Partnering With Price of Life: Employing Music and Arts in the Fight against Human Trafficking

Partnering with Price of Life: Employing Music and Arts in the Fight Against Human Trafficking

From the Price of Life IndieGoGo campaign:

Imagine you’re a college student.

You hear about human trafficking - 27 million people enslaved in this day and age – and it breaks your heart. You want to do something about it but what can you do, you’re just an ordinary student?

But your campus club or church also wants to make a difference. You work together to plan awareness events. You’re inspired by art and music about seeking justice. You connect with other campuses across your city getting involved. And suddenly you think hey, maybe I’m just one student, but I can do something.
You get your friends, your family, your clubs, your church excited, and all these people cobble together their small offerings and together you engage over 10,000 students at campuses across New York City about human trafficking and raise over $150,000 to support organizations fighting it.

Even though you’re “just college students.”

And suddenly Restore NYC, the only housing for international survivors of sex trafficking in the Northeast US, can offer safe haven to more recovering women. Suddenly Nomi Network can fund a new project, teaching job skills to survivors and at-risk women. Suddenly World Vision and its Cambodia network can provide 1000 kids with school uniforms, making them instantly less vulnerable to being trafficked.

All because a couple (thousand) ordinary people did just a little something.

Pretty cool image, right?

And just like “just students” can do a big something when they work together, so can we, even though we’re “just artists,” “just moms,” “just computer nerds.” It doesn’t matter who you are: you have something valuable to make a difference.

Putting it all together and starting to make that difference: that’s our vision.

Who Are We?

We are a team of students, artists, and ordinary people from across the US, using what we have to fight human trafficking. We’re a small part of a big campaign called the Price of Life Invitational, spearheaded by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, along with World Vision and a diverse coalition of other organizations. The Price of Life is calling students to end one of the world’s greatest injustices, human trafficking.

We believe faith calls and empowers us to fight injustice, and we believe in building barrier-breaking partnerships toward seeking justice. We believe ending modern slavery requires teamwork & creativity. We believe students can make an impact. We believe in the power of the arts.

What Are We Doing?

The Price of Life involves programming in every field – business plan competition, events about law and health care, interactive art exhibits etc. Read more here.

We’re musicians, so we’re making music.

Our music compilation is a soundtrack for the modern abolitionist journey, music to expose darkness and inspire change. It features a variety of artists who believe in using their gifts to create beauty and truth.

Artists like rock singer-songwriter Janie Chu, who helped an Atlanta coalition create a PSA aimed at ending demand for child trafficking.

Artists like Andy Mineo, who helped CCNY students get over 100 members of the Price of Life team on their campus:

Artists like Jonny Rodgers, who wrote the music for an anti-trafficking commercial for earthquake-devastated Haiti.

In fall 2013, when Price of Life takes on New York City, we’ll sell the album to thousands of college students in NYC, and through the national networks of Price of Life organizations like InterVarsity and World Vision. We aim to raise $50,000 to support organizations fighting human trafficking: Restore NYC, Nomi Network, and World Vision.

 

Who is Contributing Music?

Here are some of our partners – most contributing new music you can only hear on Exposing Darkness. Click through to their music pages & check out their sounds – you won’t be disappointed.

Andy Mineo

Janie Chu

Jonny Rodgers

May 1, today, is the IndieGoGo campaign day for the musician Jonny Rodgers. Here’s a sample of his music to listen to while you visit the link below and donate to this cause.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/59635438″>Jonny Rodgers – Everything Is Yours</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user4493127″>Jonny Rodgers</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Here’s the link to the campaign where you can donate any amount over $1:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/exposing-darkness-artists-bringing-trafficking-to-light

What We Need

We only need to raise $5000 because almost everything is donated: Music. Some studio time. Art and design.

The $5000 you invest in our project will pay for mixing and mastering, to provide the highest quality sound; marketing, to get the word out further; additional studio time; so artists contributing songs don’t have to pay recording expenses out of pocket.

Our campaign is hosted by Water Mirror Records, Inc., the record company behind singer-songwriter and abolitionist Janie Chu. Janie is the leader of this project and has rallied fellow musicians to the cause. Her company will collect Indiegogo funds and cover album costs.

