universities |

Giving Thanks on the Gulf Coast

25-11-2011

50 State Tour, Church Screenings, Travel, universities

(The audience at HopePark Church.)

On Sunday, November 13^th we drove from Atlanta to the Nashville, Tennessee area to show the film at HopePark Church. The event was put on in partnership with Abolition International. Though AI certainly believes in the importance of awareness, the founder, Natalie Grant, also spoke of how they are committed to building homes where victims can have their lives and dreams restored. We were thankful to see a good turnout for the event; and we got some time to catch up with Kelsy Harms, one of our associate producers who worked with us from the early stages of making the film. Kelsy was responsible for researching most of the statistics that we used in our film; we’re thankful for the work she put into making our information credible.

(Natalie Grant, the founder of Abolition International, shares about the vision of her organization at HopePark Church.)

Monday the 14th we hit the road early, driving east towards Memphis for our screening of the film that evening at the University of Memphis. On the panel we had State Senator Beverly Marrero; Assistant US Attorney Steve Parker, who is Chief of the Attorney’s Civil Rights Unit; Suzanna Parkinson, an advocate for victims of sexual crimes; Amy Weirich, the Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich; and Ryan Dalton, the Director of Anti-Trafficking Operations with Operation Broken Silence.

Asst. U.S. Atty. Steve Parker shared how this year, the Memphis US Attorney’s Office created a Civil Rights Unit that has started to place a significant amount of attention on combatting human trafficking. Currently, their unit has placed 13 individuals under indictment for trafficking, with the smallest sentence at 15 years no parole, and the longer sentences between 25-50 years with no parole. But Parker also acknowledged that constructing these cases was only possible with the help of a broad community of individuals who were all concerned enough to follow through with the small details of building a case. This appears to show that if the community as a whole cannot come to a consensus regarding these crimes, any cases we may try to build will likely crumble. On a similar note, victim advocate Suzanna Parkinson reminded the audience that human trafficking can only continue to exist in an environment of public and academic indifference.

(Sex+Money merch table in the foyer at University of Memphis.)

(Scott introducing the film at Loyola University in New Orleans.)

On Tuesday the 15th we drove south to New Orleans to show the film that evening at Loyola University. The panel at Loyola consisted of Elizabeth Scaife, the Project Coordinator for Shared Hope International; An FBI Special Agent; Mauricio Aguilar, the Human Trafficking Case Manager at the Metro Center for Women and Children; and Lieutenant William Hare, of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office vice squad. Aguilar specified how our culture perpetuates the violent dehumanization of women; and until such a perspective begins to shift, we’ll be stuck dealing with an ugly aftermath. Noting the elusive nature of traffickers, and the way they quickly shift prostituted persons between cities and states, the Special Agent said, “It’s not just one city’s problem; it’s not just a regional problem; it’s a nation wide problem.”

(Questions for the panel at Loyola University.)

Wednesday the 16^th we shared the film with the congregation at Ames Boulevard Baptist Church, in the suburbs just south of New Orleans. The church already has a ministry focused on human trafficking, so many in attendance (teenagers, middle aged, and elderly) were already active in the abolitionist cause. Though the event wasn’t especially large numerically, the night proved mutually encouraging for both of our groups.

(At the world famous Cafe Du Mond with our hosts from Ames Boulevard Baptist Church.)

(The French Quarter in New Orleans.)

(A lot of music to be enjoyed on the streets of New Orleans.)

After taking a little bit of time to enjoy New Orleans, on Saturday the 19^th of November we drove to Gulfport, Mississippi. Monday the 21^st, we had a screening at the University of Southern Mississippi. The screening was unique in that we showed the film simultaneously at two different campuses of the University – one in Hattiesburg, and one at the Gulf Coast campus in Long Beach. Following the film at the Gulf Coast campus, there was a panel discussion that included Heather Wagner, the Assistant Attorney General for the State of Mississippi; Mississippi State Representative Diane Peranich; Dr. Marie Leonard, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at USM; and Dr. Robert Press, an Associate Professor of Political Science at USM.

Panelists spoke about how there is a need for new legislation on the issue of human trafficking in Mississippi, but any push for legislation will have to originate from the general public, as legislators are in office to represent their constituents. Touching on the economic status of Mississippi, panelists acknowledged the need for faith-based, and other non-government funded groups to play a greater role in addressing the issue. Seeing the effectiveness of faith-based and other non-government groups after Katrina, such groups could have a similarly positive effect in bringing restoration to their communities from the plethora of damages wreaked by human trafficking.

(Susie Harvill, from Advocates For Freedom, introducing our film at Cedar Lake Christian Assembly in Biloxi, Mississippi.)

