Ending Human Trafficking

By Dr. Sandra MorganBusiness Religion & Spirituality Christianity Non-Profit

Ending Human Trafficking episodes

January 22, 2024312 – How Does Intersectionality Inform Our Response to Human Trafficking?
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Kevin Bales as the two discuss the importance of intersectionality when fighting to end human trafficking.
Kevin Bales
Kevin Bales is a professor of contemporary slavery and a co-founder of Free the Slaves, a nonprofit organization that works to end slavery worldwide. He has written several books and articles on modern slavery, human trafficking, and climate change. One of his main ideas is that slavery is not only a human rights violation, but also a major contributor to environmental degradation. Bales argues that slavery and human trafficking are driven by the global demand for cheap goods and services, which creates a market for exploited labor. He also shows how slavery affects the natural resources and ecosystems that sustain life on earth, such as forests, soils, water, and wildlife, calling it the “slavery footprint” of consumption. Bales also explores the concept of intersectionality, which is the idea that different forms of oppression and discrimination, such as race, gender, class, and ethnicity, are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. He suggests that slavery is an extreme form of intersectionality, where the most vulnerable and marginalized people are subjected to the most brutal and dehumanizing treatment. He advocates for a holistic and inclusive approach to ending slavery, that takes into account the diverse needs and perspectives of the enslaved and the liberated. Kevin Bales believes that slavery can be eradicated in our lifetime, if we act collectively and strategically.
Key Points
When analyzing contemporary forms of slavery, like human trafficking, it is imperative that the differences in the rates at which different people groups are affected, and how they are affected, be looked at as well.
Contemporary slavery affects multiple spheres outside of the social injustice sphere, as it is also aiding in the environmental destruction seen today.
A global campaign, public awareness, and a willingness to give something up, are needed for a national government to aid in the fight to end contemporary slavery. Education is a start to achieving this global campaign.
“There are links between slavery and genocide.”
Resources
Ensure Justice
Disposable People by Kevin Bales
Free the Slaves
Blood and Earth by Kevin Bales
UNESCO World Heritage
TIP (Trafficking in Persons) Office
Slavery: A Global Investigation
International Cocoa Initiative
Tony’s Chocolonely
Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves by Kevin Bales
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
It’s time to register for the annual Ensure Justice Conference at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice. The conference is always the first Friday and Saturday of March. That way you can make it a recurring event in your calendar. 2024, it’s March 1st and 2nd, we’re just a couple of months away. Our theme is Keeping Our Children Safe Online. We will explore the issues: What is happening online? What are the risks for our children at this stage of their development? What can we do as parents, caregivers, teachers, community members? Our speakers include many of our podcast expert guests, and we are partnering with our Orange County Department of Education. Check out our website for more info and don’t miss the early bird rates. Go on over to gcwj.org/ensurejustice right now. There is a virtual option for our global listeners, as well as special rates for college students. Join us to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference at Ensure Justice March 1st and 2nd, 2024.
You are listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode #312: How Does Intersectionality Inform Our Response to Human Trafficking?, and we’re talking with Kevin Bales. My name is Dr. Sandie Morgan. This is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Joining us today is Dr. Kevin Bales, a professor of contemporary slavery and co-founder of Free the Slaves, a nonprofit organization that works to end slavery world wide. Dr. Bales has written several books and articles on modern slavery, human trafficking, and climate change. Kevin advocates for a holistic and inclusive approach to ending slavery that takes into account the diverse needs and perspectives of the enslaved and the liberated. He comes to us now from Nottingham, where he directs the rights lab. Kevin Bales Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast.
Kevin Bales 3:16
Thank you, it’s great to be here.
Sandra Morgan 3:16
I am so excited to have you in our podcast lineup now because for years, I’ve followed you, I’ve learned from you. I remember when the first estimate of how many slaves there are, came from your office, 27 million. How does it make you feel that the current stats that were out this last year, pretty much verified that guesstimate all those years ago?
Kevin Bales 3:49
Well, it’s a bit larger number, the number that’s just come out, they’re not quite doubling it. But I have to say, I know that to be a better methodology. My methodology was in many ways, very weak and it was just the best we could pull together at the time, when nobody else was really trying to do that. While people read about it in my book, “Disposable People” where I put that number out, most people didn’t read the academic article that I published in parallel, explaining all the problems and all the deficiencies of my estimate, because I wanted to be totally honest about that.
Sandra Morgan 4:25
I read that, I read that.
Kevin Bales 4:27
Oh, good on you!
Sandra Morgan 4:28
Yes, yes, I did, because I was taskforce administrator here in Orange County, first grant for federal funding, and people wanted numbers. And it’s like, there’s no one raising their hand, there’s no census, these are estimates, so I read every word of the academic side. Actually, that kind o...
40 min
January 08, 2024311 – Youth Labor Trafficking and Forced Criminality
Dr. Sandra Morgan is joined by Kaitlyn Zedalis as the two discuss the role of forced criminality in labor trafficking.
Kaitlyn Zedalis
Kaitlyn Zedalis is the associate director of research, learning, and advocacy for the Covenant House Action and Research Tank (CHART) at Covenant House New Jersey, where she oversees agency initiatives related to research, program evaluation, and advocacy. Kaitlyn has assisted organizations across North America on the topics of human trafficking, screening and assessment, trauma informed care, and best practices for serving victims of human trafficking. She has a master’s degree in social work from Stockton University, where she currently serves as an adjunct professor, and is a licensed social worker and licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor.
Key Points
The Covenant House Action and Research Tank, or CHART, is an initiative of Covenant House New Jersey that conducts research, develops evidence based strategies, and seeks solutions for complex problems such as homelessness and human trafficking.
Labor trafficking by forced criminality is when the labor a person is required to perform is a crime, heavily intertwining criminalization and victimization.
Covenant House New Jersey’s research found that a supportive adult relationship in an individual’s life serves as a protective factor from trafficking.
In many cases, a victim is forced or coerced to remain in an unsafe situation for fear of getting in trouble with the law, as they see themselves as engaging in criminal behavior rather than a victim.
