Day 6...Museum+Dinner Out+Rave+Slumber Party=Last (full) Day

            So Friday was our last full day in DC. It was definitely bittersweet to say the least but was definitely a day full of fun filled festivities. We were all really tired when we got back to the hostel after some Thursday evening festivities and decided to sleep in. Around 2 pm on Friday, we took the metro to the Smithsonian station and walked over to the Holocaust museum. Some of you may wonder why we decided to go to the Holocaust museum and how it relates to human trafficking? Let me explain…

          Human trafficking comes in many different forms and is not exclusive to sex and labor exploitation. There are many different concepts and ideas that are related to the suffering and hardships of victims and survivors. The lack of free will and being held captive are certainly ideas that paralleled with the museum. The museum was excellently planned and information was interestingly organized. The permanent exhibit read like a book. Videos and facts were arranged and organized in a manner that created a mood that described the holocaust as a living breathing entity. One of the most interesting concepts that we as a group discussed was the concept of coercion. According to Merriam Webster, coercion is the act of process of restraining or dominating by force. Through out the week we learned that coercion was a key component of trafficking.  Victims are often progressively manipulated, never realizing that this manipulation was even happening. The museum described the Holocaust in similar terms. The reign of Nazi Germany was accomplished through a mass coercion of German citizens and the global society. Prejudice, racism and violent persecution took about a decade to finally reach its peak. Victims of the holocaust were either killed or made to work until death. This was the ultimate form of slavery and as one of our group members mentioned, “Hitler was the ultimate pimp.”

          The Holocaust museum was definitely eye opening and started our day with a very pessimistic and sad view on life. It’s disgusting to think that any human could treat another living being with such hatred, cruelty, and lack of remorse. We left the museum and hurried back to our hostel around 5pm. We quickly grabbed some food and met up in the dining area ready to meet up with Fabiana, a representative from Stop Modern Slavery DC.

          DC-SMS, as Fabiana described, started as a small grass roots organization that has recently been given non-profit status and is heavily involved with raising awareness. Fabiana said that members of DC-SMS come from all different backgrounds and usually have day jobs in many different fields. She described how her interests of club music and DJ-ing often conflict with her passion to end slavery and she finds it difficult to balance her efforts in the club setting where the music and night-life culture is often insensitive to such matters. She did, however, say that little things like wearing a t-shirt that states “Slavery Still Exists” often sparks conversation. While we were in the midst of discussion with Fabiana, our next speaker Giovanna, the director of the Baltimore division of the The Project To End Human Trafficking, arrived to our hostel to provide us with a similar presentation. Giovanna discussed her organization’s efforts and then briefly informed us about her life-story and the trials and tribulations she faced as a young woman in America. Giovanna is inspiring. Despite all the troubles she has been through, she keeps a smile on her face. Her heart is huge and her personality is so friendly. As a group, we admire her dedication and her strength while dealing with everything. Closer to the end of her presentation, we decided to invite her to dinner.

          We had planned on going to Bus Boys and Poets, a restaurant located on Kst and 5^th. The restaurant has a fair trade shop inside and is really “hip”. The food was delicious and it was really nice to get to know everyone on an individual level. We had all been through a very tough week, dealing with emotional stress so it was nice to just relax and talk about mundane college  things. 

Special thanks to Fabiana and Giovanna for traveling to our hostel to talk about their organizations and their efforts in the anti-human trafficking movement.

          After dinner, we returned to the hostel for our final discussion and reflection. Before starting the reflection, the girls decided to have a dance/rave party. So they did.

          They blasted music, and a strobe light supplied by Zan’s iphone contributed to the antics.             After about 30 minutes of attempting to the dance, the girls decided to stop and we began our discussion and reflection.

          At some point around 12:30 AM, everyone began to get really tired… the day was really long and the food was really good, and we just wanted to sleep. Our last reflection was sad, we had gotten to know everyone, and felt at home. The end of the week had come too early. Tired and on the verge of falling asleep, we all gathered around on the floor, some in their sleeping bags, some rolled up in blankets, and we all lied down and started talking about whatever popped up in our minds. For about an hour, we were entertained by Martin and his Irish accent and by Jennie and her shadow puppet performance. One by one, we all started to fall asleep and our week came to an end.

