Once 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 MoreWhen we think about human trafficking, the United States may not be the first place to come to mind. Of course, why would it? With Hollywood’s celebrity-hyped, action-packed movies, and idealistic book thrillers that try to imagine the truth of the trafficking world, it’s easy to assume that trafficking only exists outside the U.S.
Read MoreWorking as a manicurist may sound like a simple job: no big conference meetings, no important papers. But sometimes, the jobs aren’t as pretty as they may appear – especially when workers are living under poor labor conditions.
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 MoreRiverside County, the fourth largest out of all fifty-eight counties in the state of California, is home to approximately 2.4 million people. Recently, it became an increasingly popular place of residence for its convenience to places like: Big Bear Mountains, Palm Springs desert area, the Southern California beach cities, and Los Angeles. Known for its centralized location, Riverside County seems like the place to be.
What if I told you superheroes were real? That everyday, all over the world, superheroes were fighting some of the worst crimes. Would you believe it?
Read MoreApproximately 24 million people trafficked for labor are in bondage, working in an industry in which they receive little to no pay. In 2016, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 40.3 million people are enslaved across the world. Accordingly, roughly more than half of all people stuck in modern-day slavery are victims of labor trafficking. Many cases of forced labor exist within the agricultural, domestic work, factories, clubs, and hospitality arenas. Let’s take a look at these industries:
Read MoreWith offices in Connecticut, Texas, North Carolina, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines, Love146 is working to end child trafficking and exploitation around the world. Their programs address the biological, psychological, social, financial, and spiritual impacts of victimization, and help youth develop strategies to stay safe. In the United States, Love146 also conducts one-time interventions called “Rapid Responses” that provide at-risk youth with information, safety planning, and referral services related to human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The organization’s Prevention Education program is designed to reach children before traffickers do. Through its “Not a Number” curriculum and other tools, Love146 has impacted thousands of children in classroom and community settings, equipping them to recognize vulnerabilities and protect themselves and their peers from exploitation.
Read MoreIJM is the world’s largest anti-trafficking organization in the world. They work to protect the poor from violence in the developing world with a vision to “rescue thousands, protect millions, and prove that justice for the poor is possible.”
According to the United Nations, 4 billion people live outside the protection of the law. This means that their public justice systems- police, courts, and laws- are so broken, corrupt, and dysfunctional, that there is nothing to shield the poor from violence.
Read MoreThis year, Dressember Foundation is excited to introduce one of their new grant partners: Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST). Based in Seattle, Washington, BEST provides awareness, consultation and training to employers in a variety of sectors in an effort to put an end to human trafficking within businesses. BEST recognizes the great need for prevention strategies to avert the recurring cycle of modern slavery, and it believes using businesses as an avenue to allocate its resources will effectively bring an end to the injustice.
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