The Locust Effect: Why The End Of Poverty Requires The End Of Violence

In the following quote Gary Haugen sums up the title and the premise of his new book The Locust Effect. “Without the world noticing, the locusts of common, criminal violence are right now ravaging the lives and dreams of billions of our poorest neighbors.” It is rare, that a statement like this, one so enormous, so far reaching in its implications, so shocking in its claim can also be undeniably true. As with the holocaust or the purgings of Stalin or Mao's "great leap forward" that saw 45 million killed in 4 years, all humanity wonders aloud how this could be happening under our noses, "without the world noticing". They ask where the good people are? The collective ego assumes we have evolved past this sort of mass evil. Mr. Haugen goes on to indict us all.

“One would hope that if the world woke up to such a reality, it would swiftly acknowledge and respond to the disaster—but tragically, the world has neither woken up to the reality nor responded in a way that offers meaningful hope for the poor. It has mostly said and done nothing. And as we shall see, the failure to respond to such a basic need—to prioritize criminal justice systems that can protect poor people from common violence—has had a devastating impact on two great struggles that made heroic progress in the last century but have stalled out for the poorest in the twenty-first century: namely, the struggle to end severe poverty and the fight to secure the most basic human rights.”

Here are just a few statistics from The Locust Effect that we at COH found excruciating.

-29.8 million men, women and children enslaved today

-70% of women in Peru have been the victims of rape or attempted rape.

-95% of women and girls who have reported sexual violence are still waiting for justice. Average wait time 6 years for those that finally get justice. Most do not.

-Only 5 perpetrators of forced labor in India have been arrested in the last 15 years. There are upwards of 10 million enslaved in India in forced labor.

-Worldwide there are nearly 2 million children in the sex trade.

-Every year 5 million people are the victims of forced eviction. 

-In the developing world school is the most prevalent place for sexual violence. This means more girls denied education when parents keep them home to keep them safe. And of course many girls dropping out of school traumatized by the sexual violence.

-And finally, the statistic that brings this all together in staggering, mind-bending soul-crushing fashion, 4 billion of the world's poorest people are estimated to live outside of the protection of the law.

In the absence of enforced law the strong take from the weak whenever they desire. Land, sex, physical labor; all the poor have, coerced or stolen or worse from them all across the developing world. The problem is deeply complex, rooted in and mired by years of bad governance and inattention by the world community. And though it speaks to the wickedness men are capable of it also reveals how this same wickedness can be kept in relative check where there is rule of law. Please read this book. It will change how you understand poverty, how you view the world. 

Human Trafficking In The News 12-09-2012

Stories of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, modern slavery and human rights abuse in the news. Click the bold titles for a link to the complete story. And as always thank you for caring about justice, for being a voice for the voiceless, for not ignoring the great evils of our day and doing something about it. Thank you!

My current home state of Mississippi received an embarrassing and unacceptable "D" in their efforts (or apparently lack there of) in combatting human trafficking. 17 other states failed. See how your state did below. A special thanks to Shared Hope International for their tireless efforts to call the US to accountability bout this crime of crimes.

Shared Hope International has released their 2012 State by State report card grading each state on their commitment and accomplishments in fighting human trafficking within their borders. Follow the link and click on your state to see the grade they received.

Music and entertainment icon MTV is training young people in Southeast Asia to use social media to raise awareness about human trafficking.  It is part of a global campaign to end the practice and event organizers and participants say social media amplifies the message. 

Actress Mira Sorvino (below) on Thursday called upon a crowd of 200 state legislators to take the lead in battling human trafficking, telling them they were on the front lines of the fight against “modern-day slavery” and repeatedly singling out Wyoming as the only state in the country that has failed to tackle the issue.

Friday President Obama signed Senator John Cornyn's Child Protection Act of 2012 into law. The aim is to take a more aggressive stance against sexual exploitation and human trafficking. In a press release from the attorney general's office, Senator Cornyn is quoted as saying, "We need to provide law enforcement with every tool they need to crack down on the most vile criminals ... And protect the innocent young people who fall victim to these heinous crimes."

President Obama today signing into law the Child Protection Act of 2012 (H.R. 6063), a bipartisan, bicameral bill authored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) to better protect children from sexual predators. Chairman Smith, along with other supporters of the bill, joined the President at a signing ceremony at the White House.

From the Washington Times: some visible signs that may be used to help identify victims of human trafficking and questions that law enforcement, medical personnel, school and shelter personnel, and even the general public can use to help to identify victims of human trafficking.  Recognizing that someone has been trafficked can be the first step in saving their life.

And finally, last but not least, a great way for you to turn your passion for justice into the reality of freedom this Holiday Season!!

International Justice Mission's 2012 Gift catalog. For just a few dollars you can help give a child or a whole family the gift of freedom. Please let your generosity match the horror that you feel that these evils can even exist in today's society. Thank you!

Farther East Of Eden: An Interview With Amy Collins Of Red Window Project.