Resources
Ensure Justice
Covenant House New Jersey
CHART
QYIT Journal Article
Labor Trafficking by Forced Criminality
306 – Survivor Voices Leading Change, with Jerome Elam
Trafficking in Persons Report 2023
Caring Adult Relationships Journal Article
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
It’s time to register for the annual Ensure Justice Conference at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice. The conference is always the first Friday and Saturday of March, that way you can make it a recurring event in your calendar .2024, it’s March 1st and 2nd, we’re just a couple of months away. Our theme is Keeping Our Children Safe Online. We will explore the issues: What is happening online? What are the risks for our children at this stage of their development? What can we do as parents, caregivers, teachers, community members? Our speakers include many of our podcast expert guests, and we are partnering with our Orange County Department of Education. Check out our website for more info and don’t miss the early bird rates. Go on over to gcwj.org/ensurejustice right now. There is a virtual option for our global listeners, as well as special rates for college students. Join us to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference at Ensure Justice, March 1st and 2nd, 2024.
You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode #311: Youth Labor Trafficking and Forced Criminality. My name is Sandie Morgan and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Our guest today is Kaitlyn Zedalis, and she is the associate director of research, learning, and advocacy for the Covenant House Action and Research Tank (CHART) at Covenant House New Jersey, where she oversees agency initiatives related to research, program evaluation, and advocacy. Kaitlyn has assisted organizations across North America on the topics of human trafficking, screening and assessment, trauma informed care, and best practices for serving victims of human trafficking. She has a master’s degree in social work from Stockton University, where she currently serves as an adjunct professor, and is a licensed social worker and licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor. Kaitlyn, welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast.
Kaitlyn Zedalis 3:15
Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Sandra Morgan 3:17
I’m so excited about our conversation today, our theme around labor trafficking by forced criminality. I follow the research out of Covenant House closely so tell us just briefly, for our listeners who don’t know Covenant House, tell us about Covenant House and CHART.
Kaitlyn Zedalis 3:41
So Covenant House New Jersey was established in 1989. We’re a subsidiary of Covenant House International, which is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization serving youth facing homelessness. Covenant House New Jersey operates shelters with onsite supportive services, including legal, mental health, and case management services in Newark and Atlantic City. We offer additional programs throughout the continuum of care. Since October 2020, Covenant House New Jersey has also served as the single point of entry for individuals who have experienced human trafficking to access services in New Jersey, and in 2017 Covenant House New Jersey’s research on human trafficking among youth experiencing homelessness, led to the creation of the first scientifically validated brief screening tool for human trafficking, called QYIT or Quick Youth Indicators for Trafficking, which has been published in peer reviewed journals. The Covenant House Action and Research Tank or CHART, is an initiative of Covenant House New Jersey that conducts research, developed evidence based strategies, and seeks solutions for complex problems such as homelessness and human trafficking. Our approach rests on three core pillars: training and advocacy, research and services. We provide training and technical assistance and advocate with outside entities to improve services for victims and youth, we conduct research that is geared toward developing best practices that serve as a model for service providers, and developing innovative practices that we integrate into our own services.
Sandra Morgan 5:18
Okay, wow, that is a lot and it is really important, to my perspective, that research based advocacy is a pillar in what Covenant House does, in my experience, and it’s why our tagline for the podcast is study the issues, be a voice, make a difference. Lots of times people are horrified when they find out children are being labor trafficked, but they start talking before they’ve done their research, and sometimes the things they say, may not actually be beneficial, it may not help us move this forward, so that research is critical. I’m also a big proponent of participatory action research, our listeners have heard me talk a...
34 min
December 25, 2023310 – What’s the Best Way to Equip Business Leaders?
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Kirsten Foot and Kenneth Andrew as the three discuss the role of Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) in equipping businesses with the tools and resources necessary to end trafficking.
Kirsten Foot
Kirsten Foot, PhD, is the CEO and Executive Director of Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) which equips employers to counter human trafficking, and provides pathways to safe employment for trafficking survivors. BEST offers employers video based and in-person training services, consulting on anti-trafficking strategy, and advisement on communicating about human trafficking with employees, customers, vendors and the public. Kirsten Foot was also a guest on Episode #111 of the Ending Human Trafficking podcast.
Kenneth Andrew
Kenneth Andrew, is Vice President for global, small, medium, and channel partners with Microsoft Advertising, and his career has taken him to many parts of the world. He seeks to leverage his abilities to drive positive change in the business world and beyond. As a member of BEST Board of Directors since 2018, he helps businesses interrupt and prevent human trafficking.
Key Points
Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) plays a critical role in equipping employers to counter human trafficking, providing training through both video-based and in-person training services.
BEST aims to prepare employers to not only identify and understand trafficking, but interrupt it safely.
Employers are also provided with communication strategies for discussing trafficking in the workplace.
Situational awareness is an integral part in the process of interrupting trafficking. BEST strives to encourage employers to take effective action and ask those who might be victimized the important questions that allow them to disclose what they might be facing.
Resources
Ensure Justice
BEST
Episode #111 – Collaborating Against Human Trafficking
Uyghur Anti- Human Trafficking Prevention Act
California Supply Chain Transparency Act
BEST Training Center
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
It’s time to register for the annual Ensure Justice Conference at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice. The conference is always the first Friday and Saturday of March, that way you can make it a recurring event in your calendar! 2024, It’s March first and second, we’re just a couple of months away. Our theme is Keeping Our Children Safe Online. We will explore the issues; What is happening online? What are the risks for our children at this stage of their development? What can we do as parents, caregivers, teachers, community members? Our speakers include many of our podcast expert guests, and we are partnering with our Orange County Department of Education. Check out our website for more info and don’t miss the early bird rates. Go on over to gcwj.org/ensurejustice. Right now, there is a virtual option for our global listeners, as well as special rates for college students. Join us to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference at Ensure Justice, March 1st and 2nd, 2024.
