Mar
19
2013
The Cure for Late-Winter Apathy
Melissa Partner Organization News, Survivor Stories, Trafficking News & Information 0
I’ve been struggling with some late-winter apathy. I’m tired and unmotivated (hence, in part, the silence on the blog). Fighting human trafficking sometimes seems just too impossible and exhausting (I mean, how can I make a real difference in the world if I can’t always keep this blog updated?). But IJM and its president Gary Haugen provide two important reminders: 1. At the Justice Conference last month, Gary talked about the long, tedious road to justice. Perseverance is not always glamorous, but it’s powerful. (This video is absolutely worth watching; it was one of my favorite talks at the conference.)Read more
Dec
20
2012
Considering End of Year Giving?
Melissa Empower Women, Partner Organization News 0
As holiday shopping draws to a close, you may be considering making end of year donations. Here are some organizations that have an impact on human trafficking, ethical fashion, and empowering women: Hagar International is a Christian organization that is committed to individualized, long-term assistance, using the social enterprise model as a tool for social rehabilitation and economic empowerment. Hagar works with women and children from backgrounds of violence, abuse and trafficking and supports them in their recovery, rehabilitation, job readiness and community reintegration. International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexualRead more
Nov
29
2012
When Justice Is Not Just
Melissa Partner Organization News, Rescue 0
Talmage Payne, CEO of Hagar International, recently blogged about the difficulties of securing justice for victims of human trafficking. To turn victims into survivors, he suggest we redefine justice. Here’s more from his article; you can read the complete text here. The perpetrator is followed as he drives a young girl to a seedy hotel room and locks the door. The NGO tracking the known sex offender has already called their police counterparts. An arrest is imminent. But they wait. Not seconds or minutes but a full half hour. Confident that the rape is well enough along to coverRead more
Nov
20
2012
Much to Be Thankful For
Melissa Books & Resources, Empower Women, Partner Organization News, Trafficking News & Information 0
There’s lots to be thankful for this time of year. From food to family to finances, most of us have quite a few things going for us. But just like looking past myself in hard times helps me broaden my perspective, being thankful for things beyond my own life enriches this thankful time of year. So here are a few organizations and people doing good around the world that I am very thankful for. They are changing lives in ways that I never could even imagine. They’re empowering women and fighting human trafficking in very real, very powerful ways. IJMRead more
Aug
02
2012
Voices from Haiti
Melissa Partner Organization News 0
By all accounts, life can be quite bleak for kids in Haiti. Human trafficking is rampant, and according to Restavek Freedom Foundation 1 in 15 kids is a domestic human trafficking victim. The Trafficking in Persons Report introduces the problem this way: Haiti is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Many of Haiti’s trafficking cases are the estimated 150,000-500,000 restaveks – the term for children in forced domestic service. The majority of children that become restaveks do so when recruiters arrange for them to live with families inRead more
Apr
17
2012
Survivor Stories from Hagar
Melissa Partner Organization News, Rescue 0
If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of human trafficking rescue stories. In the face of oppression and despair, tales of hope are a fix I just can’t satisfy. Though stories often run together, I want more. More freedom. More rescue. More unthinkable courage and healing. If that sounds like you, too, here’s a new video from Hagar. Below that is a survivor story from their site. Hien’s Story Sometimes it’s the small things that make all the difference. Hien* came to Hagar broken and neglected. Years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse from her family made her feelRead more
Apr
11
2012
Talk to the Author of God in a Brothel
Emily Books & Resources, Partner Organization News, Trafficking News & Information 0
If you’ve read the book God in a Brothel, you know it is a unique and provocative account of the undercover world of sex-trafficking. Here’s an opportunity to interact with the author, himself. Sign-up here for a chance to participate on April 19, at 9pm EDT. Learn more about the book. Hosted by Hagar International.
Mar
20
2012
A True Independence Day
Melissa Partner Organization News 0
It’s been a bit quite here on the blog, but we have some enlightening new content in the works. In the meantime, check out this posts from Hannah Pound at Freeset. Here’s an excerpt (click the link for the full piece). One of the saddest days for me in my time spent in India was on its Independence Day, 15th of August. Since it’s a day off from work, where do you think people swarmed to express their ‘independence’? An area where thousands of women did not celebrated freedom that day. As the fireworks went off and music blared andRead more
Feb
16
2012
Justice and Rescue: The International Justice Mission
Melissa Partner Organization News, Rescue 0
The International Justice Mission is a powerful force against human trafficking. They participate in the most well-know kind of rescue: the brothel raid. IJM’s rescues typically target children, the most vulnerable and helpless victims of human trafficking. They do the painstaking work of collaborating with local law enforcement and court systems to pursue freedom and justice. Their work frees women and children and slowly but surely pushes legal systems worldwide to take an active role in fighting human trafficking. IJM also works to equip everyday people to be a voice for freedom in government and legal systems. Sign this petitionRead more
Jan
12
2012
Building a Happy, Healthy Haiti
Melissa Partner Organization News 0
Today marks the 2-year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti. The Restavek Freedom Foundation has been working since well before that time to put an end to a system of slavery in the country: restavek. A restavek is a child who is usually from a rural area and is sent to live with a family in the city. They go in hopes of a better life and a chance at an education. Instead they become victims of human trafficking, trapped as servants in strangers’ homes. They work from before dawn til late at night doing whatever is askedRead more