Food Chains calls us to be a part of the stories of the many hands that go into our fresh produce by not being passive, silent, or ignoring the suffering that they experience. We already are a part of this system that exploits, but we also are a part of a community that can see change happen for the most vulnerable populations of our society.
So, how can we do this?
Read MoreAdvocacy is more than fundraising and dress-wearing for one month. Luckily, there are other ways to stay involved in the fight and be an advocate 365 days of the year.
Read MoreOnce I understood that my advocacy was a mixture of many different things, the more eager and motivated I became to participate with Dressember. I began to feel more comfortable with myself and took time to focus on the process it was leading me through. Now I know it is okay to struggle as an advocate sometimes. It gets difficult believing in the change for such a major issue. But with dedication and unbreakable passion, advocacy can become a major constituent to freedom.
Read MoreIf I were to base my understanding of human trafficking on these photos, I would likely conclude: 1. human trafficking is synonymous with sex trafficking; 2. only women and young girls are trafficked; 3. only men are the perpetrators; and 4. that victims are forcibly bound by ropes and chains.
Read MoreHistory is full of examples of atrocities resulting from prejudice. Race, gender, religion, class, personal abilities -- all have been used to justify the mistreatment of human beings. From the Inquisition to the Holocaust to the Rwandan genocide and thousands upon thousands of moments before, after and in between, people have been attempting to subjugate those whose beliefs or appearances don’t mirror their own.
Read MoreI’ve seen several movies depicting sex trafficking in different ways, but the common factor is that they all depict it in a manner that causes shock and intrigue, yet still remains distant from the reality of the issue. Whether it’s depicting a woman who has to work on the streets and approach customers to make money for her pimp, or a dark portrayal of women being auctioned off to wealthy men, it all depicts sex-trafficking in somewhat of a glamorous manner.
Read MoreAfter viewing the TED Talk, “The Face of Human Trafficking,” which Megan Rheinschild, the Victim-Witness Assistance Program Director for the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office, delivered last year at a TEDx conference, I was surprised at how well her use of emotional appeal drove the audience to listen to the educational concerns of trafficking. It helped me think strongly about what any ordinary individual can do to prevent sexual abuse in minors.
Read MoreFood Chains calls us to be a part of the stories of the many hands that go into our fresh produce by not being passive, silent, or ignoring the suffering that they experience. We already are a part of this system that exploits, but we also are a part of a community that can see change happen for the most vulnerable populations of our society.
So, how can we do this?
Read MoreHe is everything she has ever wanted. Until he’s not. He tells her that she owes him for all of the nice dinners, clothing, jewelry, and their apartment’s rent. He tells her that she has to go inside, give herself up to paying men, and bring him the cash. He threatens to hurt her parents and her little sister if she doesn’t. She is confused and trapped, but she shuffles her feet through the front door, and then the bedroom door, and then her dress is slid up and there’s another man on top of her. It happens so fast. Just a moment later, she’s back in the car with $350 rolled up in her hand. And she and the love of her life drive away.
Read MoreWhat do you think makes a person vulnerable to human trafficking? My initial thoughts are situations like monetary stress, previous abuse, homelessness, and personal crises. But there is one large contributor to human trafficking that is often overlooked: Climate change.
Read MoreWhile prostitution’s claim as the world’s oldest profession has been widely discredited, it could easily assume a replacement title as the occupation that has withstood the most controversy for the longest period of time.
Read MoreSoon after earning his college degree in anthropology, Timmerman journeyed to meet the people who made his underwear in Bangladesh, his jeans in Cambodia, his t-shirt in Honduras, and his flip-flops in China.
Read MoreWhen beginning to research human trafficking statistics, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the differing numbers that you find. There are many prominent organizations whose websites list the number of trafficking victims in the world, but many of them record largely differing numbers. It’s important to note this difference in numbers, however, as you advocate and fight for the individuals trapped in trafficking.
Read MoreI learned that poverty in the developing world leaves the poor vulnerable to more than just hunger or cold — it leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and violence, with little to no hope of justice in a corrupt law enforcement system skewed against them. This disturbing reality is known as the Locust Effect.
Read MoreAnd then the Dressember team announced that we could run in our own towns! I think I screamed with glee, or at least wanted to. Organizing a race here in Dover, DE would be a great way to get my own community involved in the fight to end trafficking. I was left with no excuse.
Read MoreThe number of people in slavery today is colossal. It’s daunting. It hurts. And yet, we sit here, reading these articles on our phones or computers––in America, in Canada, in Europe, everywhere across the globe––with anger brewing inside of us. And we stay seated. Why?
One of the ways we can support victims of human trafficking is by providing funds for legal services so that survivors have access to Victim’s Rights Attorneys who will fight for them to receive justice as outlined in United States laws. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act, commonly referred to as the TVPA, is attempting to make the application of these US laws easier.
Read MoreWhen we open a dating app and swipe right, we typically never imagine a scenario where we are going to be communicating with a trafficker. As the digital age has progressed, the use of dating apps has become a norm. This rise in dating app usage has also been linked to numerous cases of human trafficking across the market.
Read MoreLast spring, Dressember’s Communications Manager, Madeline MacDonald, and I had a chance to grab a cup of coffee (and lavender tea). Before long, our conversation began to touch on some typically controversial areas and questions surrounding human trafficking. There was one question in particular that we continued to grapple with:
Can one be both pro-sex while also being anti-sex trafficking?
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