Backyard Academy

GET TRAINED AS A MODERN-DAY ABOLITIONIST!

Happening in cities across the U.S. and abroad, the Backyard Academy is an exciting 3-day crash course into the modern-day Abolitionist Movement.

Join fellow Abolitionists in the moving main-stage plenaries, and then choose a specific track of break-out sessions that aligns with your unique interests. You'll earn a Certificate of Completion, and leave educated, informed, and inspired to take action!

Don't miss this first-of-its-kind opportunity to get equipped in the modern-day Abolitionist movement.


JOIN US SOON IN A BACKYARD NEAR YOU!

1) Colorado Springs, CO
November 29 - December 1, 2010
8:00AM - 5:00PM each day (optional evening events)
Registration cost: $99/person (not including housing or food)
NFS partner: Youth With A Mission (YWAM)
For more information, CLICK HERE

2) Redmond, WA (near Seattle)
January 17 - 19, 2011
8:00AM - 5:00PM. each day (optional evening events)
NFS partner: Overlake Christian Church
For more information, CLICK HERE

3) San Diego, CA/Tijuana, MX
February 7 - 9, 2011
8:00AM - 5:00PM each day (optional evening events)
NFS partner: Youth With a Mission (YWAM)
For more information, CLICK HERE


For more info visit www.nfsacademy.org
or email The Academy (theacademy@notforsalecampaign.org).

Webinar Opportunity

Abolition Classroom is an effort to make timely and critical information, lectures, and trainings on anti-trafficking more available/accessible via the web. Using user-friendly web conferencing software, we are organizing a series of events which cover an array of topics. Some of the web-events will be fee based and others will be free.

Our first event is on Friday, Nov 19th, titled "A Model for Healing: A Survivor's Story, Healing Strategies and Next Steps" from 10-12pm PST. Our friend and supporter, Minh Dang will conduct the session online. There is a $10 fee for the talk and you can register to attend/learn more here: http://abolitionclassroom.eventbrite.com/

I hope that you will attend as well as share this with your friends, family, colleagues and networks. There are easy Facebook, twitter and other network sharing buttons on the site. We hope to "see" you there!

Best wishes,

Aashika

Documentary: Sexual Exploitation in the United States

Viewing of the new, critically acclaimed "The Playground"

Tuesday, October 5th
6pm-9pm (Movie actually begins at 6:45pm)
19010 1st Ave. South Burien, WA 98148
$12 per person

EWOP is getting a group together to go and view this movie about the sexual exploitation of young girls throughout the US. Follow this link below and buy your ticket.

Click on the Trailer Link if you would like to watch a preview of the movie. (This has some mature content so please watch who you are viewing this with.)

BUY YOUR TICKETS: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/122618

WATCH TRAILER

Cup of Compassion

"Cup of Compassion" - Pouring Out Hope Regarding Modern Day Slavery

Where: Cascade Community Church
14377 Fryelands Blvd SE Monroe, WA 98272 Driving Directions
When: Friday October 8, 2010 from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM

Greetings! You are invited to an evening of fresh brewed fair trade coffees and chocolates! Enjoy these treats in a music-filled setting while you are informed regarding the issue of human trafficking.

*MEN, WOMEN, FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS WELCOME!(not suitable for young children to attend)
*BRING YOUR OWN COFFEE MUG
*SELECT VENDORS SUPPORTING THIS CAUSE WILL BE SELLING THEIR ITEMS

Please click on the link below for specific event information and to register. There is no set fee for this event, however, we ask that you make a donation at the door.

Click on the link below to register or get more information!
Get more information
Register Now!

We would love to see you at this relaxing, informative, and hope-filled evening!
Sincerely,

Carrie Gendron
Cascade Community Church Women's Ministry

Get Involved Locally TODAY!

People often ask how our group has been involved locally. I believe that one of the BEST ways to help is to start participating on a government level. We had a small group of women travel to meet with their state's representatives last year, and it has PAID OFF! They shared their stories, their hearts, and their passions and helped convince people that the following bill was WORTH supporting. Many thanks to the women from EWOP that took the time to share their passion!

YOU CAN STILL HELP!! Please take this chance to GET INVOLVED!
Please take a second to read the email below and call your SENATOR!

THIS MONDAY, September 20th is the Child Protection Compact Act National Call-in Day, so please mark it on your calendar to call your Senators to ask them to vote YES on the CPCA once it reaches the floor!

Visit the call-in day site for a sample script and video to make this call super easy: http://www.ijm.org/nationalcallinday. Simply read from the sample script and let your voice be heard. (It's not hard and they won't ask you a ton of questions.) :) It IS making a difference!


Dear Friends,
I’m writing with an exciting update! Next Tuesday, September 21, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) is scheduled to “mark-up” the Child Protection Compact Act! [Check it out! http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=d6d099c6-5056-a032-524a-7a0dc2d7f130 You can watch the hearing live at 2:15 EST at: http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=d6d099c6-5056-a032-524a-7a0dc2d7f130.] This is the Committee’s chance to make amendments to the bill and pass it out of committee. Once the CPCA is passed out of the SFRC, it can go to the Senate floor for a vote.

This is very exciting! And it would not have happened without all of your work to make this issue a priority for your Representatives and Senators. More than 1,000 of you have attended meetings with Congressional offices, and we can’t thank you enough—for all the lobby meetings, the calls you’ve made, and the postcards you’ve collected. Your efforts are making a difference!