What You Get

We know you’re giving because you believe in standing against human trafficking and making beauty from brokenness — not to get a prize. But we’re grateful for your participation, so we’ve worked hard to come up with some concrete ways to show it.

CAVEAT: One thing you won’t see much of: giving away the music itself. We’re giving you just about everything but the music, so next fall the music YOU make possible can support the cause we all care about.

Special bonus: We’ve got a variety of promotional supporters “owning” a day of the campaign, spreading the word as social media partners. You guys are awesome and get a special thanks. Want to add your name to this prestigious list? Sign up to help us support the campaign! 

Gratitude Gifts

Your gift helps prevent, rescue, and restore people trapped in modern slavery. Here are some ways we would like to say thank you. See descriptions to the right for more info.

Undying Devotion:
Let us thank you publicly for your stand for beauty in the face of darkness.

• All backers will be noted in a special section in the Price of Life website’ Abolitionist Hall of Fame.
• $15+ backers will be thanked in album liner notes.
• $25+ backers will be thanked in daily round-up shout outs on Facebook.
• $50+ backers may offer a dedication of up to 140 characters describing their motivation for fighting human trafficking.

Party for Freedom:
Connect with other art-loving activists & be the first to hear the abolitionist soundtrack!

• $10+ backers get first dibs on buying the album & free tickets to the CD release party (fall 2013), featuring performances by album artists, inspiring stories from people fighting trafficking on the ground, tasty eats, and more.
• $15+ backers also get free tickets to our preview concert (summer 2013) where select album artists will perform new works and old favorites.

Details TBA; we regret that we cannot provide alternate options for those unable to attend.

Get Inspired

• $15+ backers receive a free download of Dear John, a powerful song standing against trafficking demand, by the woman leading the Exposing Darkness team, artist-abolitionist Janie Chu.
• $25+ backers get a free digital download of Janie Chu’s entire album (on which Dear Johnappears), The Human Condition + an early digital download of select songs from the album.
• $50+ backers also get an MP3 of justice poet and spoken word artist Jonathan Walton performing works related to human trafficking.

Other Ways You Can Help

Can’t give money? That’s ok! You may not cash but you have a voice. We appreciate you spreading the news to your networks. Here’s how you can help:

• Sign up to be a social media partner and help us promote this campaign now.
• When the music is ready, we’ll seek your help promoting the album!
• Don’t forget to share this campaign with Indiegogo’s easy sharing tools.
• Join the Price of Life mailing list for monthly udpates on the broader campaign through Superbowl 2014.
• The fight against human trafficking needs all of us! Share your time and talent & make an impact through Price of Life.

No matter who you are or what you have to give, there’s a way you can be part of the movement to end human trafficking. Get connected with Price of Life here.

Why Ireland Needs the Criminalisation of Demand

Reblogged from surviving-prostitution:

Prostitution - the purchase of another human being for sex, is not and never has been the purchase of sex, because neither I nor any of the other women stand on the street or in the brothels with our genitalia and our mouths and throats in neatly wrapped packages which you could borrow and return to us in 20mins. No, I had go with them, you had to talk to me first, my mind was present the whole time.

Read more… 1,065 more words

Every nation needs to criminalize the demand, but I'm surprised Ireland hasn't done so yet.

Is It Possible to End Slavery?

I’ve been wondering this for several months now, as I’ve put out books about modern slavery, worked to raise awareness, and supported organizations that work to stop this horrendous crime against humanity. Can we really expect to end all slavery?

As I’ve pondered this, I’ve come to the conclusion that I will work toward total abolition, whether or not it’s possible. I might not be able to help everyone, but if I help one or two who would otherwise have been subjected to slavery, or help restore someone who had been trapped by webs of deception, my work would be worth it. Who knows how many people that one person may help?

What good does raising awareness do?

It does lots of good, and here is why.

When people learn about what happens to modern slaves, many react with righteous anger and often with a visceral response. Such a strong response will cause people to have a paradigm shift, a new path of thinking, and they’ll remember. When they see a girl with too little clothing on a cold night, they won’t rush to blame her as willing participant. When they see a deeply discounted product that looks like its worth far more than what is charged, they may consider the small hands that were forced to make it. It’s a small beginning, but it’s a beginning.

