Happy late February DCSMSers! If you’d like to see your anti-human trafficking news or event promoted in this weekly newsletter, send all information to [address removed] and/or [address removed] by Tuesday at noon.

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GET OUT THERE

REMINDER - TODAY!! Wednesday, February 18th, from 10am - 12 pm EST, don’t miss the webinar “Online Sexual Exploitation: Rights and Responsibilities.” Hosted by Babson College Initiative on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery, and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, the panel will feature:

·         John Carr, independent expert on Internet safety and security.

·         Marie-Laure, Head of program Combatting Sexual Exploitation of Children Online, End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT).

·         Fernando Ruiz – Team Leader FP Twins – European Cybercrime Centre – EUROPOL.

·         Mark Latonero, Research Director and Deputy Managing Director, University of Southern California  (USC) (moderator).

RSVP here. Questions? E-mail Livia Wagner of the Global Initiative Secretariat at [address removed].

REMINDER - Thursday, February 19th, at 6pm, Bethany United Methodist Church, 2875 Bethany Lane in Ellicott City, MD, will host a discussion: "What human trafficking looks like, Where it is happening, And what YOU can do." Speakers include: Denene Yates, Founder and Executive Director of Safe House of Hope and Amanda Rodriguez, Special Assistant, U.S. Attorney and Human Trafficking Policy Advisor for the Governor’s Office of Crime and Prevention. For more information, call[masked]. Reservation not required, and a free dinner will be served at 6:00pm.

REMINDER - Thursday, February 19th, 6:30 p.m. at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, 1632 U St. NW. See artist, actress, writer, Butoh dancer, and choreographer Dawn Saito performs "Suns are Suns," a multidisciplinary theater piece about a trafficked woman.   Saito's performance is part of the ongoing ArtWorks for Freedom installation at the  Gallery, on display now through March 7.

REMINDER - Thursday,  February 19th from 7pm - 9pm at Ireland’s Four Courts, 2051 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA,  help Love146 fight the injustice of sex trafficking by attending a silent auction/happy hour. A $10 entry fee gets you free appetizers and allows you to bid on items generously donated by the following vendors:  Bonefish Grill, Kay Jewelers, Teavana, Fire Works Pizza, Silk Salon & Spa, Mint Condition Boutique, Refresh Yoga Studio, Sugar House Day Spa and Salon and many more! For more info call[masked]. Learn more about Love146.

GET INFORMED

NEW - Have you heard of the "Dark Web", the vast part of the internet that does not show up on regular search engines like Google?  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the arm of the military tasked with creating breakthrough technologies for national security is taking the fight to human traffickers in the U.S. who use these back channels, using a powerful new search tool called Memex, that goes well beyond the realm of Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

Click here for the full 60 minutes feature.

NEW - According to the U.S. Trafficking In Persons Report, there may be more than 20 million trafficking victims at any time in the world, but only about 40,000 victims are identified each year. To connect victims of human trafficking to the organizations who can help them, Google launched a new feature last July, that displays human trafficking hotline numbers when users type in relevant keywords in search, click here for an example.  In January 2015 Google expanded the service to include 9 more countries and 14 languages. Read the full story here.

REMINDER - When activism is done well, huge, sustainable changes can be made to fight some of the world’s worst problems. Read how a very dedicated group of Harry Potter fans teamed up with Walk Free and several other key players to win a four-year fight against child slavery in the cocoa industry. Like the story? Share it on social media!

NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES

NEW - Our very own DC SMS board member and SMS WalkFest leader, Caitlyn Ryan is author of two eye-raising articles that show that we all can use our purchasing power to promote better trade practices that do not rely on trafficked labor.  Right on time for the Valentine’s Day season and the “50 Shades” movie; “This Valentine's Day: Show Your Love, No Chains Attached”.

And the second article, a great read throughout the year “How Consumers Can Help End Slavery”.

NEW - First President, George Washington, used legal loopholes to avoid freeing his slaves in the late 1700’s, even as Northern states worked to abolish slavery.  Read the full story here.

REMINDER - Have you been involved in the movement against human trafficking for some time and are looking to dig deeper? Are you new to this work and want to take on a bigger role? DCSMS is looking for talented and passionate individuals to join our leadership team! Right now we’re in search of a Co-Lead Organizer, whose responsibilities include to : Be a Liaison with Board of Directors, Help facilitate monthly Leadership Team meetings, Respond to media inquiries, Organize monthly awareness events, Collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders, including volunteers and partner organizations, Attend and support monthly action team meetings, as necessary. For the full description and to learn how to apply go here. Spread the word, too!

REMINDER - Passionate about human trafficking? Have a serious case of wanderlust? Don’t miss an opportunity to combine the two through Prevent Human Trafficking’s summer program in Thailand! Prevent Human Trafficking is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization working to build a bridge between South East Asia and the United States to prevent human trafficking.

Running since 1999, this intensive, highly competitive program offers participants concerned with human trafficking unique access to some of Southeast Asia's preeminent scholars, activists, organizers and government officials at the forefront of the global anti-trafficking movement. Participants will travel extensively to gain local insights and perspectives on effective strategy, while benefiting from direct exposure to the surroundings which often propel trafficking. For more details and how to apply click here. Don’t wait, spots are filling up fast!

REMINDER - Job opportunity! Do you have experience in fundraising and development? How about a passion for social justice, Haiti, ending child slavery or all of the above? Beyond Borders is looking for an Assistant or Associate Director for Donor Relations to expand the organization’s mission and support base. Beyond Borders is a DC-based non-profit that helps people build the following movements for liberation in Haiti:  The movement to end child slavery, The movement for universal access to primary education, the movement to end violence against women and girls, and the movement for sustainable livelihoods and economic justice.  The organization has more than twenty years of experience working with a variety of grassroots partners and organizations in Haiti. For the full description and how to apply click here.

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