the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance of the SDTX and the experience level of 37 law enforcement agencies with roughly 196 LE personnel means we have the knowledge and knowhow to identify, investigate, and prosecute trafficking cases, and with the addition of the United Against Human Trafficking Coalition with its 57 service provider agencies provides a greater response to survivor needs and healing. Question: “Some of these women can only make this kind of money doing sex work? Why would you rob them of an income?” Answer: There's that ugly word again, “sex work”, the heart of exploitation is to generate income not for the victim, but for the trafficker. Question: “Being trafficked devalues the Human Being, how can we restore the self-worth and identity of an Image Bearer of God who has lived through these experiences?” Answer: Get educated to the reality of human trafficking (not watching bad Hollywood interpretations) and the difficulty of restoration and engage. I would encourage you listeners to seek out reputable organizations and get involved, we are always looking for volunteers and staff to be engaged in the fight. Don't start something new, join someone already engaged in the fight who has the right knowledge, understanding, and reputation of work. Find Dennis Mark:https://www.redeemedtx.org/

Find Dennis Mark:https://www.redeemedtx.org/ We asked a Human Trafficking Revover Expert Your Questions and this is how he responded: Question: Are not Christians simply enforcing their worldview and religion on other people when they force laws on Sex Trafficking? Answer: Most of the people who use this verbiage are oftentimes the ones benefiting from the exploitation, mainly the traffickers (pimps) and the consumers (a.k.a. johns). Question: I mean, you can't legislate morality, right? Answer: No, but you can legislate and prosecute exploitation. Question: How should the Church respond to people who are actively being trafficked? Answer: Everything survivors of human trafficking need to be successful is sitting in the pews of our church. Overcoming their own fears, moving from being paralyzed to engagement, and living out their faith at the level they understand the Word. Question: What if they are still committed to their lifestyle? Answer: One of the biggest mistakes and myths about trafficking is this idea of “choice.” So much more to that… Question: How can a Christian respond effectively to those who are being trafficked? Answer: With the fruit of the spirit, the ideas of love found in 1 Corinthians 13 and holistic healing…understanding and meeting a person's emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual needs as they are affected by trauma, and yes, trauma affects each of these areas. Question: Isn't this an issue of the heart and not an issue for government intervention as far as laws are concerned? Answer: Yes, it is an issue of the heart, but it should be the heart of our elected officials to use their heart and provide a compassionate response to the exploitation of the innocent. In 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed and signed into law to provide the prevention of trafficking, protection of all victims, guidelines for prosecution, and provision of services. In this law was built the ability to reauthorize this act and amend it with improvements as more knowledge is gained. Question: Don't laws prohibiting a commodity simply create a black market? Answer: It is already illegal and it is a “underground” market or a viable sub-culture. What is dangerous is legalizing it so that the demand increases and thereby increasing the need for supply which typically involves younger victims. Question: Shouldn't these women be able to just walk out the door? Answer: Yes, but it is extremely important to understand the reality of coercion. Question: If they are really being forced into this, why not just call the police? Answer: I teach a six-hour course on the realities of survivor care and two-hours is dedicated to just answering this question. It's not about choice, its about control and eliminating options. Question: Pornography is usually practiced between consenting adults, why should we prohibit anything to do with artistic expression? Answer: Again, not expression when coercion and exploitation are involved. Question: Everyone needs to sow their wild oats and experience sexuality of various kinds before they settle down in a marriage. What's wrong with engaging in these acts with these people who are doing it to my understanding willingly if this ultimately benefits my future marriage since I won't want to do it later. And if men can't get sex, doesn't the Sex Trade also reduce violence against women when men can just pay for it when they couldn't get it while dating? Answer: I'm not sure I can good conscience combine the words “Sex Trade” and “reducing violence” in the same sentence. How dark do you want me to share? Question: Effectively, for all of the above reasons, isn't the Sex Trade a societal good? Answer: Effectively, NO. Question: Doesn't the Constitution provide freedom of association? Answer: Yes, and I assume you mean Intimate Freedom of Association. But exploitation crosses a line into the violation of the 13th Amendment and the aforementioned TVPA. Question: How is allowing sex work any different from any other form of occupation? Answer: I'm going to repeat this premise often, “Not choice or an occupation, but exploitation.” Question: “If Houston is at the top of the sex trade for national and international exporting what does the increase in volume of illegal border crossings mean for your ministry, the Human Trafficking Industrial Complex, and Political Structure? What policy measures, in your opinion, should be considered given current circumstances?” Answer: Not sure where this information is found, but two fundamental problems exist with the statement, 1) “sex trade for national and international exporting”, the reality of sex trafficking in Houston is that rough average of 85% of victims identified are not international victims, and 2) “at the top of the sex trade”, where and how Houston ranks has been grossly misrepresented, especially as “number 1”. In 2019, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Texas prosecuted 42% of trafficking related crimes in the United States. Does that mean we are worse? The better and more accurate answer is that because of the length of time the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance of the SDTX and the experience level of 37 law enforcement agencies with roughly 196 LE personnel means we have the knowledge and knowhow to identify, investigate, and prosecute trafficking cases, and with the addition of the United Against Human Trafficking Coalition with its 57 service provider agencies provides a greater response to survivor needs and healing. Question: “Some of these women can only make this kind of money doing sex work? Why would you rob them of an income?” Answer: There's that ugly word again, “sex work”, the heart of exploitation is to generate income not for the victim, but for the trafficker. Question: “Being trafficked devalues the Human Being, how can we restore the self-worth and identity of an Image Bearer of God who has lived through these experiences?” Answer: Get educated to the reality of human trafficking (not watching bad Hollywood interpretations) and the difficulty of restoration and engage. I would encourage you listeners to seek out reputable organizations and get involved, we are always looking for volunteers and staff to be engaged in the fight. Don't start something new, join someone already engaged in the fight who has the right knowledge, understanding, and reputation of work. Find Dennis Mark:https://www.redeemedtx.org/

Laura is the Co-Founder and CTO of a non-profit organization dedicated to training survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence in coding and other in-demand technology skills.Find Laura Hackney Online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/LHack47Find Annie Cannons Online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/anniecannons Website: https://anniecannons.org/Referenced: National Human Trafficking Hotline: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ 1-888-373-7888 The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: https://www.missingkids.org/ CyberTip Line: https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline 1-800-843-5678U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000: https://www.state.gov/international-and-domestic-law/ www.dosomething.orgInternational Labor Organization: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htm Global Slavery Index: https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/EasyTRO App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easytro/id1480069432 Case Study: https://anniecannons.com/easytro-case-study/Awareness Through Aesthetics: https://awarenessthroughaesthetics.com/2020 Awareness Through Aesthetics Virtual Event - Thursday, August 13th @ 6:30pm EDTWe Get Real AF Podcast Credits: Producers & Hosts: Vanessa Alava & Sue RobinsonVanessa Alava LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessahalava/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessahalava/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/vanessahalavaSue Robinson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannemrobinson/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanneandthesea/Twitter: https://twitter.com/sociallysue_Audio Producer/Editor: Sam Mclean Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcleansounds/ Website: www.inphase.bizAudio Music Track Title: Beatles Unite - Artist: Rachel K. Collier Website: https://www.rachelkcollier.comIntro Voice-Over Artist: Veronica Horta LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicahorta/Cover Artwork Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/@alicemooreWe Get Real AF Podcast Online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wegetrealaf/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wegetrealaf Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wegetrealaf/ LinThis episode is part of the Summer Throwback series - a re-release of favorite WeGRAF episodes. The We Get Real AF podcast is a production of MicDrop Creative, telling inclusive stories through film and media.Support the show