Every year, upwards of a half a million girls and women are sold or coerced into the sex trade. Their lives are destroyed, their souls crushed, and their hope for a future buried forever. But there are organizations like International Justice Mission who rescue these girls, others like My Refuge House that restore them, and then there are others still who give them back their lives. Red Window Project is one such organization in Cebu, Philippines that exists to facilitate economic, social and spiritual reconciliation for victims of sexual exploitation. Amy Collins of Red Window was kind enough to share their vision, her wisdom and her amazing photographs in a interview with COH.

How did Red Window Project get its name?

The name Red Window is a reference to the story of Rahab, who was described as a harlot in the Bible. Joshua sent out two spies to investigate the military strength of Jericho. The spies stayed with Rahab and she hid them when the soldiers came looking for them. After escaping, the spies promised to spare Rahab and her family if she would mark her house by hanging a red cord out the window. Some have claimed that the origin of the red cord is also the origin of the red light district. This red cord in the window symbolizes hope; hope that justice would prevail and someone would come back to save Rahab.

In essence, what does Red Window do?

We provide career and personal development training to victims of vulnerability, and more specifically to those who have backgrounds of sexual exploitation and trafficking. RWP works with local aftercare homes, vocational training facilities, churches, counseling services, the business community, the social welfare department and other organizations to coordinate holistic services that are capable of reconciling each trafficking survivor with God, the economy and her social environment.

Once a student has sufficiently recovered psychologically and physically from theabuse, what then?

They are given the opportunity to participate in a “soft skills” development course called the Job Readiness Training Program to prepare them for the workplace. Red Window is also committed to the spiritual reconciliation of each student under its care. Internally, we work through spiritual formation classes to help students take their first steps on a spiritual journey.

RWP has also created the ALIVE Scholarship Program, which is designed to provide opportunities for the under-resourced to finish their education and/or vocational training. We have found that many Red Window students exhibit the potential to break the cycle of poverty that puts them at risk of further exploitation, but almost none of them can afford to do it on their own.

There are several stories on Red Window’s website of girls who have been restored through your organization. Is there one story that really touched you personally?

They have all touched me personally, but I think that Kara’s story is one that has significance in my life. Mainly it is a story of success on the part of International Justice Mission (IJM) who rescued her before she ever had to be exploited. She never had to be broken of her innocence. At the same time, we recognize how easily that happens to those who are in a vulnerable position. And the remarkable thing about Kara is that she is following her dream of becoming a social worker so that she can help more people in vulnerable positions like hers.

Why Cebu?

Initially the Gates Foundation helped IJM establish a pilot project in Cebu to see if IJM could reduce the victimization of children in sex slavery by objectively measurable amounts. And indeed, according to IJM, outside auditors found a “70% reduction from the initial survey of the victimization of children in the commercial sex trade”. Not only has the impact of this project been ground breaking, but it has given IJM-Cebu a great network of aftercare support within the community. However, there was still a need to help clients reintegrate and become economically self-sufficient. IJM developed the initial research, the soft skills curriculum and piloted the Job Readiness Training program under what was called the Economic Self-Sufficiency and Reintegration program. After one year, the program was outsourced to an independent third-party NGO, called Red Window Project. The meticulous research that went into establishing this program was successful, and we know that the success of the IJM office in Cebu played a large part.

IJM’s work in Cebu has been nothing short of phenomenal. Is there a sense that the tide is turning there, or is evil pushing back harder now?

There is definitely a sense that the tide is turning in Cebu. IJM has spurred a remarkable effort to strengthen community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems. It is not just a matter of seeing a perpetrator get sent to jail, but I think enough perpetrators in Cebu are being punished that “would-be” perpetrators are beginning to fear the consequences of the law. This fear creates a safer environment for those vulnerable to trafficking.

Your organization calls itself “Christ-centered”. That phrase has become a catch-all for NGO’s pandering to Churches and people of Christian faith and has certainly been abused. What distinguishes RWP, spiritually and financially?

At Red Window, we see some pretty tough situations. We see individuals who have experienced some very hard things and we see people who have lost hope. But time and time again, we have seen people change in ways that we don’t understand. We have seen resources come in at the last minute. We have seen growth in people’s lives that we never thought was possible. And we realize that we are not in control of these things. Red Window is a Christ-centered organization because we believe that God is leading us.

In the daily work, we see God moving in the lives of individuals. We see Christ in the lives of our staff and what they have given up to be here working for us. We also find encouragement in sharing a spiritual life with our colleagues and our students. Red Window Project provides a unique outlet for people motivated by their faith to confront injustice and we believe that we are lucky enough to be apart of it.

One of our values is integrity. We commit to being financially responsible with the money we are given, by using it only for the purpose in which it was raised in accordance with our mission. We also commit to balance quality and integrity by providing the highest industry standard for our students while committing to keep our administrative and fund-raising costs as low as possible.

For the reconciliation process to succeed, just how important is it for victims of sexual tyranny to have their spirit healed?

We believe that the only way for a person to be truly healed from this kind of abuse is through holistic reconciliation, which includes the spirit. Coming from the Christian worldview, it is of utmost importance. Our spirits are our primary identities. Without understanding who they are created to be, and who their creator is, they will still be wandering and broken. That same wounding will carry over into other relationships, not only with employers and teachers, but family, friends, and neighbors. We believe that to gain the whole world, but to lose touch with our spirits amounts to basically nothing.

