Freedom for the Weekend
Freedom for the Weekend: International Justice Mission
Published November 20, 2009 @ 12:00PM PT
Well, it's Friday afternoon, and that means the weekend is almost here! W00t! Perhaps you're reading this blog because you're bored at work or school and you're thinking about what you want to do this weekend. How about spending part of your weekend fighting slavery? Each week I'll profile a different anti-trafficking nonprofit who you can connect with to help free slaves and prevent slavery around the world. So, spend a couple hours this weekend getting to know this nonprofit through their website, and then get involved!
This Week's Profile: International Justice Mission
The Bottom Line: International Justice Mission (IJM) is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators, and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators, and to promote functioning public justice systems.
What They Do: IJM focuses on victim relief and aftercare -- removing victims from situations of trafficking and helping them heal -- in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They also have teams of professional and volunteer lawyers who work to prosecute traffickers and create legal reform in countries around the world.
What Can I Do?: You can volunteer for short periods of time in their Washington, DC office, or for longer periods of time overseas. They also have specific pro bono programs for lawyers. Or you can get involved as part of your church, community, or school. IJM accepts donations online as well.
Why They Rock: IJM has a tremendous capacity to leverage the law and lawyers in favor of human trafficking victims who really need legal justice. They are able to bring justice to victims around the world who otherwise might not get it.
So now that you've got some basic information on International Justice Mission, visit their website this weekend and get involved. And on Monday morning when everyone else is talking about sleeping in and watching TV over the weekend, you can say, "What did I do this weekend? Oh, just the usual -- abolition of slavery."
Do you have a favorite nonprofit you'd like to see featured here? If so, let me know!
Freedom for the Weekend: The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Published November 13, 2009 @ 12:00PM PT
Well, it's Friday afternoon, and that means the weekend is almost here! W00t! Perhaps you're reading this blog because you're bored at work or school and you're thinking about what you want to do this weekend. How about spending part of your weekend fighting slavery? Each week I'll profile a different anti-trafficking nonprofit who you can connect with to help free slaves and prevent slavery around the world. So, spend a couple hours this weekend getting to know this nonprofit through their website, and then get involved!
This Week's Profile: The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
The Bottom Line: The Center reveals stories about freedom's heroes from the era of the Underground Railroad to contemporary times and challenges everyone to take courageous steps for freedom today. They connect 19th century slavery with modern slavery.
What They Do: Through both a physical center in Cincinatti, OH and an information-packed website, the center aims to educate people about the realities of both the role of the underground railroad in ending historical slavery and modern abolition of human trafficking. Maintaining their focus on personal stories as an important lens for history, they also allow families to research their genealogy and discover their ancestors.
What Can I Do?: You can support the center either by becoming a member or by making a donation. If you live in the Cincinnati area, you can also volunteer. You can also tap into their amazing resources for educators to teach yourself or others about slavery.
Why They Rock: The center connects 19th century and modern slavery together in one seamless understanding of this antediluvian human rights violation. Slavery has been in societies as long as we have had societies; we must learn from our past in order to look to a better future.
So now that you've got some basic information on the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, visit their website this weekend and get involved. And on Monday morning when everyone else is talking about sleeping in and watching tv over the weekend, you can say, "What did I do this weekend? Oh, just the usual- abolition of slavery."
Do you have a favorite nonprofit you'd like to see featured here? If so, let me know.
Freedom for the Weekend: Fair Fund
Published November 06, 2009 @ 12:00PM PT
Well, it's Friday afternoon, and that means the weekend is almost here! W00t! Perhaps you're reading this blog because you're bored at work or school and you're thinking about what you want to do this weekend. How about spending part of your weekend fighting slavery? Each week I'll profile a different anti-trafficking nonprofit who you can connect with to help free slaves and prevent slavery around the world. So, spend a couple hours this weekend getting to know this nonprofit through their website, and then get involved!