Trigger warning: The following podcast episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.Kathy is a wife, mother, author, writer, and advocate who survived being sex trafficked. Kathy's goal is to fight for those who are still victimized by sex trafficking, and mentor survivors transitioning out of exploitation. Kathy has developed a trauma-informed restorative care program for adult survivors of trafficking, and she's the Co-Founder of Twelve 11 Partners, an organization that is survivor-led and survivor-focused. In this episode, listen as she talks with podcast host Garrett Jonsson about her experiences of being sex trafficked, how her family and friends played a significant role in her exiting exploitation, and why she thinks it's possible to end trafficking for good.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

In the first episode of the second season of the Trafficking Matters Podcast, Douglass Fellows Natalie Assaad and Christy Salzman interview Annick Febrey, the Director of Government and Corporate Relations at the Human Trafficking Institute. They talk about the history and importance of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), as well as the latest reauthorization of the TVPA currently underway. If you or someone you know is currently in danger of human trafficking, you can view the national human trafficking hotline website here. You can reach the hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888 or texting 233733.  Here, you can learn more about the Human Trafficking Institute, the Federal Human Trafficking Report, and the Douglass Fellowship. Annick Febrey's full bio is available here. You can learn more about the timeline of the TVPA here. For a timeline and content of each reauthorization, see pages 1–16 of the 2020 Federal Human Trafficking Report. We would love to hear from you! You can reach us at natalie.assad@traffickinginstitute.org and christy.salzman@traffickinginstitute.org.Music: Blurry Vision by Corbyn KitesThank you for listening to the Trafficking Matters Podcast!

Send us a Text Message.If you or someone you know is currently in danger of human trafficking, you can view the National Human Trafficking Hotline website here. You can reach the hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888 or texting 233733.In this episode, Natalie and Christy discuss the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act with Annick Febrey, Director of Government and Corporate Relations at the Human Trafficking Institute.Here, you can learn more about the Human Trafficking Institute, the Federal Human Trafficking Report, and the Douglass Fellowship. Contact the Human Trafficking Institute here.Music: Blurry Vision by Corbyn Kites

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses child sexual abuse and suicide ideation. Listener discretion is advised.Today's conversation is with Jennifer Nielson, creator and Founder of The Dig, a program developed to help people become emotionally resilient and reclaim their lives from trauma. Throughout this conversation, Jennifer discusses how her childhood sexual abuse led her into a journey of healing from her trauma and eventually creating a business to help others do the same.You can learn more about Jennifer and her work at The Dig at thedigmodel.com.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Ronald McDonald, Camping Permits & a Radio Ad: Anchorage's Sex Industry History   Anchorage has a long history with the sex industry dating back to the city's founding. In this episode we explore that history. But what does Ronald McDonald, camping permits and radio ads have to do with that? Listen to find out.   #allpeople All during this season of the AnchorEd City Podcast we are exploring places in the city where things are, or are becoming, more like they should be for all people.   During the months of September, October, and November we are partnering with Kaladi Brothers Coffee to hear from you about what would make Anchorage the way it is supposed to be for all people. Go to: AnchorageUTC.org/allpeople for participating locations and more info.   Can't make it to a café?  No worries. You can share your thoughts by going to facebook.com/AnchorageUTC.     Resources used to make this episode:   https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2021/07/25/the-story-of-mcdonalds-founder-ray-krocs-beef-with-anchorages-sunshine-plaza/   https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2020/02/10/how-south-addition-became-anchorages-first-red-light-district/   https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2020/08/09/anchorages-park-strip-its-true-that-its-been-a-golf-course-and-an-airfield-but-thats-just-the-start/   https://www.arctictoday.com/why-human-trafficking-is-a-serious-but-mostly-invisible-problem-in-alaska/   Rosy Kandathil, Global Sex Trafficking and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000: Legislative Responses to the Problem of Modern Slavery, 12 MICH. J. GENDER & L. 87 (2005). Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjgl/vol12/iss1/2  - https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1091&context=mjgl   http://www.law.state.ak.us/pdf/admin/110512-adhocworkinggroup.pdf   Carlson, P.D. and Bill, L.D., 2008. Aunt Phil's Trunk: 1912-1935 (Vol. 3). Aunt Phil's Trunk. p .40-43 & 85.   Carlson, P.D. and Bill, L.D., 2015. Aunt Phil's Trunk: 1960-1984 (Vol. 5). Aunt Phil's Trunk. p. 363 & 367.

This episode is with well-known TikTok personality and psychotherapist Matthias J. Barker. As a licensed therapist, Matthias focuses on helping people overcome childhood trauma and marital issues and helping people move towards what's meaningful in the midst of hardship. In this episode, listen to Matthias talk to podcast host, Garrett Jonsson, about the issue of shame when dealing with your own compulsion to view pornography, how betrayal trauma can impact partners of porn consumers, and how to overcome a struggle with pornography with compassion for yourself and your partner.You can find Matthias on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube at @matthiasjbarker or at matthiasjbarker.com.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To support this podcast, click here.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Trigger Warning: This discussion includes frank, explicit, discussions of sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and pornographic content that may be triggering to some. Listener discretion is advised.Phillip Martin is an award-winning journalist and a senior investigative reporter for The GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. He and fellow journalist Jenifer McKim recently created an investigative series, titled, “Unseen: The Boy Victims Of The Sex Trade,” that highlights the underreported issue of exploitation and trafficking of boys in the underground sex trade. Listen to podcast host Garrett Jonsson talk to Phillip about what led him to write about this topic and why it's important to discuss this often-overlooked issue, and hear about some real examples of boys who experienced exploitation.To read “Unseen: The Boy Victims Of The Sex Trade, Part I,” visit ftnd.org/gbh1.To read “Unseen: The Boy Victims Of The Sex Trade, Part II,” visit ftnd.org/gbh2.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To support this podcast, click here.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

In this episode, Alicen and Sam met with Ambassador (ret) C.deBaca to discuss his career in anti-trafficking, the trajectory of anti-trafficking law, and the future of the field.If you or someone you know is currently in danger of human trafficking, you can view the national human trafficking hotline website here. You can reach the hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888 or texting 233733.  Here, you can learn more about the Human Trafficking Institute, the Federal Human Trafficking Report, and the Douglass Fellowship.You can find Ambassador C.deBaca's biography here.You can read the Trafficking Victims Protection Act here.You can read the Palermo Protocol here.You can learn about the Department of Justice's Human Trafficking Program here.To read more about the global efforts to fight trafficking, go here.You can apply for jobs with the federal government here.We would love to hear from you! You can reach us at samantha.franks@traffickinginstitute.org and alicen.rodolph@traffickinginstitute.org. Music: Blurry Vision by Corbyn Kites

