We’ve been writing a lot about trafficking in the US and in Ohio lately.  If you want to read another perspective, read this interview with the author of the new book The Slave Across the Street, Theresa Flores.  Theresa is an activist and is also a Director for Gracehaven House in Ohio, one of the few shelters for survivors in America.

If you have a few minutes please listen to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that occurred today.  The hearing titled, “In Our Own Backyard: Child Prostitution and Sex Trafficking in the United States,” included testimony from Ambassador-At-Large Luis CdeBaca, Rachel Lloyd (founder of GEMS) and a survivor of trafficking in the US.

If you’re interested in finding out more (and you’re in the Cincinnati area) you can also check out the free screening of Playground, a documentary on child trafficking in America, on March 11th.  All of this hits close to home in light of the recent study we posted earlier this month about trafficking in Ohio.

A group in South Africa has recently released a PSA to raise awareness about the escalation of human trafficking during the 2010 World Cup coming up this summer.  You can check out the video here. The Salvation Army has also started a new trafficking helpline.  South Africa still doesn’t have any laws against trafficking.  Hopefully they will pass some before the World Cup so they don’t risk the dreaded “F” that Vancouver got for their lack of preparation for trafficking during the Olympics.

On a personal note, I used to live in London for a few years and this video reminds me of all my South African friends! I particularly enjoyed the reference to “robots.” In case you don’t know what those are, they are traffic lights!

On Thursday, March 11th the Freedom Center in Cincinnati is hosting a free screening of the documentary Playground.  The movie is an undercover look at the child sex trafficking industry.  Filmmaker Libby Spears initially started looking into trafficking in Cambodia and the Philippines, only to realize that the problem happens in America as well.  Co-produced by George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh and Grant Heslov, Playground has received enthusiastic acclaim for its unforgettable examination of a subject that most people would prefer not to even mention.  The screening starts at 6pm.  You can get the full details here.

Plus, on the night of the screening Stop Traffick Fashion will be at the museum with our products for sale!  Come and see us, along with the powerful documentary Playground.

Yes, human trafficking happens everywhere.

Recently an anti-trafficking coalition in Vancouver gave the Olympic organizers an “F” for the effort, or lack thereof, to fight trafficking during the Olympic games.  Sex trafficking generally spikes around major sporting events so it’s an important time to crack down on the demand for prostitution and as well as the supply.  Unfortunately, nothing special is being done in Vancouver to do so.  According to the police,

Street-related prostitution existed before the Games, it will exist during the Games and it will exist after,” Houghton said. “Our enforcement around that will not be any different. We have a dedicated vice unit that works very closely with the girls and the guys . . . to ensure that they are safe.

And here at home in Ohio, a new study was just released stating that around 1,000 American children are forced into sex slavery in Ohio every year.  In addition, 800 immigrants are forced into slavery.  Only Miami, Portland, Ore., and Las Vegas had more arrests, investigations and rescues of trafficking victims than Toledo!  It’s hard to imagine that.  This article does a good job of explaining why that’s the case.

Speaking of Ohio, there’s an event coming up in April at Ohio State University: The Price of Life. If you’re in Ohio this would be a great event to attend in order to learn more about human trafficking.  From their website:

The purpose of the Ohio State Price of Life Invitational Campaign is to bring together leaders from the university, church community, legal and business arena and political realm with those local, national, and international organizations on the front lines in the battle against human trafficking in order to raise money, awareness, and advocates amongst faculty and students at the largest college campus in America.  Bringing the voices and talents from these diverse networks will help us stop the horrors of modern day slavery and sexual exploitation.

Valentine’s Day is 1 week away and we have some great ideas for how you can declare your love!  The most obvious is to buy a gift from Stop Traffick Fashion, of course.  Our gifts will show the one you love how much you care and will also enable you to share a story of hope and spread love to survivors of trafficking around the world.  Check out our great selection of jewelry or bath and body products!

If you prefer to go the traditional route with chocolates, be sure to buy fair trade! There is a great selection of fair trade chocolate on Equal Exchange and TransFair USA also has some tips on where to find some goodies.