Thanks everyone for a great week. I had a great time and learned a lot from you guys. 

Holla

-Z

Day 6---BAM!?!?!

3/24/11

          Thursday was one of the most interesting days of the entire trip so far. We left early in the morning to Northeast DC, braving the cold and windy weather to arrive at HIPS - Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive.  There, we met with JD, the manager of Education and Supportive Services. HIPS' mission is to help sex workers in Washington through a harm reduction method, which consists of services such as syringe exchanges, handing out condoms and lollipops and providing referrals for things such as job placement services.   HIPS provides outreach to straight, gay, lesbian and transgender sex workers and maintains a welcoming environment.

          One of the most memorable parts of our visit to HIPS was the discussion we had with JD regarding prostitution and human trafficking.  Unlike other discussions we had, JD was more interested in answering our questions and facilitating a dialogue instead of simply supplying us with information. What was also unique about the discussion was JD's position regarding the legalization and regulation of prostitution.  He was in support of legalization, arguing that it would empower sex workers and also make them safer.  It was a contradiction to what we have heard, especially from the debate at Shared Hope International. JD argued that the age of consent in many states (16) is at odds with what the Trafficking Victims Protection Act considers to be the age of consent (18).  In other words, he thought that sex workers between the ages of 16 and 18 ought not to be considered victims of trafficking. He also had a problem with the label of 'victim,' saying that if a sex worker does not see his or herself as a victim then it would be damaging to label him or her as such. Even though we slightly disagreed as we KNOW the average age of entry into prostitution in 13, we learned a new perspective on the issue of prostitution and human trafficking.

         After the discussion, we had lunch and met Tia, the front desk receptionist who also was a counselor to transgender sex workers.  For some in our group, it was the first time meeting a someone who is transgendered. She was very gregarious and really helped lighten the mood after the spirited but serious discussion. Later, we split up to help out around the organization. Some of us picked up trash in the front garden, some of us reorganized the cupboards and the rest helped fold and organize clothes. Once these tasks were completed, we reconvened for a brief but very informative lesson about safe sex.  We then parted ways with JD and HIPS and headed out to Dupont Circle.

          Once at Dupont, we heard from Lee McClure, the Outreach and Research Coordinator of Free The Slaves. Free The Slaves focuses largely on international human trafficking and combats it through prosecution, prevention, partnership and protection. FTS recognizes that fighting human trafficking is a multifaceted effort, requiring economic development, advocacy, and more. Lee seemed very passionate about his work.

          Our evening reflection was also very animated, as we struggled to reconcile what we learned at HIPS with what we learned from other organizations. One conclusion we came to was that there is no single right answer to the human trafficking question, and that there are different perspectives on everything. It was a very enriching day to say the least!

          We had another birthday to celebrate, Hyo's,  and some MORE CAKE that was delicious!

Day 5..."Helping & fixing" versus "Serving"

3/23/11

            We started hump day by taking a trip to the Freedom House Museum (a former building where slaves were held to be traded in Alexandria) in order to relate slavery in early America to modern-day slavery/human trafficking. In the museum, we watched a video, which included real life stories of slaves reenacted. Many of the stories revealed the horrors and triumphs of individuals who were enslaved. Throughout the museum there were biographies of slaves and slave owners, as well as tangible artifacts. Many of us had a heavy feeling after walking through, and especially remaining in a place where the actual holding of slaves occurred.

          After the museum, we decided to eat lunch and have a discussion. Although we were acknowledging the differences such as how the African Slave Trade was government sanctioned, had an element of race, and differences in the oppressors, we were still able to draw parallels between the two existences. Some of those parallels included both objectifying/putting a price on human beings, slaves having no escape and no where to run to, and the age of the minors.

            On the metro, Stephanie threw up…just kidding!  Next, we made our way to Shared Hope International.  The lovely interns and staff helped us engage more in the issue.  We had the opportunity to watch and discuss an actual training video for first responders on identifying and working with victims of domestic minor sex trafficking.  We also engaged in a debate with the SHI interns, taking the side of not legalizing prostitution in America.  Many of us initially felt we had the debate won before it started, but our opponents challenged us with their seemingly well-informed points.  Afterwards we discussed the realities of legalizing prostitution and how it indeed creates an avenue for an increase in commercial sexual exploitation. Just when we thought we had been challenged enough, the interns had quiz-questions for each person testing our knowledge on domestic minor sex trafficking.  It was a great learning experience that we actually engaged in and developed our knowledge and skills.