In this digital age, there is no doubt that the use of different technologies and the continuous evolution of global media has been beneficial for us and made it much easier for us to spread and receive information. Because of this, underground industries and the black market are taking advantage of this widening reach, allowing them to revolutionize sex trafficking. Pornography has become even more accessible to everyone, making it dangerous for young people or children who also use the Internet on a daily basis.  In this episode, we have Lisa Thompson, a member of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation who are the key contributors to fighting human trafficking, raising awareness, and empowering people to end it.  We talk about the similarities of human trafficking vs. pornography, how media has a predatory dependence upon vulnerable women and children, and how she used her voice and bravery to travel the world to do her job and raise awareness on this issue. Visit their website to learn more. National Center on Sexual Exploitation [4:02] Combatting sex trafficking [7:21] Trafficking Victims Protection Act [10:10] Pornhub as a porn aggregator website [12:56] Human trafficking is becoming a masterful science for some people [17:22] The Internet revolutionized the way sex trafficking happens [18:56] Both the pornography and prostitution industry are dependent upon vulnerable people [23:57] Pornography is prostitution [26:57] Click HERE for the show transcript.

Send us a Text Message.If you or someone you know is currently in danger of human trafficking, you can view the national human trafficking hotline website here. You can reach the hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888 or texting 233733.  Here, you can learn more about the Human Trafficking Institute, the Federal Human Trafficking Report, and the Douglass Fellowship.You can find Marie's full bio here.You can read the Trafficking Victims Protection Act here.To understand more about trauma and trauma centered care generally, go here.To read more about the pedagogy of trauma-informed lawyering, go here.To learn more about how sex trafficking survivors experience trauma, go here.You can find a deeper explanation of “trauma-bonding” here.You can find more information on The Body Keeps the Score here. You can find your local indie bookstore here.Here is a handbook of resources on trauma centered care for trafficking survivors from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime.Music: Blurry Vision by Corbyn Kites

Welcome to Trafficking Matters: A Douglass Fellowship Podcast. In Episode 2, Alicen Rodolph and Samantha Franks speak with Marie Martinez Israelite, the Director of Victims Services for the Human Trafficking Institute, about trauma-informed care for survivors of trafficking.If you or someone you know is currently in danger of human trafficking, you can view the national human trafficking hotline website here. You can reach the hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888 or texting 233733. Here, you can learn more about the Human Trafficking Institute, the Federal Human Trafficking Report, and the Douglass Fellowship.You can find Marie’s full bio here.You can read the Trafficking Victims Protection Act here.To understand more about trauma and trauma-informed care generally, go here.To read more about the pedagogy of trauma-informed lawyering, go here.To learn more about how sex trafficking survivors experience trauma, go here.You can find a deeper explanation of “trauma-bonding” here.You can find more information on The Body Keeps the Score here. You can find your local indie bookstore here.Here is a handbook of resources on trauma-informed care for trafficking survivors from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime.We would love to hear from you! You can reach us at samantha.franks@traffickinginstitute.org and alicen.rodolph@traffickinginstitute.org.

Disclaimer: Fight the New Drug is a non-religious and non-legislative awareness and education organization. While our guest on this episode discusses religion, Fight the New Drug is not religiously-affiliated.Trigger Warning: Graphic descriptions of sex trafficking are discussed during this conversation. Listener Discretion is advised. If you’re a baseball fan, chances are you’ve heard of Adam LaRoche. Before the end of his 12-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Adam went on a human trafficking sting operation with a non-profit to fight sex trafficking. After being exposed to the ugly underbelly of the sex trafficking industry, Adam decided to make it his life’s mission to fight sexual exploitation. Since his retirement from the MLB, Adam has formed a nonprofit, E3, that in part helps to fight sexual exploitation. He also went on to become a deputy through the Police Academy which allows him to help law enforcement agencies that do counter-trafficking work. Listen to Adam LaRoche open up to podcast host Garrett Jonsson about his personal experience with consuming porn, how he realized that it contributes to the demand for sex trafficking, and how he’s been able to overcome it. Note: This conversation was recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here or text CONSIDER to 43506.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming. 

Trigger warning: Graphic descriptions of sex trafficking, abuse, and attempted suicide are discussed during this conversation. Listener discretion is advised.Born and raised in Germany, Coco spent the first 15 years of her life as a victim of familial trafficking. For the majority of her youth, she was trafficked, abused, and raped by different people, all coordinated by close family members. She escaped at age 15, and unfortunately, the abuse didn’t stop there. Shortly after her escape, the therapist she was seeing began abusing her. Eventually, Coco escaped again and moved to the United States in 2015 where she fell in love, found a home, and is now a full-time student. Coco is now an aspiring international human rights lawyer and desires to continue the fight against human trafficking from the frontlines. Listen to Coco talk to podcast host, Garrett Jonsson, about her story, common misconceptions about sex trafficking, and how she’s now focusing her education and career of advocating for human trafficking victims.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here or text CONSIDER to 43506.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Meet Canadian activist Sathiya. After facing his own struggle with pornography, Sathiya created DeepClean, a program build to help men experience long-term freedom from pornography through a systematic process. Sathiya talks with podcast host, Garrett Jonsson, about his own struggle with pornography, how it negatively impacted different areas of his life, and why he’s now dedicating his life to helping men find lasting recovery. You can learn more about Sathiya’s program, DeepClean, at https://www.sathiyasam.com/.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here or text CONSIDER to 43506.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Jay Taylor is a social worker dedicated to social justice and equality initiatives. Taylor has worked in anti-human trafficking, community health centers, young men’s restorative programing, psychiatric hospitals, university wellness centers, and as an adjunct college professor. His involvement with men’s issues began when he worked with men in anti-human trafficking and domestic violence programs. Today, Jay is a Resource Trainer and Specialist in Violence Prevention for Colleges & Universities and Mental Health Education at A Call To Men, a violence prevention organization and respected leader on issues of manhood, male socialization and its intersection with violence, and preventing violence against all women and girls. We sat down with Jay Taylor during the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Summit in 2019, and our conversation about how pornography influences problematic behavior, particularly in men, is still relevant today. You can learn more about A Call To Men and their efforts in the anti-exploitation movement at acalltomen.org.Click here to access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here or text CONSIDER to 43506.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Laura is the Co-Founder and CTO of a non-profit organization dedicated to training survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence in coding and other in-demand technology skills. Find Laura Hackney Online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/LHack47Find Annie Cannons Online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/anniecannons Website: https://anniecannons.org/Referenced: National Human Trafficking Hotline: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ 1-888-373-7888 The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: https://www.missingkids.org/ CyberTip Line: https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline 1-800-843-5678U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000: https://www.state.gov/international-and-domestic-law/ www.dosomething.orgInternational Labor Organization: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htm Global Slavery Index: https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/EasyTRO App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easytro/id1480069432 Case Study: https://anniecannons.com/easytro-case-study/Awareness Through Aesthetics: https://awarenessthroughaesthetics.com/2020 Awareness Through Aesthetics Virtual Event - Thursday, August 13th @ 6:30pm EDTWe Get Real AF Podcast Credits: Producers & Hosts: Vanessa Alava & Sue RobinsonVanessa Alava LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessahalava/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessahalava/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vanessahalava Sue Robinson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-robinson-29025623/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memyselfandfinds/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sociallysue_Audio Producer/Editor: Sam Mclean Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcleansounds/ Website: www.inphase.bizAudio Music Track Title: Beatles Unite - Artist: Rachel K. Collier Website: https://www.rachelkcollier.com Intro Voice-Over Artist: Veronica Horta LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicahorta/Cover Artwork Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/@alicemoore We Get Real AF Podcast Online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wegetrealaf/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wegetrealaf Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wegetrealaf/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wegetrealaf Website: https://wegetrealaf.com Support the show (https://wegetrealaf.com/how-you-can-help)

