THE POLARIS PROJECT BLOG

Ten years ago I was a senior at Brown University when I learned about human trafficking from a local newspaper article.  A detective described six women who were brought in from Asia, forced into prostitution in a business that was disguised as a massage parlor. One of the women had cigarette burns on her arms.  They weren’t allowed to leave.  It was the first time that I learned that slavery still existed. It did not exist just around the world, but in my own backyard in Providence, Rhode Island. [Read more →]

There are both struggles and rewards that come with working with survivors of human trafficking. One minute you’re leading clients through a group discussion about stress management; the next minute you are celebrating a client’s new job. In this work you experience the unseen hurdles facing survivors of sex and labor trafficking as they struggle to rebuild their lives. You also get the honor of experiencing their victories. This is a glimpse into a day in my life as the Social Work Fellow in the Client Services program. This blog was also posted on MTV’s Act blog as part of their Against Our Will Campaign.

7:30 a.m.
I’m in the van picking up Ama*, a client who has an 8:00 a.m. appointment at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office to take her fingerprints. Today is the last step in the five year process to break free from the diplomat family that brought her from Zimbabwe and forced her into domestic servitude in the U.S.

After dozens of lawyer visits, testimonials, and years of struggle, this is the final step before Ama can get her green card. In other words, it’s the last step before freedom.

Ama climbs into the van. She’s tired. For the past month while looking for work as a nursing assistant, Ama has been working the overnight shift at Walmart.  But Ama is also smiling and chats with me about what she’ll do when she’ll visit her family after more than eight years apart.

10:35 a.m.
The USCIS trip is successful, and we rush back to the Polaris Project client services office in DC where I have Sandra, another client, awaiting me. Sandra and I have been working together for three weeks.

Today is an important session. Sandra recently began working with an attorney to apply for the T-Visa (for trafficking victims); the process requires that Sandra dig into traumatic experiences. For Sandra, this means remembering the rape, abuse, and verbal assaults that she experienced after being trafficked from Mexico and forced to work in a brothel in New York City.

Therapy provides Sandra a critical time to be heard in a safe environment without an agenda. With every moment I am with her, I am reminded what an honor it is to serve as her witness and share these intimate moments.

11:30 a.m.
I escort Sandra out after a powerful session, and immediately spot Celinda in the drop in center. I have been helping Celinda apply for jobs, and she’s come in today to work on her resume and cover letters.

I take a moment to collect myself.  I know that the upcoming time with Celinda could be hard. She’s been looking for a full-time child care job for three months — not much time in the scope of things, but for Celinda it feels like ages. These days, many of us know how hard it is to be unemployed —but Celinda isn’t just responsible for paying her own rent. She also pays schooling costs for dozens of nieces and nephews back in her native Sierra Leone.
For the next couple of hours it is my job to share the fear and frustration that mount in Celinda every day she goes without a paycheck.

1:45 p.m.
Celinda and I apply for four new jobs, and I’m starving and feeling pretty exhausted. I grab a quick bite and check my email. I do some research on food banks, English classes, a GED program, and cooking classes for clients. I make some calls and draft some quick case notes; I’ll have to come back later to complete them.

3:00 p.m.
I’m responsible for our client group session today at 3:30 p.m. I’m going to lead a discussion about healthy coping strategies to reduce stress and sadness; afterwards, we’ll make collages to serve as a reminder. I’m excited about this group because it will allow clients to speak honestly about their feelings. Many of our clients don’t have many outlets, and this safe space can be extremely powerful.

4:40 p.m.
Group was awesome. Despite some language challenges, clients shared strategies like cooking, running, deep breathing and calling friends. I head back to my desk to finish up notes, check emails, and plan my day tomorrow.

5:15 p.m.
As I leave, I take a moment to reflect on everything I got to experience with clients today. I start thinking about all the things left to do, but then I stop myself. It’s important to take time to celebrate the victories.

Do you want to be a Polaris Project fellow? Visit our website to find out more.

*Names and biographical details have been changed to protect Polaris Project client confidentiality. But the scenarios throughout this blog provide an accurate representation of the day-to-day challenges faced by Polaris Project clients and the social work fellows like Ali who support them.

Established through a Senate resolution three years ago, January 11 is dedicated to raising awareness of and opposition to human trafficking.

Raising awareness is a crucial first step, but alone it is not enough. Knowledge without action is information wasted. Outlined below you’ll find a variety of ways that you can immediately engage your friends and family on human trafficking.

•  Pledge to support victims of human trafficking by 1/27/2012 and tell us what you plan to do!

