A recent article in Charisma magazine by Diana Scimone does a great job at explaining the 4 P’s in the fight against child trafficking: protection, prosecution, prevention and partnership.  She also tells a lot about the organizations who are taking part in the fight and highlights every day people doing what they can do make a difference (including Stop Traffick Fashion!).  You can read the magazine online here. The article begins on page 34, plus you can click on the blue circle on that page for more resources.

In an earlier article, Scimone also interviewed Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, director of the U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.  The interview gives a topline overview of the current US mindset and policies, and also gives practical ideas about how everyone can get involved.  Check the interview out here.

CNN reported on Monday that over the past 3 days, 52 children were recovered, 60 pimps were arrested and a total of 690 arrests were made as part of a large scale FBI operation.  People ask me all the time whether child sex slavery happens in the US…and it does.  At least 52 children are now free! You can read the full story here.

Halloween is upon us.  That presents an interesting dilemma: everyone knows the kids like chocolate the best, but we know that nearly 1/3 of all cocoa is made by child slaves in Africa. Fair trade chocolate is slave-free, but there are few, if any, good sources of fair trade chocolate to accommodate an entire night of trick-or-treating.  If you missed your chance to order free, fair trade chocolate I’m guessing you will have a hard time finding it.  So, if you haven’t already gotten your candy, I would encourage you to skip the chocolate!

Recently an article was published in The Guardian (a UK newspaper) claiming that according to a new investigation sex trafficking is in the UK is highly overstated.

Just in case you saw that article and were persuaded by it, there have been many reactions published since then.  I encourage you to check them out.  Here is one from Change.org.

We’ve just added a new event coming up in a couple of weeks.  On Friday, October 30th at 6pm we’ll be at the Cincy Chic Fall Fashion show at the Havana Martini club.  Come and see us (and our bags in the fashion show!).

And, we’ve recently added some new bags to our collection!  They aren’t available on the website but they will be available at all of our trunk shows and upcoming events.  The new bags are from the Nomi Network and are made by survivors in Cambodia.  Nomi Network exists to leverage the marketplace in order to eradicate sex slavery.  We’re very excited to be working with them.  You can watch their video and see that their vision is very closely aligned with ours.  Join us in putting your dollars to work.

“Either you fight it or you’re part of the problem” - Benjamin Skinner

Last night Stop Traffick Fashion was featured in the Female Focus segment of Channel 1o news in Columbus.  Here is a link to the article and the video!

International Justice Mission has just released a statement about 3 successful rescue missions that took place this week - what great news!  You can leave a comment on their post to encourage all the teams in the field.  I am sure they could use it!

We’ve said it before, but IJM is a great organization working to rescue victims of slavery around the world.  Your support enables them to do this imporant work.  I encourage you to check out their site and see how you can get involved.  You can also support them by purchasing our Freedom Tote.  $5 from the sales of each bag will be donated to IJM.

Yesterday we wrote to tell you how you can support a bill in the House to provide $15 million in funds to support survivors of human trafficking.  We’ve also mentioned the Child Protection Compact Act.  It will provide critical support to countries who want to fight trafficking but lack the resources.  Watch this video to see more:

Your voice to Congress is needed to help pass this bill. Click here to find out how you can call and write to your congressman to make your voice heard!

A sub-committe of the House is ready to vote on whether to provide $15 million to support survivors of human trafficking.  You can click here to sign a petition asking:

•    To provide the highest possible funding level for Department of Justice grants for programs to end human trafficking and slavery;
•     To provide a funding floor for foreign nationals in the Justice grants to ensure continuity of programs;
•    To retain the report language requiring the Department of Justice to establish a point of contact in each U.S. Attorney Office to better coordinate human trafficking and slavery efforts in each jurisdiction; and
•    To support the Senate report language for Human Trafficking Prosecution Units.

The Senate committee has already approved similar funding.  Sign now to support survivors of human trafficking!

It’s not about human trafficking, but this story on CNN.com is very inspiring for those of us who want to create change.  It’s about a boy in Malawi who taught himself to build windmills in order to create electricity for his village.  Everyone said he was crazy but he succeeded.

What can you do to create change?