If every person affected took a small step toward doing the right thing, such as befriending or mentoring a foster child, or buying fair trade, or listening to the cry for help beyond the scowl of bitterness, abolition may be within reach. We may not see the total end to slavery before Jesus comes, but that shouldn’t stop us from working toward it.

Have you ever wondered what God really feels about slavery?

The Lord also has a visceral reaction to it. Consider this from Isaiah 42:

Isaiah 42:13 The Lord will march out like a champion,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.
¹⁴ “For a long time I have kept silent,
I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.

¹⁵ I will lay waste the mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up the pools.
¹⁶ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
    and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
 I will not forsake them.“

But be assured of this: there is joy beyond the weeping. It is possible to see people restored from this level of hurt and pain. People are working toward this right now.

Exodus Cry

IJM

Love146

Agape International Missions

Destiny Rescue

 

Novels I’ve written to raise awareness about modern slavery:

 

 

Interview with Rachel Curtis of Lotus Outreach

A major part of combating modern slavery is by preventing it before it happens.

Lotus Outreach is a 501(c)(3) organization that works to protect vulnerable children in the developing world who would otherwise be in danger from human traffickers.

Today I have Rachel Curtis from Lotus Outreach answering a few questions about the work this organization does in India and Cambodia.

1. Tell me about Lotus Outreach.

Aside from what you can find on our website, my personal take is that LO is a modest organization doing big things in small places. Although top-down policy approaches are obviously a part of the solution, we believe that one of the keys to successful development is in creating culturally relevant programs at the grassroots. (And policies can support this, as well.) We do this by working through local partners and indigenous staff to identify populations and projects primed to take root. By supporting smart, targeted initiatives in local communities, we help to create virtuous cycles of development that grow in strength and amplitude. (For more on this bottom-up development, check out “Poor Economics” by Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee. It’s an excellent read.)

2. Where does Lotus Outreach do most of their work?

Our projects are in India and Cambodia, mostly in rural areas although we do have a few in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital.

3. What spurred you to work as an abolitionist?

I wouldn’t call myself an abolitionist, although my work has some relationship to this. My job mostly consists of shoring up support for the work of Lotus Outreach, which includes some anti-trafficking, anti-slavery programs. Overall, however, we seek to empower the powerless, those who have been forgotten or missed by other initiatives. In our work in Cambodia, this includes many women and girls who have either suffered from discrimination, abuse, exploitation or trafficking, or are highly vulnerable to it. We try to provide them with the tools (skills, knowledge, self-confidence) they need to protect themselves.

4. What are some of the pieces the of human trafficking puzzle you wish Americans knew more about?

I think this issue has gotten a lot of great exposure in the last few years, and I think people are more aware now that slavery and trafficking happen almost everywhere, even in the cities where most of us live. It’s not just a poor country problem.

What I wish Americans knew more about is how many pieces there are. There are many, many different ways that trafficking happens. Most traffickers aren’t gangster-thugs, it’s often more subtle and nuanced than that. In Banteay Meanchey Cambodia, where we work, we see people trafficked by their own neighbors, for instance. In many cases,  the risk is not obvious to them. Our SMART project is trying to change this, to teach vulnerable people how to recognize signs of possible danger and to steer clear.

Forbes recently published a great article on trafficking myths, which is very helpful in clearing up some of the misunderstandings around the subject. It makes clear just how tangled and intricate an issue it is.

5. What is a way someone under 18 can work as an abolitionist?

People never find this very exciting, but honestly, just getting and staying informed about the problem is a huge first step. I take that as one of the most important things you can do to show your compassion for those who are suffering – take the time to learn about their reality. From there, all kinds of other opportunities stem. Look around at organizations working to fight the problem, subscribe to their newsletters, subscribe to blogs and join discussions that spark your passion. Become a part of the community.

From there, you might want to start sharing your interest with people who know and care about you – your friends, your parents, your siblings, your classmates. You might find an opportunity to write or present on this in one of your classes. There’s no doubt your teachers will be impressed, and your classmates probably will be too. You can direct attention to your favorite organizations, and basically act as a recruiter.