But we’re not done yet! Here’s what still needs to happen: The SFRC needs to pass the bill out of committee on 9/21 so the full Senate can vote on it.
September 20th is the Child Protection Compact Act National Call-in Day, so please mark it on your calendar to call your Senators to ask them to vote YES on the CPCA once it reaches the floor! Visit the call-in day site for a sample script and video to make this call super easy: http://www.ijm.org/nationalcallinday

On the House side, one of two things needs to happen. The House can either pass their version of the CPCA out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC)so the full House can vote on the bill, OR once the CPCA passes in the Senate, the House can choose to take up the Senate version of the bill and simply vote on that one instead. The latter option is certainly the easier and faster option, especially with the Senate moving quickly on the bill. The next HFAC hearing is scheduled for September 30, but the CPCA is not yet officially on the agenda. Things are moving quickly, so we’ll keep you updated on the House process and any other important developments.

Thank you again for all of your hard work and support!!

Gratefully,
Eileen

Eileen Campbell, Director of Justice Campaigns
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION®
www.ijm.org 703.465.5495

A Toast Against Trafficking

A Toast Against Trafficking
Saturday, October 2nd * 6:30 PM
Hollywood Schoolhouse, Woodinville

You are invited to join the OCC Business Team in raising awareness and resources to launch the Business Training Center working with our Outreach Center to complete the support of girls and guys rescued out of sex slavery and into an empowered path of healing, recovery and alternative sustainable employment. Enjoy great wines from Woodinville Wineries, music, mingling, and opportunities to hear about opportunities to impact this cause. $25 per individual/ $40 per couple. Tickets available online at globalbreakthrough.net

Engendering Hope

An eye-opening, engaging event to bring hope to vulnerable women and girls around the world. They are vulnerable to exploitation, wasted potential and human trafficking. Hear God's heart for them and grow your vision for how to help.

Featuring: David Eller, World Concern President; Meredith Long, International Program Director; and leaders of our work in Africa, Asia, and Haiti.
● Keynote sessions
● Interactive Bible study
● Q&A with international panel
● Breakout workshops and hands-on sessions
● Simulation game about living in poverty
● Sri Lanka War Children exhibit
● Time to mingle, confer, pray, and worship
together. Prayer breakfast and lunch included
● Free-will offering will be taken to bless women
around the world.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

CRISTA Ministries/World Concern Campus
19303 Fremont Avenue North
Seattle, Washington
8am: Prayer Breakfast
9am-5pm: Conference

$25 person ($15 per student)
Register before September 6th and receive the $5 off Early-bird discount

Registration packets available soon.
For more info, call (206) 546-7396 or go to www.worldconcern.org/wofp2010conference

Local Opportunity to Make an Impact

For more information, please visit: www.the-genesis-project.org

In the News

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/414549_westside22.html

Call and Response

Dear Freedom Fighter,

I know we have not spoken in a while. My bad. It’s not for lack of interest. The last six months have been incredibly busy, and transformative, for Call+Response. The C+R team has been working very hard on our next season of activism, and we’re excited to share it with you.
For the past six months we have been designing the launch of our DVD Screening Kits. If all we cared about was our film and not the impact it can have, we would have released the DVD a long time ago. But this film has always been about the audience, the community, the people….the RESPONSE. It was made to be a tool for the movement, and this tool is about to be placed in your hands.

You have accomplished so much already. Because of you, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been sent to front-line projects and aid groups. Because of you over 50 major companies have signed up on our Chain Store Reaction Corporate Survey. Because of you tens of millions of people on several continents have been exposed to the issue through screenings and media, and all have been given the opportunity to respond.

I have personally met hundreds of people who have seen the film, became inspired and developed their own innovative responses. I am humbled by what I have seen, and excited for what’s to come. In short, WE ARE NOT DONE.

Within a month we will be handing the film off to you. Yes, you. This not a standard DVD release. This is not a popcorn and chardonnay flick. This is a film you SHOW, not just watch. This is a film you USE. Screen the film in your home, your office, dorm room, tree house...anywhere you can get your friends and family together. This is your opportunity to use this film as tool to aware/inspire/activate your community. This is how we make a movement.

In a few weeks we will share more exciting news about our efforts, such as our new re-tooled activist website and iPhone app (launching any day now…nothing like it out there), our partnership with MTV in Australia on a Call+Response campaign (they are currently running spots from the film every hour on their network), and a UK tour of the film. There will be heaps of new tools and new ideas to assist in the fight against slavery, so stay tuned!

I truly hope we can continue our journey with you. If you would rather not hear from us, please unsubscribe below and we won’t contact you again. But I bet you would wonder, “What am I missing out on?” We have so many ways to work together and so much still to do. Please help us leverage our freedom for the freedom of others.

In the News: Portland

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-rather/pornland-oregon-child-pro_b_580035.html?ref=fb&src=sp

Defend and Empower

Are you looking for another way to GET INVOLVED in the fight against Human Trafficking? Get a group together and be a part of this fun event!


June 19th
The Last Supper Club
Pioneer Square Seattle


Come hang out at one of Seattle's premier night clubs for a benefit to fight Human Trafficking THIS Saturday!

* Perfect evening out with the girls or date night for you and someone special!
* Limited early-price tickets on sale now for a $25 donation.
* Night includes free Mexican buffet until 9:30, club admission, cheap drinks all night long ($2 domestic beers and $3 mixed well), and three floors of dance, decks and fun!

All proceeds benefit the Defend and Empower project. Save your spot before it's too late: http://www.defendandempower.org/
(Donations processed through the nonprofit organization, UntilThen.)

Next Meeting!

Make sure to be there for our next
Eastside Women of Purpose Meeting
(We will be hanging out, asking questions, enjoying each other's company and getting plugged in!)

