His Name Was David

It's an unfortunate truth that boys are often overlooked in discussions about child trafficking and sexual exploitation.

See this new video from Love146 about what work is being done to help girls, boys, and vulnerable families/communities in the Philippines.


His Name Was David. from Love146 on Vimeo.


And if you're interested in more information on boys and men in trafficking situations, see this recent article called "Boys, Too: The Forgotten Stories of Human Trafficking."

Imagine Goods

Head on over to Imagine Goods for some sustainable--and really cute--shopping. For example: this wristlet or the Beatrice apron (both pictured here). Both are from the "Carousel" line and are made from materials handpicked from local sellers in Phnom Penh.

The prices are really reasonable and you can know you are shopping in a way that--as Imagine Goods puts it--"partners with vulnerable and marginalized people around the world to make products that, in many cases, give them the first fair wages they've ever received."

And, of course, for the line that's closest to my heart, check out the "Re-Imagine" line that benefits Love146. Most of the items are currently sold out, but you can sign up for an email list to be notified when the next batch is coming in. There are cute totes, hoodies, tanks, and other goods that are upcycled and provide empowering employment opportunities. You can see more of the story here.

Happy shopping! Let me know if you end up buying something. And keep this site in mind for your upcoming holiday lists. :)

I'm With Lincoln

How about you?

TVPRA Passes!

This has been a long time coming.

It's insane how long it took a bipartisan reauthorization to pass, but today it did--in the House of Representatives. THANK YOU!!

As a brief recap: the Trafficking Victims Protecting Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) has been stalling for 2 years. It expired in 2011 and MANY organizations and individuals have been working tirelessly together to get it reauthorized ever since.
For more information check out International Justice Mission's Freedom Commons write-up or this news release from Polaris Project:

“In 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was a landmark bill that greatly increased America’s ability to protect victims and assist survivors, and it was reauthorized three times with bipartisan support. Today's bill sets important funding benchmarks, encourages distribution of the Polaris Project-operated National Human Trafficking Hotline number by federal agencies, establishes grant programs for state agencies to assist child victims of sex trafficking, strengthens the ability to prosecute those who fraudulently hire individuals in foreign labor contracts, and more."

Now it's your turn, Mr. President. Sign that thing into law!

And you can take a minute to thank your congressional reps who supported the reauthorization here.

END IT: Shine a Light on Slavery

Yes.

This is exactly what is needed and I couldn't be more excited about it. (!!!)

Check out the END IT movement. Seven fantastic anti-slavery and pro-justice organizations are joining forces to "shine a light on slavery." Collaboration is SO important, and this news gives me incredible hope. The participating organizations include:

• Made in a Free World
• Free the Slaves
• Polaris Project
• A21
• International Justice Mission (IJM)
• Love146
• Not For Sale

They already have lots of cool stuff on the website, including some upcoming events--such as February 27th's "Disappear for a Day on Social Media." There's also a free activist toolkit and a pledge to sign where you can keep in contact with END IT and what you can be doing to play a role. 

Below is the ad that ran in today's USA Today:

And I love this sentiment perhaps best of all:

"You don't have to give your money to END IT.

Just give your voice."

Because if you're reading this right now, the freedom of voice is something you have. 

So please use it--starting today.

#ENDITMOVEMENT

Zero Trafficked Children

UNICEF is doing some really cool things right now. Angie Harmon (my dad's long-time celebrity crush) has become one of their newest ambassadors. She's helping to raise awareness that children are being trafficked and abused, both in labor and sexual slavery--and it is happening in the United States.


What I find really cool, though, is the resources teachUNICEF is providing for middle school and high school educators. This is something I am seeing more and more anti-trafficking organizations and advocates doing: educating our teens and pre-teens. I know Love146 has been speaking at some local Connecticut high schools this past year, and I think it's one of our collective best chances for future prevention.

Check out the resources at http://teachunicef.org/explore/topic/child-trafficking, including lesson plans for grades 6-8 and 9-12. I'd be interested to hear if any teachers have used this or similar resources, and how the experience went.

And of course, my dear friend Diana Scimone has the Born2Fly curriculum, which is a 6-week strategic community awareness campaign. You can register for that curriculum and use it for free to help "reach kids before the traffickers do."

Hopefully, between these resources and people who are putting them into practice, we will all be more aware and able to prevent our communities' children from falling victim to this exploitation.

Everyday Heroes

My husband lives, loves, breathes, reads, watches sports. He gets animated when he talks about it. He loves to predict what will happen in games that haven't been played yet. And whenever he's laughing to himself at his computer I instantly know he's reading some Bill Simmons on Grantland.

Now here's a baseball player we can both get excited about.

R.A. Dickey.

He's a Cy Young winner. He's famous for his knuckleball. And he's spending time in India to fight child sex trafficking.

Check out the article at CBS News: NL Cy Young Winner R. A. Dickey in India to Help End Child Sex Trafficking 

Glad to see some everyday heroes bridging the gap between a life celebrated in sports and doing the things that I believe matter most in the long run.