What is the difference between the work RWP does and a group like My Refuge House?

We focus on different aspects of the healing process. MRH is there to provide the initial psychological rehabilitation to survivors of sex trafficking when they are rescued. We come in to the picture when they have already completed a significant part of the healing process. We take referrals from partners like MRH when they see that a girl is ready to reintegrate back home or independently in the community. By the time a trafficking survivor enters our Job Readiness Training program, it is imperative that she is making steps to overcome her trauma and pain so she can focus on her long-term goals and vision for her life.

What do you feel are the driving forces behind the sex trade in Cebu? What are the statistics for the number of women and children trapped in forced prostitution? What percent of these are Filipino natives? What other countries are these girls normally trafficked from?

It is estimated that between 300,000 and 400,000 Filipino women and 60,000 to 100,000 Filipino children are trafficking annually both domestically and internationally (US Department of State Human Rights Report 2006). Filipino women and girls are trafficked worldwide, but there are also a large number that are trafficked domestically between the islands. The beautiful scenery, tropical weather and extreme poverty make the Philippines an ideal location for sex tourists. There is not a high percentage of girls trafficked into Cebu from other countries, but girls are frequently trafficked from the Philippines to neighboring countries like Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand.

What are the youngest victims that RWP serves?

We do not serve anyone under the age of 17 because the legal age of employment is 18, but most of Red Window students were trafficked at a younger age.

How did you come to the abolition/ human rights movement?

It has been my life mission to see lives wake up and discover their true potential. My varied international experiences finally came full circle when I came to the Philippines. What initially intrigued me in Nepal five years ago was witnessing the work of a small aftercare home treating victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking that had been rescued by a team from International Justice Mission. The stories that walked those halls soon became my reality and represented everything that I wanted to fight against. This experience initially sparked my desire to get involved in social justice work.

I worked for several different non-profits in Uganda, Cambodia, and New York City until I finally realized that getting a degree in social work was what I needed in order to successfully pursue my passion. I spent two years researching human trafficking and developing protocol for a non-profit that served international victims of trafficking in New York City as I earned my masters in social work from Columbia University. Only 2 weeks after graduation, I set off for Cebu, Philippines to work for IJM on the economic self-sufficiency program for victims of trafficking. It was there where I was able to witness the resiliency of women who were rescued and see how the holistic services brought new life back to those that had once lost hope. I now believe that hope is real and is something worth fighting for.

How is it that so many Christians seem to disconnect their faith with the Christian responsibility for the poor and the exploited?

I think it is hard for Christians to reconcile their faith when they live in a world driven by materialism and greed and surrounded by suffering and poverty. The black and white idea of faith and Christianity that some people grow up with doesn’t always fit the circumstances and stories that you hear in the field. International organizations may be doing phenomenal work but do not share the same spiritual motivation or Biblical responsibility. And at the same time, you see churches that are completely detached and uninformed of social justice issues happening in their communities and worldwide. It is almost as if they are working against each other. In the words of Nicholas Kristof, “Religious people and secular people alike do fantastic work on humanitarian issues — but they often don’t work together because of mutual suspicions. If we could bridge this “God gulf,” we would make far more progress on the world’s ills.”

But when you strive to do justice work without Christ at the center and passionately pursue something with what you think is all your heart, you realize that it doesn’t work. It’s imperative that they are connected. However, I think some Christians can also get confused in thinking that the only way to help people is by evangelizing or proselytizing to them. I believe that our first witness of Christ is through the initial actions we take on behalf of others, which allow us to demonstrate God’s heart for justice. This action is a message that goes farther than words. It has the ability to align mutual interest and common good without scaring someone off with Christian rhetoric.

RWP’s site mentions the organization’s desire to implement similar services around the world. What other countries are candidates for a RWP office?

We aim to reduce re-trafficking in many areas around the world. We hope to open offices specifically where there is a need to reintegrate and help victims of human trafficking become economically self-sufficient. This fall we are going to be conducting a feasibility study in Manila to determine whether or not we will open an office there. Our desire is to build offices where there is a specific need to reintegrate victims of sexual exploitation. In line with Red Window’s mission, it will be more effective to open new offices in places that have already made significant effort to rehabilitate victims of trafficking so that we can fill in the missing piece.

For the activist that wants to get involved in an NGO like RWP, what is the best avenue for them to take?

It is important to educate yourself about the issue of human trafficking. There are a number of different organizations and advocacy groups raising awareness about this issue all over the globe. Some of those organizations that are based in the US are: CAST , Polaris Project and Free the Slaves.

Another way to get involved is more direct. Trafficking is everywhere. Americans often think of it as something that only happens in places far away from the “land of the free,” but as a country and a planet we are facing modern day slavery on an unprecedented scale. That is why it is our job to mobilize and empower social service organizations, community members and survivors to fight against trafficking.

