Call For Papers

The Anti-Human Trafficking Conference held at the University of Missouri-Columbia, is seeking panelists. From their website:

We are seeking panelists from diverse backgrounds, including activists, legislators, academics, NGO representatives, religious groups, and victim advocates. We are also seeking booth and art display proposals that focus on issues relating to human trafficking from individuals and organizations.

We are particularly interested in panel, paper, and booth proposals on the following issues as they relate to trafficking in persons: labor, gender, sex, children, US foreign policy, militarization, economics, politics/policy, the EU, activism, religious perspectives, prevention/protection/prosecution/best practices.

Panel and paper proposals: Each proposal should include a brief abstract explaining the presenter’s main ideas and focus for the talk or paper, and a biographical sketch detailing the presenter’s background and contact/affiliation information. Presenters should plan to present their work and/or research for approximately 20-25 minutes (not including questions). We will consider proposals for both individual presenters that may be grouped with other presenters and full panel proposals.

Booth and art display proposals: Each booth proposal should include a brief description of the organization and nature of the booth. We are also interested in booth proposals from filmmakers who have made films about human trafficking; there may be the opportunity to show excerpts from the films as well. Each art display proposal should include a brief description of the artists’ background, details about the materials necessary to display the artwork, and a description and/or pictures of the art work. Time will be set aside for booth representatives and art creators to talk about their work and answer questions at their booths/displays.

Website: www.stoptrafficnow.com and http://wgst.missouri.edu/
Contact: Jessica Jennrich, Associate Chair, Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Missouri-Columbia, jennrichj@missouri.edu

Submission: Proposals should be submitted to jennrichj@missouri.edu and muhtc2008@gmail.com or
Women’s and Gender Studies,
University of Missouri-Columbia
325 General Classroom Building
Columbia, MO 65211-4130

Deadline for Proposals: September 15th, 2007

Conference Dates: March 21, 22, and 23, 2008

Domestic Servitude in Haiti

MSNBC.com has a look at Haiti's restavec system, which claims as many as 300,000 Haitian children who are, more often then not, promised a good home and an education and instead find themselves forced into domestic servitude. Some, like AASG Associate Micheline Slattery, are taken in by extended family after being orphaned; others are given up by parents too poor to feed them; still others are runaways taken from the streets.

The piece offers a good overview of not only the realities of the restavec system for those children who are caught up in it, but also some of the social, historical and economic roots of the system.

Click here for the full story.

More on Mauritania

A story on IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, offers some in-depth analysis of Mauritania's new law against slavery and the additional steps that will be needed in the coming months to ensure that abolition comes about as quickly as possible.

According to the article, the new law requires victims themselves to take their complaints to the police, who lack both the mentality and resources to address the problem. Moreover, the new law makes no provisions for life after slavery--NGOs and other advocates are pushing for education, social and economic reintegration projects and an awareness campaign about the new law.

Click here to read more.

Three Mexican nationals indicted in South Carolina sex trafficking case

Three Mexican nationals were indicted on Wednesday in Washington for conspiring to bring women, and at least one minor, into the U.S. for commercial sex.

If convicted, they face a collective fine of over $1 million and a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Click here for the full story.

Anti-Trafficking Conference in California

I got this email in my box this morning:

The 5th Preventing Abuse Conference: "Women and Children at Risk of Human Trafficking, Abduction and Internet Predators."
Sponsored by the Cedars Cultural and Education Foundation

November 15, 2007
Universal Hilton Hotel, Universal City, CA
7:45am-4:00pm

Registration:
$49/person in advance, $59/person at the door
includes lunch
Click here for more information and to register online.

Topics to be covered include:

• Internet safety;
• Protecting children;
• What to do if the unthinkable happens;
• The effects of human trafficking on our nation and families;
• What fuels the demand for commercial sexual exploitation;
• The importance of the Church in the struggle to end human trafficking;
• National security;
• and the impact of pornography.

Abuk Bak featured in the Boston Globe!