You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode #310: What’s the best way to equip business leaders? My name is Sandie Morgan and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. It is so great to have Kirsten and Kenneth from BEST with us today. Kirsten Foot, PhD, is the CEO and Executive Director of Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) which equips employers to counter human trafficking, and provides pathways to safe employment for trafficking survivors. BEST offers employers video based and in-person training services, consulting on anti-trafficking strategy, and advisement on communicating about human trafficking with employees, customers, vendors and the public. She was also my guest on Episode #111 of our podcast. Her colleague Kenneth Andrew, is Vice President for global, small, medium, and channel partners with Microsoft Advertising, and his career has taken him to many parts of the world. He seeks to leverage his abilities to drive positive change in the business world and beyond. As a member of BEST Board of Directors since 2018, he helps businesses interrupt and prevent human trafficking. I am so glad to welcome both of you to the show today.
Kirsten Foot 3:46
Thank you, Sandie.
Kenneth Andrew 3:48
Glad to be here.
Sandra Morgan 3:49
Kirsten, it’s been quite a while since we’ve been together, but we used to hang out a lot, maybe not in person, but particularly online and on the phone. I especially remember when we recorded episode #111 because your amazing research and book on collaboration came out at that time, and I’m just curious how you moved from writing and research in the academic world, to being a nonprofit CEO.
Kirsten Foot 4:30
It’s a recent change, it’s one I’m still catching up in all different levels psychologically, but I am motivated to be leading BEST of all things, because BEST does what I have been advocating through my research for over 15 years now. BEST works across sectors, across the private sector, public sector, the nonprofit sector, to catalyze much more strategic, effective interaction between organizational leaders, against human trafficking. So after months of hearing about BEST’s search for a new CEO, literally three invitations in I realized, I really should consider applying, and so I did. Kenneth could tell you more of the story since he’s on the board, but I realized through a very rigorous interview process that BEST was incredibly well organized, and highly effective, and that I would really have joy in helping multiply its efforts and lead it in its new stage. I’m just four months in, but I’m loving it, and I see all kinds of potential for the kinds of things that BEST can do, and I want to help that happen.
Sandra Morgan 5:40
I’m eager to see the application of the principles in your book on collaboration, which we still use in our anti-human trafficking certificate courses here at Vanguard. So we appreciate your knowledge, your insight, and now we’re going to watch you as you lead in this new sphere, so congratulations.
Kirsten Foot 6:06
Wow, thank you.
Sandra Morgan 6:07
Kenneth, as a board member of BEST, you’ve been in this for a while, you also represent the business community in many ways. Can you give us a little better idea of the mission and vision of BEST?
Kenneth Andrew 6:28
Yeah, absolutely. First, I should also say how delighted we are as a board to have Kirsten on board really helping us lead through this next chapter, because this really is a pivotal moment for us, as this is one of the fastest kind of growing crimes we have in society today. So it was really important for us to find a leader that...
35 min
December 11, 2023309 – The Asian Pacific Islander Human Trafficking Task Force, with Panida Rzonca
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Panida Rzonca as the two discuss the importance of organizations who provide services to those of different cultures, specifically the Asian Pacific Islander community.
Panida Rzonca
Panida has been working with Thai victims of human trafficking at Thai CDC since 2007. Panida oversees and provides all direct social and legal services at Thai CDC. Panida’s experience includes clerking at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) where she worked with both clients of labor and sex trafficking. Currently, Panida is primarily assisting victims of sex trafficking from what may be the largest Thai sex trafficking enterprise to date. She provides counsel to victims who are called upon to be federal witnesses, provides immigration legal services and also case manages comprehensive social services including reporting trafficking cases to law enforcement and assisting victims in navigating the legal system to obtain immigration status, restitution, and ultimately, justice. In addition to her work in anti-human trafficking, Panida has been involved with both labor and housing rights advocacy. She is dedicated to workers’ rights advocacy within the Thai community working on public awareness campaigns and direct services to help workers navigate governmental agencies for wage and fair labor standard claims. Panida is a HUD certified housing counselor, providing counseling to Thais with limited English proficiency that are in danger of losing their homes. Panida is determined to continue assisting the underserved through the Slavery Eradication and Rights Initiative (SERI) Project campaign to raise awareness of the Anti-Human Trafficking Program at Thai CDC. Panida is also a member of the California State Bar Access to Justice Commission and the 2018 President of the Thai American Bar Association. Panida finished her J.D. at Southwestern School of Law and her B.A. in Political Science with a focus on International Relations at the University of California at San Diego.
Key Points
The Thai Community Development Center is a community economic development organization that focuses on increasing economic mobility among Thais and other ethnic minorities in the greater Los Angeles area.
With a grant from the Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime, the Asian Pacific Islander Human Trafficking Task Force, Thai Community Development Center, and other sister agencies, are able to provide services in several Asian languages.
The Asian Pacific Islander Human Trafficking task force does provides technical assistance through a variety of training, to its sister organizations, ensuring that they are all equipped to properly serve victims of sex and labor trafficking.
When aiding victims of different cultures, it is important to understand the culture’s dynamics and language to better serve the victim.
Resources
Asian Pacific Island Human Trafficking Task Force
Thai Community Development Center
California Access to Justice Commission
Asian Pacific Islander Equity Alliance
Office for Victims of Crime
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team
Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking
Korean-American Family Services
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Pacific-Asian Counseling Services
South-Asian Network
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast. This is episode #309: The Asian Pacific Island Human Trafficking Task Force, with Panida Rzonca.
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. My name is Sandie Morgan and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Our guest today is Panida, the directing attorney at the Thai Community Development Center where she manages the delivery of legal and social services to human trafficking victims, which includes immigration relief, civil remedies, victim benefits, restitution, and ultimately, justice. She is co-chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Human Trafficking Task Force and she is commissioner on the California Access to Justice Commission. I have been in the same circles with Panida since I came to Orange County back in 2004, but her work here started 25 years ago. So would you like to tell us a little bit, Panida, about your experience with the emergence of the Thai Community Development Center?
Panida Rzonca 1:51
Sure, just let me backtrack a little bit because my work at the Thai Community Development Center actually started in 2007, and my executive director, the founder of Thai CDC, Chanchanit Martorell, was the one who started Thai CDC and started the anti trafficking work that we’re doing at Thai CDC now, just to make that clear.