I believe that we all have gifts and talents that can be used to better humanity. If you have a background in law you can dedicate your time to advocating for the oppressed, editing and lobbying for changes in policy, counseling former victims in a similar culture to your own, creating sustainable jobs or social enterprises, offering life skills training and/or educating the public about the issue; there is a role for everyone.

A good portion of my job as a Westerner in a developing country is to equip local staff with the skills and support they need to do their job well. This means training the national staff and providing resources that are not readily available in the developing world. It is our job to empower the local staff and eventually work our way out of a job.

What about someone who wants to work with RWP?

There are opportunities to volunteer your time as an intern or fellow with Red Window. For more details and qualifications regarding those positions, you can click here.

Tell us a little about you. Favorite books? Movies?

East of Eden. No book will ever come as close to the love I have for that book.

But other good books are: Half the Sky, Compassion: A Reflection of the Christian Life, The Great Divorce, and The Little Prince.

How do you narrow movies down? Some of my favorites are: A Beautiful Mind, Rain Man, anything by Christopher Guest, Shawshank Redemption, The Life of David Gale, and American History X.

Favorite quote?

“Our purpose is to bring heaven to earth in every detail of our lives, macro and micro. It is imperative to have the peace that passes understanding at the center of yourself, but do not be at peace with the world because the world is not a happy place for most people living in it. The world is more malleable than you think and we can wrestle it from fools.” - Bono (above)

Anything you want add?

We are thankful to all of the people who support the work of Red Window Project. We know that we cannot do it without all of you, so never underestimate the power of your voice and the importance of your influence.

And if you have any other questions about getting involved, please do not hesitate to email me at: acollins@redwindow.org

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We'll leave with a Steinbeck quote from East Of Eden, "[that]the human soul is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and..." with organizations like Red Window Project's help, "...never destroyed." Please support the work RWP does, you can donate here to their ALIVE Scholarship Program which is exclusively for RW students who graduate from the Job Readiness Training program and exhibit interest in a vocational training or educational program necessary for them to reach their goals, but cannot afford the costs associated with them.

And as always, from all of us at COH, thank you for being a voice for the voiceless.

Rescued. Twice!

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the newest video from International Justice Mission called Ray Of Hope. This 12 minute documentary shares the story of Suhana who was trafficked and rescued TWICE by IJM colleagues in India. She bravely told her story so others could be rescued too.

The War On Women: Gender Based Violence And Human Trafficking

A young woman fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Soldiers and militias have been waging a war of rape and destruction against women since the 1990s. Millions have been killed. In Rwanda, up to half a million women were raped during the 1994 genocide.

According to the U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report: 2007, 80% of transnational trafficking victims are women and girls. This means generations of women systematically eradicated from society through enslavement in the sex industry. Their bodies abused into oblivion, their souls cremated in the fires of lust and greed. Girls as young as seven brutally raped in a sex industry that views females as a commodity with the very youngest girls demanding a premium for their virginity.

(Above) Sreypov Chan, at 7 the Cambodian girl was sold into slavery by her mother and raped as many as 20 times a day. The building behind her where she was enslaved. Read her incredible story here.

Worldwide, one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, had her genitalia mutilated or been abused in some way, most often by someone she knows, including her husband or another family member; one woman in four has been abused during pregnancy. One in 5 women has been raped or the victim of an attempted rape. In many societies women are often held responsible for the violence against them, and in many places laws contain loopholes which allow the perpetrators to act with impunity. In a number of countries, a rapist can go free under the Penal Code if he proposes to marry the victim.

Child victims of Forced Genital Mutilation.

In countries with very little rule of law these percentages spiral upward at a perverse rate. When woman are afraid of violent retribution, when they lack confidence in the ability of of law to protect them, they are often silent, even complicit in the exploitation of their daughters.

A young victim of gender violence. Her burn very intentionally placed.

6 out of 10 of the world's poorest people are women and girls. All over the world women wake well before dawn to go about the day's work, sometimes walking hours in one direction just to procure water for their family. Dark roads and deranged men leave these hard working woman at great danger for violent rape or worse. In the most extreme cases of poverty, families with starving children may feel that selling one daughter to save the lives of the rest of the household is an acceptable act in light of their desperation.

Sudanese women, waking the day, busy with their work, at extreme risk for violence.

Two thirds of all children denied access to school are girls. Illiteracy, ignorance and misinformation about every topic from sex to AIDS leaves girls extremely susceptible to violent exploitation. Not to mention that when girls are educated they feel much less desperate, believing that they have the means within them and the opportunity to rise above societal norms that often view them as property, or at very least, second-class citizens.

Part of the ongoing fight to stop violence against women is the structural transformation that comes from empowering young girls through education. Above, an International Justice Mission worker teaches kids about the dangers they may face and how to avoid them.

Sati, or bride-burnings along with other dowry related deaths, take the lives of as many as 60,000 woman a year in India. A poor girl's parents cannot afford the dowry required by her fiance's parents and so she is immolated or violated in some other gruesome way. There are many misconceptions concerning the practice of Sati and even a bit of romanticism involving Hindu mythology, but call it what you will, the reality is the number of dowry deaths are on the rise.

Indian victims of bride-burning.