On Tuesday the 22^nd we showed the film at Cedar Lake Christian Assembly in Biloxi. Speaking with members of the congregation, it was clear they had ideas beyond just learning about human trafficking. People were in the audience who were seasoned foster parents; others were considering plans to establish restoration facilities. Meeting people who were so willing to become tangible answers to such concrete needs in our communities, one senses that real solutions will soon be imparted towards those who are most in need.

(Our host took us out on a swamp tour in Louisiana.)

(Spotted a couple gators on the tour. This was just a little guy.)

(The swamp is a great place.)

This week in Mississippi, our team has been blessed to stay at what was once a shelter for volunteers who came to the area to clean up damage from Hurricane Katrina. We’ve even had a few friends fly in to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us. Yesterday we had a filling Thanksgiving meal, watched a bit of football, and enjoyed the company of our large Sex+Money family. Gratitude, in its many forms, is refreshing.

Photos by Samuel Taipale.

Troubles in Transport, Still Moving Forward

By: timothycdyk

17-11-2011

50 State Tour, Church Screenings, Travel, universities

(A quiet lake in Greensboro, NC.)*

Traveling onwards from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, we proceeded deeper into the south towards Summerville, South Carolina, which is just slightly outside of Charleston. On Thursday, November 3^rd, we sent a portion of our team to screen the film at Carolina Coastal University in Conway, near the Myrtle Beach area. Panelists for the event included David Palinski, the co-creator and Director of Project Lighthouse, a shelter in downtown Myrtle Beach for runaway/homeless youth; Michelle Harkey, a consultant on issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking; Ana Andonie, of the Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; and Sergeant Michael Hildebrand, from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Panelists described some of the demographics of trafficking in the area surrounding Myrtle Beach. Since Myrtle Beach is a midpoint between New York and Florida, a lot of the sex trafficking in the area takes place within populations of runaway youth or transients who are passing through the area. Similarly to North Carolina, law enforcement in South Carolina is being trained to see trafficking when it is taking place, but it seems as though there is a continuous learning curve for keeping up with these exploitative enterprises.

(Screening the film at Carolina Coastal University in Conway, South Carolina.)+

(Sarah-Jo introducing the film at Faith Assembly of God in Summerville, SC.)*

On Friday the 4^th, we showed our film at Faith Assembly of God in Summerville. One of the people that hosted us in Summerville is the founder of an organization called Doors to Freedom, which is currently working to bring more awareness about sex trafficking in South Carolina, in order that they can open a restoration home that will house women who are exiting sex trafficking. It was an edifying time for our team, to hear the vision of someone who has such a clear sense of calling to bring healing to the need that exists in she and her family’s surroundings.

(The band playing after the screening at Faith Assembly of God.)*

(Chris Connoly tending to the percussion.)*

Saturday the 5^thwas spent almost entirely on the Interstate, driving even further southwards to Lakeland Florida where we’d be showing the film at Southeastern University the next day. Once we arrived to Lakeland, we were blessed by the hospitality of the students, some of whom allowed us to use their beds or floor space the couple nights we were there.

As we began preparing for the film on Sunday evening, we had initially planned to use just one room. However, as students began to trickle in, we quickly realized we’d need more space. (Of course, we recommend honoring fire codes when at all possible). In the last minutes before the intended start time of the film, we were able to gain access to three additional rooms. By the end of the evening we counted over 480 students who were able to see the film, many of whom stayed around after the film for a time of deeper processing and prayer. There is always a certain weight after people take in all the content of the film, but in this particular atmosphere it seemed to build into a setting where personal healing and hope were readily available.

(Tight quarters at Southeastern University.)#

(Sarah Jo sharing in one of the screening rooms at Southeastern.)#

Monday the 7^th, a small part of our team in the RV embarked for Tallahassee to screen the film at Florida State University, while the rest of us drove back up to Atlanta, Georgia. But before the group heading to FSU got too far, they ran into some severe engine problems with the RV (black smoke billowing out of vents, etc.) and had to take it into the shop. Those with the RV then piled into the car they were towing with the RV to make it to FSU in time for that evening’s event.

(Smoky RV.)#

(The RV hanging out with other sick (ill) vehicles.)#

The panel that shared after the film included Terry Coonan, the Executive Director of FSU’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights; Floy Turner, a Liaison for AMBER Alert; Jan Davis, the Program Administrator of the Sexual Violence Prevention Program at the Florida Department of Health; and Tyson Elliott, the Statewide Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Florida Department of Children and Families; and Morgan Perry, the executive producer of our film. Mr. Coonan, who did most of the work organizing the event, was involved in prosecuting one of the first cases that put human trafficking on the national radar, thus making way for the passing of our country’s first anti-trafficking legislation around the year 2000.