Sandra Morgan 1:51
Okay, that’s good. That’s good. I’m so glad you’re here, because then we’re gonna get all this stuff just right.
Panida Rzonca 2:23
Sure. So the Thai Community Development Center is a community economic development organization that focuses on increasing economic mobility among Thais and other ethnic minorities in the greater Los Angeles area. Now, because we have such a broad base mission, we’ve been able to not only build affordable housing, and provide small business counseling, and books on public benefits, and run certified farmers markets, and start social enterprises, but we’re also able to reach out to the most vulnerable in our community, which is the community of victims that we serve, both labor and sex trafficking.
Sandra Morgan 3:10
I’ve seen Thai CDC, the recipient of multiple awards. The last time I remember particularly, was when the mayor of the city of El Monte presented Thai CDC with a commendation, recognizing the work to liberate 72 Thai garment workers back in 1995. We didn’t even have the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and here were 72 Thai workers hidden away in a makeshift garment factory that enslaved them. How do you see that as part of your development story? Because you didn’t have the language of anti human trafficking, and now we...
33 min
November 27, 2023308 – Streamlining Connection to Survivor Services with Technology
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Melissa Yao and Alexis Byers as the three discuss the role of technology in connecting survivors to services.
Melissa Yao
Melissa Yao is the Executive Director of the National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance, a network of service providers committed to enhancing services and increasing access to care for survivors of human trafficking, and sexual exploitation. She was a guest on Episode #220 of the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast.
Alexis Byers
Alexis Byers is the referral program manager at the National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance. She graduated from college in 2021, with a degree in political science, and a minor in security and Conflict Studies, and now she’s working on a master’s in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
Key Points
Technology has brought about opportunities to improve the accessibility of resources for survivors. National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance has created a three pillar approach to make a difference in the accessibility of survivor services.
NTSA’s three pillar approach begins with membership, providing the public with a vast range of resources. Within the three pillar approach is a referral system and accreditation program that ensures the best quality of service and standards of care.
The TIRA app (Trafficking Interruption Resource Agent) allows survivors to filter their searches for services with their own needs and preferences, giving them a voice in their own journey.
When a referral form is filled out, within 24 hours of the business week, it is sent out to programs that match the survivor’s preferences directly. However, there is emergency placement available through NTSA’s partnership with Safe Shelter Collaborative.
When placements are not the right fit, survivors blame themselves, often causing a cycle of returning to unsafe environments. NTSA aims to change this cycle by including survivors in the decision-making of their life.
Resources
National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance
#220 – National trafficking Sheltered Alliance: What is it and why do we need it?
NTSA Accreditation
TIRA (Trafficking Interruption Resource Agent)
REST (Real Escape from the Sex Trade)
Alliance Referral System
Send a Referral
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast. This is episode #308: Streamlining Connection to Survivor Services With Technology.
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. My name is Dr. Sandie Morgan, and I’m your host. This is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. I’m excited to welcome Melissa Yao from the National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance. She was a guest on episode #220. We’ll put that episode link in the show notes, but if you’re looking for it right now, because you want to listen to it before this episode, then just look for #220. Melissa is the Executive Director of the National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance, a network of service providers committed to enhancing services and increasing access to care for survivors of human trafficking, and sexual exploitation. I want to emphasize ‘increasing access’ because that is what really contributes to empowerment. I’m also excited that Melissa brought a colleague with her, Alexis Byers. Alexis is the referral program manager at the Alliance. She graduated from college in 2021, with a degree in political science, and a minor in security and Conflict Studies, and now she’s working on a master’s in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. I want to actually emphasize my welcome and excitement about having you here, Alexis, because I believe it’s important for young people, just finishing college, to understand how quickly they can use their expertise to make a difference. So you’re both welcome and I’m glad you’re here.
Melissa Yao 2:47
Well we are thrilled to be here, Dr. Morgan, we’re very excited to share some success that we’ve seen in five years of facilitating a referral system throughout the US, in hopes that it can inspire others to find ways to help survivors overcome their trauma by finding the right place for them to recover. It’s all that we focus on, and we’re thrilled to be able to share some successes with your audience.
Alexis Byers 3:18
Thank you so much for having us. I completely agree that it’s so important to know that the minute that you do graduate from college, you do have the ability to kind of make a change almost immediately using the skills that you learned through school.
Sandra Morgan 3:33
That’s so great. Okay, so I’m excited to talk about how technology is improving access to resources. Especially because so much of the conversation lately has been about the harms of technology, but technology, the other side of the coin, brings amazing opportunity. So as the response to human trafficking here increases, the need for service providers to collaborate and stay connected is more important than ever. So let’s start, Melissa with some of the principles of NTSA. Tell us how you have basically developed three pathways to make a difference.
Melissa Yao 4:28
Great question, Dr. Morgan. I served in direct service with survivors for over seven years, and much like many of my colleagues listening to this podcast, became very disheartened and discouraged with the number of survivors that as they’re working towards overcoming their trauma, because the program wasn’t the best fit for them, often left and went back into the trafficking situation. I couldn’t help, years ago, think ‘What if they had been in a program that was a better fit?’ I can’t help but think of when you go to the Cheesecake Factory, let’s say you’re craving a burger, and you’ve got the Cheesecake Factory menu, and it is like a book. There’s so many options and it becomes overwhelming. We go there and we kind of default to maybe the first few things on the menu, when really, there might be some great hidden gems. But when you go to Five Guys, you know what you’re getting. Okay, Dr. Morgan, you’re in California, maybe I should have said In-n-Out? For those of you that haven’t had it, there’s a secret menu that I highly recommend.
Sandra Morgan 5:36
Actually, on the streets of Athens, Greece, when you go to a souvlaki place, you’ve got three choices. That’s it.
Melissa Yao 5:45
Yes. I wanted to move away from defaulting to asking agencies, “Do you have a bed?” and they offered so much more than just the bed. Some of these agencies are the Cheesecake Factory, they offer a holistic approach, and for some survivors, that’s what they need. They need high accountability, high structure, 24-hour superv...