In nature, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. But in India there are 112 boys born for every 100 girls. In China, 121 (with plenty of Chinese towns over the 150 mark, mostly due to the countries one child policy). Azerbaijan is at 115, Georgia at 118 and Armenia at 120.

Above, Chinese propaganda poster championing its one-child family planning policy. Below the rapid increase of female infant mortality since the inception of the policy.

In her book "Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls and the Consequences of a World Full of Men", Mara Hvistendahl reports on this gender imbalance. By her count, gender-based abortions over the past three decades mean there are 163 million girls missing from the world.

This horrorific trend is often rooted in poverty although certainly a function of the continuing societal prejudice against the female gender. In the the last three decades technologies which reveal the sex of a baby in-utero such as amniocentesis and ultrasound, have been used as a "sex test" in countries where parents put a premium on sons or feel they can only afford one child. "Better 500 rupees now than 5,000 later," reads one ad put out by an Indian clinic; the price of a sex test versus the cost of a dowry.

Ms. Hvistendahl predicts that such a gross gender imbalance is a harbinger of very bad things to come. And rightly so, as Columbia economics professor Lena Edlund corroborates: "The greatest danger associated with prenatal sex determination is...that a significant group of the world's women will end up being stolen or sold from their homes and forced into prostitution or marriage."

Child bride in Afghanistan. Cultural prerogative or child abuse? As the number of females decrease, the number of girls who are forced or sold into marriage will certainly increase.

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If you have ever loved a girl, ever stood knees knocking stomach fluttering on the precipice of romance, ever stared tenderly into your daughter's eyes, ever benefited from the nurturing love of a mother or grandmother- then raise your voice today for women. And if you are a woman please stand in solidarity with your sisters. Please support International Justice Mission as they rescue girls from the sex trade, as they fight for widow's rights, as they educate young girls of the risks of exploitation that surround them. Please support My Refuge House as they restore the battered broken lives of the victims of sex trafficking. Give generously to organizations like Samaritan's Purse and Respire Haiti that work tirelessly to end poverty and rescue those most at risk. Please remember, this is a fight for the soul of humanity.This is the fight for the future of us all.

Silence is complicity. Please be a voice for the voiceless.

Mother's Day.

Mother's day is Sunday, May 8th. A day when we celebrate the wonder of a woman's capacity to create life and to love it to distinction. And in that spirit of celebrating love and life and all things feminine, let us remember, that around the world, woman and girls are trapped in the horror of sex-trafficking and slave labor. So on this Mother's day why not send Mom a card telling her that you love her times infinity and that you have donated on her behalf to a cause you knew she would love, like helping International Justice Mission in stopping the sexual exploitation and forced labor of women and girls, and My Refuge House in restoring the lives of girls who have been trafficked into the illegal sex trade.

This mother was freed from slavery in a South Asian rock quarry by International Justice Mission.

And if you still wanna get her flowers please use 1-800-Flowers or FTD who now offer Fair Trade flowers. “Fair Trade” assures consumers that workers, many of them mothers themselves, receive decent wages in safe conditions.

And if Mom likes beautiful hand-made local jewelry, hairbands, hair clips and more, you can buy them at our lovely friend Rebekah's Etsy store called Beetlebutton. All proceeds go to stop human trafficking!

One of Rebekah's hairclips. All her creations are one-of-a-kind, made from vintage and recycled materials.

From all of us at COH. Thank you for being a voice for the voiceless! Happy Mother's day!

America's Secret.

Voice for the Voiceless, Miss Bethany Kent, put together this amazing presentation for her degree in social work. We couldn't be prouder to share it with you, couldn't be prouder to call her friend and fellow abolitionist!

To view just press play to load and then click on the full screen option to the right of the play button and then click the auto play tab above it.

America's Secret on Prezi by Bethany Kent

The Punishment That Fits.

The punishment should fit the crime. It's a basic tenet of our jurisprudence. A checks and balance to keep judges from allowing personal vendettas or prejudices from influencing sentencing. Nobody wants to get a ticket for going 70 in a 55 and end up doing life in maximum security. But what about the other side of that coin, what about the victims of crimes? Is justice served when rapists and violent oppressors walk with only a slap on the wrist? The following stories are from recent weeks here in the USA. Not some thimble-sized third world country with a deranged Despot and a corrupt fourth-rate legal system. These are the headlines from the Land of the Free and the Brave. The punishment should fit the crime.

Dmarcus Antwain Ward, 26, of Louisiana, was sentenced Monday on sex trafficking charges after investigators said he took juveniles to Alabama and back to Georgia, advertising them on the Internet for commercial sex acts. Investigators said Ward transported a 17-year-old girl for prostitution from Atlanta to Birmingham and back again. Ward, who had posted photos of the teen on the Internet, took all the money she earned within that 10-day period, according to the U. S. Attorney's Office.

Ward also forced a 14-year-old runaway into prostitution after meeting her on a toll-free “chat line” and coercing her to go to Alabama with him. Ward posted advertisements of the teen on the Internet and rented hotel and motel rooms in Tucker and Marietta for prostitution. He watched the teen closely, and only left the room when the customers arrived. The 14-year-old gave all her money to Ward, who also had sex with her.