(Screening the film at Florida State University in Tallahassee.)#

During the panel discussion, Ms. Turner and Morgan discussed restoration as three primary steps. Though the first step of placing victims in restoration homes/facilities is a necessary part of the equation, healing doesn’t stop there. Equipping victims with the skills they need to thrive as a member of society requires a second step of reaching out to local communities, churches, and families that are trained to invest relationally into the victims’ lives. A third step occurs when victims are able to take their own initiative to invest in their community. Of course, the real life outworking of these steps is not nearly so cut and dry, but these three steps might serve as a helpful way to identify and understand the key parts of what is often an extensive process.

On Wednesday the 9^th, the team in Florida moved east to Alabama to hold an early morning screening of the film at Auburn University in Montgomery. Panelists who shared after the film included Carrie Gray, the Deputy District Attorney of Alabama’s15^th Judicial Circuit; Margaret Faulkner, a retired FBI Agent who specialized in child abduction cases; and Steve Searcy, from One Place Family Justice Center. With representatives from the FBI, local law enforcement, military law enforcement, and local non-profits and ministries, the audience was essentially a statewide think tank for sex trafficking. Due to the plethora of experts in the room, the time turned into a fast-paced, popcorn-style discussion. The local officials showed a marked tenacity in making clear commitments to combat sex trafficking in their state. Towards the end of the conversation, a representative from a local organization asked for a verbal commitment from the other leaders in the room, pressing those in attendance to actually take practical steps to act out against the issue in their communities.

(Morgan introducing the film at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama.)#

(Scott introducing the film at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.)*

On Thursday November 10^th, we showed the film at Emory University’s School of Law in Atlanta. We welcomed the opportunity to show the film for so many people who are using, or may in the future use their legal vocations to advocate on behalf of children and other vulnerable populations in our country. On the panel after the film, we had Kaffie McCullough, the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Program Manager at the Juvenile Justice Fund; Kosha Tucker, from Emory University’s Barton Center, a group that deals with childrens’ legal issues; Dalia Racine, an Assistant District Attorney assigned to the Crimes Against Children Unit; and FBI Special Agent Joe Fonseca, the Crimes Against Children Coordinator in Atlanta. Ms. McCullough described the value of investing into victim rehabilitation from the first moment of identifying victims as such. If we just show a mediocre commitment to victims, cyclical abuse and resource drainage will continue to perpetuate themselves. However, if we invest generous portions of our time, resources, and energy from the beginning, in the long run we’ll have an exponential increase in the amount of healthy citizens who have an incentive to invest back into the communities that assisted them in the first place.

(FBI Special Agent Joe Fonseca describes his work with the Crimes Against Children Unit in Atlanta.)*

After waiting a couple days to get the prognosis from the shop on the status of the RV, we eventually found out the work would take quite a while. So, our team members that were originally with the RV drove back to Florida to pile the gear from the RV into a mid-sized U-Haul rental truck that it looks like we’ll be using through the end of the tour. Though the situation is a bit unconventional, we are thankful for the ability to press forward with the last month of tour. Within a day of posting our financial need in covering the cost of the U-Haul on Facebook, the costs were covered by a handful of individuals. We’re extremely thankful for your generosity!

(In lieu of the RV, the new member of our team, Ms. Haully.)^

Photos: Samuel Taipale (#), Chris Connoly (+), Jasen Chung(^), Timothy C. Dyk(*)

Through the Blue Ridge Mountains

By: timothycdyk

09-11-2011

Church Screenings, the road, Travel, universities

(Passing by St. Louis and their famed arch.)

After screening the film at Community Christian Church in Kansas City, Missouri towards the end of last week, part of our team stayed in the area for a screening at Tivoli Cinemas on Thursday, October 27^th. The other half of our team made the ten-hour drive ahead to Lexington, Kentucky where we had a screening on Friday.

For the screening at Tivoli Cinemas, we were pleased to have some of the same panelists that were at Kansas State University from a couple days before. After the screening, the FBI Supervisory Special Agent, and Kristy Childs of Veronica’s Voice, along with Morgan Perry and Scott Martin from our team, addressed questions from the audience. Much of the conversation centered on the importance of viewing prostituted women and girls as victims. The FBI Special Agent described how, due to the psychological manipulation of trafficked persons, teaching them to see themselves as victims is often a lengthy process.

(Autumn Mason, Dr. Claire Renzetti, and Robin Valenzuela serving on the panel at University of Kentucky.)