28 min
November 13, 2023307 – Understanding Challenges in Preventing Human Trafficking Among Roma Youth, with Christina Chalilopoulou
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Christina Chalilopoulou as the two discuss the complex challenges in prevention of trafficking of Roma youth.
Christina Chalilopoulou
Christina Chalilopoulou is the co-founder and CEO of a ALYSOS Alert. She’s a graduate of London Metropolitan University and has a degree in European Studies and Ethics. Christina Chalilopoulou has also studied Leadership for Gender Equality with the British Council and served in multiple roles for Greek government entities, overseeing projects for social responsibility, human rights, and policy in social inclusion, and sustainability. She’s been Advisor to the President of the Central Union of Greek Municipalities, and a plethora of roles on behalf of education and social integration strategies for Roma people.
Key Points
In Greek Gypsy culture the crime of early forced marriage is common. It is also seen as a form of gender-based violence.
Roma are vulnerable to a multitude of forms of trafficking because of the social exclusion they experience. Examples of this social exclusion are the lack of access to health systems and lack of access to equal employment systems, resulting in low educational achievements, high levels of unemployment, and poverty.
ALYSOS Alert aims to empower and inform within the Roma community, but also to educate society as a whole about the vulnerabilities and affects on the Roma people.
The inclusion of those who have lived experience as a person of the community, is necessary in the process of designing policy.
Resources
ALYSOS Alert
Central Union of Greek Municipalities
262: Human-Centered Design
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode #307: Understanding Challenges in Preventing Human Trafficking Among Roma Youth.
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. My name is Sandie Morgan and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Today, our guest is from Athens, Greece. Her name is Christina Chalilopoulou and she is co-founder and CEO of a ALYSOS Alert. She’s a graduate of London Metropolitan University with a degree in European Studies and Ethics, and has also studied Leadership for Gender Equality with the British Council. Christina has served in multiple roles for Greek government entities, overseeing projects for social responsibility, human rights, and policy in social inclusion, and sustainability. She’s been Advisor to the President of the Central Union of Greek Municipalities, and a plethora of roles on behalf of education, and social integration strategies for Roma people, which are so important to our topic today. There is so much more, so Christina, welcome to the podcast.
Christina Chalilopoulou 2:05
Thank you for having me. It’s such a great honor to be invited, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to communicate all the issues that my community is facing. Thank you so very much.
Sandra Morgan 2:23
I loved meeting you in person when I was in Athens in June, and I plan to be back in Athens next June and see you again in person. So we’ll get coffee.
Christina Chalilopoulou 2:36
Yes, it will be lovely.
Sandra Morgan 2:38
So tell us about the Roma people. I don’t think people know very much and these are your people.
Christina Chalilopoulou 2:46
Well, you see, Roma originate from Northern India, presumably from Northwest India. But in Greece, the Roma, or as I like to make the distinction, the gypsies, they have been present in Greece since the 14th century. We are not an entirely homogeneous group, given that we consist of different and often conflict tribes. We are estimated that we are around 300,000, Greek gypsies that live in Greece.
Sandra Morgan 3:29
Let me stop you and ask you a question, because I know when I lived in Greece, it was a little confusing for me in conversations. Are we talking about Roma or gypsy? Or is gypsy a synonym for Roma? Can you clarify a little?
Christina Chalilopoulou 3:52
Yes, the thing is that the term “Roma” comes from our dialect, and it means a human being. Therefore, in our language, Roma actually means people. But, you see, in Greece, because the Constitution does not recognize minorities, and the few decades now, the term “Roma” actually, it tends to mean that it’s a minority group. We distinguish ourselves and we say that we are Greek Gypsies, rather than Greek Roma, because Roma is an international term, but because other countries, and especially in Balkans, their constitution recognized minorities, therefore they recognized Roma, as a minority. Where here in Greece, we don’t recognize any minorities in our constitution, we are Greek citizens therefore we make that distinction. So, yeah.
Sandra Morgan 5:05
Thank you.
Christina Chalilopoulou 5:05
So on top of that 300,000 population, we have to also count a significant number of newly arrived Roma, who originate mainly from Albania and countries of former Yugoslavia. So that makes around an estimation of 500,000 people who live in Greece.
Sandra Morgan 5:30
That’s half a million.
Christina Chalilopoulou 5:32
Yes.
Sandra Morgan 5:34
How is their culture different than the host culture?
Christina Chalilopoulou 5:38
Because we are in in Greece since the 14th century, we don’t have many differences in our culture, apart from the negative thing that we still, even today, married at an early age.
Sandra Morgan 6:03
How early?
Christina Chalilopoulou 6:06
Quite early, at the age of 14, sometimes 15. In extreme cases, even younger. So ALYSOS Alert is actually working on combating early marriages in my community, and we try to inform as much as we can, the community and why this actually constitutes a crime because it is illegal to get married at such an early age. Yes, it’s a fight that we give every day and to be honest, we need the support and all the help that we can get. Because here in Greece, you see, via the government policy, the state policy, it’s not always as near to us as it should, in the level that we need to be.
Sandra Morgan 7:11
Okay, so let’s kind of dive into that, because it feels like that contributes to making Roma more vulnerable to exploitation and even human trafficking. I’m particularly interested in understanding the forced labor part for children. I was noticing when I was there, this year, that I still saw children on the corners that I identified as Roma, and they weren’t in school, and that bothered me. So let’s talk about what that is related to.
Christina Chalilopoulou 7:17
Well yeah, if we talk about Roma and trafficking, then we should include sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, domestic servitude, illegal adoption, and forced begging. But these are not only the types of trafficking that we have to face, we also need to see that we have the the illegal marriages, as I mentioned earlier. What makes us vulnerable is the poverty and the social exclusion that we face, which results in low educational achievements, unfortunately, high level of unemployment, and this is something that we, of course, we need to overcome. I need to mention that, in my c...