Ward plead guilty to the charges in September. A judge sentenced him to seven years and nine months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. The judge also ordered Mr. Ward to pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $2,600.

Dear States of Louisiana and Georgia, the punishment should fit the crime.

Twin brothers, Tyrelle and Myrelle Lockett, 18, from outside Chicago pled guilty Tuesday to felony charges of human trafficking for forced labor or services after an undercover sting operation found that they forced young women, including one underage victim, to perform sex acts with men for money. The brothers' would make motel reservations and take photos of the girls for Internet ads they created and posted. Once the meetings with clients were set, the victims would enter motel rooms to have sex with the men while the defendants waited nearby to collect payment. The 17- and 18-year-old victims, who were not charged, told police that the brothers beat them and threatened them if they didn't perform the sex acts.



The brothers were sentenced to four years in prison for forcing the young women into prostitution. The sentencing was handed down by Judge Frank Zelezinski.

Dear Mr. Zelezinki, the punishment should fit the crime!

QUEENS, NEW YORK (from: BNO NEWS) A New York man Woodley Gaston, 25, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and other charges for prostituting three young women in January. Gaston was first charged in 2007 with advancing and profiting from the prostitution of a 16-year-old girl and in 2008, Gaston was charged again with forcing a second girl of the same age into prostitution. Two years later, the defendant was accused of prostituting an 18-year-old girl to repay a debt; his third offense.

In the first case, Gaston forced the then 17-year-old victim into a vehicle by threatening to beat her up and then forced her into prostitution. He posted sexually explicit photographs of the girl on Craigslist to attract customers and forced her to perform various sexual acts for money. The girl was also directed to perform sex acts with his landlord as a means of rent payment of his Queens home. His second victim was a 16-year-old girl who he befriended buying her clothes and paying for her to get her nails and hair done. After that, Gaston forced her to work for him as a prostitute, again advertising her on Craigslist.

In his guilty plea, Gaston admitted two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of second-degree promoting prostitution, two counts of third-degree promoting prostitution and two counts of third-degree rape. “This defendant preyed on troubled and needy teenage girls, using them for his sexual gratification and then as a commodity to be sold to others for cash which he then pocketed for himself,” said Queens County District Attorney Richard Brown.

On Monday Gaston was sentenced by Queens Supreme Court Judge Barry Kron to 3 years in prison on sex trafficking charges. Dear District Attorney Brown and Judge Kron, THE PUNISHMENT SHOULD FIT THE CRIME!!!

The miscarriages of justice that are represented above are only a microcosm of a much bigger tragedy involving the lack of justice for the victims of Human Trafficking. While criminals have no fear of the Law, or if meager sentences make the rewards worth their risk, we will never see an end to the evil of trafficking within our borders.

Dear America, the punishment must fit the crime.

There is good news, International Justice Mission continues to stem the tide of injustice internationally by working tirelessly to see the law enforced. Around the world, IJM lawyers are making a simple message clear: If you abuse defenseless girls and women, you will go to jail. In the past week alone, five more violent criminals have been convicted as a result of IJM casework:

La Paz, Bolivia - Feb 8: A man is sentenced to 20 years in jail for sexual abuse of his daughter.

Cebu, the Philippines - Feb 7: Two pimps are sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking.

Nairobi, Kenya - Feb 7: A man is sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a young girl in his church.

Guatemala City, Guatemala - Feb 3: A rapist who assaulted a 13-year-old girl is sentenced to eight years in prison.

This week’s major convictions are a result of years of effort and the brave testimony of the girls and women IJM serves. But these convictions must also inspire us to fight for tougher sentences here in the US. As Gary Haugen, IJM's President and founder often reminds us, criminals are cowards, that is why they pray on the defenseless and the weak.

Criminals will back down, they will go away, they will stop trafficking young girls...If the punishment fits.

WTF(atwa)!!! or The Cowardice Of Evil.

One of the most maddening, disheartening factors of the fight against Human Trafficking and the fight to protect children from sexual brutalization is the complicity of law enforcement in many countries. The stories of police officers being bribed or being regular patrons at brothels where young girls are forced into prostitution are many, and the magistrates and judges that continue to be bought off make the conviction rate for traffickers anemic and laughable. But when self appointed, self-important, judiciaries take the law into their own hands and mete out the most reprehensible of rulings under the religious guise of fatwa, it breaks the will of even the most hopeful optimists.




Hena was 14 when her 40 year old married cousin raped and beat her. That was last Sunday in Bangladesh. And though the man did not deny his crime, Hena was not given justice. Instead she was given one hundred one lashes. But at least for tiny Hena she didn't have to experience all of them, that's because she fell unconscious after 70. The young girl was rushed to the hospital where her broken body was beyond repair, and she died today, five days later.