On Friday, October 28^th the other half of our team that didn’t stay back in Kansas City was in Lexington, Kentucky, screening the film at the University of Kentucky. Our panel after the film included Autumn Mason from our team; Dr. Claire Renzetti, a Professor of Sociology from the Center for Research on Violence Against Women at University of Kentucky; and Robin Valenzuela, from Rescue and Restore, a branch of Catholic Charities. Panelists discussed how if we don’t understand the heavy psychological bondage that keeps victims from understanding the reality of their own victimized state, we won’t understand the sort of services that need to be made available to them. Whether due to drugs, fear of violence, or other factors, it is difficult for trafficked persons to think of themselves as victims—but this doesn’t mean they don’t need services. It just means that the care we offer needs to be rooted in an understanding of the nature of abuse that has created victims in the first place. Such stories of hurt are often difficult to envision when we have the comforts of food, shelter, and warm communities of friends; but it is possible to awaken our senses when we are willing to position ourselves in environments that might stretch the bounds of our comfort.

(Sunset drive from Lexington, Kentucky to Louisville.)

(Gallery space at Sojourn Church in Louisville, Kentucky.)

Later Friday night, the two halves of our team rendezvoused at a church in Louisville, Kentucky that was gracious enough to host our team for a couple nights. Saturday, October 29th, we took the film to Sojourn Church in downtown Louisville. The location where the church meets has been converted from an old brick school building into a beautiful mash-up of settings: one part church, and one part art gallery. Sojourn spends a lot of time thinking about how their faith affects the way they interpret art and act out in their surrounding community, so they’ve created a space where their meetings are surrounded with different art exhibits. We were honored that such an intentionally-minded congregation would go through the effort of hosting a screening of our film for their community.

(Morgan introducing the film at Sojourn Church.)

(A warm welcome from Abolition! at Westover Church in Greensboro, North Carolina.)

Sunday, October 30th, we left Louisville at 4 AM and drove about nine hours to Greensboro, North Carolina, so we could show the film that evening at Westover Church. It would be hard to adequately describe the amount of preparation that the host team, Abolition!, put into the event. Abolition! was formed in 2009 by a group of people at Westover who wanted to make their congregation more aware of human trafficking. The group now includes members from other churches in the area as well. After such a long drive we were thankful to see swarms of people in yellow shirts with walkie-talkies running around setting up for the evening. And their work was well worth it, as they counted over 350 people who attended the event, including a plethora of representatives from local human trafficking organizations.

(A full audience for the screening at Westover Church.)

(Scott introducing the film at University of North Carolina.)*

(Screening at UNC.)*

Our next screening was Tuesday, November 1^st, in Chapel Hill, at the University of North Carolina. The event was sponsored by Carolina Against Sex Trafficking (CAST), and the panel afterwards included Dr. Donna M. Bickford, the Director of the Carolina Women’s Center; two FBI agents; and Andrew Castle from World Relief. Dr. Bickford acknowledged how in some ways North Carolina is ahead of the game with human trafficking, while in others they are behind. Specifically, on July 1^st of this year, North Carolina made training about human trafficking a mandatory part of orientation for law enforcement officers. Bickford went on to describe how when our communities know what they’re looking for, they will find it more often. Though finding the victims is something to seek after, Bickford reminded the audience that currently, if victims are found, there is not sufficient shelter space to house and keep them in secure environments.

Initially it can feel overwhelming to see the extensive roots these crimes have in our society, but airing the problems is a key step in the process of change. As we become more aware of the ramifications these crimes have in victims’ lives, we can glean vision for the many branches of creative solutions that must result.

(Selling gear outdoors at UNC.)*

In other news, we’re excited and thankful to share that we were the recipient of the Win $1000 To Change The World prize from Print 4 Change. See the announcement on their website here.

Photos by Samuel Taipale and *Timothy C. Dyk

From the Plains to the Mountains

By: timothycdyk

08-10-2011

50 State Tour, churches, Travel, universities

On Monday, September 26th we held a community screening of Sex+Money in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the Avera Education Center. There were a lot of graduate students from the Masters of Social Work Program at University of South Dakota, so it was a crowd that will most likely come into contact with the most vulnerable populations of their communities. The panel after the film included South Dakota Senator Joni Cutler, the main sponsor of the Senate Bill that made human trafficking a crime in South Dakota; Elizabeth Talbot, the Director of the Masters of Social Work program at University of South Dakota, who has spent many years of her life researching human trafficking; Ashley, a representative of Be Free Ministries, an organization that works with victims of trafficking in the Sioux Falls area; and Chris Mathew, the Director of Program Development for The GOD’S CHILD Project and its human trafficking program, The Institute for Trafficked, Exploited, & Missing Persons (ITEMP). While many people might disregard South Dakota when thinking of sex trafficking, panelists reminded the audience that even in their rural state, sex trafficking is still a serious issue. With the tourism generated by hunting, and the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, not to mention the constant flow of homeless/runaway youth passing through on Interstate 90, unfortunately sex trafficking is flourishing in South Dakota.

(Panel discussion in Sioux Falls, SD.)

