When I moved to the U.S. from South Africa as a child, I experienced first hand the misconceptions that many people have about the continent of Africa. This and other experiences have made me acutely aware of how Africans (and people of other regions of the world) are portrayed to the American consumer audience. Even beyond the critiques of neocolonialism I find it extremely important that we consistently examine how we (the socially minded non-profits, organizations and businesses) portray the people we work along side and for in other countries, particularly in our fundraising efforts.

I am very excited about a the following project by Discover The Journey called ‘i am child’. The way they have chosen to frame the harsh and often brutal reality facing millions of children puts a face to this realities and then placing the story is a broader one- ours – without removing dignity from either group. I hope you find it as refreshing as I did.

i am child from Discover The Journey on Vimeo.

Their stories look like our stories. If they carry weapons, we wound each other with weapons of words. If they lack the basics to survive, we lack compassion.

If they are in physical danger, we are in danger of losing ourselves. If they fear death, we are afraid of costly love. If they hunger for food, we crave for what never satisfies.

When we begin to listen to their voices, we can relate. When we can relate, we can react. Learn more about yourself by learning more about them.

Let the “i” and “them” become “us” and “our”. Journey with us. Discover the greatest global crisis the world has yet to see.

Then join DTJ’s give7 to help tell their stories.

Learn more about yourself by viewing more about them. View the entire i am child webpage: discoverthejourney.org/iamchild

2010 Human Traffic English Public Service Announcement from STOP Human Trafficking on Vimeo.

People are mainly trafficked and enslaved as sex workers but also as forced laborers, child brides and as soldiers. This is fact.

Of the 600-800’000 people smuggled over international borders annually, 75% are used for sex trafficking. So we here at ‘STOP’ thought, wow Nelly, not while we’re alive!

Being trafficked to work in the sex industry is a catch 22 situation. Here is one of the many scenarios;

You are poor and uneducated.

The only commodity your family has left to sell for food is…you.

You are enslaved and forced to work as a prostitute, but it is better than dying of hunger. Besides, they’ll probably kill me if I try escape.You can’t cope with being a prostitute, but luckily there are ample substances available to help you handle the barrage of customers you are forced to sleep with everyday.

You start using the little money you receive to support your ever increasing drug habit.You want out… but now you have no money… you already spent it on drugs. So you keep working to make MORE money.

In other words, finding yourself between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Check Out The STOP Trafficking Site, View the Videos & Share with Others: http://www.2010humantraffic.org/

We’re Launching A Campaign!

You cannot escape the soccer mania in South Africa- there are posters and advertisements everywhere you turn.  Although there is widespread excitement, many South Africans are dreading the implications of hundreds of thousands of visitors – from traffic to inflated prices.

There will no doubt be inconveniences and opportunities made available through the World Cup, but not everyone will be benefiting.  One of the dark sides to any international events is the growth of black market activity- from drug trade to human trafficking.  In the case of South Africa, there have already been reports of increased trafficking internally, to supply new brothels that will be used by soccer fans visiting for the World Cup.  As traffickers increases their operations in the region, effective and sweeping child-safety initiatives are needed. (Learn more about trafficking in South Africa here).

My grandmother, a social worker by training, has lived and worked in South Africa for over 80 years.  She has consistently been involved with young people and is also an extreme pragmatist.  When the government of South Africa announced they were going to extend the school holiday over the time of the World Cup – she decided something had to be done about childcare (and apparently we needed to get everyone in the entire country involved in the effort).  So my grandmother and I have launched a new campaign:   OurChildren2010 Campaign.

What’s It All About?

During the 2010 World Cup South Africa will be filled with visitors, most of them well intentioned sports fans. Some, however, will not be so well meaning. From 11 June to 11 July millions of children will be left at home without childcare.

Since the government extended the holiday break, children will be out of school for an entire month.  For families that cannot afford the cost of childcare, the only option will be to leave their children unattended at home, or with a watchful neighbor.  We are calling on every community to open their doors to children during this time, in order to ensure that the kids don’t fall prey to those who may want to manipulate or take advantage of them.

A Call To Action

Learn More & Help Us Spread The Word!

Learn about counter-trafficking efforts in South Africa, and  download educational and other training material from these organizations.

• ANEX CDW - Against Child Abuse
• TUG: The Ultimate Goal
• IOM South Africa
• Red Light Campaign 2010
• Justice Acts

You can watch the campaign videos on  YouTube, become a fan on Facebook and learn more at www.ourchildren2010.com

NEW: OurChildren2010 is now partnering with Vine Associates so that you can make a tax deductible donation to the campaign to help us get the word out! Learn More Here.

I have walked through the ring-purchasing process with several friends and know that there are many factors to consider.  Proposals are fundamentally about communicating your love to another person, so I always vote for doing something that is both you and reflects that you “get” your partner.  For many of my friends who work on human rights issues and are aware of the atrocities associated with the mining of diamonds and other precious metals, wearing a traditional diamond ring isn’t an option.