35 min
October 30, 2023306 – Survivor Voices Leading Change, with Jerome Elam
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Jerome Elam as the two discuss the importance of advocating for male victims of trafficking.
Jerome Elam
Jerome Elam is president and CEO of Trafficking in America Task Force, Child Sex Trafficking Survivor, Survivor Leader, recipient of the Award for Courage presented by the National Council of Jewish Women, a member of ECPAT Global Survivors Forum, a member of ECPAT Global Network of Survivor Led Organizations. He’s a staff writer and columnist for Community’s Digital News, a special adviser to the Utah Attorney General, a Marine Corps veteran, recipient of the US Attorney General’s Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award for Anti Trafficking work, and chosen as one of New York’s New Abolitionists.
Key Points
The Warsaw Human Dimension Conference unites 57 OSCE member countries to report on how they’ve been addressing human trafficking and it is global in attendance.
Human trafficking is multifaceted because there is forced criminality involved, making it less likely for men and boys to be identified as survivors.
Jerome Elam describes grooming as psychological quicksand in which the predator grooms the victim through the five stages listed in the episode.
Because of the shame that surrounds male victims, they are less likely to disclose the crimes, and through the grooming of a child’s environment, the victim is less likely to be believed by the adults around them.
Resources
Trafficking in America Task Force
National Council of Jewish Women
ECPAT Global Survivors Forum
ECPAT Global Network of Survivor Led Organizations
Communities Digital News
Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe’s Office
Human Dimensions Conference
National Referral Mechanisms
OSCE ODIHR
Safe Harbor Laws
304 – European Perspectives, with Ioana Bauer
Jerome Elam in “The Silence”
The Clown and The Candy Man
Survivor Voices of Human Trafficking
Jerome Elam: UN World Day Against Human Trafficking
Jerome Elam: New York’s New Abolitionists
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
You are listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast episode #306: Survivor Voices Leading Change, with Jerome Elam.
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. My name is Sandie Morgan and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Our guest today is Jerome Elam. He is president and CEO of Trafficking in America Task Force, Child Sex Trafficking Survivor, Survivor Leader, recipient of the Award for Courage presented by the National Council of Jewish Women, a member of ECPAT Global Survivors Forum, a member of ECPAT Global Network of Survivor Led Organizations. He’s a staff writer and columnist for Community’s Digital News, a special adviser to the Utah Attorney General, a Marine Corps veteran, recipient of the US Attorney General’s Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award for Anti Trafficking work, and chosen as one of New York’s New Abolitionists. He’s so much more and you’re going to learn about that in our conversation. Welcome to the show, Jerome.
Jerome Elam 1:59
Thank you Sandie, it’s an honor to be here.
Sandra Morgan 2:01
You just came back from Warsaw, Poland for the OSCE Conference, there’s 57 member countries. Tell us what that is, why you were there, and maybe a couple of other things I’m going to ask you.
Jerome Elam 2:17
Absolutely. Thank you for that question. The Warsaw Human Dimension Conference is a yearly conference that is put on by the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe’s Office of Democratic Initiatives and Human Rights, that brings together the 57 member countries of the OSCE where we can basically give them a report card on how they’re doing in terms of addressing human trafficking. So one of the things I’ve been really grateful for is opportunity to work on what we call the National Referral Manual, which is a guide book used by the 57 member countries of the OSCE to help combat human trafficking. We are able, at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, to talk to these countries about how they’re following the guidelines, how they’re doing combating human trafficking, and to give them any guidance we can to help them improve their approach to it.
Sandra Morgan 3:09
Well, who’s we? Because I know you’re there, I know a few other people, it’s not all survivors.
Jerome Elam 3:16
No, exactly. I am grateful, I’m actually in my second term as a member of the OSCE OHDIR, survivors of trafficking Advisory Council. But I was at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference as a member of the Council, but also as a member of Civil Society, representing my nonprofit Tafficking America Task Force. The global community can attend this conference and really talk about these important issues, and we both know that human trafficking is evolving faster than the law can keep up with it. So we’re here to talk about how to institute cutting edge approaches to keeping innocent victims from being scooped up by human traffickers and exploited. This is the world community. There were people there from all over the world and I was grateful that we all shared that singular passion to bring it into human trafficking.
Sandra Morgan 3:32
And just recently, we interviewed Ioana Bauer and she’s been a participant there too. So in the show notes for o...
31 min
October 16, 2023305 – Measuring Victim Service Progress, with Kelsey Morgan
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Kelsey Morgan and the two discuss the importance of measuring survivor progress.
Kelsey Morgan
Kelsey Morgan is EverFree co-founder and Chief Program Officer. In 2015, Kelsey founded Willow International to meet the growing demand for quality aftercare and to transform the systems that fuel trafficking. In 2021, Kelsey teamed up with Jeremy Floyd, CEO of 10ThousandWindows, to unite their two organizations to become EverFree. Kelsey is currently pursuing her Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine.
Key Points
It is important to include survivors in the process of creating a tool to connect them with resources.
The Freedom Lifemap tool and program was created to be easy to use and incorporates survivor voices.
Direct feedback from the survivor is given when using the Freedom Lifemap tool, to give the survivor individualized resources that will create lasting freedom.
The Freedom Lifemap program has adaptations in USA, Uganda, Philippines, Mexico, Bolivia, Kenya, and Cambodia.
Resources
Everfree
Willow International
10ThousandWindows
UCI School of Social Ecology
Poverty Stoplight Tool
OrangeWood Foundations
Six Dimensions of Wellness
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast. This is episode #305: Measuring Victim Service Progress, with Kelsey Morgan.
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. My name is Sandie Morgan and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Kelsey Morgan is EverFree co-founder and chief program officer. In 2015 Kelsey founded Willow International to meet the growing demand for quality after care, and to transform the systems that fuel trafficking. In 2021, Kelsey teamed up with Jeremy Floyd, CEO of 10ThousandWindows, to unite their two organizations to become EverFree. Kelsey is currently pursuing her PhD from the University of California, Irvine. I am so excited to have Kelsey here in our studio for this recording, and I should let you all know, I am on Kelsey’s dissertation committee, and it really makes me happy to see the amazing impact that is growing.
