THE POLARIS PROJECT BLOG

Black and white animal-printed lounge chairs and couches.  Deep pink and purple mood lighting.  DJ-spun tracks thumping through the speakers and floors.  Champagne-filled glass flutes and cocktail glasses.  From the appearances of the room, I could have been in any number of swanky and exclusive nightclubs in New York City.

However on this night, black t-shirted bouncers and velvet rope lines were replaced by dozens of blue-uniformed security guards and metal detectors.  I walked through the non-descript sterile corridors of the United Nations headquarters, passing a row of portraits of the current and former U.N. Secretary Generals.  Finally, I stepped into a space transformed by high fashion for the inaugural Diane von Furstenberg Awards, recognizing global women leaders.  The glitz and glamour of the environment quickly became secondary to the seriousness and substance powerfully illustrated through each person’s story.

The honorees of the evening included Sadiqa Basiri Saleem a courageous educator in Afghanistan seeking to create the first women’s college in her country; the Honorable Danielle St. Lot, Haiti’s Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism; and Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian politician and anti-corruption activist who had been abducted by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for more than six years.  Each woman shared stories spotlighting the fight for social justice in their corners of the world, accompanied by illuminating introductions by journalist Christiane Amanpour, Ambassador Melanne Verveer, and actress Meryl Streep.

I was humbled to share the stage with such inspirational and powerful figures as the “The People’s Voice” Award honoree, which recognizes an organization using vision, resources, and commitment to transform lives in the United States and beyond.  Robin Roberts, anchor of Good Morning America, gave a strong introduction to Polaris Project’s work and founding story.   In my acceptance speech, I spoke of the courage of past abolitionists and the progress we’ve made so far in fighting for freedom from slavery in this century.  The award comes with a $50,000 grant from the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation which will support Polaris Project’s operation of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, the country’s 24-hour hotline identifying and serving hundreds of victims of human trafficking every year.

I thank the supporters of Polaris Project who voted to bring the issue of modern-day slavery onto this extraordinary international stage.  Many multiplied their own voices by getting out the vote to friends and colleagues in Serbia, Italy, France, South Korea, China, India, South Africa, and many other neighbors.  You helped to raise awareness among global political figures, executives in private-sector industries, influential journalists, and philanthropists.  Your vote through “The People’s Voice” Award also provided support to a number of survivors of human trafficking that were in the audience that evening, encouraging them to continue using their own voices to give strength to the global fight.  I spoke with one woman trafficked from Mexico to the United States who told me how important community support is to give her the daily motivation to continue speaking out.
The Diane von Furstenberg Awards was part of a three-day “Women in the World Summit” co-hosted by Tina Brown and The Daily Beast, the Diller-von Furstenberg’s Family Foundation, Vital Voices, and the U.N. Foundation to celebrate Women’s History Month.  Webcasts of panels and discussions are available here.

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.

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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 →]