I have heard of people opting-out of all mined materials and carving their ring out of wood, one friends gave his now wife an engagement watch, and many people use jewelry that is in the family.  However, if family jewelry isn’t an option, and you think that wood might rot before your love does, then choosing a metal-based ring may be the way to go.

Below is an article written by DC-based Amanda Kloer of Change.org, which lists many of the sources that I have previously recommended to friends.  The list that Amanda provides isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start.  Hopefully you will find it helpful.

Where to Find Fair Trade Jewelry for Valentines Day

by Amanda Kloer Published February 12, 2010 @ 07:00AM PT – Change.org

If you’ve been watching any television the past couple weeks, then you’ve seen a major advertising boom by the jewelry industry pushing gold and diamond necklaces, earrings, and rings for Valentines Day. Aside from Christmas, V-Day (or National Solitary Awareness Day, as some call it) is one of the biggest holidays of the year for jewelry sales.

However, much of that jewelry is made from “dirty gold” and “blood diamonds” — terms used to describe gold and diamonds mined by children, exploited workers, and tied to violence and conflicts. But the good news is, there are a number of great places to buy Fair Trade gold and diamond jewelry without sacrificing quality. Here are some of my favorite Fair Trade and ethical jewelry resources:

Arctic Sparkle: They have a selection of fair trade and eco gold jewelry. The company is based in Minnesota and mines diamonds in Canada.

Artisan Wedding Rings: Offers primarily wedding and engagement rings, including gems and gold from small scale and family-owned mining operations in Africa. All precious metals are 100% recycled.

Brilliant Earth: Their diamonds come from Canada, where labor regulations are more worker-friendly than many parts of Africa, and where the diamond industry doesn’t fuel slavery or war. They also feature recycled gold in some of their products.

Pristine Planet: While they focus more on the sustainability and environmental impact of products, they do have a good selection of ethically-sourced diamonds and gold.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started, but the Internet is full of places to buy more ethical jewelry. And if you’re shopping at a jewelry store near you, ask lots of questions about where the diamonds, gold, and gems came from, and try and find a jeweler who offers some sort of guarantee that no slaves were used in the production of that piece.

As with all places you shop, I strongly encourage you to do your own research on these vendors and choose those which most closely reflect your values. If you’re looking for more information about blood diamonds, dirty gold, and where to find more ethical jewelry, here’s a How-to-Purchase-Ethical-Jewelry-Now on the subject.

Confused? Here is a post on TheKnot.com on some things to keep in mind when buying conflict free diamonds.  There many resources online to guide you through this process, so ask around! If you have come across other good resources, let me know and I will add them to this list.

The more customers demand slave-free and ethical products, the faster the industry will change.

Thus, Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) affirms, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights… [and] endowed with reason and conscience.” And Article 18 specifies that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice worship and observance.” Other international treaties not only echo the same principles, but lend them the force of law.

Who Works on Religious Freedom Issues?

The Becket Fund advocates for religious freedom internationally in accordance with these principles.  Areas of special concern include laws prohibiting religious apparel and other forms of peaceful religious expression; laws that prohibit proselytizing or religious conversion; the persecution of “unregistered” religious groups; and the seizure or destruction of houses of worship.

1.    All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
2.    Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
3.    Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
4.    No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
5.    No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
6.    Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
7.    All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
8.    Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
9.    No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
10.    Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
11.    Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
12.    No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
13.    No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
14.    1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state 2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including their own, and to return to their country.
15.    1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. 2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.1. Everyone has the right to a nationality. 2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
16.    1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. 2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. 3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
17.    1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. 2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
18.    Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
19.    Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
20.    1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. 2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
21.    1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. 2. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in their country. 3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
22.    Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
23.    1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. 2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. 3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. 4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
24.    Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
25.    1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. 2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
26.    1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. 2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. 3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
27.    1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. 2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
28.    Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
29.    1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. 2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. 3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
30.    Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

Watch the Trailer.

Making a film is one thing.  Changing lives is another.

The Film

CALL+RESPONSE is a first of its kind feature documentary film that reveals the world’s 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. CALL+RESPONSE goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2007, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.

Luminaries on the issue such as Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Nicholas Kristof, and many other prominent political and cultural figures offer first hand account of this 21st century trade. Performances from Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists including Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Imogen Heap, Talib Kweli, Five For Fighting, Switchfoot, members of Nickel Creek and Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, Rocco Deluca move this chilling information into inspiration for stopping it.

Music is part of the movement against human slavery. Dr. Cornel West connects the music of the American slave fields to the popular music we listen to today, and offers this connection as a rallying cry for the modern abolitionist movement currently brewing.

The New Model

There is a sea of change happening in human rights activism. The world’s issues cannot be solved alone by governments and non-profits, but require community-based participation. As a feature film, CALL+RESPONSE has the unique position of being not only a ground-breaking genre-bending film, but due to the fact that this project was funded completely through donations, it operates as a powerful movement with 100% of profits going to fund global field projects on the front lines of this issue.