Kelsey Morgan 2:02
Thank you, Sandie. I’m so happy to be here.
Sandra Morgan 1:51
Well, let’s just dive right in. You are just knocking down old myths that we can’t measure victim services in a way that’s easy. Everybody has been so challenged by how to tell people what our impact is, how to tell when a survivor is ready, maybe for the next step. I want you to give us a little insight into what drove you to choose a research project, tackling a question that everybody was asking?
Kelsey Morgan 2:36
Yeah, so I’ve been doing anti human trafficking work since 2010. Long story short, I moved to East Africa to help an aftercare organization startup and when we started developing these programs, I looked to the research. What works? What are the proven models, the best practices, and how do we measure? How do we show impact? But these things didn’t exist. And it was really hard being in the field, doing this work, without having the tools to measure what’s most effective, and without having data on what do survivors need most. What is most impactful in helping them attain a life of lasting freedom? So the team and I built programs, we found that they were working. Survivors were going back into their community, they were thriving, but we had no measurement tools to show this impact or to prove what parts of our programs were creating that impact.
Sandra Morgan 3:28
So I’ve been in a lot of conversations with donors who want to know what their funds are actually doing in the individual lives of survivors. Donors will say to me, “Well, the anecdotal story is really motivating, brings tears to my eyes, but I want more than one story.” How does this change how we deliver on impact?
Kelsey Morgan 4:02
Sandie, I’ve had the same questions asked of me and of our work, and I think we’re at a critical juncture in the anti trafficking space, where we don’t have important data that’s needed for survivors themselves, for service providers, and for funders and policymakers. Up to this time we’ve been doing interventions, doing programs, trying to help out of passion and good heart, but really without data on what’s most effective. This tool helps philanthropists, helps policymakers, helps funders understand where survivors most needs support, and then it identifies what interventions are most effective in helping survivors attain a life of lasting freedom.
Sandra Morgan 4:43
And tell us the name of the tool and how it started?
Kelsey Morgan 4:49
Yeah, so the tool is called Freedom Life Map and I was introduced to methodology a different way of measurement, through a group called Poverty Stoplight. They were coming out of Paraguay, and their whole start was in microfinance. What they found was that the World Bank’s measures of poverty were all about $1 amount. If you make $1 a day or less, you’re poor, if you make above, you’re not poor. Their experience on the ground was so much more complex than that. They said, “Poverty is multi dimensional.” It’s not just about money, there’s so many factors that impact whether someone’s poor or not. Most of the measurement tools that they were also equipped with, were not a self assessment of the person living in poverty, but with someone else. An outsider getting to decide that person’s fate basically, “Are you poor or are you not poor?,” and also choosing for them. “You need this, you need this, here’s your pathway forward.” So they decided to turn this way of doing development work totally upside down, and to build a multi dimensional measure of what poverty looks like, and then instead of assessing someone else, asking those people living in poverty, to self assess. What are their strengths, and what are their vulnerabilities? I fell in...
34 min
October 02, 2023304 – European Perspectives, with Ioana Bauer
Dr. Sandra Morgan is joined by Ioana Bauer. In this episode the two discuss European Perspectives on ending human trafficking procedures.
Ioana Bauer
Ioana Bauer completed her anti-human trafficking certificate through Vanguard University. She has been a leader in Romania since 2010 in eradicating human trafficking. She has helped pilot survivor engagement projects nationally, internationally through the UN, and through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ioana Bauer has impacted policy and legislation, leading an initiative in Romania to remove the statute of limitations for the crime of creating online Child Sexual Abuse materials. She’s spearheaded a new award winning protection model compass geared at preventing and identifying trafficking for Ukrainian refugees. Ioana Bauer has been active in the area of protecting human rights and dignity since 2005, and, since 2010, she has dedicated her efforts to addressing human trafficking by leading and shaping prevention activities, developing materials on the issue and conducting capacity building activities. Ioana is an Ashoka Fellow, a 2020 Resilience Fellow with GITOC, and is recognized as one of the women leaders advancing the UN SDGs globally.
Key Points
Ioana Bauer received the first ever Amplify award at this year’s Amplify Luncheon.
Prostitution was recently recognized as a form of violence against women by the European Union.
It’s important to use accurate terminology, like “CSO” (Civil Society Organization) because it reframes something from a negative.
Multiple items of legislation, recommendations, and bylaws have made it to their 20th anniversary, raising some concerns about whether or not they should be updated.
A referral mechanism is essentially a helpful roadmap for identifying victims, and guiding them to services/resources in order to access their rights.
Resources
eLiberare
European Union Anti Trafficking Directive
Council of the European Union
OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe)
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Palermo Protocol
TVPA
Office of the Special Representative
International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC)
National Referral Mechanism
#282: Crisis Prevention of Ukraine Refugee Trafficking, with Ioana Bauer
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast. This is episode #304: European Perspectives, with Ioana Bauer Romania.
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. I am so delighted today to have an in studio guest, Ioana Bauer. She completed her anti-human trafficking certificate through Vanguard University and I’m so proud of her. She’s done all the work, but I just get to be proud. She has been a leader in Romania since 2010 in eradicating human trafficking. She has helped pilot survivor engagement projects nationally, internationally through the UN, and through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. I’m especially intrigued with the ability she has to impact policy and legislation. She led an initiative in Romania to remove the statute of limitations for the crime of creating online Child Sexual Abuse materials. She’s spearheaded a new award winning protection model compass geared at preventing and identifying trafficking for Ukrainian refugees. We interviewed her about that in episode #282. You can check that and you can also remember what we said about her in her bios. I’m gonna dig right into this and Ioana I’m so happy to have you with us today.
Ioana Bauer 2:27
Thank you so much. It’s amazing to be here. And again, I am awestruck by the fact that I’m in the presence of one of my mentors.
Sandra Morgan 2:35
I’m glad you are here. And just for our listeners, I want you to know, the reason she’s here on site is she was able to attend our Amplify event this weekend, where she was recognized for her important work in the movement, as she received our first ever amplify, award. The theme of amplify is “Every Person, Every Action.” We want to amp up our energy and our resources in combating human trafficking. We want every person, every action to count. So congratulations on receiving that award.