If you’re really on a roll, you could host a documentary night or even a fundraiser. Smart organizations will show their appreciation for people who take this kind of initiative, especially young people. So don’t be shy – write an email and tell them what you’re doing. You might find some unexpected support for your endeavors, a mentor or a volunteer opportunity. You never know. At the very least, you’ll get good experience in following your passion and standing up for what you believe in. People almost universally respond well to this type of energy.

6. How does an abolitionist remain hopeful in the face of the horrible statistics?

I am incredibly heartened by all the wonderful groups now devoting attention to this issue. It is my impression that there has been a distinct rise in the collective consciousness surrounding slavery and trafficking, and as people continue to talk and work together we are creating resistance. Also, the advent of the internet and online giving has blown up the exposure of all kinds of nonprofits; getting the word out and campaigning isn’t nearly as expensive as it used to be. This, along with micro-philanthropy, has created space for many great, smaller organizations to grow (LO included – our US infrastructure is completely virtual).

This makes me very optimistic about the fight against poverty, as well, which I think is the fuel the trafficking industry feeds on. People with secure, stable jobs don’t migrate for day labor. They don’t hand their passports over to their boss because if they don’t, they won’t have a job. As we create economic opportunity for the poor, we are also pushing back against human trafficking.

7. Can you share one or two success stories of your outreaches?

One from India:

International nonprofit Lotus Outreach has worked with locals in Mewat since 2007 to implement the Lotus Education as a Right Network (LEARN) project. When officers pushed the issue of female attendance, the indigenous Muslim Meo tribe showed great hesitation to let young girls travel alone to reach schools in neighboring villages. But in 2010, Lotus Outreach found a simple yet effective solution: local owners of minivans were hired to safely chaperone village girls to school each day in a new project called the Blossom Bus…

LEARN Officer, Suraj Kumar proposed supervised transportation, even allowing for one person from the family to serve as the chaperon. After discussing the idea with the girls’ parents, Suraj was able to secure their consent and now all four girls are back in school. “That was the most memorable day for the four of us,” Murshida says. “Now we will not be pushed to marry before we turn 18.”

One from Cambodia:

Commitment, sacrifice and personal growth are universal virtues celebrated every spring at graduation time. The significance of these words could not be greater for 65 of rural Cambodia’s poorest teenage girls who will receive their high school diplomas this August, thanks to the Girls’ Access To Education (GATE) scholarship program operated by the nonprofit Lotus Outreach…

…The dangers of migration for young women in Southeast Asia go well beyond being arrested. In a region that incubates a thriving sex industry and which UNESCO estimates is accountable for one-third of the global human trafficking trade, a teenage girl traveling abroad for work would be lucky to end up in prison, rather than enslaved in a brothel.

Yet many Cambodians, especially the poor and uneducated, have little notion of how perilous migrating can be. Because of GATE, today Sima is learning happier lessons, like managing her life away from her parents and taking greater responsibility for her own learning. “In high school, students only learn what teachers teach, but at university we need to do research,” she says. “We can’t just wait for the teacher to explain everything.”

Studying at the university level presents another challenge for Sima. “I have to run while others walk because I don’t know much English,” she says. “However, I enjoy it a lot and can keep up with the class.”

This June, 65 GATE scholars are scheduled to carry on the fledgling tradition begun by Sima and her classmates. These students represent Cambodia’s most marginalized young women, and were selected as GATE scholars due to their poverty, vulnerability to abuse and exploitation and dedication to improving their circumstances through education. In August, they join an echelon that remains sadly exclusive in Cambodian society: only 2 percent of Cambodian women have high school diplomas…

…Education creates a powerful buffer to these threats, providing women with increased earning potential and therefore greater bargaining power in the household. This has profound results: women invest twice as much in their families than their male counterparts. When educated, they space pregnancies, have healthier and better-educated children, and are less likely to tolerate domestic violence. For some of 2011’s GATE graduates, education will lead to positions of respect and influence. Sima, for example, hopes to pay her good fortune forward: “I want to get a good job as a lawyer so I can contribute to helping the younger generation financially and spiritually,” she shares.

To read the full stories, click here.

