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May
16
2013
Keys to Survival
Melissa Empower Women, Rescue 0
The women recently rescued in Cleveland aren’t the first victims of kidnapping, abuse, and human trafficking, and they likely won’t be the last. But they can learn from the lessons of survivors of similar crimes like Elizabeth Smarth, Jaycee Dugard, and Shawn Hornbeck, according to CNN: What can [the women from Cleveland] learn from the paths followed by Smart, Dugard, Hornbeck and others that led them from darkness to brighter lives? The resiliency of these survivors is nothing short of remarkable. Smart, now 25, is married. She formed a foundation to battle child abuse and travels the country as a
May
14
2013
Progress Amid Tragedy
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
In the wake of the deaths of hundreds of factory workers in Bangladesh, some retailers are beginning to hear and respond to the outraged cries of consumers. Use your voice and your money to be part of the shift toward ethical fashion that this New York Times article describes. Some retailers are doing what was once unthinkable, handing over information about exactly how, and where, their products were made. Everlane, an online boutique, last week added paragraphs to its Web site describing the factories where its products are made. Nordstrom says it is considering adding information about clothes produced in
May
08
2013
Healing for Survivors of Human Trafficking
Melissa Empower Women, Trafficking News & Information 0
There’s great news in Cleveland this week: Three women who’ve been missing for about a decade have been rescued. News sources aren’t saying too much at this point about what the women went through and if they were officially victims of human trafficking. While investigators will be probing for details, it’s important for each of the women to feel a sense of privacy as they heal from the ordeal. Kidnapping survivor, Elizabeth Smart, sheds light on the mentality of shame that can overtake victims of trafficking: Rescued kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart said Wednesday she understands why some human trafficking victims
May
07
2013
Ethical Fashion and Your Budget
Melissa Ethical Fashion 1
Last week, we wrote a bit about the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh (which is now said to have killed more than 700 people). As consumers we can be part of the solution by being willing to spend more for fashion that is ethically produced. The chart above shows just how much more it costs to make a shirt in the US as compared to Bangladesh. But what if you’re on a limited budget? The tips below from our ethical fashion page can help you make ethical choices no matter how much money you have. For me, the best method
May
02
2013
The Cost of Ethical Fashion
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
Recently tragic news made headlines in ethical fashion: “More than 85 people are dead and scores injured in Bangladesh after the collapse of an eight-story building on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka.” When companies and consumers choose cheap clothes over ethical practices, factory worker pay the price—sometimes with their lives. Here’s more on the collapse from NPR: Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area’s police station, told Reuters that the factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block Tuesday. quotes one worker rescued
Apr
30
2013
Egypt and Human Trafficking on the Sinai
Melissa Trafficking News & Information 0
Last fall we shared with you about Sister Aziza and her work protecting victims of human trafficking on the Sinai Peninsula (click the links for more info!). This article from Think Africa Press gives a more in-depth look at the problem and what surrounding countries, especially Egypt, are (and aren’t) doing to help. Most of the victims of human trafficking and kidnapping in the region are from Eritrea. Thousands reportedly escape the repressive regime of Isaias Afewerki each year, some ending up in Ethiopia but more tending to find themselves in refugee camps in eastern Sudan. Eastern Sudan’s Shagarab camp,
Apr
25
2013
Old Phones Fund Mobile Medical Technology
Melissa Empower Women, Ethical Fashion 1
Got an old cell phone that you’re going to trash? You can donate it through Hope Phones to help doctors and patients in developing countries. Ethical fashion can extend past your clothes and jewelry to also include your phone—and you can help treat and prevent illness around the world, especially in places where healthcare for women and girls is particularly lacking. Find out how you can donate a phone or start a phone collection drive. Here’s more from Hope Phones: We created the Hope Phones campaign in 2009 as an innovative way to fund the global efforts of Medic Mobile,
Apr
23
2013
Videos and Resources from MTVU
Melissa Books & Resources 0
MTVU’s Against Our Will campaign has some compelling media and resources about human trafficking, especially in the United States. While much of the site is geared toward college students, the messages resonate with anyone who wants to do something to stop human trafficking. See all their videos here. In the video above, P!nk reads a poem by a survivor of trafficking named Jennifer. The full text of the poem is below. Experience more survivor poetry here. I Remember by Jennifer, age unknown I remember who I really am The gentle and caring person that lives deep within The one afraid
Apr
18
2013
Even More Help for Human Trafficking Victims from Polaris Project
Melissa Books & Resources, Everyday Abolitionist 0
We’ve shared many times about the work of Polaris Project and their Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-3737-888!), but now there’s even more power at Polaris Project: 1. You can now text the hotline: text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). This is a particularly powerful tool when advocates are able to get this information to victims of human trafficking, such as through the SOAP Project. 2. The hotline is global! Here’s more from the announcement: Polaris Project announced the launch of the Global Human Trafficking Hotline Network today, a new alliance of anti-trafficking hotlines that will build a broader safety net
Apr
16
2013
H&M: On the Road to Ethical Fashion
Melissa Ethical Fashion 1
On the ethical fashion front, here’s a dose of good-news/bad-news from H&M: Bravo: “Along with its 2012 sustainability report, the Swedish retailer, which has 2,800 stores worldwide, released a list of 33 Cambodian factories from which it sources, along with the vendors who initiated the business relationships. By divulging the information, H&M said in a statement, it became ‘one of the first and largest fashion companies in the world to make its supplier/factory list public.’ ‘H&M wants to contribute to a more transparent and ultimately more sustainable fashion industry,’ the statement says.” Not-So-Bravo: “The list of factories includes at least