JOIN US ON TUESDAY, JUNE 22nd at 7:30pm
at Urban Coffee Lounge in Juanita Village(Click on the link for directions.)

*Feel free to bring a friend and come prepared with any questions you may have about our group!*

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Child Prostitution Crackdown

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012074178_sextraffic10m.html

Girls Night Out for a Purpose!

I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT AN EVENT TO BENEFIT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

THAT IS RIDICULOUSLY FUN AND VERY UNIQUE

(and playing host to a Freedom Stones Jewelry Table)

WE OFTEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND TRAINING EVENTS, BUT NOT AN EVENT THAT PAIRS A FUN

GIRLS NIGHT OUT WITH RAISING AWARENESS AND EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

Have you been trying to get your friends to an event to support Human Trafficking and failed miserably? This might be a great opportunity to get them involved.

EVENT DETAILS

SATC2: Girls Night Out for a Purpose
Downtown Bellevue
Thursday, May 27

$55 per person

Join us for the ultimate girls night out in downtown Bellevue! Lindeman Weddings & Events is hosting a SATC2 Premiere Party and Private Showing. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to help aid in the fight against human trafficking and forced prostitution.

Ticket Price Includes:

• Private SATC2 Premiere Party at Pearl Bar & Dining in Bellevue
• Nibbles and 1 Drink Ticket for a Signature Cocktail
• SWAG BAG for every guest including giveaways from David Barton Gym, Nordstrom and Seven Salon to name a few!
• Photobooth will be onsite at Pearl Restaurant
• Admission to our Private Showing of SATC2 at Lincoln Square Cinemas
• Additional surprises throughout the night!

The Festivities Begin at Pearl Bar and Dining:
7:00pm
Private Showing of SATC2 @ Lincoln Square Cinemas to Follow

$55 per person (with all proceeds going to the fight against human trafficking)

There will be a raffle held at our private party where you can purchase tickets onsite. We have some incredible raffle prizes, including a pair of Manolo Blahniks that we are giving away! All raffle ticket proceeds will go to charity.

Catch the latest SATC2 buzz on Facebook! We will be sharing more info about the cause we are fighting for as well as showcasing all of our fabulous sponsors and raffle donations!

For more info or if you are local business who would like to donate to our raffle, please contact: events@lindemanweddings.com

Need a Room? The Bellevue Westin is offering discounted room rates for this event! To reserve your room please click here!

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PURCHASING TICKETS?
Click THIS LINK and it will direct you to the ticketing page. Space is limited so act fast!

Using Art and Design to Create Change

Please visit the following website to learn more about an art and design event that demonstrates how those fields are being used by students to bring about change. Public service announcements regarding the fight against human trafficking will be revealed at the event.

http://www.calderaarts.org/#/page_id=11&article=267/

News From IJM

Breaking News Update

Location: Kolkata, India

Date: Monday, May 3, 2010

Result: Three perpetrators sentenced for trafficking young girls

After years of IJM Kolkata's relentless advocacy, two men and one woman were sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking young girls for sex, following their convictions for the crime on Friday, April 30.

The perpetrators were arrested in 2007 after attempting to sell three girls, ages 12, 14 and 16, to IJM undercover investigators. Convictions and sentences for sex trafficking have been rare in Kolkata — but because of the commitment of IJM supporters and frontline staff, and the partnership of the local government, change is coming to the city.

The three survivors abused by these perpetrators bravely took the stand during the court case and are each now healing in loving aftercare homes. "Not only does the conviction of these perpetrators bring justice to the lives of their victims but it brings protection to the many more girls they will be unable to abuse because they have faced just consequences," explains IJM Director of Operations for South Asia Blair Burns.

Thank you for joining with IJM to seek justice and combat violent oppression. This is just one example of the victories made possible by this movement of friends, advocates and supporters around the world.

Gratefully,

Laurie Hayes

Director of Development

P.S. Visit IJM.org to learn about other recent convictions and rescues.

All text and images © 2010 International Justice Mission.

Poetry, Men, and the Fight Against Human Trafficking

Please take the time to watch this video and encourage the men in your life to do the same. The young man in the video presents an insightful perspective on the role of men in the fight against human trafficking.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CATWInternational

Conference Opportunity

Find Your Voice...Break the Chain

Women of Vision in South Puget Sound announces that registration is now open for a very important conference on issues of Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery. This is a day-long conference including key notepresentations, breakout sessions, and information booths. The goal of the conference is to learn about these critical issues, both in our local area and internationally, and find out what we can do to make a difference. WV partner church Chapel Hill Presbyterian in Gig Harbor has generously offered their facility and support for the planning and execution of the conference. This conference is open to all adults, college & senior high students, both men and women. Church groups with a focus on countries significantly impacted by these issues will want to attend. College groups motivated to advocate in these areas will want to take part. Groups investing in microfinance will find these discussions very meaningful, as evidence of how important their commitment is to microfinance projects. Please pray and believe with us that HUNDREDS will attend!

Saturday, June 5, 2010
Conference Website / Registration / Agenda / More Information http://www.wovsps.org/
Location: Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, Gig Harbor, WA
Cost: $40, including boxed lunch

Breakout sessions will be conducted by the following: Kelli Day and Kurt Rahn, World Vision ACT:S: Creative Activism Brad Stave, Vision Fund: Microfinance and Human Trafficking Chapel Hill Cambodia Team: Report from the Field Carmen Gronewald, Peace Rehabilitation: Combatting Human Trafficking with Prayer Linda Smith, Shared Hope International: Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Rani Hong, Troni Foundation: Corporate Social Responsibility Mike Hogan, International Justice Mission: Church Mobilization

From Stephenie:

It's that time of year again- Free Them 5K time! I would love to see you there on May 1 running, walking, or even crawling to help raise funds to put an end to modern day slavery! If you aren't able to be there then I would love to have your support as I spend the day helping to "run the show". Check out my very own fundraising page at
http://www.firstgiving.com/stephenieburke
or see details below for how to register to participate. Thank you all for your ongoing support in my mission to end human trafficking!

