The information in the infographic below is from the University of New England’s Online Social Work program titled “Human Sex Trafficking – An Online Epidemic.” We’ve discussed the internet’s negative impact on human trafficking before, and this graphic does a stellar job of detailing the scale of the impact. “Between 2007 and 2012, online recruitment was the third most popular method
“Between 2007 and 2012, online recruitment was the third most popular method of pimp-led prostitution,” according to theNational Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC). The NHTRC is “a national, toll-free hotline, available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year in more than 200 languages. The NHTRC is operated by Polaris, a non-profit, non-governmental organization working exclusively on the issue of human trafficking.”
Listening to BBC World News today, I was reminded that the battle to end child slavery and child sex slavery still wages. We can turn our heads, if we wish, but it won’t make it go away. Here are some excerpts from the IS pamphlet entitled, “Questions and Answers on Taking Captives and Slaves.” It reads, in part…
“Question: Is it allowed to have intercourse with a female captive immediately after taking possession of her? Answer: If she is a virgin, her master can have intercourse with her immediately after taking possession. But if she is not, you must make sure she is not pregnant.
Question: Is it allowed to have intercourse with a female slave who has not reached puberty? Answer: You may have intercourse with a female slave who hasn’t reached puberty if she is fit for intercourse. However, if she is not fit for intercourse, it is enough to enjoy her without.”
“It is a depraved and depressing document, at odds with mainstream Islam.” If you don’t wish to turn your head, you can watch the reports from women who escaped slavery, forced to endure an unspeakable reality, at the link here:
“People fall into slavery not because they are willing, and not because they’re stupid, it’s because they have been lied to,” Lisa Kristine.
Watch the trailer below.#standwithme will be available to own for $11.99 on April 15th. To celebrate National Freedom Day, the filmmakers are offering the documentary at a reduced price using Vivienne’s “Pay what’s in your heart” model! For one week beginning on February 1st, you may pre-order the film and any amount above $8 will be donated to the organizations helping to free children from slavery.
Today, human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and more than 30 million people live in modern-day slavery. On October 5th, we will unite to give freedom to more than 1,500 women, children, and men in the year to come. Held at the stunning City View at Metreon, Not For Sale’s annual gala will bring together international advocates to celebrate Not For Sale’s work and to empower the global movement to end slavery. The event will include a world-class dining experience, musical entertainment, powerful speeches from modern abolitionists, and personal stories of hope from survivors.Below are some important details:
When: October 5th, 2013
Where: City View at Metreon, 135 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
“From kids to pastors, from social workers to adventure-seekers, people all over the world are figuring out ways to use their unique gifts and connections to help free slaves. The fight against slavery needs your courage, bravery creativity and passion too. When we ALL make a move, change – on a big scale – can take place.” – International Justice Mission
The following message came to me in an email a few days ago. “I am currently working on a film that deals with the little known system of bondage in Ghana, called Trokosi,” Christene Browne wrote to me. “Trokosi is a religious practice whereby young virgin girls are made slaves to shrines for offenses committed by a member of their family. To appease local gods, the girls are bonded to the priest of the shrine for life and become their domestic and sexual servants.”
Christene, via Syncopated Productions, is still seeking funds to finish Sena – A Film About Slavery. The film is based on the stories she was told during visits to Ghana. The film takes its name from the main character, Sena, whose dreams of being a nun are shattered when she is secretly sent off to a shrine to atone for a crime that she did not submit. The film tells the story of how she endures through numerous atrocities and inhumanities.
A short interview. I asked Christene if I could ask her a few questions to learn more about how she came to make the film, and what she hoped it would accomplish.
How did you first become aware of child slavery?
I first became aware of Trokosi practice ( a form of child slavery) back in 2000 while I was visiting Ghana for the first time. There was a news report about the practice on a local TV station one night.
What surprised you most about your experience with child slavery?
What surprised me most about the practice was that it could still exist in the present day even in the face of some serious opposition/ legislation (It existed for centuries but had been criminalized in 1998.) The fact that the practice was/is sanctioned by many of the traditional religious practitioners was also very surprising. According to them the young girls were/are being sent to the shrines for educational purposes.
How did you first come into contact with a former Trokosi?
