These films, books and websites can help increase your knowledge about human trafficking.
To stay up to date on the latest news in human trafficking, visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/FreedomWeekNYC.
SHORT FILMS
Bound by Promises
This film explores the life of men in rural Brazil who leave their homes in search of work only to be lured to isolated ranches in the Amazon. The men are then forced to do back breaking work and live in shacks full of people with no running water. They become prisoners of debt bondage and work tirelessy to regain their freedom while armed guards stand by to remind them of the consequences of runaways. Although slave labor has been outlawed in Brazil in 2006, and around 4,000 people are released each year, there are still around 25,000 people enslaved in Brazil. The judicial system has yet to take actions against slave owners.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5354412086657261278#
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5354412086657261278#
Dreams Die Hard
This 36 minutes film profiles people across the United States trapped in slavery. Film maker Peggy Callahan captures the life of Maria, who was forced to work as a domestic servant and was a victim of sexual expolitation in Southern California. "Miguel" was forced to harvest tomatoes in Florida while under the threat of violence while Christy and Rose were taken from their homes in Africa and forced to be domestic servants in Maryland. This Free the Slaves film highlights these survivor's passion for freedom not only for themselves, but for slaves around the world.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-907523532488716086#
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-907523532488716086#
Restaveks: Child Slaves in Haiti
Although slavery was outlawed in Haiti in 1804 when the slaves overthrew their French masters, indentured servitude still exsist in Haiti today. A restavek is a child who leaves their family to live with another family because their parents cannot afford to take care of them. A rural family hopes that someone in the city can send their child to school and give them a better life. This is not the case though, that child is forced to work and becomes the domestic slave in their new household.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhdttD70GEw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhdttD70GEw
FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS
Call + Response
Rock star turned abolitionist Justin Dillon was stunned when overseas he witnessed human trafficking. He took his love of music and gathered a group of artists to use their talents to shed some light on this issue. This unique "rockumentary" focuses on modern day slavery as a whole. Artists express the issue through song but also through interviews with politicians and activists to give a well rounded view of this global crisis.
http://www.callandresponse.com/trailers.php
http://www.callandresponse.com/trailers.php
Fatal Promises
Through personal stories of victims and interviews with politicians, NGO representatives and activists--including Gloria Steinem and actress Emma Thompson--Fatal Promises provides a comprehensive look at the realities of human trafficking versus the rhetoric of politicians and pundits who claim to be making significant strides in combating this horrific crime against humanity.
Very Young Girls
This film focuses on the sex trafficking of 13 and 14 year old American girls in New York City. It really demonstrates how these young girls are seduced, manipulated, and abused by pimps and then treated as adult criminals in the judicial system. This film is also unique because some of it was filmed by pimps, and gives a glimpse into the life of prositution.
The film also goes inside GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services), a recovery center for girls who have been sexually exploited. Founder Racheal Llyod, a former sexual exploitation victim and her staff work relentlessly to give girls from the court and found on the street a second chance and an escape from "the life."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fX6EaHuRCg&feature=player_embedded
The film also goes inside GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services), a recovery center for girls who have been sexually exploited. Founder Racheal Llyod, a former sexual exploitation victim and her staff work relentlessly to give girls from the court and found on the street a second chance and an escape from "the life."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fX6EaHuRCg&feature=player_embedded
BOOKS
Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy
By Kevin Bales
Kevin Bales examines contemporary slavery from the brick kilns in Pakistan to brothels in Thailand, to various multinational corporations. He links this ancient yet illegal institution that still has about 27 million people trapped within its confines to the global economy. All profits made by the author go to anti-slavery causes around the world.
Road of Lost Innocence
By Somaly Mam
A riveting, beautiful memoir of tragedy and hope by a woman named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world and Newsweek's 50 Women Who Shake the World.
Born in Cambodia, Somaly Mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather at age 12. For the next decade, she was forced to work in multiple brothels, suffering unspeakable acts of brutality, until she managed to escape. While her story is horrific, it is not unique. Thus, Mam has become a brave and tenacious leader in the fight against human trafficking, rescuing sex workers – some as young as five – and offering them shelter, rehabilitation, healing, and love to help them toward a better life.
Born in Cambodia, Somaly Mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather at age 12. For the next decade, she was forced to work in multiple brothels, suffering unspeakable acts of brutality, until she managed to escape. While her story is horrific, it is not unique. Thus, Mam has become a brave and tenacious leader in the fight against human trafficking, rescuing sex workers – some as young as five – and offering them shelter, rehabilitation, healing, and love to help them toward a better life.
Sex Trafficking, Inside the Business of Modern Day Slavery
By Siddharth Kara
Siddharth Kara has traveled all over the world and spent years compiling all the stories and data present in this book. He examines the sex trade in countries such as Moldova, Albania, Thailand, the Netherlands, Italy, Nepal, India, and the United States through his own personal experiences interviewing girls in brothels, girls in recovery centers and the traffickers and brothel owners themselves. Kara is able to provide a rare analysis of sex trafficking through his background in finance and economics. He focuses on local trends and culture as well as the macroeconomic trends that gave rise to the industry. He also devises a framework for the abolition of sex slavery through targeting the business and economic functions for a more effective global approach to ending this exploitation of the world's most vulnerable people.