If you would like to join Stephenie, visit World Concern's site for more details and see below:

Three weeks until the "Free Them" 5K Fun Run/Walk. If you haven’t already signed up for the “Free Them” 5K, you stll have time! The run/walk May 1 at World Concern’s headquarters in Seattle will help protect children and prevent trafficking.

Hundreds of people will be participating, and it’s easy to set up a personal fundraising page with our new online service.

World Concern President David Eller will speak at the event to update you about how we’re caring for vulnerable women and children right now, and tell you about what’s next as we reach new communities.

The run/walk should be a lot of fun, with music, food and many like-minded people who also want to help women and children have safe futures. There will also be prizes for the top individual fundraiser and top team fundraiser.

Hope to see you there!
— The World Concern Staff

Garage Sale to Benefit Team Travelling to Thailand

Attention Garage Sale Lovers!

A Bellevue Christian High School Thailand Missions Team needs your support! They will be holding two multi-family garage sales during the month of May to help raise funds for their trip to Breanna's House of Joy Orphanage in Thailand. Please go and check it out!

Lattes and delicious baked goodies will also be available for sale.

May 1 from 9am-3pm: Richey home: 1864 77th Ave. NE., Medina
May 8 from 9am-3pm: Mortier home: 8421 126th Pl. SE., Newcastle

Celebrate the Passing of the 6476 Senate Bill!!

Major improvements related to crimes and provisions related to
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking

Celebrate with us as Senate Bill 6476, introduced by Senators Stevens
and Hargrove, with major provision advancements in the fight against
the slavery of Washington State minors was signed by Governor Gregoire
on April 1st. Thanks to Shared Hope International for helping to
introduce the bill to our State to increase prosecution of
traffickers, significant increase in penalties for pimps & "johns",
and more defined services for trafficking survivors. Much more needs
to be done but this is just the beginning of more to come.

As important, huge thanks goes to all of you who attended the Human
Trafficking Engagement Day back in Olympia back on January 11th
because our presence at the Capitol and the packets delivered by
volunteers made a huge impact. Also, those made phone calls or sent
emails supporting this bill guaranteed unanimous vote for several anti-
trafficking bills. Thank you so much for your activism.

Please read the following so you would see how significant the changes
are related to this bill. The wordings are excerpts provided by Shared
Hope International.

Summary of SB 6476:

1. Provide Access to Specialized Services and Shelter. The bill
requires mandatory diversion for a first prostitution-related
"offense," irrespective of any criminal history. Importantly, the bill
helps fund the specialized staffing and services through a priority
use of the fines collected from buyers and pimps which are to be
deposited into the Prostitution Prevention and Intervention Account.

2. Close the Gap in Crime Victims' Compensation Eligibility. The bill
makes explicit that a person identified as a minor in an offense
regarding the Commercial Sexual Abuse of a Minor (CSAM) is considered
a victim for the purpose of receiving benefits under the Victim
Compensation Benefits Program, even if the minor is also charged with
prostitution.

3. Increase Penalties for Buyers. "Johns" now face a sentence of 21 -
144 months in jail instead of 1 - 68 months, and fines are increased
from $550 to $5,000 which will be deposited into the Prostitution
Prevention and Intervention Account.

4. Increase Penalties for Traffickers. Traffickers (pimps) now face 93
- 318 months in jail instead of 21 - 144 months; and are subject to a
new fine of $5,000 which will be deposited into the Prostitution
Prevention and Intervention Account.

5. Increase the Risks for Buyers and Traffickers. The bill requires
the impounding of vehicles used to commit commercial sex abuse of a
minor if owned or rented by the defendant and raises the fee to
release the car to $2,500 which will be deposited into the
Prostitution Prevention and Intervention Account.

6. No Age Defense Allowed for Buyer or Trafficker. The bill adds the
crime of buying sex with a minor to the crimes that do not allow a
defense that the defendant did not know the alleged victim's age. The
defendant can assert that a reasonable attempt was made to determine
the true age of the victim by checking a driver's license, marriage
license, birth certificate, or other identification card or paper and
did not rely solely on the minor's stated or apparent age.

7. Mandate Critical Training. Law enforcement is required to develop a
model policy on procedures relating to a victim of domestic minor sex
trafficking by December 1, 2010 and training on the model policy must
be developed by January 1, 2011.

Grateful for your partnership,

Rose Gundersen
On behalf of the SAS Legislative Advocacy Team

EWOP Represents Freedom Stones at Girl Power Hour - Eastside

FREEDOM STONES at GIRL POWER HOUR - EASTSIDE
HELD AT WILLOWS LODGE IN WOODINVILLE

(Check out our lovely EWOP ladies, representing).

Ginger Neisz

Anna Schaufler, Ginger Neisz, Patti Orrico

THANK YOU GIRL POWER HOUR!!

