Support Freedom

GRAND RE-OPENING  – (Note: The new Hope Marketplace blog is now at hopemarketplace.org.  Come join the conversation!)

When a store sets up shop, they do some advertising, hire a celebrity to cut the ribbon in front of the media and say in big letters “NOW OPEN.” For a Re-Opening it’s pretty much the same deal following a period where they were temporarily closed for remodeling or because there was a change in management. They want to publicize what is new and improved.

Following that idea we would like to introduce Hope Marketplace, formerly known as Hope Jewelry. We weren’t closed, our online doors were still open, but we did do quite a bit of remodeling. We took time to re-evaluate our purpose and how best to accomplish it. And as a result we have a new name, a new look, and a new mission statement…

A marketplace of goods and ideas supporting freedom from human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

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This past Mother’s Day was a great day for me- cards from my husband and kids, meals with our moms.  Basically what I consider a standard celebration.  At church one of the pastors talked about the value of women in God’s eyes.  He affirmed us in our roles as mothers and commended us for doing a good job.

So there I sat at my church in downtown Phoenix.  I found my mind drifting as I thought about what was undoubtedly happening at that moment just blocks away. Sex being sold for cash.  Women and girls being abused.  The contrast was glaring.  Here I was being built up and loved by men.  There they were being torn down and despised by men.

So, who are these men buying sex?  They have moms.  Many have wives and daughters.  They wouldn’t think of hurting them.  In fact the thought of his wife selling her body or his daughter being raped is utterly disturbing to him.  And yet, somehow he justifies defiling a prostituted woman or girl.  Why?  Are they less valuable human beings?  Is the fact that most of them were sexually abused as children make it okay to continue the victimization? Does the exchange of money make it acceptable, as if the man is actually doing her a favor?

God created all people in his image and all people deserve to be valued.  Whether they are engaged in prostitution, strip clubs or pornography our society continues to view them as “those girls.”  We choose not to view them as real people who would rather have a different vocation.  (That’s right, 90% of those in the sex industry said they’d like to get out.)  Society may say it’s acceptable and doesn’t hurt the girls working there but nobody told them that.

How would you answer this question?  Perhaps with a more fundamental question- “Are there even slaves in my neighborhood?” (Almost certainly there are.)  Or perhaps an honest, “I might, if I were willing to look at those around me.”  Or perhaps you are willing to get involved but need more information, some common indicators to look for.

The Polaris Project has put together a detailed list called “Recognizing the Signs” that helps us answer the question I’ve posed and hopefully will help all of us feel more confident that, yes, we would notice a person being victimized in our own neighborhood.  If more and more of us know what to look for it seems clear that more people will be identified and can be freed from their captors.

Polaris Project is a key organization in the fight against slavery in the United States.  They have done great work through legislative means and raising awareness.  And especially important is their creation and operation of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline: 1-888-3737-888.  The Polaris Project website has a wealth of information, including state-specific resources.  And the “Recognizing the Signs” article I’m referencing is really helpful.

The list is extensive and worth the time to read.  Here is just a small excerpt giving key points to consider when assessing whether or not an individual has been trafficked:  (for the complete story click here and go to “Recognizing the signs”)

He/she

• is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is under 18 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 debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Jot down the number now- You never know, you might be the one person who can help save a victim.

National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-3737-888

“This year, CNN joins the fight to end modern-day slavery with CNN Freedom Project. With its unmatched global reach and resources, CNN will shine a spotlight on the horrors of modern-day slavery and amplify the voices of the victims. Through passionate storytelling, celebrity and charity partnerships, provocative documentaries, live events, content strands across destination shows, distinct online platforms and viewer involvement, the CNN Freedom Project will help educate, motivate and unravel the complicated tangle of criminal enterprises trading in human lives.”

Shared Hope International has been working internationally for a decade to combat trafficking.  The non-profit’s mission statement:  “Shared Hope International exists to rescue and restore women and children in crisis. We are leaders in a worldwide effort to prevent and eradicate sex trafficking and slavery through education and public awareness.”

Recently they have brought special attention to the issue here in the United States with a focus on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking.  Simply put, American girls under age 18 sold for sex in America. There are at least 100,000 children prostituted in America every year.

Shared Hope International researched Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) with a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Justice.  The main way they did this was by conducting more than a dozen field assessments in cities spread across America, including Phoenix.  (Click here to read the report on Phoenix in particular.)  They put together a concise Fact Sheet which gives a good overview of the issue.  Here are some excerpts:

Scope of the problem

• At least 100,000 children are used in prostitution every year in the United States.

• The average age of entry into prostitution is 13 years old.

• Prostituted girls are often controlled by a pimp who recruits them into sex trafficking  by posing as a boyfriend, caretaker, and protector.

• The three primary manifestations of child sex trafficking in America are: pimp-controlled prostitution, familial prostitution, and/or survival sex.

The Business of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking of America’s children is driven by demand for the commercial sex acts they perform.  Demand of buyers – people who rent the body of a child for sexual purposes or entertainment – allows the business of child sex trafficking to continue. The industry grows as traffickers seek to fulfill the demand by targeting and recruiting more of America’s youth for sexual exploitation.