To find out more about Lotus Outreach, click here.

Thank you so much for taking time with us today, Ms. Curtis!

Interview with Jo Coles from Love146

On December 2, I will be releasing the YA novel, The Elite of the Weak. This novel confronts the issue of child sex trafficking.

Throughout November and December I will be interviewing people who work in the fight against this horrific crime.

Today I have Jo Coles with me to share about Love146 and their work to prevent child sex trafficking and provide aftercare solutions. Much of what you will read here is about the problem facing teens in the USA.

1. Tell me about Love146.Love146 works toward the abolition of child sex slavery and exploitation through Prevention and Aftercare solutions while contributing to a growing abolition movement.In September 2002, Love146 Co-Founders Rob Morris, Lamont Hiebert, Desirea Rodgers and Caroline Hahm went on an exploratory trip to SE Asia to determine how they could serve in the fight against child sex trafficking. In brothels they saw young children being sold for sex. In safehomes they witnessed the miracle of restoration as they sang and danced with survivors. From that first trip, the spark of abolition was ignited. The goal of this and subsequent trips was not to reinvent the wheel but rather to find out where the greatest needs were and how they could be most helpful in filling those needs. After 18 months of research, networking and other foundational work, Love146 became an official Public Charity in March of 2004 under the name of Justice for Children Intl.In October 2007, after a long examination of who we are as an organization, and as a group of people we decided to change our name. We took a long look at what sparked us, what motivates us, and what we believe brings about lasting change. That is when we decided to change our name from JFCI to Love146, and we have never looked back.

   It was in Thailand, where our co-founders encountered a child with the #146, that our work began. Our projects have since expanded to many areas of Asia, Europe, and the United States. The countries within which we work are among the predominant centers of the child sex trafficking and slavery industry.

   Slavery is still one of the darkest stories on our planet. But for us, the hope of abolition is a reality. Love146 believes in helping grow the movement of abolition while providing effective, thoughtful solutions. We believe in the power of Love and its ability to affect sustainable change. Love is the foundation of our motivation.

    

2. What spurred you to become an abolitionist?I kind of fell into abolition, I was working for a non-profit who focuses on at risk children, we encountered the issue of trafficking in Mumbai, India. Once we discovered how wide spread it was it was there was no going back.

3. Do you think there has been a rise in human trafficking of teens in the USA over the last 5-10 years?I’m not convinced that there has been a rise but I do think that the raised awareness has lead us to understand the issue more fully here in the USA. I’ve been shocked at how many older people have told me stories of exploitation they suffered as children, which was never acknowledged or dealt with.

4. What ages are most affected?Statistics say that the average age a minor enters prostitution is 13 years old, I’m sure that abuse starts much earlier than this in the process of minors becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

5. What do you think is the best way to educate teens about the issues?I think making sure that they are aware of what trafficking looks like in the US, what the grooming process is and how they can protect themselves from this.On a wider issue I think improving standards in Group Homes, making sure that children in the Foster Care system are protected and generally making sure we are aware of children who can be vulnerable to trafficking is extremely important. Children who are runaways, throwaways or from difficult family situations need to be provided for and cared for so that they do not fall between the cracks.

6. What is the most important thing for teens to be wary of?I think someone who is trying to control you or to manipulate you. Also to look out for their friends sometimes it’s not easy to see that you’re being manipulated when you’re in the middle of it. If a teen thinks a friend is getting into trouble they need to tell someone to get help for them.

7. What do you think is the best way to educate parents about the issues?I think parents need to educate themselves; this can be easily done through the internet.Schools, faith communities and other community organizations can also play a role in this.

8. Are there safe houses in the USA?Yes there are Safe Houses designated to victims of trafficking in the US. The locations remain hidden to protect the children they serve, but there are two reputable ones that Love146 knows about. One is in the Chicago area and is a PROMISE safe house. This one is run by the Salvation Army. CAST LA (Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking) has a safe house in the Los Angeles area.
9. How does an abolitionist remain hopeful in the face of horrible statistics?I don’t know how every abolitionist remains hopeful but I believe in recovery and restoration and I focus on this aspect, I’ve seen the courage and strength that children can have and it’s a constant inspiration to keep going.