Even though in the last year South Dakota passed legislation to make human trafficking illegal, they had difficulty in passing a more specific Safe Harbor law that would have identified any prostituted person under 16 years of age as a victim, rather than a criminal. Mathew noted how even if Safe Harbor laws were passed, as it stands now there would not be enough services in place (basic necessities like shelter and beds…) to care for the victims. He went on to say that the Midwest and Plains states are in need of more groups like Be Free Ministries, who make themselves available for those who might escape from lives of commercial sexual exploitation.

(Panel Discussion at University of Nebraska.)

On Friday September 30th, we shared our film at University of Nebraska as part of The 2011 Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking that ran from September 29th through October 1st. After the film, the panel included many of the same people who served on the panel at Iowa State University a few weeks before: US Attorney Stephen Patrick O’Meara, Detective John Focht from Council Bluffs Police Department, and an FBI Special Agent. Additionally we were honored to have Siddharth Kara sit in on the panel. With 11 years (and counting) of self-financed research on global human trafficking, Mr. Kara is the first Fellow on Human Trafficking at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He has also authored Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Day Slavery, and is in the process of writing another book on similar subject matter. Mr. Kara shares his knowledge throughout our film, and his insight has been extremely helpful, as he is a strong believer in the necessity of creating an informed abolitionist movement.

(Siddharth Kara.)

In the discussion, it was clear that even though there is a constant need for greater cohesion in the anti-trafficking movement, US Attorney O’Meara, Detective Focht, and the Special Agent showed at least a glimpse of what can happen in our country when groups of committed individuals work together to stamp out exploitation in our communities. Regarding the different forces that would motivate the profiteers behind sex trafficking, Mr. Kara said, “It’s a very compelling economic opportunity with very little risk involved with it.” Furthermore, Kara called for our law enforcement to “bring cost and risk to bear against the offenders.”

(The Badlands in South Dakota.)

Over the weekend, as we headed towards Bozeman, Montana for an event at Montana State University on Monday, we were blessed to pass through the beautiful country in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. We made some quick stops at Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Old Faithful, and observed different animals we saw along the roads within Yellowstone. It would have been great to explore the beautiful reserve of land and wildlife more extensively, but we’ll just need to return for more sightseeing when we aren’t under the constraints of a tight schedule.

(The bus at Mt. Rushmore.)

(Wildlife in the Badlands of South Dakota.)

(Yellowstone Lake.)

(A hot spring near Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.)

(Buffalo stare down.)

By the time Monday, October 3rd, came around, it was time to screen the film at Montana State University, in partnership with the Amnesty International student group on their campus. After the film, the narrators (this author included) all served on a panel to field audience questions about trafficking. Many of our past panel experiences have felt awkward; but thankfully, Monday’s panel was significantly more natural. Though we still feel like we have a lot to learn, we were confident in passing along the information, stories, and concepts that have helped us in our own personal journeys of learning how to combat sex trafficking in the US.

(Autumn, Tim, Sarah-Jo, Scott, and Morgan serving on the panel at Montana State University in Bozeman.)

On Tuesday, October 4th, we drove a ways up the road from Bozeman to show the film at Meadow View Community Church in Missoula, Montana. The church is already aware of domestic minor sex trafficking, as they’ve partnered with Pat McCollough, the former President of the restoration home highlighted in our film, Streetlight Phoenix. Meadow View had already heard information and stories from Mr. McCollough, and other former victims who have come to speak at the church with him; so in a way our film served as a supplement to what they already know of this challenge in our country. Talking to members of the congregation, it was burdensome to hear the stories of past abuses (as we hear with most groups,) but it was uplifting to hear how even formerly-hurting people in their church are learning to move on to a place of reaching out and helping others in their area who are still desperate to have their own stories salvaged.

(Isaac Gill and Jasen Chung at Meadow View Community Church in Missoula, MT.)

(Isaac Gill.)

Our team is currently in Portland, as we’ve had screenings in Bend and Portland over the last two days. We’re doing our best to enjoy the little bit of time we have in the Northwest before heading towards Boise for our screenings there at the beginning of next week.

All photos by Samuel Taipale.

Driving the Dakotas (And Then Some…)

By: timothycdyk

29-09-2011

50 State Tour, Church Screenings, the road, Travel, universities

(Long drive from Bismarck, ND to Rapid City, SD.)

When we showed our film in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last week, we were working as a skeleton version of the normal team. As our team was en route to Milwaukee on a highway in western Wisconsin, the bus suddenly lost power, and had to stay behind at a nearby Wal Mart parking lot until we could take it into a mechanic the next day. We fit all the people we could into our two cars to go to the event in Milwaukee. The rest unfortunately, had to stay behind with the bus in rural Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin. Over the following week they perused pretty much every nook and cranny of the small town while the bus was getting repaired.