Years ago, I attended an event called Encuentro in solidarity with farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida organized by the Student Farm worker Alliance and Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). At this event I was introduced to a whole range of specific issues surrounding the growth of tomatoes in Florida and the cultural and political landscapes of power that surround the city of Immoklaee.So, for this episode of Picture Theory I contacted Natali Rodriguez and Silvia Perez to see if they could share their perspectives and insights as women, organizers, and farmworkers, demanding justice in a time of crisis and political polarization.Silvia is a farmworker staff member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and one the coordinators of the Women's Group, she’s also a DJ on the Coalition’s radio station, and organizes for the national Wendy's Boycott.Natali is a staff member of the CIW and in addition to community support, she helps coordinate the logistics for the worker-to-worker education sessions that the CIW facilitates throughout the season. Natali will also be translating today’s conversation.So, you might be wondering what is the CIW and what kind of work do they do? First here’s a little context: the average wage for a farmworker in Immokalee is roughly 17k a year. The work is extremely, physically labor-intensive and very difficult to maintain a family on. Immokalee is a multiracial working class immigrant community surrounded by wealthy communities that often ignore the human rights and needs of those in Immokalee.The CIW is a leader in the growing movement to end human trafficking due to its groundbreaking work to combat modern-day slavery and other labor abuses common in agriculture. In order to take action and demand justice the CIW has three broad campaigns or strategies you should know about:The Campaign for Fair FoodThe CIW’s national Campaign for Fair Food educates consumers on the issue of farm labor exploitation – its causes and solutions – and forges alliances between farmworkers and consumers in an effort to enlist the market power of major corporate buyers to help end that exploitation. Since 2001, the campaign has combined creative, on-the-ground actions with online organizing to win Fair Food Agreements with eleven multi-billion dollar food retailers, including McDonald’s, Subway, Sodexo and Whole Foods, establishing more humane farm labor standards and fairer wages for farmworkers in their tomato suppliers’ operations.The Fair Food ProgramUnder the FFP, the CIW conducts worker education sessions, held on-the-farm and on-the-clock, on the new labor rights set forth in the Fair Food Code of Conduct; the Fair Food Standards Council, a third-party monitor created to ensure compliance with the FFP, conducts regular audits and carries out ongoing complaint investigation and resolution.Anti-Slavery CampaignThe CIW’s Anti-Slavery Campaign has uncovered, investigated, and assisted in the prosecution of numerous multi-state, multi-worker farm slavery operations across the Southeastern U.S., helping liberate over 1,200 workers held against their will; pioneered the worker-centered approach to slavery prosecution; played a key role in the passage of the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act; and co-founded the national Freedom Network USA and the Freedom Network Training Institute, which is regularly attended by local, state and federal law enforcement officialsIn our conversation Silvia and Natali talk about what the CIW’s focus has been on before the COVID pandemic and how the workers are cooping with the health crisis as farmworkers, asking supporters to sign this petition and demanding justice from the governor:Set up a field hospital, or alternative care facility, in Immokalee to provide both treatment for COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms, and a separate quarantine space to allow workers with milder symptoms to self-isolate, to stop the spread of the virus in the community and relieve stress on the local health system.Require agricultural employers to provide personal protective gear, particularly masks, to farmworkers for use while they are traveling to and from the fieldsEnsure comprehensive, free, accessible COVID-19 testing in Immokalee, when widespread testing becomes availableAllocate public funds for economic relief for Florida farmworkersHere’s our conversation with Silvia and Natali of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers:You can also listen to Picture Theory on Spotify and in the Apple podcasts app.Episode notes:History of the CIW; started in 1993Immigrant farm workers coming from Mexico, Guatemala, HaitiWage theft, difficult working conditions, extreme cases, sexual assault25,000 people working in agricultureMigrant community dependent on growing seasonsHousing conditions of workersHow COVID pandemic aggravates the conditionsThe history behind the CIWSiliva’s backstory with CIW women’s group and becoming a staff memberA typical day in the life of a farmworker in ImmokaleeWhat campaign work looked like before the COVID pandemicWhat does a victory look like for a farmworker action and campaignDemands 1 extra penny per tomatoEliminating wage theftZero tolerance policy for sexual assault in the workplaceThe key players in the fight for food justice from Wendy’s, to Walmart, to hospitalsWhat the supply chain looks like on a macroscale and how anyone who eats tomatoes is involvedThe after-effects of slavery and the history behind why tomatoes are grown in Immokalee, FloridaWhat it’s like to raise a family as latinx communities living in a politically conservative state ImmokaleeWhy Immokalee is a forgotten working class immigrant community surrounded by wealthy land ownersThe joys of doing work as a coalitionFarm work is not easy and the wages on average are around 17000 per year and the seasons are unpredictableSelf isolation for workers who can’t go back to their homes without spreading the virus furtherNatali describes the nation network of food justice organizations

It takes a village to protect victims of abuse and assault. That village by necessity requires the strong support of men who care deeply about the lives of women. These are men who recognize that they were born of women, that women are the glue that keeps families together and are often the strength of communities. They know that without strong and healthy women and girls, we imperil our future.I had the privilege to interview one such man who has been working hard for over a decade to keep women safe through legislative and advocacy efforts. Mr. LeGrand is an attorney and consultant who served as a lead Democratic Counsel in the House of Representatives working on the reauthorizations of the Violence Against Women Act and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which were passed and signed into law by President Obama in March 2013. After leaving Capitol Hill, Mr. LeGrand joined the National Network to End Domestic Violence as its VP of Public Policy. In addition to his current consulting work, Mr. LeGrand engages strongly with organizations that are supporting boys and men to make good choices, and to redefine masculinity in a way that supports the health of the entire community, including its women.

Human trafficking has been a hot topic recently, but how much do we really know? Join the conversation as we discuss human trafficking, and weed out what's Fact, and what's Fiction! What is human trafficking?Trafficking Victims Protection Act How can we protect ourselves, and who is more susceptible? Nondescript White Vans Organ Harvesting, Sex Trafficking and other Forced Work We know you don’t want to miss this one! Join the conversation by calling 657-383-1155, phone lines open at 10:15pm. You can also tweet us @gft_radio and let your voice be heard!  