Abuk Bak, formerly of the AASG Speakers' Bureau was featured this Monday in a two page article in the Boston Globe. The article focused on the widespread nature of slavery today and how there are abundant witnesses, even in Massachusetts.

"Now 33 years old and living in Lynn, Abuk has found happiness. She has been married for nine years, has three children, and works as an aide in a Lynnfield nursing home. Abuk shares her story for many reasons, among them catharsis and to create awareness. 'Nobody is paying attention, like killings, kidnapping -- they should really know -- being put as slaves, and no one knows,' she said."

To read the full article click here.

Abuk also wrote her story of capture, enslavement and escape for Enslaved: True Stories of Modern Day Slavery, our anthology of modern slave narratives.

California Couple Pleads Guilty to Slavery

Elizabeth and James Jackson of California plead guilty yesterday to enslaving a Filipino woman in their home.

"Elizabeth Jackson faces a maximum sentence of 46 months in prison for her forced labor charge. James Jackson’s sentence will include 200 hours of community service[...]" The sentencing will take place November 5.

The press release from the Department of Justice gave no information on what became of the Filipino woman.

To read the press release click here.

Fighting Slavery by Shopping

At AASG, we receive a constant stream of inquiries asking what can be done by individuals to stop slavery. The citizens of New Zealand are just as outraged as Americans, and they've decided to take matters into their own hands.

Trade Aid, a fair trade organization, has led the way with their campaign "Slavery still exists, and you may be supporting it ..." One of the campaign's main initiatives is circulating a petition, which calls for "the government to make importation of slave made products illegal."

According to a recent article, not one New Zealander has refused to sign. The petition, which carries tens of thousands of signatures, will be brought before Parliament on August 23, the day the UN marks for International Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

To read more about this story, click here.
To learn more about Trade Aid's campaign, click here.

Victory in Mauritania!

Enslavement is finally a crime in Mauritania. Although outlawed in 1981, slavery still continues openly in the country. Until today, no punishment existed for enslaving others or attempting to justify the the chattel system.

Since its inception, AASG has worked to eradicate slavery in Sudan and Mauritania. Today we were proud to say that the Mauritanian government has taken a step in the right direction. While this is a great victory for abolitionists everywhere, we are also aware that the fight is not over. We urge the Mauritanian government to see today as a foundation on which to make further efforts to end slavery once and for all.

The clandestine SOS Slaves, a Mauritanian human rights organization, has advocated to get this legislation passed. Our associate Abdel Nasser Ould Yessa, is a former slave owner and co-founder of SOS Slaves. He works with them in exile in France.

To learn more about slavery in Mauritania visit Yessa's biography here.

To learn more about the legislation that was passed, check out some of the following stories: Voice of America News, Telegraph, Guardian Unlimited, Miami Herald, BBC World News.

Sudan Update: Worst Flooding in Recent History

Dear Supporters,

This week has brought news of the worst flooding in Sudan in decades, displacing tens of thousands as heavy rainfall has swelled the banks of the White and Blue Nile Rivers and caused at least 41 flash floods across the country.

"What happened this year can only be matched by what happened 40 years ago," Riek Machar, the Vice President of South Sudan, told the BBC after touring the flood-affected areas.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies expect 2.4 million people to be affected by the flooding before the rainy season ends in September.

Standing water left behind by the floods provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes, often bringing with them outbreaks of malaria. At least 25,000 and as many as 35,000 homes have been destroyed, as well as over 100 government buildings, including schools, and roads are shut down throughout the country. Added to the ongoing violence in Sudan, it is not hard to see why the rainy season, in particular, is a crucial time for aid delivery.

Since the beginning of June we have raised nearly 2/3 of our $75,000 goal, which will help purchase and deliver vital supplies--tarpaulins to protect from the rain; mosquito nets to protect from malaria; food for the remainder of the rainy season and seed to plant for harvest when it ends. To all of those who have contributed over the past two months, our many thanks.

If you have not and would like to help us raise the remainder of our goal--another $25,000--there is still time. You can do so by clicking here.

Read more from Reuters, and allAfrica.com.


In Freedom,
AASG