(Posting fliers around Madison, WI.)

(Tim introducing the film at University of Wisconsin.)

On Monday, September 19, the part of the team we could fit into our two cars arrived in Madison, Wisconsin to put on our screening at the University of Wisconsin that evening. The film was followed by a panel that included Attorney Natalia Walter, who is the Senior Advisor on Human Trafficking and Migrant Children for the Latin American Health Institute; JoAnn Gruber-Hagen, the Chair of Slave Free Madison; and Jan Miyasaki, Director of Project Respect, which works with sexually exploited adults in Dane County. Panelists emphasized how sex trafficking doesn’t just affect a foreign group of people we can’t understand; it affects people that aren’t altogether unfamiliar to ourselves. Gruber-Hagen stated, “It’s US; it’s citizens; it’s white; it’s African American; and that takes about everyone in this room right now.”

(Panel discussion at Augsberg College in Minneapolis, MN.)

Driving northwest to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, we showed the film at Augsberg College in Minneapolis on Monday, September 21st. For the screenings put on in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, we would be assisted by the staff of The God’s Child Project, a project of the Institute for Trafficked, Exploited and Missing Persons (ITEMP). The panel at Augsberg College included Heather Callier, the Marketing & Development Coordinator for Breaking Free, a Minneapolis organization that works with adult and adolescent victims of prostitution; Heather Weyker, an investigator with the St. Paul Police Department’s Vice and Human Trafficking Unit; Attorney Beatríz Menanteau, who represented the Women’s Human Rights Program of The Advocates for Human Rights; and Charles Moore, the Director of Operations for The Institute for Trafficked, Exploited, and Missing Persons. Callier reminded the audience that victims are in need of housing, resources (for recovery), and jobs in order to reintegrate back into society. Furthermore, she encouraged the audience to see that it is not just adolescents that are victimized by these crimes; because one day, the victimized adolescents will be adults. How do we choose to view them then?

As a side note, last Thursday afternoon, we commissioned four of our gentlemen to an arduous mission out to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to pick up a 15-passenger van that will help to carry a lot of our merchandise, musical instruments, and crew members. Though our RV was repaired and caught up to us in Minneapolis by Thursday night, our team would remain divided until the latter part of the week.

(Inside Westminister Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, MN.)

Thursday evening we had another screening in Minneapolis, at the Westminister Presbyterian Church. It was a beautiful building of elaborate design, intricate stained glass, and shimmering wooden pews. It is a striking contrast to compare the nature of these crimes with the beauty of such a setting – but maybe it is that very contrast that will push the church to begin addressing that which would tarnish the identity of the fellow humans in our communities.

(Outside Westminister Presbyterian Church.)

On Friday we pulled into a blustery Fargo, North Dakota for a screening at North Dakota State University. The panel that followed was comprised of First Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Jordheim, who is very experienced in the prosecution of child exploitation cases; Heidi DeKok, a licensed social worker who has committed to educating the people of North Dakota about Human Trafficking; and Patrick Atkinson, the founder and International Executive Director of The God’s Child Project and the Institute for Trafficked, Exploited and Missing Persons. Assistant US Attorney Jordheim shared how his work focuses mainly on crimes that involve interstate commerce. Because the Internet connects people in so many different physical locations, the online viewing and/or exchange of child pornography can often be tried on the federal level. Jordheim went on to say, “We have a category of criminals today we wouldn’t have had 20 years ago.” Specifically to North Dakota, all the panelists agreed that sex trafficking will probably increase in the western part of the state due to an influx of predominately male labor that will be employed by the oil companies that are beginning to extract oil in the area.

(Spending time with the Bison at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND.)

(Dynamic promotion.)

On Saturday we drove west to Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, to share the film at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. We parked the bus on the corner of a nearby intersection so it would serve as a billboard for the evening’s event. The strategy proved effective, as the event was well attended with people members of Good Shepherd Church, in addition to people from the greater community of Bismarck.

(Bear Butte, SD.)

Sunday morning we woke up early, and drove south to Rapid City, South Dakota for an afternoon screening at Elks Theatre, sponsored by Project Church. The event drew over a hundred people, thanks largely to the local news media that promoted the event. You can see an article in the Rapid City Journal here. Sunday’s event was also the rendezvous point for our scattered team. We even welcomed a new member to the family: The Black Mamba – the new (to us) 15-passenger van! For a community that we just met, Project Church was quite welcoming, and even hosted a bar-b-que for our team after the event, which provided a great chance to catch back up with our Sex+Money family that had for too long been dispersed. Burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, and watermelon were a wonderful background for reunion.

(The Elks Theatre in Rapid City, SD.)

(Morgan talking for the local news station in Rapid City, SD.)