Trigger warning: The following podcast episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse, drug abuse, and explicit situations while performing in porn. Listener discretion is advised. Crissy was molested at the age of four, a pattern of abuse that would continue throughout her childhood and teen years. When she became an adult, various decisions and pressures to please the men in her life lead Crissy to start working as a performer in pornography. For seven years, Crissy performed in pornography, enduring more physical and emotional abuse and surviving several suicide attempts. Her ongoing search for love and approval kept her in the porn industry until she was able to break free from the industry and never look back. Now, Crissy has dedicated her life to sharing her story and helping women in different parts of the sex industry break free. Her story has been featured in several news outlets and magazines, including GQ and Playboy. Hear Crissy’s story in her own words as we discuss the experiences that pushed her into the porn industry and, ultimately, caused her to escape it. One study showed between 66-90% of women in the sex industry were sexually abused as children. To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org. To support this podcast, visit FTND.org/cbcsupport or text CONSIDER to 43506. Thank you for listening, and remember to consider before consuming.

Dr. Lara Lengel is a professor of communication at BGSU whose research focuses on international communication and gender in communication. She discusses her research on “Community Organizations’ Role in combating Sex Trafficking,” which she developed in Fall 2018 while an ICS Faculty Fellow. Specifically, Dr. Lengel focused on how Costa Rica has changed its laws around sex work, and the effects of that change on women, religious organizations, and human trafficking in the Americas. Transcript: Jolie Sheffer:                          Welcome to the BG Ideas podcast, a collaboration between the Institute for the Study of Culture and Society and the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University. I'm Jolie Sheffer, an associate professor of English and American culture studies and the director of ICS. Today I'm talking to Dr. Lara Martin Lengel, professor of communication here at BGSU. Dr. Lengel received her PhD in mass communication from Ohio University, and her research focuses on international communication and how communication can advance social, economic, and environmental justice, especially pertaining to gender and identity in a transnational context. Jolie Sheffer:                          Some of her published work includes a study on memory around wartime sexual violence, and the use of social media for social change in the Middle East and North Africa. Dr. Lengel is an ICS faculty fellow in fall 2018. The ICS fellowship program allows full time faculty to take a full semester off from their research and service obligations to dedicate their attention to an interdisciplinary humanities topic of their choosing. At the end of the semester, fellows present their work publicly and hold a community engagement event that brings their knowledge to the wider community and in turn reinvigorates their academic research. Jolie Sheffer:                          Dr. Lengel is here today to discuss the work she's performed during her semester long fellowship. While taking part in the fellowship, she studied the fraught relationship in Costa Rica between faith based organizations, FBOs, their efforts to abolish sex work and human trafficking and the government of Costa Rica's efforts to decriminalize sex work. I'm very pleased to welcome Dr. Lengel to the program as the second ICS faculty fellow speaking in our 2018-2019 speaker series. Thank you for joining me, Lara. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Thank you Jolie. Jolie Sheffer:                          It's so great to have you here, and I wonder if you could just start us off by talking about how you first began working on the subject of sex work and human trafficking in Costa Rica in particular. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Thank you. It goes way back actually to my PhD research in North Africa. I had a Fulbright grant to spend a year in Tunisia, which is a small North African country on the Mediterranean, to look at the role of women in professional contexts, most notably music, in the country. I was very surprised to learn from numerous respondents that there is still a mythical connection between public performers of music, even serious music, classically trained in the Western music tradition and so forth, to prostitution. Because of that, many of the respondents who I came to know during that year, their parents, their brothers, their sisters, or their husbands, did not want them to be in a really respected organization, which is called El Azifet, which is the first all women's orchestra in the Arab world. This tremendous organization actually was missing key voices and instrumentations from women who were just not allowed to be in the organization. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    I found this really perplexing, because there was absolutely no evidence that there was any contemporary connection between any woman getting on a public stage to sing or play the oud or the violin or piano would have any connection to sex trades at all. I learned through historical research that there may have been a connection with colonial infiltration from the French establishing pubs where women would do belly dancing and so forth, but that was completely different, and literally that doesn't exist today anyways. That was 1993-1994, so this idea of women in the public sphere more broadly as problematic bodies in space was something that has been essentially on, you know, in the backstage, if you will. But, it wasn't until first traveling to Costa Rica first in 2011 and then subsequently thereafter that I learned a very different context of women's bodies in public spaces in a very unique decriminalized sex work model in that country. Jolie Sheffer:                          When did Costa Rica decriminalize sex work? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    The law is based on Roman law, which is something I know very little about, I'm trying to learn more about it, that there is no codified law that says sex work is either legal or illegal, and thus it's not illegal, meaning it's not necessarily legal. However, what is illegal is what's commonly known as pimping, procuring people to work for the pimps, the controllers, financial gain, and also prostitution gangs are illegal and brothels are illegal. What I appreciate about this decriminalized, not illegal, model of sex work is that sex workers can choose to do this work in a relatively regulated and relatively safe environment. There was an important piece of legislation turned into law in 2013 at the Costa Rica national level where sex tourism promotion and other nuances of the broader sex trade was established as illegal under a human trafficking law of 2013. Jolie Sheffer:                          How do you see this project, and perhaps your work more broadly using interdisciplinary methods? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    It's interdisciplinary to an almost overwhelming standpoint because I started out this project as a feminist scholar, primarily in cultural studies and media studies, but have realized that I need so much more knowledge from legal studies, from political science, from the whole broad domain of human trafficking is very new to me. Urban planning, I mean, all of these nuances of disciplinary studies that are entirely new to me. My work has primarily focused on women in the Arab Islamic world, in the Middle East and North Africa, most notably North Africa, and also identity construction and safety and security and wellbeing of Muslim Americans and Arab Americans and issues of Islamophobia in the media and in interpersonal interactions and so forth. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    So, taking on human trafficking in an entirely different national and arguably transnational context, because what I focus on is men primarily coming from North America to Costa Rica, so there is a transnational component. The tourism industry, which is a whole other discipline, critical tourism studies touches upon this and so forth. The short answer is yes, very much so. It's been fantastic for me to learn about all of these different disciplines and the research strategies inherent in them, and the ways that different modes of thought, different experiences and different academic disciplines can come together in a really profound way. Jolie Sheffer:                          One of the issues that your work explorers are the overlapping but distinct terrain between consensual sex work and human trafficking. Could you sort of define those terms and explain their similarities and differences? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Absolutely. Human trafficking has several official legal definitions. The United Nations first put forth a definition of human trafficking in the year 2000. The United States government established the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, also in the year 2000, amended in 2015 with the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. So for instance, and the definitions are quite similar, but I'll give you the one from the US Department of Justice. They define specifically sex trafficking as, "Recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of an individual through the means of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of commercial sex." Human trafficking is the same definition, but instead of for specifically the purpose of commercial sex, for the purpose of any labor that benefits financially the trafficker. Then, the question about ... Jolie Sheffer:                          Consensual sex work. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Consensual sex. Certainly, it involves the age of consent in the given jurisdiction. In a place like Costa Rica that's 18, elsewhere that might be slightly different, might be slightly younger. I tend to, you know, go with the age 18 as the age of consent. It would involve two or more adults age 18 and over engaging in an act that they choose to do that may or may not involve some transactional exchange, either money or its equivalent. Jolie Sheffer:                          What are the conditions in Costa Rica in particular that drive that country's industry for sex work and/or trafficking? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    With the rise of not only the opening of borders and the increase of attention to the tourism industry, just the general neoliberal capitalist push the past 20, 30 years have added to this as well. It is very much a balance, and I think the authorities understand that decriminalized sex work is what brings a lot of people and a lot of money into that country. Being a Catholic nation, they just don't want to talk about it. Jolie Sheffer:                          That's a really fascinating way of thinking about this research site for you, as perhaps offering indicators for countries like the US and what paths might be possible in the future. In touching on religion, another element of your research is the study of faith based organizations. Can you first explain what an FBO is, and what their goals looked like in Costa Rica for addressing both human trafficking and this increase in sex tourism? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Under the Bush administration, I believe it was the year 2000, there was a specific move to support financially nonprofit organizations that have faith as a mission or they're emerging from a particular religious organization, and so forth. It's been very problematic and contested because, for all kinds of reasons that I can go into further if you wish, but the fact that churches are not taxed, that adds to the contentiousness of this particular move to support faith based organizations. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    In in the US context, a faith based organization more often than not is constituted officially as an organization under IRS code 501C3, which is the broader code to designate a nonprofit organization. They are a subset of nonprofits, essentially. As I said, they may be directly affiliated with a church, they may not be, and because of that legislation or that recodification under tax code in the year 2000 under the Bush administration, they've had more leeway to get funding at the federal level as well as from individual and group donations and so forth. There's been quite a growth of FBOs since that year, so now we're going on about 20 years, nearly 20 years of a different funding structure for these organizations. Jolie Sheffer:                          How are they approaching the subject of sex work in Costa Rica? What are those organizations that you're looking at, how do they tend to respond to the decriminalization that's happening there? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    It's challenging for me to respond to this question because, in many ways, the FBOs that I've come to know and have interacted with are doing really important work. One in particular that I've written about and talked about has set up afterschool programs for at risk youth, in particularly impoverished areas in Puntarenas Province, which is fantastic. What I would invite them to consider doing is being a little more open to the fact that they could support women who continue to work in the sex trade. There seems to be a very clear, perhaps unstated, but a very clear effort to convert people from sex workers to post sex workers, rather than support people who are continuing to engage in sex work. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    This is even more the case, there's a fantastic scholar by the name of Megan Rivers-Moore, an anthropologist who has done amazing work, particularly in San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. One very recent article that she had published in Signs, the feminist journal, focused on her ethnographic work with a particular FBO in San Jose that would just not help current sex workers at all. Her research in San Jose confirms that that's pretty much the case across these faith based organizations in San Jose. I don't yet have definitive evidence because I haven't met with every single FBO in Puntarenas Province which is my particular site, but from the field work I've done thus far, that seems to be consistent. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Another thing that I find interesting is that most of these organizations, even though they are operating in a predominantly Catholic country, are not Catholic organizations. They tend to be, although they're quiet about their organizational affiliations, they would be commonly constituted as evangelical, and that, I would assume when you were mentioning the fraught relationships with FBOs, the national government, local government, and sex workers themselves, that that is part of the fraught relationship. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    There's a lot of God talk in their mission, and as a person raised Roman Catholic, I don't reject that entirely, but I can see why the one FBO that I've had most interaction with, they actually say publicly on their site that they tend to not have as much interaction with sex workers as they would like. Well, they're probably turned off to the way that they're stating their mission and going about their work. Again it's fraught, it's sensitive, and as a researcher I don't feel it's my place to go in and give some advice. If it's asked for it, I will certainly give it. But, I think their way of communicating their religious identity hurts their purpose. Jolie Sheffer:                          Well, and that really also speaks to what you're talking about with tourism as well as the FBOs are also kind of North American organizations coming into another nation with ideas about how things ought to be done. Then, for the most part going back, many of them sort of there for short times to do volunteer work of some kind and then go back home to North America. I imagine that creates certain tensions between local people, whether it's local elected officials or local women engaged in this kind of sex work that that may feel like outside interference. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Absolutely, and that's not just the case in a place in what's known broadly as the global South like Costa Rica. But, it's also the case here in the US. There are numerous sex workers who are highly critical of what they call the kind of do-gooders. Right? People who have very good intentions, but do not have a fundamental understanding of the socioeconomic and cultural context in which sex workers operate, the marginalization that they have experienced that has either occurred since they've chosen this work or what led them to this type of work and so forth. That's absolutely the case. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    It's hard for me to be a white, essentially middle class feminist and critique white middle class feminists. I do have, I would humbly suggest, more lived experience understanding financial insecurity than perhaps many middle class feminists and activists and advocates who are doing this type of work. But, that certainly, as you said, increases the tensions between sex workers, those persons who can be most helped by support, and the people who have a vision for how they want the world to be. Right? The vision is not bad. Right? Much of the goal of faith-based advocates in trying to mitigate trafficking, either sex trafficking, human trafficking more broadly, or sex work even in a decriminalized consensual domain is that they're upset about demand. Right? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    The one FBO that I've touched upon during this discussion, the founder was inspired to create the organization after overhearing a conversation with two men talking about who they were going to do, right, once they got to Jaco, this particular beach town, and she was unsettled by that. I understand that. I'm unsettled by these conversations as well, but I don't think trying to end demand is feasible. Whereas, someone like that person thinks it's possible. It's a wonderful goal, but I don't see that as possible. Jolie Sheffer:                          One of the issues clearly is about differing attitudes about what the effect of decriminalization of sex work is. Right? On one side, you have those who argue that all sex work is in some way non-consensual and therefore is part and parcel of human trafficking. Could you sort of explain a little more about that position, and you know, what are its potential merits, and then the ways in which you might or might not agree with that? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    I would like to quote, not directly because I don't remember it word for word, but a very profound response to a similar question posed to a sex worker in London. The question also focused on, how can you participate in an industry that is notoriously patriarchal and capitalist. Her response was, what work is not a part of patriarchal capitalism? I thought that was really actually quite brilliant, because there are so many professions, careers, jobs, labor that are socially and culturally sanctioned. Sex work is absolutely not, but we're all operating in problematic systems. Maybe there are some careers that fall on the outskirts of that, and I honor those people who have found those careers, and even a fantastic life as is the case of what we do as professors, there's still constraints. I think that's the best way that I can respond to that question, is to actually, you know, amplify the voices of current sex workers on that topic. Jolie Sheffer:                          You quoted the statistic that 70% of the world's poor are women. Part of what you're talking about are throughout much of the world, women are impoverished, they lack education and resources. And so, sex work is often one of the few areas to earn money without resources, training, things like that. That seems to be part of what your argument and what those who seek decriminalization believe is, make it safer rather than driving this stuff further underground. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    One small aspect but one fundamentally important aspect is the flexibility of deciding when you work. Right? As a former single mother, I can tell you, you know, how challenging that can be. I was very, very fortunate to have a profession that would allow me to take my child to a pediatrician or to stay home with an extended case of mono or strep. Think about the number of women in this country and elsewhere that would quickly be fired from their job for caring for a child. It's absolutely awful, and especially in a place like the United States. I had my children in the United Kingdom where there's far more support overall for parents to care for their children in a time of need than there is here in these right to work states and employment at will context. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    That's one way that perhaps white middle class women can look at sex work in a new perspective. It would be important for them, I would argue, to think about their own histories. If they were ever under threat of losing not only their job but their home, their livelihood because they had a sick child. I would guess most have not. I don't want to apologize for being critical of some of the people who are at the forefront of this type of work. As I said, it's good work, but I think having a much more nuanced perspective of financial insecurity would be really welcome for the people doing this type of work. Jolie Sheffer:                          Again, that speaks to your ongoing commitment to listening to the voices of marginalized peoples; economically, socially, and other ways rather than presuming to speak for them. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    There's a very profound statement that I hear more and more frequently in peaceful public protests, etc, and policy debates, "Nothing about us without us." Put the people most effected at the table to help forge new debates, new dialogues, new perspectives, and ideally, policy and law that can help people who are most disenfranchised. Jolie Sheffer:                          Right. We've talked a lot about consensual sex work. I want to shift gears now and talk about, what are the issues that drive human trafficking both locally here in Toledo and internationally? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Okay, thanks. At the heart is economic injustice and patriarchal capitalism. If a person who chooses, who makes this horrible choice to be a trafficker can acquire, can coerce, can fraud a person into their domain to the tune of on average globally $90 and we can talk about how that money is spent, et cetera. You don't necessarily buy a slave in the 21st century as one dude in the 19th, which actually costs quite a bit more, if you correct for the inflation, cost inflation over the past 200-some years. Whatever the case, 90 bucks to own an enslaved human being. Profits vary greatly depending on national, local, regional context. But in the US, for instance, a sex trafficker can make on average between $10-15,000 per month per enslaved person. The factor is money. Right? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Human trafficking, and in particular sex trafficking, is the most profitable industry, be it an illicit industry, it is the most profitable industry in the world next to drug trafficking. That's the factor. It's money. What's interesting about human trafficking, trafficking in persons currently being the second most profitable industry, I would unfortunately predict that that will easily transcend and take the number one spot, primarily because drugs are a finite commodity. You sell a drug, it's used. You sell more, right, but you still have to get more product. Whereas, a person can be sold many times a day, and hundreds of times a month, and thousands of times a year. It's awful, but it's profit, and that's what fuels this. Jolie Sheffer:                          What are some of the things that ordinary citizens can do to be more aware of who might be at risk of being trafficked in our own neighborhoods? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    There are strategies that I'm hoping to continue to develop and share in workshops with middle school and high school, even elementary school teachers. I have some planned in January in honor of human trafficking awareness month. Health practitioners are starting to be trained and starting to gain awareness about how to identify a person at risk. The estimations are as high as 80% of people who are trafficked have visited a health practitioner, either in an emergency room, urgent care, a nurse practitioner, et cetera. What kind of questions can those health practitioners ask to help identify someone at risk? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    It's very difficult because traffickers are experts in psychology and experts in threats, both explicit and veiled. Someone who's being trafficked will likely not admit to that on the first interaction with someone, say a teacher or a health practitioner. It takes time to develop trust and it takes the effort to understand how to communicate with someone who is experiencing trauma and whose lives and whose family's lives are under threat if they disclose that they are a trafficked, enslaved person. The understanding of how to communicate with others is important, but that takes some time. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    More doable at the outset strategies are to understand how to identify the victims from, you know, if one sees signs of bruises, which again that might be difficult in this winter when everyone's covered up. Eye contact, lack of eye contact may be evident. If a person, usually a young person is uncomfortable saying where they're from, where they live, where they might be going. If they seem to have very few possessions. If they have no identification on their person, no money on their person. I think it's important to connect this question with studies of traumatology. Right? How can we identify a person who's currently or surviving post-trauma and try to understand what that looks like. They may be malnourished. They may just have a look of fear on their face and so forth. There are various ways, but it's very subtle. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    One of the things that I think is really important and I hope to be developing this in the upcoming year, is some type of peer to peer mentoring and identification of young people at risk. Because I'm 54, I'm old, I don't know who's talking to who on social media, et cetera. Even teachers will not necessarily be privy to that. However, if I'm a 12 year old girl and I sense that my friend or an acquaintance is expressing something of concern via social media, how can I report that to someone who can help that person? Jolie Sheffer:                          Well, that leads me to another question. I mean, I think we tend to have ideas in our minds about who the victims of trafficking are and it tends to often be someone from another country who might look different than us. But, really, thinking about trafficking being a worldwide phenomenon, it's happening here in our own community. Who are the typical victims of trafficking, if there is such a thing? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    I think one of the things from this entire project that has disturbed me the most is the notion of what is called boyfriending. Like, to boyfriend as a verb. I had never heard this even, you know, just before a few months ago. Traffickers will put specific types of recruiters in the field, and those fields may in fact be our backyard. They might be high school football games. They're certainly at malls at, at shopping malls, and that's very much the case in a place like Lucas County. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    I do want to take a moment to commend the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition and police officers, both Toledo police and also the FBI, who've actually done a really good job at identifying and convicting traffickers in the Toledo area. That primarily emerges because Toledo has ranked as high as third in the nation for a hub of human trafficking. Now, that was some time ago. These statistics are difficult to assess. It may be contentious, but the first time that there was a full study of recruitment and trafficking of human beings in the Toledo area, which was I believe 2006, it was ranked as third after places like Los Angeles, New York, et cetera. So, it raised a lot of attention, which is great. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Back to this recruitment idea of boyfriending. It would be, presumably, an attractive, most likely attractive young man in the age range of the targeted population, young girls, young women. They actually pretend to be their boyfriend and tell them beautiful things and make them feel good. Jolie Sheffer:                          To those young women, they believe it is their boyfriend. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Yeah, absolutely. Jolie Sheffer:                          They don't see it as pretense. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Right, because it happens over time, and it's not until that girl or that young woman or that woman is kind of snared into what they think is a proper relationship that the violence, either verbal, physical occurs, followed usually with immediate effect by putting them out into the sex trade against their will. What disturbs me the most about this is that, when I was saying a few moments ago that traffickers are really good at psychology, they prey on vulnerability. They can sense when a young person is not feeling great about themselves and that doesn't necessarily have to be in a face to face context. I mean, if somebody puts out on social media, "Oh, I'm not feeling very pretty today," or something, that's sending out messages for recruitment. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    I'm a person who has suffered with very severe depression since that age range, since around eight 12, 13. I think back to, you know, could I have been a victim? Could I have believed one of these boyfrienders? It's really horrifying. If anything, in a local context, that's what I'm most committed to trying to help raise awareness and do whatever I can to mitigate this. Jolie Sheffer:                          Because, basically what you're saying is, and in your work with local middle schools and high schools, is that really anyone could be a victim of human trafficking. Anyone who is young and feeling vulnerable, insecure. Right? Who isn't at that age? We all have a responsibility to sort of be on the alert and to try and intervene. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Absolutely, absolutely. It goes hand in hand with cyber bullying. It arguably goes very hand in hand with the opioid epidemic. There are so many intersecting phenomena that exacerbate this crisis. Jolie Sheffer:                          What kinds of advocacy are you seeing either locally or internationally in regard to human trafficking that seems promising to you? Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Well, just the example of Lily's Wings. The play co-written by Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, Dr. Jo Beth Gonzales, and in collaboration with their high school students. Using drama, theatrical, filmic, televisual drama to help raise awareness about something like human trafficking as well as all kinds of potential ills; climate change, et cetera, is a way to really reach out to people. Young people are not going to read the trafficking and persons report of the US Department of Justice, they're just not. But, they're going to pay attention to this play that they see of the case of one of the scenes of which is a boyfriending scene of a boyfriend who looks lovely and is saying all the right things, and then that one little moment changes where you see him grab the woman's arm and you get a sense, it's a very visceral sense of how this type of process works. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Certainly, creative practice; art, visual design, performance, art, theatrical performance, et cetera, is a fantastic way to enter people into a dialog who may not be a part of this dialogue. Certainly, efforts at middle school and high school levels across this country, and arguably across Western Europe as well and elsewhere, will help raise awareness for not only young people but their parents, their teachers. As I mentioned, these new efforts to help raise awareness with health care practitioners are great. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    And, to continue to have open discussions of with people who are at the forefront. Right? Again, not nothing about us without us. People who are survivors of trafficking as well as people who are currently engaged in the consensual sex trade. Because, one of the key problems is a conflation between human trafficking and consensual sex work. I think there are moral issues that problematize and create these mythical blurred boundaries between forced labor and consensual labor. I think, you know, and all of this is relatively new and most people hadn't even heard of the concept of contemporary or modern slavery as it is often called until a few years ago. So, great things are happening, much more needs to happen, and I'm honored to be a part of these efforts in any way. Jolie Sheffer:                          Thank you so much Lara. It's been a pleasure talking with you. Dr. Lara Lengel:                    Thank you so much, Jolie.