Prayer Focus

City in Focus: Belgrade, Serbia

Prayer Briefing

(Please be aware that the content of this post is only appropriate for adults and includes intense descriptions of how enslaved women are "broken" before being sold)

The new slave trade has a new middle passage. And in the middle of the new middle passage, somewhere between where a girl is first lured and where she will be sold for sex night after night, there is a new slave auction. Here is where the slave-trader meets slave-buyer and decide together the worth of their human cargo; the buyers then transport the women to a sex-market.
Belgrade is an infamous stop on the new middle passage. Thousands of women from Eastern Europe and Western ex-soviet states have stories that start when they are whisked away across the majestic Danube river and into the dark underworld of Belgrade to be traded to a slave buyer. But Belgrade is more than a trading post. Belgrade is the breaking grounds.

To get a woman to submit to sex slavery, slave traders must wear her down methodically and brutally. Her own sense of worth and dignity must be effaced beyond her own recognition. In Belgrade, trafficked women are kept for weeks in large apartments or houses where they are raped and tortured by slave traders. Slave traders know that their "product"must be convincing; buyers are not interested in women who are not submissive, who might try to escape, or who won't pretend like they enjoy having sex with as many as 20 clients a day. So the women must be trained to act like whores through repeated rapes, often in front of the rest of the girls. If they resist, they are further raped, beaten, or murdered.

Breaking grounds in cities like Belgrade embody the monstrous brutality without which the modern day slave trade would not survive. By the time a woman leaves the breaking grounds of Belgrade, on her way to exploitation in a brothel in Tel Aviv or a street corner in Dubai, she has been destroyed in every way. She feels polluted beyond cleansing after having been ravaged relentlessly for weeks; her terror is unconsolable after having watched her captors beat and even kill other girls; her fathomless humiliation is so comprehensive that going home to friends and family is no longer a desire. Her captors like her like this. And so do the Johns who will rent her one after another in the nights to come.

Scripture Focus:

Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. - Proverbs 31:8-9

Prayer Points
*Pray for massive revival to come to Belgrade.
*Pray that police forces would gain the necessary access to troubled areas.
*Pray that God would disrupt the new middle passage and redeem slaves and traffickers for His glory.

Information and call to prayer from Exodus Cry

A Local Incident

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/416477_pimp10.html?source=rss

What is going on in Thailand today...

The following is a facebook entry from an amazing woman I know currently serving in Thailand... (Please forgive her spelling.) :)

When for walk this morning & praying for this city,but then I saw two girls, one is lay on the floor cover with blood. nobody do anything about it, God compassion move me to talk & minister to her and praying for her. Thank YOU JESUS for lead me to hand YOUR love,hope for this girls..When I told her JESUS love her, she look at me and smile so beautiful.. Lord save her please.

Please pray for her,she know what I am talking about,she was full of blood on her face and nose and mouth when I was her face she not do anything, the I start praying on her ear and whispering to her that JESUS really care for her and JESUS really love her and suddenly her eyes open she sit up and give me the biggest smile and beautiful too.. GOD save her..


Why does Human Trafficking exist? Because people choose to walk by it. They choose to ignore it. People are NOT disposable. It is your DUTY to not sit by and watch this happen. Take action! Educate yourself! Get INVOLVED in the fight!!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

"Knowing the facts and crisis of human trafficking and slavery will lead one to compassion, cry for justice, and action as a modern day abolitionist." ~ Anonymous

1) “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.” ~ Universal Declaration of Human Rights by UN National Assembly

• U.S. State Dept.'s Trafficking in Persons reports says, "severe forms of trafficking in persons" defined as:

"(a) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or (b) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery."

2) Global human problem: 29 million+ slaves today (2009) – if this was a country it would be the 42nd most populated country in the world

• Source: Kara, Siddharth, Sex Trafficking - Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. Columbia University Press

3) Up to 300,000 domestic minor sex trafficking victims are in the streets right now in the U.S.

• Source: SharedHope International, The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (2009)
  

4) Up to 800,000 victims annually trafficked across transnationally, 80% women & girls

• Source: US Department of State

5) Human Trafficking is 2^nd Most Lucrative Criminal Industry in World at rate of $12-$60 billion dollars annually (#1 is drugs + #3 is weapons)

6) In U.S., up to 17,500 children and women are trafficked in to the U.S. annually

• Source: US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2006

7) Global health problem: 50-90% sex workers in South Asia and South Africa have HIV/AIDS

8) Multi-crimes are commmitted against victims of sex slavery:

• Kidnap, physical abuse, threats, rape, gang rape, emotional trauma, sexual-labor exploitation, drugs, STDs, murder, etc.

9) Slavery is a horrendous part of the U.S. - both in its gruesome history of it being legal and the growing problem today of the U.S.

10) The hope is the U.S. ended slavery once and we can do it again. Help us end slavery once and for all and making giving support for a slave-free Seattle and taking it one city at a time and focus our efforts on:

(a) Victims rescue

(b) Perpetrator accountability

(c) Better survivors care

(d) Structural prevention (i.e. adequate laws + enforcement)

(e) Cultural transformation

Facts & Figures

• 29.2 million slaves today
• 64% bonded labor/debt bondage slaves
• 27% forced labor
• 9% trafficked slaves
• $340 per slave is weighted avg. global sales price
• 800,000 people are trafficked transnationally with 80% women & girls and up to 50% are minors

Stats provided by www.seattleagainstslavery.org
Photo Courtesy of Carlee Avery

BASIC STATISTICS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation.

It is estimated that at least 27 million people are currently enslaved around the world; many have been enslaved through being trafficked.

Approximately 800,000 people annually are trafficked across national borders. Around 80 percent of these victims are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors. The majority of females are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. (2007 Trafficking in Persons Report, U.S. State Department)

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) now believes that the number of children trafficked each year is around 1.2 million. (2006)

That's two children per minute trafficked for sexual exploitation/slavery.