This Week's Profile: FAIR Fund
The Bottom Line: FAIR Fund works to prevent human trafficking and sexual violence in the lives of youth, especially girls, around the world. They build the capacity of communities to better identify and assist youth aged 11 to 24 who are at high risk or have been exploited via human trafficking and sexual violence.
What They Do: FAIR Fund's programs include preventing youth trafficking in the greater Washington, DC area, building an international student movement against trafficking in persons, reducing orphan youths' risks toward sexual and labor exploitation in select Eastern European countries, and educating African street girls about how to protect themselves from sexual violence. They also work with college campuses, develop policy, and have skills development programs for teens.
What Can I Do?: You can join their mailing list to learn more. If you live in the DC area, you can also attend any of the upcoming events they are hosting. Or, you can donate online.
Why They Rock: FAIR Fund understands that human trafficking and sexual violence affect young women everywhere, which is why they have programs across Easter Europe and in Washington, DC. Languages and customs may be different, but teens' needs to make a way for themselves in the world is the same.
So now that you've got some basic information on FAIR Fund, visit their website this weekend and get involved. And on Monday morning when everyone else is talking about sleeping in and watching tv over the weekend, you can say, "What did I do this weekend? Oh, just the usual -- abolition of slavery."
Do you have a favorite nonprofit you'd like to see featured here? If so, let me know!
Freedom for the Weekend: Bet Tzedek
Published October 30, 2009 @ 12:00PM PT
Well, it's Friday afternoon, and that means the weekend is almost here! W00t! Perhaps you're reading this blog because you're bored at work or school and you're thinking about what you want to do this weekend. How about spending part of your weekend fighting slavery? Each week I'll profile a different anti-trafficking nonprofit who you can connect with to help free slaves and prevent slavery around the world. So, spend a couple hours this weekend getting to know this nonprofit through their website, and then get involved!
This Week's Profile: Bet Tzedek
The Bottom Line: Bet Tzedek is one of the nation’s premier legal services organizations, providing free assistance to more than 10,000 people of every racial and religious background at its headquarters in the Fairfax area and its office in North Hollywood and at more than 30 senior centers throughout Los Angeles County. They serve everyone from human trafficking victims to holocaust survivors to victims of consumer fraud.
What They Do: Through their employment rights program, Bet Tzedek helps ensure workers get the wages that are owed to them and prevent human trafficking. They represent workers regardless of immigration status who have been illegally denied wages.
What Can I Do?: If you're a law student, you can apply for a summer externship or clerkship. If you aren't but live in the Los Angeles area, you can volunteer. You can also donate through their website.
Why They Rock: Immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking. Groups like Bet Tzedek protect their legal rights.
So now that you've got some basic information on Bet Tzedek, visit their website this weekend and get involved. And on Monday morning when everyone else is talking about sleeping in and watching tv over the weekend, you can say, "What did I do this weekend? Oh, just the usual -- abolition of slavery."
Do you have a favorite nonprofit you'd like to see featured here? If so, let me know!
Freedom for the Weekend: World Hope International
Published October 16, 2009 @ 12:00PM PT
Well, it's Friday afternoon, and that means the weekend is almost here! W00t! Perhaps you're reading this blog because you're bored at work or school and you're thinking about what you want to do this weekend. How about spending part of your weekend fighting slavery? Each week I'll profile a different anti-trafficking nonprofit who you can connect with to help free slaves and prevent slavery around the world. So, spend a couple hours this weekend getting to know this nonprofit through their website, and then get involved!
This Week's Profile: World Hope International
The Bottom Line: World Hope International is a faith based relief and development organization alleviating suffering and injustice through education, enterprise and community health. One of their areas of focus is human trafficking.
What They Do:World Hope International works in over 25 countries with human trafficking survivors and populations at-risk for human trafficking. They also works with children, people living with HIV/AIDS, and other vulnerable populations.