Four versions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) were recently passed into law which reauthorize the original law from 2000. The last version had passed in 2013, and expired in 2017 along with funding allocations to anti-trafficking efforts. The new versions include additional funding, more protections for victims, better data collection, and improved criteria for tier rankings, though the Trump administration has opted out of some of the requirements. Seth and JJ give an overview of all four TVPA laws. Sources: Presidential Proclamation on National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2019, White House President Donald J. Trump Is Fighting to Eradicate Human Trafficking, White House Remarks by President Trump in Signing Ceremony for S. 1862, the “Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act”, White House S.1311 - Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017, US Congress Statement by the President, White House S.1312 - Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017, US Congress Statement by the President, White House H.R.2200 - Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018, US Congress Bill Announcement, White House S.1862 - Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017, US Congress Statement by the President, White House Photo: State Department

About the Book: In Invisible Slaves, W. Kurt Hauser discusses slavery around the world, with research and firsthand stories that reframe slavery as a modern-day crisis, not a historical phenomenon or third-world issue. Identifying four types of slavery—chattel slavery, debt bondage, forced labor, and sex slavery—he examines the efforts and failures of governments to address them. He explores the political, economic, geographic, and cultural factors that shape slavery today, illustrating the tragic human toll with individual stories. Country by country, the author illuminates the harsh realities of modern-day slavery. He explores slavery's effects on victims, including violence, isolation, humiliation, and the master-slave relationship, and discusses the methods traffickers use to lure the vulnerable, especially children, into slavery. He assesses nations based on their levels of slavery and efforts to combat the problem, citing the rankings of the United States' Trafficking Victims Protection Act. He concludes with an appeal to governments and ordinary citizens alike to meet this humanitarian crisis with awareness and action. About the Author: W. Kurt Hauser received BA and MBA degrees from Stanford University. While at Stanford he was a member of the varsity track and rugby teams. He was the head of an investment management firm for most of his career. He is the author of Taxation and Economic Performance and his work has been published in many news media including the Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times and Investor's Business Daily among others. He has appeared on KRON, CNN, FOX, CNBC, and PJTV. His research on the relationship between marginal tax rates, federal government revenues as a percent of Gross Domestic Product and economic growth has become known as Hauser's Law. Kurt is the past Chairman of the Board of the Hoover Institution at Stanford and continues to be a board member. He has served on the board of many organizations including AON Risk Services, the Bay Area Red Cross, the Stanford Business School Trust, the Hill School, and the Economic Round Table of San Francisco. For the past decade Kurt has devoted his time to researching the origin, evolution, development, and ubiquity of global slavery.

For this week's episode, The Business of Travel talks with Michelle Guelbart, Director of Private Sector Engagement for ECPAT-USA about ways the travel industry can help put an end to child trafficking. Michelle also discussed the importance of urging Congress to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. You can download and listen to The Business of Travel in iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and your other favorite podcast directories. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you don't miss out!

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

There are multiple bills relating to human trafficking that have passed the House or Senate this summer. Seth Daire and JJ Janflone discuss what several of them mean, including H.R.2200, Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017, which reauthorizes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Links are below. Sources: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2200/text http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/frederick-douglass-bill-introduced-congress-curb-human-trafficking-n752096 https://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/2015%20Safe%20Harbor%20Issue%20Brief.pdf https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2473/text https://legcounsel.house.gov/Comps/State%20Department%20Basic%20Authorities%20Act%20Of%201956.pdf https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1625/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2664/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1370/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-resolution/68/text https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1973/summary http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/04/06/397822833/a-lesser-known-human-trafficking-problem-teenage-basketball-players http://www.wnyc.org/story/basketball-trafficker/ 

Seth Daire and JJ Janflone introduce the podcast by talking about the meaning and history of terms relating to slavery and human trafficking, primarily in the United States. Seth and JJ both attended the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the Universe of Denver (http://www.du.edu/korbel/) and were student staff at the Human Trafficking Center (http://humantraffickingcenter.org/). Trafficking Victims Protection Act: https://www.state.gov/j/tip/laws/  

Nikolai DiPippa, Clinton School Director of Public Programs, sat down with Ambassador Verveer, who most recently served as the first U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, a position to which she was nominated by President Obama in 2009. She coordinated foreign policy issues and activities relating to the political, economic, and social advancement of women, traveling to nearly sixty countries. President Obama also appointed her to serve as the U.S. Representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. From 2000-2008, she was the chair and co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international NGO that she co-founded to invest in emerging women leaders. During the Clinton administration, she served as assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady. She also led the effort to establish the President’s Interagency Council on Women, and was instrumental in the adoption of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. She is the co-author of Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose.

Congresswoman Bass discusses Justice for Girls & Women: The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline Start:October 8, 2015 11:00 am End:October 8, 2015 12:30 pm Location:2237 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 Join Sherri Jefferson.  She will discuss Congressowman Bass' meeting to eridicate the sexual abuse to prison pipeline. Is Congress doing enough? Can they amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Justice for Trafficking Victims Act to address mandatory decriminalization and preventing victims from being detained? Can they enact a Fair Criminal Records Reporting Act to delete the records of victims? Join me as we disuss some of the outcomes of from her hearing held in D.C. and the proposed recommendations of the African American Juvenile Justice Project that was submiited by Sherri Jefferson. #SafehousesNotJailhouses  

Open Society Fellow Noy Thrupkaew offers an assessment of the successes and failures of U.S. trafficking policy since the creation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 10 years ago. Speakers: Noy Thrupkaew, Heather Doyle. (Recorded: April 13, 2010)