After my first trip to Ghana – I returned home and applied for some research funding with CIDA ( Canadian International Development Agency). Before returning to Ghana I contacted a number of organizations and individuals who were doing work with the Trokosi. ( I had friend in Ghana helping) My main contact was a man by the name of Elvis Adikah – who was in the midst of doing research on the practise. He was the one who put me in direct direct contact with former Trokosi – he also acted as my interpreter.
We travelled for about five weeks in the Volta region of Ghana to remote hard to reach villages- meeting young and older former Trokosi – and collecting testimonies. During this trip I was also able to visit some active shrines, meet with some of the priests of the shrines, some government officials, a number of NGO groups and some leaders in the African traditional religion movement. In one of the active shrines, I met an older woman whose job was to oversee the Trokosi – she had been in the shrine for over 60 years. (She is featured in the research interview clip below)
My meetings with the former Trokosi took place in their homes and at so called rehabilitation centers. The majority of the younger former Trokosi were at these rehabilitation centers where they were learning skills, like sewing, to help them better reintegrate into society.
There is a great stigma associated with former Trokosi – many people believe that they bring misfortunes – so reintegration is very difficult.
Why did you decide to make your film?
Ever since I had the opportunity to meet and interview a number of former Trokosi , I felt compelled to tell their story. The stories that I heard were devastating and touched me greatly.
What do you hope people will do as a result of watching the film?
I hope the film will spark a new debate about the practice and bring the silent suffering of the Trokosi to the forefront. Giving a voice to the voiceless is something that I have done in many of my past projects. Ultimately I hope to inspire people to take decisive actions towards stopping this archaic system of bondage.
If you’ve read this far, I hope that you will help me in spreading the word about Christene’s film, Sena – A Story Of Slavery, or prehaps, even contributing to the completion of the film.
News of the alleged rape of a 16-year old Steubenville, Ohio girl by two 16-year old Steubenville High School football players is disturbing on many levels. Perhaps most disturbing is the solid evidence of the criminal behavior’s acceptance coming forth via postings on social media.
“She is so raped right now,” was the callous comment on videos posted to YouTube the night of the event. Those videos have since been removed, but the simple fact that they were ever posted should be a signal that something is terribly wrong with the collective consciousness of our youth. The 12 minute video that has surfaced is horrific in how it makes light of the rape and talks about the girl as if she were dead.
There are so many factors that play a role in this kind of behavior. Certainly, even kids with a decent moral compass can be pressured into going along with the crowd in a situation like this, even more so if they are under the influence of alcohol. And I would argue that the barrage of pornographic material that rains down on our youth via theInternet contributes to the objectification of women, especially teens.
As a parent, this case is a wake up call. It exposes the tremendous power of the Internet to influence behavior, and to chronicle behavior. I would love to assume my boys would take a stand in a situation like this. I would love to assume that they would speak out and and step up to defend the defenseless girl, but I refuse to make that assumption. A passive, “not my kid” approach to confronting this problem is not an option for me.
I’ve been blocking access to porn sites from our home wireless network for a long time. And while I realize this is a bandaid on an open wound, it’s my way of making sure I’m not passively encouraging looking at women as sex objects. Now it’s time to sit down with my boys and make sure they understand that it is not just the rape that is reprehensible, but this kind of supportive behavior as well.
A culture that encourages and supports the objectification of young women should not be surprised that it is also a culture that can allow child sexual slavery to exist, as it does today.
Lisa Kristine is a humanitarian photographer who specializes in images of remote indigenous peoples. “Kristine has collaborated with international humanitarian organizations and is often asked to present her work to inspire discussions on human rights and social change.”
She is a storyteller. This is her story from her TEDxMaui 2012 presentation designed to shed light on the world of modern day slavery. “It’s all around us,” she says. “We just don’t see it.” Her photos and story will help you see it better.
“The film opened my eyes to the scope and scorching pain of the human trafficking problem. While it is difficult to watch—you should see it. The best weapon against this blight is awareness.” — David Jacobson, Ambassador of the United States of America
“The portraits of the women featured in the film are powerful and heart-rending… Suitable for some mature high school classes and for college courses in cultural anthropology, anthropology of women/gender, anthropology of globalization/neoliberalism, and Eastern European studies, as well as general audiences.” – David Eller, Anthropology Review Database