What Can I Do?:You can join HopeCorps, and go work with one of their partner organizations overseas. The trips last from one week to one year. You can also sponsor a child or donate to support their other programs.
Why They Rock: It's rare to find international organizations that will take volunteers overseas to work with trafficking victims, especially for periods of time shorter than a year. In this way, the HopeCorps program is unique.
So now that you've got some basic information on World Hope International, visit their website this weekend and get involved. And on Monday morning when everyone else is talking about sleeping in and watching tv over the weekend, you can say, "What did I do this weekend? Oh, just the usual -- abolition of slavery."
Do you have a favorite nonprofit you'd like to see featured here? If so, let me know!
Freedom for the Weekend: ALERT
Published October 02, 2009 @ 12:00PM PT
Well, it's Friday afternoon, and that means the weekend is almost here! W00t! Perhaps you're reading this blog because you're bored at work or school and you're thinking about what you want to do this weekend. How about spending part of your weekend fighting slavery? Each week I'll profile a different anti-trafficking nonprofit who you can connect with to help free slaves and prevent slavery around the world. So, spend a couple hours this weekend getting to know this nonprofit through their website, and then get involved!
This Week's Profile: Arizona League to End Regional Trafficking (ALERT)
The Bottom Line: ALERT is a coalition representing partnerships with law enforcement, faith-based communities, non-profit organizations, social service agencies, attorneys and concerned citizens. ALERT strives to end the suffering and dehumanization of victims of human trafficking.
What They Do: ALERT provides direct services to aid and support victims of trafficking, seeks to educate the public about human trafficking and train various communities in victim identification, and has established a regional network throughout Arizona and expand the anti-trafficking initiative. They also provide training and educational materials on human trafficking in and around Arizona.
What Can I Do?: If you live in Arizona, you can volunteer to support their programs. They also have great ideas for ways for you to spread the word about human trafficking in the area. You can also join one of their area groups.
Why They Rock: The Arizona-Mexico border is a huge entry point for victims trafficking from Mexico and Central and South America into the U.S. The large immigrant communities in Arizona are also vulnerable to human trafficking, and ALERT is able to address the needs of the region.
So now that you've got some basic information on ALERT, visit their website this weekend and get involved. And on Monday morning when everyone else is talking about sleeping in and watching tv over the weekend, you can say, "What did I do this weekend? Oh, just the usual -- abolition of slavery."
Do you have a favorite nonprofit you'd like to see featured here? If so, let me know!
Freedom for the Weekend: GAATW
Published September 25, 2009 @ 01:00PM PT
Well, it's Friday afternoon, and that means the weekend is almost here! W00t! Perhaps you're reading this blog because you're bored at work or school and you're thinking about what you want to do this weekend. How about spending part of your weekend fighting slavery? Each week I'll profile a different anti-trafficking nonprofit who you can connect with to help free slaves and prevent slavery around the world. So, spend a couple hours this weekend getting to know this nonprofit through their website, and then get involved!
This Week's Profile: Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)
The Bottom Line: GAATW ensures that the human rights of all migrating women are respected and protected by authorities and agencies and promotes rights of women migrant workers and trafficked persons. They believe that ensuring safe migration and fair work places should be at the core of all anti-trafficking efforts.
What They Do: GAATW's many programs include advocacy, campaigns, research and training, and providing access to justice for trafficked persons. Most of their work is focused on advicating for a human-rights based approach to ending human trafficking.
What Can I Do?: If you are in the area of Bangkok, you can volunteer or intern at their offices there. You can also get involved in their advocacy action campaigns through their website.
Why They Rock: In addition to other great resources that are available on their website, they have a collection of videos about trafficking in women.
So now that you've got some basic information on the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, visit their website this weekend and get involved. And on Monday morning when everyone else is talking about sleeping in and watching tv over the weekend, you can say, "What did I do this weekend? Oh, just the usual- abolition of slavery."
Do you have a favorite nonprofit you'd like to see featured here? If so, let me know!