The fatwa council that met early Monday convicted Hena of adultery, which is often just code for being alone with a man, but in Hena's case the reality was much more tragic. Her punishment was swift. Her death, unimaginably painful and infinitely senseless. The High Court is demanding an explanation but there is only one: evil is a coward. Evil hides under white sheets and under the cover of darkness, it masquerades as blind justice, but it blinds those who have no appetite for confrontation. It preys on the weak and defenseless and is emboldened at the deafening silence of society. It uses religion, every religion, as a justification for its lust for power and control, it uses religion as a blunt object, a raised fist that strikes fear into the heart of those that would resist.

Conspiracy Of Hope is a non-political group. Our members are as varied as are their beliefs. We do however support legislation that protects the innocent from exploitation and we support organizations that work tirelessly to see the law enforced justly.

International Justice Mission is one such organization. They work with just local law enforcement, lawyers and judges all over the world to protect the rights of the innocent. Their work with Project Lantern in Cebu, Philippines led to the number of underage girls in brothels declining by 79%. (You can read the COH blog about Project Lantern here.)

IJM has also put together a petition to ask President Obama to renew his administration's commitment to justice for the victims of trafficking. You can sign the petition here. It takes all of 30 seconds. Also there will be legislation going before congress soon called the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). We will keep you up to date on the status of the legislation and let you know when you can call your congresspersons to let them know you support it. The legislation will give the State department some of the tools it needs to help other governments fight trafficking by enforcing anti-slavery and anti-exploitation laws already on the books and by encouraging them to amend Draconian laws like the one behind the fatwa that led to little Hena being beaten to death for being raped.

Please use your voice, your talents, your resources to expose the injustice of trafficking. Please support organizations like IJM that are fighting relentlessly to stem the tide of injustice. Remember, every time you speak out, the cowardice of evil is exposed for what it is, and you give the Henas of the world a fighting chance.

From all of us at Conspiracy Of Hope, thank you for being that voice.

Interview With IJM's President Gary Haugen

Today there are close to 30 million people living in slavery. Almost half of them are under the age of 18. That’s more than at any other time in the history of civilization. During the height of the American slave trade the average cost of a slave, adjusted for today’s inflation, was 40 thousand dollars. The average cost of a slave today is only 50 dollars. People have become disposable. It’s no longer smart “business” to give medical attention to a hurt or sick slave. The savvy slave owner just disposes of them and buys or kidnaps another. This is 2011. People’s lives should not be judged by their fiscal viability. But this is going on around the world right now, every two seconds a person is trafficked, that is, bought or sold into slavery. This crime of crimes, and yet so few voices crying out for justice; so few heroes risking their lives to abolish slavery. Where are the Harriet Tubmans of our generation? Where are the Harriet Beecher Stowes, the Sojourner Truths, the William Wilberforces, the Fredrick Douglasses?

Gary Haugen is one such modern day abolitionist, who not only cries out for justice, but fights for it. Whether it’s undercover investigating in a brothel putting together an airtight case for trial, or the subsequent raid to free underage girls from the tyranny of sexual perversion, Gary and his International Justice Mission team battle the evil of injustice with relentless passion and unwavering conviction. And although we're sure he would take exception to his name being placed alongside such great names of the anti-slavery movement, it’s important that there be a new batch of heroes for the younger generation to emulate, living, breathing heroes that can inspire us all as we battle a new generation of slave owners and traffickers hell-bent on gain by any means and power at any cost.





Conspiracy Of Hope had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Haugen and we found his answers tempered with deep wisdom, the kind that can only come from years in the field, and countless hours of deep reflection. We hope the intensity of his words and the conviction of his answers inspire you the same way they did us.

Many abolitionists have said they experienced a “call”. How did you come to the anti-slavery movement?

As a little boy, I came across a huge book in the public library about Abe Lincoln and found myself utterly enthralled with the horrific story of slavery in the United States. Lincoln described it as a great offence against God – and as a simple second grader looking at 19th century photos of scars across the back of a slave, that description seemed right to me. Then, thirty years later, Christian friends working amongst the poor overseas showed me pictures of a boy in leg irons in India and described brothels in the Philippines where young girls were held as sex slaves. I’d been raised with the simple command of Jesus to “do unto others ….” So, with these very personal images from my friends of very real slavery in our world today, the rest seemed quite straightforward.

Is there one particular historical or current abolitionist that you consider a hero?

Saju Matthew is a hero to me. He was born into a home of humble means in India – but miraculously ended up graduating from an Ivy League school and became an elite lawyer in America who never lost a case. Eventually, he felt God wanted to do something greater with it all. So now Saju and his wife and five children have all returned to India, where he leads IJM’s struggle against slavery in southern India. His team of fellow Indians has embarked on the most significant, direct confrontation with slavery in 150 years – and despite the violence and corruption, I don’t have any doubt that their grandkids are going to grow up reading in their history books about the generation that eliminated slavery from India’s soil.

As a member of the UN’s Center For Human Rights you were in charge of the horrific task of gathering evidence against the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide. This included the exhumation of mass graves of tortured victims. How do you keep from becoming desensitized to suffering?