(Sunset in Rapid City, SD.)

All Photos by Samuel Taipale.

Moving Through the Midwest

By: timothycdyk

21-09-2011

50 State Tour, churches, Travel, universities

(In the Michigan woods. Photo: Scott James Martin.)

Our time in Michigan proved to be restful as well as constructive. Between walks in the forest and wiffleball, a few of us also took some time to help our hosts with some wood splitting. Before leaving Michigan, the IJM student group at University of Michigan, hosted a screening of Sex+Money on Monday, September 12th. Afterwards panelists Julie Redmer, a board member of Women at Risk International; Carmen Kusinich, an FBI Victim Specialist who works with victims of trafficking in Western Michigan; and Jane White, the Director of the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force (that includes over 90 member organizations,) responded to questions from the audience. Addressing the adequacy of Michigan’s legislation for human trafficking, Jane White mentioned that the further their task force gets involved with these issues, they find things in the law they weren’t previously aware of, that can often help with prosecutions. But White also went on to emphasize the need to care for survivors of trafficking, saying, “…what hasn’t happened is the support of the victim.”

(Students finding seats at the University of Michigan.)

(Outside the Abbey Pub in Chicago.)

The next day we journeyed eastward to Chicago where we had been able to make arrangements for a screening less than one week prior. We didn’t know what type of event it would be; we just had contact with a church that meets at the Abbey Pub, in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood. When we arrived, we were surprised to learn that even though it looks like a small venue, it has hosted a plethora of bands including The Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Wilco, and Mumford & Sons. Even though it was a smaller audience, we were thankful to have the chance to share the film with a lot of our friends who call Chicago home, as well as a few new acquaintances. After the film, Isaac Gill and Megan Perry performed a few of their songs that are on the recently released Sex+Money: Listening For Human Worth music compilation that is now available in our online store.

(Megan Perry and Isaac Gill.)

(Showing the film at Iowa State University.)

Last Thursday our team rolled into Ames, Iowa for our screening at Iowa State University. We were honored to have some human trafficking experts make the drive over from Omaha, Nebraska to serve on the panel after the film. Panelists included US Attorney Stephen Patrick O’Meara; an FBI agent from the Omaha Division; Detective John Focht, from the Vice Department at the Council Bluffs PD; and Brittany, a survivor of domestic minor sex trafficking. Since we had such experienced panelists, we were glad to have a broad window of time for audience questions.

(Morgan Perry moderating the panel at Iowa State University. Panelists L-R: US Attorney Stephen Patrick O’Meara; and FBI agent, Detective John Focht, and Brittany, a survivor of domestic minor sex trafficking.)

Speaking from the standpoint of someone who, as a young teenager, ran away from an unstable living situation and was tricked into sex trafficking, Brittany was able to bring the reality of this issue one step closer to the audience. As she talked about her life after rehabilitation and being placed with a stable foster home, she said, “I had a place to live and a loving family. I didn’t want to give that up or go back to what I was doing.” Her comments emphasized the reality that domestic minor sex trafficking is not a story of numbers and graphs; it’s the story of men and women who are looking for a place where they are valued and respected, even on the most basic level of humanity.

Towards the end of the discussion, as Panelist O’Meara was directing the audience back to looking at the human element of sex trafficking, he said, “If you look at what is thrown at people today, it isn’t just sexual dehumanization. There’s a tendency not to see the human element of the one who is victimized.” O’Meara then proceeded to emphasize the role that individual communities can play in fighting these crimes, saying, “The real answer is cultural; government can never solve this…the solution is sitting out here in the seats.” He concluded with the question, “How do we measure what it means to be human, and from that how do we determine what it means to be a victim?…When you have to get back to dealing with people, this all looks a lot different.”

(Praise Community Church in Mason City, Iowa.)

On Friday the 16th, with the help of Praise Community Church, we showed the film at North Iowa Community College in Mason City, Iowa. We were grateful that the local television news station promoted the screening, with narrator Sarah Jo Sampson making an appearance in their studio. We enjoyed the opportunity to share the film with Praise Community, as well as many of Sarah Jo’s relatives who live in Iowa.

(Metrobrook Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.)

On Sunday, we went into Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a screening at Metrobrook Church. The church meets in a traditional style church building, which, before being purchased by Metrobrook a couple of years ago, was set aside for demolition. As we shared the film in the redeemed physical building of Metrobrook Church, it was easy to draw parallels to the countless lives in our nation that, though abused and torn down, are in need of being brought to redemption. Some might be formerly prostituted or abused, while others might be recovering from addictions to pornography, while others might be the johns and traffickers themselves. As we continue to share the film in a diversity of audiences and settings, we are reminded of the hope we have that even from hurt and despair, neglected potential can be recovered, and new structures can be constructed.

