THE POLARIS PROJECT BLOG

Click on the video above to preview the lobby day.

Human trafficking is prevalent in Maryland- easy access to the I-95 corridor, close proximity to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, and several nearby international airports-create ideal conditions for the occurrence of human trafficking.   With the 2010 Maryland State Legislative session in high gear several bills are now under consideration to address this brutal crime.

Earlier this month Polaris Project and the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force hosted a lobby day in Annapolis, Maryland. Advocates from all across the state came out to advocate for anti-trafficking legislation. There were more than fifty people in attendance that visited more than forty legislators offices!

As a Maryland resident myself I wanted to join fellow advocates and show support for the three following bills:

If  HB 514/ SB 463 passes it will create an asset forfeiture provision mandating that all money and valuables of a person convicted of human trafficking, used in connection with, or gained from human trafficking be forfeited to the state. This provision is especially important because it will provide law enforcement with funds to further their investigations and it will also help provide funds for crucial victim services.

The second bill, HB 283 / SB 261, will increase the penalties for human traffickers, penalize those who knowingly benefit from human trafficking, and bring Maryland’s law on knowledge of age of minor victims up to speed with federal law.  No more slaps on the wrists for those who knowingly victimize others for their own profit.

Maryland residents, it’s not too late to take action. Contact your legislators today and ask them to vote yes on these bills. The third bill HB 1322 / SB 542 will require key establishments where human trafficking takes place to post the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline.  Public hearings have been scheduled for the human trafficking hotline bill on February 25 at 1:00 p.m. and on March 10.  Be sure to check the Polaris Project Action Center frequently for updates. If you’re a Maryland resident email your legislator today and ask him to vote yes.

Together we can make a difference- help us spread the word! Here are three things you can do right now to help make sure these bills become law:

1. Call your legislators and ask them to support these three bills and to urge the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee to bring the bills up for a vote.
2. Post a link to the Action Center MD action alert on Facebook!
3. Tweet about it! Urge your followers to EMAIL their legislators today.

Dear Supporters,

Happy Anniversary!  This Valentine’s Day, Polaris Project celebrated eight years of combating human trafficking.  V-Day has always been our B-Day, a conscious choice to commemorate the importance of living in non-violence and with love for our neighbors. [Read more →]

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
– John F. Kennedy

A year ago this month, Ambassador Lagon and I were steeped in conversations about how Polaris Project could strengthen awareness on modern-day slavery by increasing reports from the frontlines of the anti-trafficking field.  Too often, those working directly in the trenches lack the time to come up for air to share their experiences and thoughts about how this problem is affecting our communities. [Read more →]

“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.“  These are the words of Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist jailed under the so-called Terrorism Act in South Africa in 1977. For 24 days Biko was interrogated and beaten before recieving hospital treatment; he subsequently died later that year in the custody of the South African Police. [Read more →]

On January 13 Peter J. Nickles, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, announced that his office successfully shut down a number of illegal brothels either based in residential homes or those posing as legitimate massage parlors. [Read more →]

I distinctly remember a time, a few years ago in 2007, when craigslist became a point of focus at meetings and events throughout the anti-trafficking movement.  Sitting in conferences or at task force meetings, it became a frequent occurrence for a presenter from law enforcement or the victims services field to talk about how victims of human trafficking were increasingly being advertised in the Erotic Services section of the website. [Read more →]

Today is Human Trafficking Awareness day in the United States.  Through a resolution passed by the US Senate last year, January 11 is dedicated to raising awareness of and opposition to human trafficking.  Indeed, elevating public consciousness of modern day slavery – not just acknowledging its existence, but deepening the understanding of its grim realities – is the one of Polaris Project’s key principles. [Read more →]

Grizzled cynics of Washington have a tendency to be dismissive about rhetoric and symbolic gestures.  But they are thoroughly wrong, as social innovators know, as evidenced so poignantly in President Obama’s declaration yesterday about human trafficking. [Read more →]

Two days before Christmas, I joined the weekly support group at our Washington, DC Client Services Office.  As survivors of domestic servitude and sex trafficking, a number of the participants are beneficiaries of transitional housing that Polaris Project provides. [Read more →]