The War on Human Trafficking: U.S. Policy Assessed
By Anthony DeStefano
A solidly researched, comprehensive and unbiased book that is completely accessible to anyone interested in learning just how extensive and sophisticated this criminal industry is. This book should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand what needs to be done in order to combat human trafficking.
Cover photo by renowned photographer Kay Chernush.
Cover photo by renowned photographer Kay Chernush.
WEBSITES
This list of websites will link you to non profit organizations working to abolish modern day slavery as well as sites that have the lastest news in human trafficking.
http://www.polarisproject.org/
A leading organization in America working towards abolishing all forms of human trafficking in the United States as well as abroad. Their goal is to create long term solutions for survivors, influencing state and federal laws regarding the issue, as well as operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Hotline.
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/
The CNN Freedom Project provides facts, news, and ways in which you can help get involved.
http://www.callandresponse.com/
This is the official website for the documentary Call and Response created by rock star Justin Dillon on modern day slavery. A copy or screening kit can be purchased from this website as well as products. This page has information about the documentary as well as a news section that is constantly being updated and everyday ways in which people can get involved.
http://ecpatusa.org/
ECPAT is a network of organizations and individuals working to restore children of their fundamental rights and end the commercial sexual exploitation of children around the world, primarily focusing on sex tourism.
http://www.gems-girls.org/
The Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), is an organization for young girls who have been commercially sexually exploited. It offers them a safe place to develope their potential and exit prositution. This website also offers volunteering opportunities and is the social service featured in the documentary Very Young Girls.
http://restorenyc.org/
This organization provides safe housing to sex trafficking victims in New York City. There are volunteer opportunities at this holistic after care center for survivors. Restore also partners with law enforcement officials and provides support for T-Visas.
http://nominetwork.org/
The Nomi Network is a non-profit organization working to leverage the marketplace to end sex slavery.
http://change.org
This is a website focused on internet petition signing to take action against social issues in the world. There is a section devoted to human trafficking.
http://truckersagainsttrafficking.com
Truck drivers have now joined the abolition movement. The movement of trafficking victims is present within trucks that travel long distances and sexual exploitation is also present at trucks stops. This website is working to spread awareness about the issue as well as motivate the truckers to use the national human trafficking hotline.
http://love146.org
This organization offers the chance to create your own task force or join a task force in your area to combat modern day slavery.
http://sctn.org
This organiz focuses on the demand side of child sex trafficking by hiring retired military elite operatives to gather information on traffickers internally and internationally in order to prosecute. Walks are held annually throughout the United States to raise money for their operations.
http://www.datehookup.com/content-dating-violence,-prostitution,-sex-trafficking.htm
A resource page on violence in dating and how it connects to sex trafficking.
A leading organization in America working towards abolishing all forms of human trafficking in the United States as well as abroad. Their goal is to create long term solutions for survivors, influencing state and federal laws regarding the issue, as well as operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Hotline.
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/
The CNN Freedom Project provides facts, news, and ways in which you can help get involved.
http://www.callandresponse.com/
This is the official website for the documentary Call and Response created by rock star Justin Dillon on modern day slavery. A copy or screening kit can be purchased from this website as well as products. This page has information about the documentary as well as a news section that is constantly being updated and everyday ways in which people can get involved.
http://ecpatusa.org/
ECPAT is a network of organizations and individuals working to restore children of their fundamental rights and end the commercial sexual exploitation of children around the world, primarily focusing on sex tourism.
http://www.gems-girls.org/
The Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), is an organization for young girls who have been commercially sexually exploited. It offers them a safe place to develope their potential and exit prositution. This website also offers volunteering opportunities and is the social service featured in the documentary Very Young Girls.
http://restorenyc.org/
This organization provides safe housing to sex trafficking victims in New York City. There are volunteer opportunities at this holistic after care center for survivors. Restore also partners with law enforcement officials and provides support for T-Visas.
http://nominetwork.org/
The Nomi Network is a non-profit organization working to leverage the marketplace to end sex slavery.
http://change.org
This is a website focused on internet petition signing to take action against social issues in the world. There is a section devoted to human trafficking.
http://truckersagainsttrafficking.com
Truck drivers have now joined the abolition movement. The movement of trafficking victims is present within trucks that travel long distances and sexual exploitation is also present at trucks stops. This website is working to spread awareness about the issue as well as motivate the truckers to use the national human trafficking hotline.
http://love146.org
This organization offers the chance to create your own task force or join a task force in your area to combat modern day slavery.
http://sctn.org
This organiz focuses on the demand side of child sex trafficking by hiring retired military elite operatives to gather information on traffickers internally and internationally in order to prosecute. Walks are held annually throughout the United States to raise money for their operations.
http://www.datehookup.com/content-dating-violence,-prostitution,-sex-trafficking.htm
A resource page on violence in dating and how it connects to sex trafficking.