June 30, 2009
On June 23, the U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia joined Bill Livermore, Somaly Mam Foundation’s Executive Director, for an unprecedented tour of rehabilitation center for women and girls in Siem Reap. These centers provide critical vocational training, educational services, mental health and medical care, and training in life skills for victims of sexual slavery. Ambassador Carol Rodley expressed deep admiration for the strong partnership between the US-based Somaly Mam Foundation <http://www.somaly.org> and the Cambodian NGO, AFESIP <http://afesip.org/kh>, that is providing survivor services to the young victims of sexual slavery.
While at the Siem Reap center she observed a number of vocational classes underway before sitting down to help young survivors with their studies. Guiding her on her tour was a survivor named Sina who later shared her story with the ambassador. Livermore was glad to have the opportunity to bring attention to the high-quality programs that have been made possible by the dedicated and talented staff running the shelters, and financial support from the Somaly Mam Foundation. The scope and quality of the school, health services, and reintegration programs clearly impressed Ambassador Rodley.
Ambassador Rodley, the first female ambassador to Cambodia who took her post in October of 2008, is well aware of the impact that the deteriorating economic climate is having on Cambodia’s sex trafficking. In follow-up discussions, the global economic crisis and a decrease in enforcement in areas of the country were blamed for the shocking increase in the number of Cambodian girls being forced into sexual slavery.
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Help the Somaly Mam Foundation end child slavery and provide life-saving support for its victims.
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June 22, 2009
Parade Magazine recently featured Somaly Mam in its Intellegence Report column. Here’s an excerpt:
” How does the Somaly Mam Foundation help other sex slaves?
It can take five minutes to raid a brothel but years for the rescued girls to recover. Some want to commit suicide. I show them that they can survive, they can have dignity. We have three shelters— two for vocational training, another for young children. We let them stay long-term. We help them find jobs. We are a family.”
You can read the full feature online:
Fighting to End Slavery – Parade.com
June 18, 2009
Photo credit: terrio.
We’re pleased to announce that Anna from Stream of Life Yoga is offering a once-a-month, all-levels yoga class to benefit the Somaly Mam Foundation. The classes will take place June 27, at Yoga Sutra studios in New York (map and directions) 60% of the proceeds will go directly to the Somaly Mam Foundation. Tickets start with a $10 minumum donation, with $20 (recommended) and $50 options. For an hour of Yoga, that’s a great deal. Here’s the event description:
“This is a general level class featuring Vinyasa Krama as our main practice, followed by breathing and meditation practices. It consists of pose variations done slowly with great attention to breath, steadiness, and comfort.
All levels are welcomed!
Wear stretchy comfortable clothing, a somewhat fitted t-shirt. You can bring your own mat or rent one in the studio.
Where: Yoga Sutra Studio, 501 5th Ave
When: June 27th at: 1:30 to 2:30 pm
Host: Stream Of Life Yoga”
For information and tickets, visit the event page.
June 17, 2009
Somaly Mam was just recently featured on the global issues magazine on Deutsche Welle TV, called “GLOBAL 3000″. The video is available to stream or to download here:
http://www.dw-world.com/dw/article/0,,4269861,00.html
June 12, 2009
In a recent United Nations interview, Bangladeshi professor Zakir Hossain said that “meaningful collaborative effort” among South Asian countries will require trust, indicating that with instances of cross-border trafficking, countries should not blame each other.Instead, constructive dialogue will be needed to increase prevention, rescue, and prosecution efforts, as well as the repatriation of victims involved. Hossain, a professor of the University of Chitagong and member of the Judicial Service Commission for People’s Republic of Bangladesh,met with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to discuss the SouthAsian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) training on combating human trafficking for law enforcement officers. In the United Nations report, Hossain referred to human trafficking as “modern-day slavery,” defining it not as a Bangladeshi problembut a problem requiring global response. In Bangladesh, human trafficking leads to sexual exploitation, forced prostitution and domestic servitude, he said. Hossain estimated that over 1 million women and childrenwere trafficked out of Bangladesh over the past 30 years, and cited a UNICEFreport estimating that about 400 women and children become victims of trafficking each month. He also said that a Pakistan-based group called Lawyersfor Human Rights and Legal Aid estimates that about 200,000 young women and girls from Bangladesh were sold in Pakistan in one year. The interview quotes Hossain as describing the key factors contributing to human trafficking in Bangladesh as poverty, social exclusion,gender discrimination, widespread illiteracy, lack of awareness and poorgovernance. For the full interview, visit http://www.unodc.org/india/en/interview-with-prof.-zakir-hossain.html.
June 3, 2009
Laurie Holden has starred in such films as “The Majestic,” “Fantastic Four,” and “Silent Hill.” Now she’s using her fame and voice to speak out against human trafficking. Laurie Holden is featured in our newest Profile for Change:
“I recently went to Cambodia and had the privilege of seeing Somaly in action. Visiting the brothels and spending time with the young women and children in the shelters, I experienced first-hand how devastatingly awful the situation is over there. The global epidemic of human trafficking is particularly grim in Cambodia, as the ’sex with a virgin’ myth has encouraged a horrific culture of prostitution of small children, some as young as 5 years-old. The physical, emotional and psychological damage the victims endure is on par with the worst human torture imaginable. These girls are starved for mothers and are burdened with so much shame. Somaly is a mother to them all, and her ability to give of her heart is unlike anyone I have ever known. To see the power of that love in action touched me to my very core and has impassioned me to join Somaly in her inspiring crusade. These girls are in my heart forever and I am committed to helping them in every way I can.”
Read more about how Laurie feels about human trafficking, Somaly Mam, and more here.
June 2, 2009
Today UNICEF Philippines hosts the premiere of “Red Leaves Falling,” an animated film telling a story about child pornography and child sex trafficking. The film premieres in Makati, which belongs to the greater metropolitan area surrounding Manila.“Red Leaves Falling” tells the story of two young girls “drawn into the seedy world of child prostitution and pornography,” and their struggle to escape their imposed situation, as reported in the Human Trafficking In Asia blog. The film is part of an advocacy series created by the Stairway Foundation, a non-profit organization based in the Philippines. The animated films are designed to be appropriate for audiences of all ages. The Stairway Foundation hopes to bolster awareness of the problems of child pornography and child sex trafficking in order to help ratify a new law that would make possessing child pornography illegal, as reported in their promotional materials for the June 2 event. Previous Stairway Foundation animated films include “Daughter,” which portrays a child sexually abused by her father, and “A Good Boy,” about a child abused by a pedophile. Both films have won awards at international film festivals. In the printed narrative of “Red Leaves Falling,” published on the Stairway Foundation website, a wealthy stranger leaves money with an impoverished mother in order to take her young daughter away. In a heartbreaking and vividly described subsequent scene, the young girl must perform before an adult male audience while trying to take comfort in her memories of home. For more information:http://www.stairwayfoundation.org