By relentless focus on the humanity, beauty and infinite dignity of the individual person. Despite the massive scale of human tragedy, the truth is, human beings suffer, hurt and die one at a time. This is what the Maker sees and never loses sight of. So I seek to his vision and view of the individual. But in the midst of dark evil and human suffering, I also must intentionally and vigorously seek out refreshment in beauty, light, joy and laughter. Joy is the oxygen that sustains service over the long haul and keeps us from hardening our hearts against the pain of our own compassion.



Above, Gary revisits a massacre site in Rwanda.

What has been the lowest point in your fight against slavery?

The lowest point was at the beginning, when we got started in the mid-nineties. Very few had even heard of contemporary slavery. The term “trafficking” had barely been invented. And those who knew anything about it were pretty sure there was nothing that could be done about it. As Nelson Mandela once said, “It looks impossible until it’s done.” The hardest nowadays may be when a child rescued from a brothel is in a nice aftercare home but nevertheless perishes from AIDS contracted in the brothel. I don’t have a good quote for that.




What about your greatest day?

There have been a lot of great days. I will never forget meeting the girls that we rescued from brothels in Cambodia when they were 6, 7, 8 years old and seeing them as thriving, healthy teenagers in school 5 years later. Or just a day spent watching the expertise, courage and mastery of our indigenous staff as they lead the fight against slavery in their own community. That’s a pretty great day because the future of the fight is so well secured.

Is there one story that stands out from your years of fighting slavery?

Kunthy or Kumar’s stories both stand out- they’re both in the 10th Anniversary Edition of Good News About Injustice. (Kumar’s is on p. 143; Kunthy’s is on page 180)




There are an estimated 35 million orphans in India alone, with 18 million of those being homeless, what can realistically be done to get them out of the reach of traffickers?

The most important thing we can do, I believe, is make traffickers afraid of going to jail. We know the traffickers – and they are not brave. They only abduct and sell kids because they (and their buyers) think they can get away with it. If they think they’ll go to jail, they leave the kids alone and find something else to do. And it’s not that hard, because if the customers can find the trafficking victims (and they do), then so can the police. So when the police and justice authorities start protecting the kids – the fight is pretty much over.

Is there a ground zero for modern slavery?

There are a few, but I’d rather not alert the opposition at this point. I would, however, mention a place that I think is one of the ground zeroes in the fight against slavery – and that is Cebu, the Philippines. The Gates Foundation helped IJM establish a pilot project in this city to see if IJM could help local law enforcement actually reduce the victimization of children in sex slavery by objectively measurable amounts. And indeed, at the mid-term assessment of the project, outside auditors found a 70% reduction from the initial survey of the victimization of children in the commercial sex trade. This is huge – and we think the impact of the project will only be strengthened. The success of this project is bringing great hope to an issue where so many have been paralyzed by despair.

Justice seems to be at the core of your Christian faith. Do you think there exists a discontinuity between faith communities and their commitment to justice?

For a variety of reasons, there are some dysfunctions in our churches that insist on trying to put the commands of Christ – to love God and love your neighbor – in opposition to each other. Of course, what Jesus and his disciples have been teaching for 2,000 years is that we can’t do one the way we ought without the other – and we have really had to work hard over the last hundred years in contriving a teaching that would separate out the two. Indeed, Jesus put faith and justice together in Matthew 23:23 by calling them “the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith.” Fortunately, I think this newer generation sees that separating love of God and love of man is ridiculous for the follower of Jesus.

IJM is very careful about not leaving a western cultural imprint on the rescued victims of slavery. How important is this for them in the reintegration process?

This is a no-brainer for us. The victims of brutal injustice that we serve are being re-integrated back into their own communities; they are not being transported to some foreign or western context. And our teams are exceedingly well positioned for this task because almost all of the IJM staff in the field are non-westerners who are simply serving their neighbors in their own community. Our indigenous staff own the mission, innovate the path, and make the commitment required to restore our clients to wholeness in their community.



Trailer for IJM's documentary At The End Of Slavery narrated by Danny Glover.

In the anti-slavery movement, is there presently an inordinate need for certain types of professionals?

What I see is that a lot of people know how to educate, teach and campaign about slavery – but very few people know how to practically go to where the slaves are, to get them out of slavery, provide a safe place of healing for them, and then see the perpetrators actually brought to justice. There is, therefore, a great need, I think, for public justice professionals (criminal investigators and lawyers) and social workers who can work in the world’s poorest communities to bring direct rescue and restoration to slaves, and then work with local authorities to actually send the criminals to jail. There is also a great need for community mobilizers in these indigenous communities where slavery is tolerated to change the local political will to do something about it.

If someone was only going to read one book on modern slavery, which one should it be?

Exodus in the Hebrew Scriptures, and then Disposable People by Kevin Bales

There are a lot of young people wanting to enter the anti-slavery movement. What is the most important thing they can do to prepare themselves?

Be humble, patient learners – about love, from God. The struggle against the aggressive, resilient evil of slavery is far too difficult to be sustainable without the deeper transformation of the interior to a place of deep compassion, courage and commitment. The slave masters and traffickers know that the "do-gooders" show up late and quit early, and they’re not intimidated. What they do not have an answer for, however, is fearless sacrificial love that does not go away.

For more from International Justice Mission’s president and CEO visit IJM.org.