•  Start a photo campaign around your school on Valentine’s Day. Check out the details about how to get started with our “____________ against human trafficking” campaign. We’re accepting photo submissions through February 14. Send them to info@polarisproject.org

•  Fundraise. Host a fundraiser to raise money for Polaris Project to help meet the critical needs of survivors. This works best if done by a group of people or a club. Not able to get a group of people together? No problem! You can start your very own peer-to-peer fundraising campaign today and ask your friends and family members to get involved in the fight against slavery.

• Sign up for the Polaris Project grassroots network. Learn about our work, ways to get involved, and other updates from the anti-trafficking movement.

Special note: Everyone who signs our pledge, submits a photo, or signs up to become a member of our grassroots network from this page, will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a complementary copy of the DVD Not My Life. Five winners will be announced on VDAY, February 14.

January 11, 2012 marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and Polaris Project intends to commemorate this significant day by increasing our ongoing efforts to raise awareness about human trafficking and inspire people to action. However, it is important that our efforts to raise awareness for the issue extend further than just this one day.

We are encouraging all anti-trafficking activists to participate in our month-long “[_________________]” Against Human Trafficking” photo campaign starting on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and ending on Valentine’s Day 2012.  At the end of the campaign we’ll post a follow up photo blog with all of the entries that we receive.

Here are a few easy steps to get you started:

1. Take a picture of yourself (alone, with your pet, with friends, etc.) holding up a sign with “______ Against Human Trafficking.” Be creative!
2. Send your pictures in to info@polarisproject.org by Tuesday, February 14, 2012  and they will be featured on our North Star blog.

In addition to preparing for this photo campaign, be sure to stay tuned to our Twitter and Facebook accounts throughout the day for statistics, tips, and a special giveaway!

To submit a photo, you must be the sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted. Photographers retain the copyright to their photographs. Photographers agree to have their submitted photograph displayed in Polaris Project print and online advertisements, marketing material, and our social network platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress. Photographers also agree to have their work used without any fee or other form of compensation. Submissions will never be sold by Polaris Project.

There is a moment when you realize you have the capacity to make an impact on the world. When a cause, practice or single idea moves you so much that you couldn’t ignore it even if you tried. Some pursue fulfillment through exploration, swiftly moving through places and ideas. Others prefer to dig in and relish a challenge. For Flora Baik the anti-trafficking movement sparked a deep passion for social justice and in celebration of her 21st birthday, instead of asking for shoes or clothes, she collected more than $2,400 for Polaris Project.

Flora was introduced to the anti-trafficking movement through a documentary about the exploitation of men, women and children around the world, called Nefarious. As a volunteer for the International Labour Organization team Towards Elimination of Child Labour program in South Africa, she worked with victims of neglect and abuse. Living with a host family helped her realize that she already had the material possession she needed to survive. Instead, she wanted to liberate and restore the lives of people who had theirs stripped away.

She initiated a fundraising campaign thought the Polaris Project peer-to-peer fundraising webpage and slowly donations began to come in. By November 24, she had 40 donations from family, friends and even people whom she hadn’t spoken to in years. With the money that she raised, Flora’s efforts will be able to provide one week’s worth of food for 48 survivors, that’s more than 1,000 meals!

While all clothing and jewelry will eventually get lost or fall apart, the joy and love that Flora’s fundraiser gave will always be remembered. Here are some simple acts that you can do right now to make a difference in the fight against human trafficking.

1. Start your own peer to peer fundraising campaign
2. Share this blog with 10 of your loved ones
3. Post a link on your Facebook wall
4. Tweet about it on Twitter
5. Make a donation to Polaris Project, even $10 will make a difference in the life of a survivor of human trafficking.

There are many challenges which victims of human trafficking face. Frequently, victims  go unrecognized and the perpetrators of the crimes go unpunished. In a case last March, a pimp was convicted of sex trafficking and sent to prison for 7 years, the “john” or buyer walked away with just 2 misdemeanor charges resulting in probation. Earlier this year we were appalled by the outcome and implored readers to consider: Raping a 16 year-old is a crime. Why don’t we treat it like one?. On December 5, the victim invoked the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and sued Hall of Fame football star Lawrence Taylor for his role in the sex trafficking of a minor.

Under the TVPA, anyone under the age of 18 is not capable of granting consent thus will be seen as a victim of sex trafficking. This is the most publicized civil case of a sex trafficking victim suing the “john” or buyer, representing a crucial shift in perception. Rather than settling for just prosecuting the pimp, Christina Fierro wants retribution from the buyer as well. As Polaris Project’s Executive Director Bradley Myles put it, “men who buy sex from children have this sense they won’t be punished, that they’ll get away from it.” These types of cases, he said, are important because they “are creating a paradigm shift in how we think about children in the sex trade.”