Ioana Bauer 3:22
Thank you so much.
Sandra Morgan 3:24
So I’m particularly interested in better understanding what’s happening in the European Union. I was with a friend last week, and they were excited they were getting WhatsApp notices from the EU, the European Union, about a resolution that had just passed regarding prostitution. Can you give us some insight?
Ioana Bauer 3:47
Yeah, last week was a moment of celebration in the European Union as far as the anti trafficking movement goes, because although it is a non binding legal document, this resolution talks about prostitution, and it recognizes it as a form of violence against women. If we look at prostitution, 90% of the people who are victimized through it, are women and girls. Then if we look at sex trafficking, so human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, 87% of the victims are women and girls. Therefore, it’s important to have the right terminology and to look at prostitution an its role that it plays in this. So with this resolution, what we’re seeing is that no MEP’s voted on the fact that prostitution is violence against women. They voted on the fact that we should not blame the victims, we should not look at the people who are pushed into this either by circumstances or other people, but we should actually look at the other factor that oftentimes goes unnoticed, respectively, the demand. Who are the people who are willing to pay for the exploitation of others? So this resolution is providing different provisions, it’...
32 min
September 18, 2023303 – Prostitution Research, with Dr. Melissa Farley
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Dr. Melissa Farley. The two discuss the issues surrounding the legalization of prostitution.
Dr. Melissa Farley
Dr. Melissa Farley. She’s a feminist psychologist who has authored or co-authored 52 peer reviewed articles on trauma, healthcare, prostitution, pornography, and sex trafficking as well as two books, “Prostitution, Trafficking and Traumatic Stress” and “Prostitution and Trrafficking in Nevada: Making the Connections.” Her research and publications have been used by governments in South Africa, Cambodia, Canada, France, New Zealand, Ghana, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States for education and policy development on prostitution and trafficking. Dr. Farley founded Prostitution Research and Education, a nonprofit research institute, which disseminates educational materials by survivors and others who contribute to the movement to abolish prostitution.
Main Points
Prostitution, pornography, and trafficking are linked and are difficult to separate because they all affect each other.
Research should include survivor voices and cultural representation from leaders and experts should be a part of the process.
Trafficking is essentially pimping, and in simple terms is the control of one human being by another who uses them for the purpose of making money by selling them for sexual use.
The common narrative that permeates the nuanced issue of prostitution, and it is often pushed by the pimps themselves, is that most people engage in prostitution voluntarily but there are few who have been trafficked.
Prostitution is not a freely made choice because coercive control is involved and social conditions that surround an individual.
When prostitution is legalized, the stigma around it remains.
Resources
Prostitution, Trafficking and Traumatic Stress by Melissa Farley
Prostitution and Trafficking in Nevada: Making the Connections by Melissa Farley
Prostitution Research and Education
Federal US Trafficking Victim Protection Act
Project SWOP
Episode #197, with Dr. Donna Hughes
No on K
SAGE: Standing Against Global Exploitation
Safe House San Francisco
Episode #219, with Bradley Myles
Traffic Jamming Blog
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00
You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode #303: Prostitution Research with Dr. Melissa Farley.
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. We’re going to have a conversation with Dr. Melissa Farley. She’s a feminist psychologist who has authored or co-authored 52 peer reviewed articles on trauma, healthcare, prostitution, pornography, and sex trafficking as well as two books, “Prostitution, Trafficking and Traumatic Stress” and “Prostitution and Trrafficking in Nevada: Making the Connections.” Her research and publications have been used by governments in South Africa, Cambodia, Canada, France, New Zealand, Ghana, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States for education and policy development on prostitution and trafficking. Dr. Farley founded Prostitution Research and Education, a nonprofit research institute, which disseminates educational materials by survivors and others who contribute to the movement to abolish prostitution. Dr. Farley has also been a speaker at the Global Center for Women and Justice’s Ensure Justice Conference. We are so glad to have this conversation. It is such a pleasure to have you with me today Dr. Melissa Farley. Thank you.
Dr. Melissa Farley 2:25
I am so happy to be here, Sandie Morgan. It’s been many, many years. When we first met and began working on this challenging human rights abuse. But it’s a pleasure. Thanks.
Sandra Morgan 2:41
Well, you have been doing prostitution research for how many years?
Dr. Melissa Farley 2:48
We have been doing research on prostitution and pornography and trafficking because they’re so linked, we’ve found you can’t separate them. We’ve been doing research on those things for 25 years now with many, many, many other people. It’s not just prostitution research, and our team, but it’s lots of partners.
Sandra Morgan 3:13
I think that’s one of the things I really admire about your research, is it is very connected, related, survivor voices are always present, and cultural representation from leaders and experts where you’re doing research are part of the process.
Dr. Melissa Farley 3:41
It’s true, it’s true. We could never have done any of this without the leadership, really, of survivors of the sex trade in all parts of the world. Everything I know and everything we try and communicate comes from that base of their perceptions, and their observations, and their analysis of the sex trade. And I know that’s really important to you too, right, in your work?
Sandra Morgan 4:11
Absolutely, absolutely. We don’t want to do anything for someone without them being part of the process. So let’s start off. If you can give us a glimpse into how you see the overlap of prostitution, pornography, and human trafficking? Those three elements.
Dr. Melissa Farley 4:37
Let me just first say that, after many, many requests from people in the media for an answer to the question, how many people are trafficked anyway? When you use the word trafficking, most of us in the United States, are talking about the federal United States Trafficking Victim Protection Act, which has occasionally been revised since it was first put into effect, but that’s what people are talking about. It’s been my experience, Sandie, I don’t know about you, but people, their eyes roll back in their heads if you start talking about trafficking without defining it. So, over the years, I’ve come to decide, ...
36 min

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The Global Center for Women and Justice launched the Ending Human Trafficking podcast in April 2011. Our mantra is Study the Issues. Be a voice. Make a difference. We believe that if you do not study…