Finally, if you’re looking for a unique and strikingly personal way to reach out to survivors of human trafficking, we highly recommend the Love146 program to send a Valentine to survivors of child trafficking in the Philippines!  It only takes a few minutes so check it out!

If you haven’t been to Stop Traffick Fashion lately you should stop by and check it out!  We’ve made a lot of changes in the past couple of weeks.  First, we’ve re-designed our home page.   We love the new product shots and there’s also a new link to all of our press.  Our blog also now has a widget displaying all of our latest tweets.  If you’re already on Twitter be sure to follow us to get the latest news about human trafficking.  If you aren’t into Twitter you can check out some of our latest tweets on our blog to see what all the fuss is about.  We post lots of great news stories from various NGOs and other anti-trafficking activists.

Finally, we’ve added a ton of new items!  Our collections page has been updated with several new collections including our all natural bath and body products, bags from Nomi Network and brand new jewelry from Wonderfully Made.  It’s almost impossible to pick our favorites but we’ll try!

The Andrea Tote has already been very popular and our extra long multi-colored magazine necklace is finally online.  We’ve added a lot of new jewelry from Nightlight including the Vivacious Necklace and Bracelet, plus a new hobo bag in our London series.  We definitely want to mention the brand new collection of jewelry from Wonderfully Made.

Wonderfully Made’s model of social entrepreneurship hopes to provide an alternative income for girls and boys leaving trafficking situations. Sustainable jobs are created through producing high quality products desired by Western markets. The jewelry is made in Chiang Mai, Thailand and helps to provide hope and new life for survivors of human trafficking.  We especially love the Emily Necklace, Jasmine Necklace and Venezia Earrings.

Here’s a recap of some recent news:

35 Nepali women have been rescued from being trafficked to India at border checkpoints in the Kailali and Kanchanpur districts within the past six months. A local rehabilitation organization took them in and helped them contact their families. Activists and campaigners are becoming more dynamic in the area so traffickers are using secret routes to get people into Indian cities.

As if Haiti didn’t have enough problems, human trafficking is likely to flourish in the wake of the earthquake. As this article states, “In today’s world, the twin causes of human slavery - poverty and vulnerability - increase exponentially after natural disasters.”

“Freedom - it’s in our DNA.”  That’s the tagline for a new anti-trafficking foundation started by Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher called the Demi and Ashton Foundation (DNA).  The celebrities have already been involved in learning about this issue and raising awareness so we are hopeful for the future of their foundation.  Hopefully added star power will continue to help in the fight!  You can check out their website and, of course, follow them on Twitter.

A young Cambodian girl in Hagar International’s care testified in court against her “godmother” who abused her as a domestic servant.  Sue Taylor, manager of the psychosocial services department of Hagar International, the NGO that has been helping to rehabilitate the girl, said Tuesday that the opportunity to testify in court was a key step in her healing process.  We hope that this will enable her to continue in her rehabilitation and restoration to a new, free and beautiful life.

We’ve finally added the fabulous Buy Her Bag Not Her Body totes from Nomi Network!  They are made from cotton and recycled rice bags by survivors in Cambodia.  They are available in multiple colors and with multiple strap types: single straps long enough to fit over your shoulder, or with a convertible strap that’s long enough to wear across your body.  Check them out and use them to start a conversation today!

Plus, stay tuned for a long list of new items to be added next week.

We have 2 reminders for you!

First, there are still 2 weeks left to think about and submit your designs for our T-shirt design contest.  We are very excited to see what you all come up with!

Second, this coming Saturday we’ll be at Bromwell’s Gallery in downtown Cincinnati for a new art opening.  10% of the proceeds from the event will benefit Stop Traffick Fashion and we’ll be there with our merchandise on display and for sale!  The money raised will be used to invest in our new T-shirt collection.  Plus, 15% of our own sales revenue will be donated to The Restavek Foundation.

Where: Bromwell’s Gallery, 117 W Fourth Street, Cincinnati 45202
When: Saturday January 23rd from 6-9pm