CALL+RESPONSE is creating interactive field projects for each aspect of human slavery: sex slavery, labor slavery, child soldiers and child slavery. All profits from the use of the film, dvd, soundtrack, itunes downloads will be directed, by the viewers, to these projects with clear start and finish points (ie a landrover for a child soldier rehab camp, sewing machines for a after-care training facility). Our goal is to fund and celebrate completed projects together in community. We are closing the loop by allowing viewers to become participants in the solution.

Human trafficking is not something that is going to disappear quickly.  As the third largest blackmarket industry (after weapons and narcotics), the lucrative nature of human trafficking makes it difficult to stop.  Those benefiting from the trade make enormous sums of money, run multi-national cartels and ellude law enforcement who are ill equiped and under funded.

One of the industries that is closely tired to human slavery is the manufacturing industry, particularly the production of clothing.  Check out Chain Store Reation to see what stores have responded to inquries into the labor practices, and send an e-mail to the CEO yourself.

Why the name Call+Response?

If you look back throughout history- call and response is key to the basics of music.  A drum was used to call out a warning and solicit a response.  When the first slaves were brought from Africa to United States, they used call and response in the field to echo their sorrows and to communicate with one another.  As music developed in the United States blues and jazz were a medium to express the sorrows of oppression and the realities of life and ultimately the voice of rock and roll was born from this linage.

The films producer, Justin, and I had many conversations about how to make the film a platform for people to use their own skills to tackle human trafficking. We both believe that people are tired of being spoon-fed information and told that all they can do is sign a petition (although signing those petitions does help- I know from working in a Congressional office).  People want to do something.

This site allows people to think of cool idea, and submit them to the forum.

Read through peoples ideas.

Think of your own.

Share information with others.

The Definition:

(From CAST) According to the United Nations, human trafficking is the process by which a person is recruited to be controlled and held captive for the purpose of exploitation.

Traffickers threaten to or use force, coercion, abduction, fraud, or deception to bring their victims under their control, in addition to abusing their power or the vulnerable social or economic status of their victims.  The resulting exploitation is essentially a modern-day form of slavery as human trafficking victims are subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor. This labor usually consists of making clothing, growing food for export, assembling toys for children, cleaning homes and providing childcare to the family of their slaveholders.  Women and girls are also forced or tricked into prostitution.

Many people ask why more victims don’t attempt to escape if they are being held against their will.  Imagine a victim’s situation – their oppressor has threatened to come after them or their family if they attempted to escape.  Victims are told that they will be deported or put in jail if they leave because their oppressor has stolen their documents.  Deportation for a victim means retribution by the trafficker, as most traffickers have a web of conspirators in the victims’ home country willing and able to get even. Many victims fear retribution through black magic, physical and sexual abuse, among many other threats and promises made by their captors.

If a victim does successfully escape and stay in the United States, their limited language skills, unfamiliarity with the area, and poor physical and mental health due to their enslavement, can leave them helpless on the streets – vulnerable to falling prey to their traffickers once again.  With no money, no documents to prove their citizenship, and limited skills, they are unable to earn a living and get themselves out of their situation.   A victim’s situation seems hopeless – until they find out that there are organizations like CAST that were created to help them escape this downward spiral of despair.

Free The Slaves is a wonderful and powerful group fighting modern day slavery. Check out their sight for updated information and informational materials.
Free The Slaves

The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, CAST, is an organization working in Los Angeles to combat slavery. This group, which I had the privilege of working with provides legal assistance, shelter, rehab and skills training for victims of trafficking. Please visit their site to learn more about their work.

CAST

June 24, 2005

Ms Fay Johnson

Los Angeles, California
90024-2796

Dear Ms. Johnson:

Thank you for contacting me about the need to combat
human trafficking. As a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I strongly share your concern and appreciated hearing from you.

According to the 2004 State Department Report on
Trafficking in Persons, 600,000 to 800,000 men, women and
children are trafficked across international borders each year, but some estimates are much higher. Millions more are trafficked within their home countries. While many victims are kidnapped to perform slave labor or as child soldiers, the U.S. Government
estimates that up to three-quarters of all victims are trafficked for sexual exploitation.

I strongly agree that the United States must continue to take a lead role in combating trafficking by pressuring countries with weak laws and inadequate enforcement and by fighting for strong United Nations action on this issue. I am pleased that on March 11, 2005, the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women adopted a U.S. resolution calling for aggressive and comprehensive international measures to fight trafficking. As you may know, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 972, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which would authorize increased funding and strengthen anti-trafficking programs in the United States and abroad. You can count on me to continue working for its passage and enactment.

To learn more or sign up for e-mail updates about my work in Congress, please visit my web site (See Below)

Thank you again for contacting me and please be in touch on all matters of concern.

With kind regards, I am

Sincerely,

Henry A. Waxman

Member of Congress.

Representative Waxman
Democratic Party