AMERICAN CHILDREN ARE THE VICTIMS.  American children are easy targets for sex traffickers.  The vulnerability is the child’s age.  Pre-teen and adolescent girls are especially susceptible to the deception and manipulation of traffickers.  Traffickers target locations that commonly attract youth like schools, malls, parks, even shelters and group homes.

WHO ARE THE TRAFFICKERS?  A trafficker is anyone who profits by receiving cash or other benefits in exchange for sex with a minor.  These criminals are often called pimps. Across the United States, family members, friends, and “boyfriends” were identified as pimps.

WHO ARE THE BUYERS?  Many buyers are men; however, the buyers can be anyone - young and old, locals and tourists, military and civilian, students and professionals, family and strangers.

VICTIMS, NOT CRIMINALS
Exploited children are often labeled “child prostitutes” or juvenile delinquents and punished for the crime that is committed against them.  Victims of domestic minor sex trafficking are in detention facilities across the country for charges of prostitution while those who buy sex from them are free and their traffickers frequently escape detection.

Deterring Demand

Buyers receive little or no penalty for purchasing commercial sex from a minor though laws are in place to prosecute them.  Despite their integral role in fueling the commercial sex industry, little priority is placed on arresting and prosecuting the “johns.”  As long as there is a buyer of commercial sex, there will be child victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

Recruitment and Pimp Control

Traffickers learn the psychology of their young victims and master the manipulation methods necessary to deceptively lure children into sexual exploitation. The trafficker’s goal is to create and exploit vulnerabilities which will make a child completely dependent and bonded to their exploiter. The trafficker’s ultimate goal is profit.

Next steps

“This victim’s story illustrates a common ploy in the world of human trafficking in which young women are enticed to leave home with the promise of a job in modeling or some other profession. Once they arrive at their destinations, isolated and broke, they are forced into prostitution.”

This from an article in the March 4th edition of the Arizona Republic.  A 20-year-old trafficking victim from Mexico thought she was going to be working as a nanny in South Carolina but ended up being forced into prostitution.

She managed to escape from the well-kept home where she was being held against her will and was waiting to testify against those involved in the trafficking ring but longed to return to Mexico to be reunited with her young son and family.  She then fled the shelter she was staying at and took an airplane destined for Mexico.  Her flight had a stop in Phoenix and she was arrested and is now in the federal prison in Florence….

Click here to read the whole story.

Ring, ring, ring….”Hello?” Hi Honey, it’s Mom. What do you all want for Christmas?”

If you’re anything like me, you’ve both answered and asked this question quite a bit already as we fast-approach Christmas day. We give gifts to remember (in a tangible way) the ultimate gift given to mankind over 2,000 years ago by God in the form of His Son Jesus Christ. But let’s be honest for a moment, sometimes it’s hard to keep that in mind while you stress about what to get Aunt Marge or buying the perfect something for your mate. And then you read my blog title and suddenly you have another thing to stress about, right? Well, maybe, but sometimes a little anxiety can produce something amazing if channeled correctly. Before you start too far down the road of purchasing for your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers consider the source before moving forward with purchasing the product.

The Department of Labor released a report in September of 2009 highlighting several countries and a list of goods having strong ties to being produced by slave labor. In China, some of the top products were Christmas decorations, garments and footwear.

It’s almost impossible to be sure that everything you buy comes from a reputable source but there are definitely ways to support and reward the businesses that have chosen the higher road of ethical production and purchasing. I’d like to give you some suggestions:

Fair Trade: Buying fair trade is a powerful way to support producers in the U.S. and overseas in their effort to guarantee that their products are not only made without the use of slave labor but also that a fair wage is paid to their workers. You will also find a product search option so you can find what brand names at a particular store are fair trade. For the U.S. www.transfairusa.org and international www.fairtrade.net

Shop to Stop Slavery is a nonprofit organization that has produced a Gift Guide for this season. You’ll find 50 pages worth of businesses and ministries that sell great gift items, oftentimes produced by the survivors themselves. www.shoptostopslavery.com/gift-guide

Delicate Fortress is another organization committed to selling products created by survivors of trafficking as well as other forms of injustice. Before buying for the women and girls in your life take a look here. www.delicatefortress.com

For those of you in Phoenix, check out Gifts With A Conscience located at 3301 East Indian School Road www.giftswc.com. Note: they only have store hours on Thurs. Friday and Saturday. However, you can see their merchandise online ahead of time.

Purchase locally from small businesses as much as possible. While there’s no guarantee, the chances are greater that you’re buying a good product from a reputable supplier.

Encourage the businesses you purchase from to buy fair trade products whenever possible. Businesses want to supply what their customers will purchase. If enough people request it, then they’re sure to bring it in.

I know from personal experience that the pursuit of informed purchasing is not easy. Last year I wanted to send someone a fruit and chocolate basket and it took quite awhile to find a Fair Trade version, but with some perseverance and a willingness to spend a bit more, I tracked one down.

As the saying goes, it is far better to give than to receive. The feeling of satisfaction you experience when you find the perfect gift for someone you care about will increase all the more when you also care about the one making it.

(The list provided here is not exhaustive. We would like our readers to comment with their own findings for ethical gift purchasing, so please share the wealth!)