Photos by Samuel Taipale (unless otherwise noted.)

Back to the Farm

By: timothycdyk

31-08-2011

50 State Tour, churches, Travel, universities

After the event at the Old South Meeting House in Boston, we proceeded on towards Providence, Rhode Island to show the film at the University of Rhode Island the next day. This early in the school year, it has usually been a challenge to bring out people for events at universities; though we were grateful to see a good turnout in Providence.

(Panel discussion at University of Rhode Island.)

After finishing in Providence, we navigated our way back towards New York City. We knew it would have been next to impossible to navigate the streets of Manhattan in the bus, so we were quite fortunate to be able to park the bus at Church at the Gateway, located in Staten Island, just south of Manhattan. From the beginning of filming Sex+Money, we have been blessed by the hospitality of many of the members from Church at the Gateway, as they’ve housed us, fed us, encouraged us, and shared their lives with us. Two Sundays ago we were finally able to share the completed film with their church; it was extremely life giving to share the finished work with a group that has believed in the vision of the film from the very beginning.

(The band plays after the screening at Church at the Gateway in Staten Island.)

(Associate Producer Lindsay Diederichs introduces the film at Church at the Gateway.)

(Looking towards Manhattan from Staten Island.)

On Monday the 22nd, we were excited to screen the film in downtown Manhattan, at the Times Square Arts Center, at an event that was sponsored by Stop Child Trafficking Now. There are a lot of groups and individuals in New York City who are at the forefront of combatting sex trafficking in their communities. Since they’re already wrestling with what it looks like to combat these systematic injustices that are happening in their city, we hope that our film was able to grant some insight and ideas to their work. The film was followed by a panel discussion that included Criminal Prosecutor Amanda Kramer, Attorney Lauren Burke, FBI Victim Specialist Laura Riso, Faith Huckel of Restore NYC, and FBI Supervisory Special Agent Evan Nicholas, who is also the program manager for the FBI’s Innocence Lost National Initiative. The highly accredited panel spoke on a variety of the facets of trafficking, but they directed the audience back to some practical points of action for the New York City area.

(Watching the film at The Times Square Arts Center.)

(Panelist Laura Riso responds to a question from the audience, while panelists Lauren Burke, Evan Nicholas, Faith Huckel, and Amanda Kramer listen.)

One point of discussion centered on the need for people that are willing to invest time to mentor and walk beside vulnerable teenagers. The average age of entry into prostitution is 12-13 years old, and when young people haven’t had anyone investing in their lives, or telling them of their value, they become all the more vulnerable to those that would prey on their vulnerabilities. FBI Victim Specialist Laura Riso gave a statistic that between May 2010 and May 2011, there were approximately 25,000 foster children in New York State, 14,658 of whom live in New York City. With these numbers in mind, it becomes apparent that there is a significant demographic of young people in our nation who are currently in need of healthy mentorship. Volunteering time towards young teens may sound very basic, but it is a real need, and a role in which a basic level of compassion might take precedence over “expertise.”

(Panelist Lauren Burke responds to a question from the audience.)

Our next stop was New Jersey, where we were able to arrange a screening on short notice at Grace Christian Church in Tinton Falls. Though we had attempted to book a screening at a university in New Jersey, nothing had opened up in the academic realm; but, we were glad to have the chance to share the film with another community that has taken an interest in the issue.

Last Friday we headed up to State College, Pennsylvania to screen to film at Penn State University. Even though it was the first week of school, and our event was competing with all the other festivities of welcome week (outdoor block parties, awkward introductions, free food, inflatable obstacle courses) we still had a healthy turn-out for the film, thanks largely to the work of the newly established chapter of Free the Slaves that is now on the campus. Even though this was the first event the chapter has put on at Penn State, in a way, the film could be an introduction to the challenges of domestic minor sex trafficking for people that haven’t yet learned much about it. In a University setting, as people grow willing to ask the challenging questions about domestic minor sex trafficking and its underlying roots, we believe that pathways will be paved to address the needs of the most marginalized groups within our society.

(Native Pennsylvanian Scott introduces the film at Penn State.)

Yesterday our team arrived back to Toano, Virginia, where we are preparing for our next two screenings. This Friday we’ll be at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond; and on Monday we will be at Liberty University in Lynchburg. If you’re in the Virginia area, we’d be honored if you were to pay us a visit at either of the screenings.

All Photos by Samuel Taipale.

Giving Thanks on the Gulf Coast

Troubles in Transport, Still Moving Forward

Through the Blue Ridge Mountains

From the Plains to the Mountains

Driving the Dakotas (And Then Some…)

Moving Through the Midwest

Back to the Farm

Sex+Money Tour

Recent entries

Categories

Recent comments