45,000-50,000 persons are trafficked into the U.S. each year; 15,000 of them are children. (ECPAT-USA)

The U.N. and other experts estimate the total market value of illicit human trafficking at $32 billion. (UNODC)

These numbers make trafficking in persons the second most lucrative crime in the world, second only to the sale of drugs. (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2006).

About $28 billion of this is generated from commercial sexual exploitation. (International Labor Organization)

Learning From the Sin of Sodom

NY Times

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: February 27, 2010

For most of the last century, save-the-worlders were primarily Democrats and liberals. In contrast, many Republicans and religious conservatives denounced government aid programs, with Senator Jesse Helms calling them “money down a rat hole.”

Over the last decade, however, that divide has dissolved, in ways that many Americans haven’t noticed or appreciated. Evangelicals have become the new internationalists, pushing successfully for new American programs against AIDS and malaria, and doing superb work on issues from human trafficking in India to mass rape in Congo.

A pop quiz: What’s the largest U.S.-based international relief and development organization?

It’s not Save the Children, and it’s not CARE — both terrific secular organizations. Rather, it’s World Vision, a Seattle-based Christian organization (with strong evangelical roots) whose budget has roughly tripled over the last decade.

World Vision now has 40,000 staff members in nearly 100 countries. That’s more staff members than CARE, Save the Children and the worldwide operations of the United States Agency for International Development — combined.

A growing number of conservative Christians are explicitly and self-critically acknowledging that to be “pro-life” must mean more than opposing abortion. The head of World Vision in the United States, Richard Stearns, begins his fascinating book, “The Hole in Our Gospel,” with an account of a visit a decade ago to Uganda, where he met a 13-year-old AIDS orphan who was raising his younger brothers by himself.

“What sickened me most was this question: where was the Church?” he writes. “Where were the followers of Jesus Christ in the midst of perhaps the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time? Surely the Church should have been caring for these ‘orphans and widows in their distress.’ (James 1:27). Shouldn’t the pulpits across America have flamed with exhortations to rush to the front lines of compassion?

“How have we missed it so tragically, when even rock stars and Hollywood actors seem to understand?”

Mr. Stearns argues that evangelicals were often so focused on sexual morality and a personal relationship with God that they ignored the needy. He writes laceratingly about “a Church that had the wealth to build great sanctuaries but lacked the will to build schools, hospitals, and clinics.”

In one striking passage, Mr. Stearns quotes the prophet Ezekiel as saying that the great sin of the people of Sodom wasn’t so much that they were promiscuous or gay as that they were “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49.)

Hmm. Imagine if sodomy laws could be used to punish the stingy, unconcerned rich!

The American view of evangelicals is still shaped by preening television blowhards and hypocrites who seem obsessed with gays and fetuses. One study cited in the book found that even among churchgoers ages 16 to 29, the descriptions most associated with Christianity were “antihomosexual,” “judgmental,” “too involved in politics,” and “hypocritical.”

Some conservative Christians reinforced the worst view of themselves by inspiring Ugandan homophobes who backed a bill that would punish gays with life imprisonment or execution. Ditto for the Vatican, whose hostility to condoms contributes to the AIDS epidemic. But there’s more to the picture: I’ve also seen many Catholic nuns and priests heroically caring for AIDS patients — even quietly handing out condoms.

One of the most inspiring figures I’ve met while covering Congo’s brutal civil war is a determined Polish nun in the terrifying hinterland, feeding orphans, standing up to drunken soldiers and comforting survivors — all in a war zone. I came back and decided: I want to grow up and become a Polish nun.

Some Americans assume that religious groups offer aid to entice converts. That’s incorrect. Today, groups like World Vision ban the use of aid to lure anyone into a religious conversation.

Some liberals are pushing to end the longtime practice (it’s a myth that this started with President George W. Bush) of channeling American aid through faith-based organizations. That change would be a catastrophe. In Haiti, more than half of food distributions go through religious groups like World Vision that have indispensable networks on the ground. We mustn’t make Haitians the casualties in our cultural wars.

A root problem is a liberal snobbishness toward faith-based organizations. Those doing the sneering typically give away far less money than evangelicals. They’re also less likely to spend vacations volunteering at, say, a school or a clinic in Rwanda.

If secular liberals can give up some of their snootiness, and if evangelicals can retire some of their sanctimony, then we all might succeed together in making greater progress against common enemies of humanity, like illiteracy, human trafficking and maternal mortality.

EWOP Meeting!

We have our next ALL-EWOP meeting on the books and YOU need to be there! We always have a ton of great information, ways to get involved, resources, and Freedom Stones Jewelry. There is a chance that we might have NEW *** Freedom Stones *** jewelry for the SPRING in our hands, too (keep your finger crossed).

As always, feel free to bring a friend. You DO NOT need to go to OCC to be in Eastside Women of Purpose.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Taking Down Trafficking Registration

The Taking Down Trafficking site on the OCC web has been updated to have it’s own page!

http://www.occ.org/serve-the-world/human-trafficking/taking-down-trafficking-event-for-women/
(there is a “Register” button at the bottom that will link you to online registration)

If you want to direct people right to the Registration Page, here is the link:
http://www.occ.org/registration--taking-down-trafficking/

PLEASE share this with friends and post it on your facebook pages! It is going to be a great event, and we really want to pack it out!

Don't Miss Out on the FUN!!!

The BAG O FUN, that is!!

I normally don't do personal plugs but this blog is all about justice and what is more about justice than adoption?!?!

Our good friends, Mike & Jodie Howerton (check out her blog HERE), just found out that they were approved to go and pick up their son in Africa! Their court date is in ONE MONTH!! They need help fundraising so our other good friends, the McQueen's (their blog) have put together a Bag O Fun to raffle on the behalf.