Fierro’s case will send a clear message to solicitors that they will not be able to get away with raping a child without facing the consequences. This sends a clear message to “johns” that they can be prosecuted or even sued. Whether or not Fierro wins, she has laid the groundwork for change. Bringing an end to sex trafficking in the U.S. must start with supporting the victims of human trafficking, holding traffickers accountable, and ending the demand.

When it comes to the issue of human trafficking, there is a tendency to think of victims almost exclusively as women. My time at Polaris Project has made me acutely aware that human trafficking is not only a women’s issue. Victims can be men or women, adults or children, and foreign nationals or U.S. citizens. Men play many roles in human trafficking; as victims, perpetrators, and advocates. If we are to succeed in combating the beliefs and practices that promote human trafficking it is crucial to recognize that these different roles.

While labor trafficking affects men, women, and children, sex trafficking disproportionately (although not exclusively) affects women and young girls, and is inextricably linked to the way society views women. To counter the trafficking of women and girls for commercial sexual exploitation requires a shift in societal norms that psychologically empowers both men and women by redefining gender roles and expectations. Human traffickers typically employ psychological manipulation, either in place of, or in tandem with physical force, preying on human desires for love, safety, and security. This is one of the many reasons that we must no longer tolerate objectification of women or the message that a woman’s worth lies in her body or rests on being loved and accepted by a man.

It is essential that the anti-trafficking movement include both strong women and men.  Men are the primary consumers of commercial sex and generate the demand for sex trafficking. While the media promotes unrealistic images of women, it also exacerbates the issue by promoting a pimp culture that encourages young men to objectify women. Empowering men to avoid these behaviors and encourage “anti-pimp” attitudes among their peers serves to create an environment less hospitable to sex trafficking. Educating men, as well as the population in general, improves the likelihood that victims are recognized and treated with fairness and respect. Additionally, empowering more men as anti-human trafficking advocates will serve to broaden the movement. The anti-human trafficking movement might consider the models of the anti-rape and anti-domestic violence movements which have achieved momentum by publicly engaging male supporters.

We should never forget that human trafficking is a human rights issue that affects both men and women. A gender-sensitive approach to the issue is vital because it recognizes the consequences of our societal norms and expectations and emphasizes the significant contributions that both men and women make to the anti-human trafficking movement.

I am excited to share this major announcement with you. As you can see from the below press release, Google.org is providing a multi-year grant to Polaris Project, International Justice Mission, and Slavery Footprint to implement a unified initiative focused on  eradicating modern-day slavery.

This is a significant endorsement of the impact that all three organizations have achieved in holding traffickers accountable, helping survivors rebuild their lives and increasing public action against trafficking. We know that no single organization can achieve these goals alone. By combining our unique roles and expertise, we are building a powerful force that will mobilize millions of Americans in support of a world where everyone is guaranteed the fundamental human right of freedom.
This three-year initiative aims to achieve the following measurable outcomes:

1. Improve legislation that protects human trafficking victims and holds traffickers accountable;
2. Increase government funding for victims’ services and greater law enforcement capacity to fight human trafficking;
3. Provide simple steps that Americans can take to help eradicate human trafficking, such as calling the national human trafficking hotline at 1-888-373-7888; and
4. Increase demand for “slave-free” products.

Through aggressive, metrics-oriented activities, we will also bring a unique element of analytics and empiricism while tracking these outcomes.

I hope you are as enthusiastic over this announcement as we are.  This new grant will help to amplify and accelerate the impact of our work against modern-day slavery. We are thankful for Google.org’s generous $1.8 million multi-year grant, as well as the ongoing support you have shown to Polaris Project. Together, we are helping to build a nationwide network that is transforming the way communities work to end human trafficking.

If you would like to support Polaris Project’s vision for a world without slavery, please donate at www.polarisproject.org/donate.

Press Release
Google Blog Announcement
CNN
ABC
PR Newswire
NY Times Blog

Recent articles regarding the “Sugar Baby” trend, where debt-burdened young people seek romantic relationships with older individuals for financial compensation, have portrayed these arrangements as a new and modern phenomenon.  These journalists have a point: college students entering into these relationships are a byproduct of the onerous cost of education in 21st Century America.  In a broader sense, however, the Sugar Baby craze is merely the newest installment of an age-old quest to seek salvation from economic deprivation. [Read more →]

As a call specialist on the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) hotline going to work can be exciting yet demanding. Calls continuously come in from around the country with requests for information, referrals, and sometimes from victims currently in crisis. Below is a single hour in the life of a NHTRC Call Specialist.

2:01 p.m. My extension rings and I answer with our standard greeting: “National Human Trafficking Resource Center, how can I help you?” A young voice explains that she is a student, working on a paper about sex trafficking. I direct her to our website and highlight the multiple resources available. [Read more →]