Here’s the Bag O’Fun:

Does it look like fun? Don’t be deceived- here is what’s inside:

PF Chang -$50 + Nordstrom - $50 + Itunes - $15 + Cold Stone- $15 + Jamba Juice- $15+ AMC Entertainment -$25+ Barnes & Noble - $25 =$175 OF FUN!!

Here’s how this will go:

Raffle tickets are 1 for $5, 3 for $10 or 8 for $20.

Go HERE to buy the raffle tickets. Leave a comment here about how many raffle tickets you purchased. And Thursday at 11pm (PST) we’ll randomly select a lucky raffle ticket and announce the winner on Friday morning!

Now go get your raffle ticket because it will be FUN and because soon a boy who has no one will be part of a very amazing family…forever!

Tee Off is Back!!

Registration is UP and space is limited!
Visit www.TeeOffAgainstTrafficking.com

You can register to participate as a Golfer and
join us for a beautiful Luncheon and Silent & Live Auction
OR you can sign up to participate in our Luncheon and Auction Only.

Our location has changed this year and it is REALLY amazing. Check it out.
The Golf Club at Echo Falls

Get a group together or sign up on your own and help us
STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING!!

UNBOUND Conference

April 16-17, 2010
University Presbyterian Church
Seattle, WA

On April 16-17, 2010, the 2nd annual UNBOUND conference will be hosted by Freedom Initiative, a team of university students in the Seattle area who have joined forces to combat human trafficking. This multifaceted and complex social issue demands an intricately strategic solution that can only be accomplished by the skillful collaboration of abilities, perspectives, and passions from a variety of individuals and organizations. Thus, by bringing together community-based organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals who are active in the fight against modern day slavery, the Freedom Initiative team aims to educate people on the issue of Human Trafficking, to empower individuals to develop a personal response to slavery, and to mobilize them to action in the fight against it.

For more information:
email info@freedominitiative.org
or visit http://www.freedominitiative.org/

Ignore No More Forum 2010

Register Now! for the Zonta Club of Everett’s
Ignore No More Forum 2010: Economic Solutions to Slavery Today

Then, please share this information with your friends!

Date: February 27, 2010
Time: 8:00 am to Noon
Place: Everett Community College’s Parks Student Union

Online Registration: Go to http://ignorenomoreslaverytoday.eventbrite.com/
To register by mail: Go to http://ignorenomoreslaverytoday.eventbrite.com/
Click on “Show Other Payment Options” then “Pay Offline”

Learn More: Human Trafficking Statistics

HUMAN TRAFFICKING STATISTICS

The following is a list of available statistics estimating the scope of Human Trafficking around the world. Actual statistics are often unavailable, and some may be contradictory due to the covert nature of the crime, the invisibility of victims and high levels of under-reporting. Further obstacles include inconsistent definitions, reluctance to share data, and a lack of funding for and standardization of data collection. Particularly lacking are estimates on the number of American citizens trafficked within the U.S.

Human Trafficking Worldwide

27 million – Number of people in modern-day slavery across the world.
Source: Kevin Bales of Free the Slaves.
-According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), estimates vary from 4 to 27 million.
-The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates 2.4 million people were victims of human trafficking from 1995-2005. This estimate uses the UN Protocol definition of human trafficking, and includes both transnational and internal data.

800,000 – Number of people trafficked across international borders every year.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report: 2007.
-Note:
The TIP Report in 2001 and 2002 estimated this figure at 700,000;
The TIP Report of 2003 reported 800,000 to 900,000 victims;
The TIP Reports of 2004 through 2006 reported 600,000 to 800,000 victims.

1 million – Number of children exploited by the global commercial sex trade, every year.
Source: U.S. Department of State, The Facts About Child Sex Tourism: 2005.

50% – Percent of transnational victims who are children.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Report to Congress from Attorney General John Ashcroft on U.S. Government Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Fiscal Year 2003: 2004.

80% – Percent of transnational victims who are women and girls.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report: 2007.

70% – Percent of female victims who are trafficked into the commercial sex industry. This means that 30% of female victims are victims of forced labor.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons: 2004.

161 – Countries identified as affected by human trafficking:

Source: UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Trafficking in Persons: Global Patterns: April 2006.
-127 countries of origin; 98 transit countries; 137 destination countries.
-Note: Countries may be counted multiple times and categories are not mutually exclusive.

32 billion – Total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry.

Source: ILO, A global alliance against forced labor: 2005.
-$15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries.
-$9.7 billion in Asia
-$13,000 per year generated on average by each "forced laborer." This number can be as high as $67,200 per victim per year.

Human Trafficking Statistics Polaris Project Polaris Project P.O. Box 77892, Washington, DC 20013 Tel: 202.745.1001 www.PolarisProject.org Info@PolarisProject.org © Copyright Polaris Project, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Potential Trafficking Indicators

IDENTIFYING VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING:

POTENTIAL INDICATORS & RED FLAGS

The following is a list of red flags to keep in mind that may indicate a potential situation of or a victim of human trafficking. Each indicator taken individually may not necessarily imply a trafficking situation. Furthermore, items on this list are not meant to be interpreted as present in all trafficking cases, neither is the list intended to be exhaustive. This list is intended to encompass transnational and domestic trafficking, as well as both sex and labor trafficking. Some indicators may be more strongly associated with one type of trafficking. Common Work and

Living Conditions: The Individual(s) in Question…
-Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
-Is under 18 years of age and is providing commercial sex acts
-Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp/manager
-Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
-Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
-Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
-Owes a large and/or increasing debt and is unable to pay it off
-Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
-Is living or working in a location with high security measures (e.g. opaque or boarded-up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.).

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior: The Individual(s) in Question…
-Exhibits unusually fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid behavior
-Reacts with unusually fearful or anxious behavior at any reference to "law enforcement"
-Avoids eye contact
-Exhibits a flat affect.

Poor Physical Health: The Individual(s) in Question…
-Presents with unexplained injuries or signs of prolonged/untreated illness or disease
-Appears malnourished
-Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture.

Lack of Control: The Individual(s) in Question…
-Has few or no personal possessions
-Is not in control of his/her own money, and/or has no financial records, or bank account
-Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (e.g. ID, passport, or visa)
-Is not allowed or able to speak for him/herself (e.g., a third party may insist on being present and/or interpreting)
-Has an attorney that he/she doesn’t seem to know or to have agreed to receive representation services from.

Other: The Individual(s) in Question…
-Has been "branded" by a trafficker (e.g. a tattoo of the trafficker’s name)
-Claims to be "just visiting" and is unable to clarify where he/she is staying or to provide an address
-Exhibits a lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or does not know what city he/she is in
-Exhibits a loss of sense of time
-Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story.

Potential Trafficking Indicators Polaris Project Polaris Project P.O. Box 77892, Washington, DC 20013 Tel: 202.745.1001 www.PolarisProject.org Info@PolarisProject.org © Copyright Polaris Project, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Haiti Orphans Targeted by Child Traffickers

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1957160,00.html?cnn=yes&hpt=T2?artId=1953379?contType=article?chn=specials

Women of Purpose Coffee and Tea: Opportunities to Learn More and Share Hope

Eastside Women of Purpose (EWOP) is part of a larger Women of Purpose group with participants around the country. The world relief organization, World Concern, will be facilitating this great opportunity to hear stories from people working in the countries that WE have been trying to help. They will also be asking for donations but there is NO obligation. Read below for how to register for one or both of these great events!

Dear Women of Purpose and Friends,

We are excited to offer you two opportunities to hear inspiring, heart-touching stories from the front lines of World Concern’s ministry.

On Saturday, February 20th you can come to a scrumptious tea and hear Tracy Stover, our Chad Country Director, speak about what it’s like to bring help and hope to families who have fled the tragic crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and Eastern Chad.

Then, on Saturday, February 27th you can cozy up to cups of coffee while Richard Johannessen and Ana Maria Clamor from our Asia Office in Bangkok share about fighting human trafficking in Southeast Asia.

You won’t want to miss these opportunities to hear what inspiring people are doing to make a difference, and how you can help them take hope farther.

For more details, click here to download a complete copy of the invitation. Advance registrations are required, as space is limited. You can register online at http://donate.worldconcern.org//page.redir?target=http%3a%2f%2fwww.worldconcern.org%2fcoffee&srcid=21231&srctid=1&erid=580287 or http://donate.worldconcern.org//page.redir?target=http%3a%2f%2fwww.worldconcern.org%2ftea&srcid=21231&srctid=1&erid=580287, or call (206) 546-7396 by February 10th (for the tea) or February 17th (for the coffee).

We hope to see you in February.

Sarah Leech
Women of Purpose Director

World Concern

19303 Fremont Ave N

Seattle, WA 98133

(206) 546-7396

Freedom Prayer Concert Planning Meeting

An ecumenical gathering to pray for freedom of human trafficking victims, healing for survivors, more rescues, mass awareness, laws to to protect, provide & prevent slavery, spiritual bondage of perpetrators (i.e. pimps, slaveowners, johns), the Church to be mobilized, etc. leading to transformational change in our society and culture locally, nationally, and globally.

Moderating meeting: Markus von Steinfort & Alex Sum

Date: Thursday, February 4th
Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Location: Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center
1216 NE 65th Street
Seattle, WA 98115

Hope to see you guys at this meeting! Please RSVP to Markus: markus.vonsteinfort@mac.com

Taking Down Trafficking

Mark your calendar for a great and fun event, Taking Down Trafficking, sponsored by Greater Gold Wrestling.

When: Sunday March 7 12:30 to 2:30
Where: In the Gym at OCC, 9900 Willows Road, Redmond

This women's self defense clinic not only will give you skills to help you survive an assault, but you'll be supporting a great cause in helping to end human trafficking through education, outreach, and advocacy. This is a fund-raiser for Eastside Women of Purpose who work closely with groups in Southeast Asia to help get women and children out of sex slavery and into safe housing along with job training skills.

For more info check out our website as details unfold or give me a call.
In His Grip,
Deborah
Deborah Robinson
Program Director
Greater Gold Wrestling
(425)343-3701 cell
Deborah@greatergold.com
www.greatergold.com

Thank you, Deborah, for using your unique gifts and abilities in the fight against human trafficking!

A New Documentary About Human Trafficking

California Man Sold Daughter into Marriage

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/13/daughter.for.sale/

Movie Night and Panel Discussion

FREE EVENT
MOVIE NIGHT AND PANEL DISCUSSION

OPEN TO ALL

Join us THIS SATURDAY for a showing of

AT THE END OF SLAVERY

Produced by International Justice Mission
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30TH
7 - 9 PM
Overlake Christian Church, Small Auditorium

Following will be a panel discussion by representatives from Seattle based organizations and coalitions, including:
International Justice Mission
Seattle Against Slavery
Not for Sale
W.A.R.N.
Shared Hope International

Talk with speakers, learn about local efforts and hear about OCC's involvement in this initiative.
Childcare available. Please RSVP servetheworld@occ.org for number of children.