            Improvisation: an essential tool in finding materials to cook the meal of the evening.  ASBers enjoyed some delicious dinner and then proceeded to go and process the day, do some teambuilding and then a reflection on helping, fixing, and serving.  Just how fixing and helping are “draining,” (burning out), serving is renewing.  How in helping we may find a sense of satisfaction, whereas in serving we find a sense of gratitude.  How fixing and helping put distance between people, an experience of difference and we cannot serve at a distance. We reflected on this quote generally, individually, and collectively to apply it to “community service.”  Read it yourself, let it challenge you, ponder it, and even add comments with your responses:

When you help, you see life as weak.  When you fix, you see life as broken.  When you serve, you see life as whole…Fixing and helping create a distance between people, but we cannot serve at a distance.  We can only serve that to which we are profoundly connected…Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul

Day 4…Tension and conflict create space for growth

3/22/11

Today we started our day with a visit to International Justice Mission, a non-profit Christian organization whose mission is to secure justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression. After an anonymous vote, we decided as a group to attend their daily prayer meeting, so upon arrival we jumped right in with that.  While observing the meeting, we learned about the current successes and challenges programs they are running around the world.  Afterward, we watched a documentary about IJM’s work and some of the experiences and views of victims of human trafficking, including labor and sex trafficking. We were then taken on a tour of the facility by two of the interns, one who works specifically to educate people like us about IJM’s mission and purpose. One unique thing we came across while on our tour was an exhibit they had set up for the Passion student conference. It highlighted different stories of survivors and how they were helped- some stories had a positive outcome while others were not so encouraging. After our tour, we had a panel of IJM employees share with us insights about their work and some of their experiences. We had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more specifically about IJM’s mission. They surprised us with free tee shirts, which were much appreciated additions to our wardrobe for the week.

During the evening, we all got dressed up to get ready for our dinner with UMD alums involved in the human trafficking field. We had a small set back in our schedule while trying to find the location of DASH (District Alliance for Safe Housing), but eventually we arrived there and were welcomed with delicious food waiting for us. Throughout dinner we honed our networking skills and interacted with our hosts, Marsha (director of Stamp), Suzanne Marcus, Christina Lagdameo, and Brad Mitchell. After dinner, we watched a video on how DASH was started and were able to hear directly from one of the survivors who joined us for the first part of the event. We then heard from Suzanne, Christina, and Brad about their specific work, their different experiences working with human trafficking and what got them interested in the subject. It was interesting how each of their organizations have very different roles in approaching human trafficking but also how they overlapped. Hearing directly from people who worked for the Federal Government exposed us to another aspect of anti-trafficking and the efforts against it.

When we arrived back at our hostel, we surprised Megan with a cake and celebrated her 22^nd birthday. Within minutes the entire two layered cake was gone and after all the laughter was out of the way, we headed upstairs for our group reflection. It didn’t take long before our discussion became very heated. Coming from different religious and cultural backgrounds, the group had a lot of mixed feelings about our visit to IJM and how they are an all-Christian organization. Some people felt excluded, since they would not be able to intern or work there because they are not Christian. After talking through it, we were able to see both sides of spectrum- on one hand it seems exclusive to hire only employees from one faith background, but on the other hand we saw how they all connected on a deeper level through the same faith. We also talked about stereotypes of men and women perpetuated by our cultural and how they play into the realm of trafficking. We identified the media as one major source that carries out these stereotypes and how it has a visible impact on the mindset of today’s generation. One thing we struggled with was self assessment and asking why we’re here. We want to make sure we are here for the right reasons and not just for our own benefit. At the same time, we want to make sure we take personal time to step away from this heavy issue because otherwise it can become too much to handle.

Day 3...The Only Platypus!

3/21/11

TOP FIVE THINGS WE DID TODAY

5) “Ice Breakers”

            Q: How much does a polar bear weight?

            A: Enough to break the ice.

  Today, in order to grow closer to everyone on the team, we played two icebreaker games. Basically, the jist is to make each other comfortable in order to feel safe enough to open up during our reflections. SO we played two games. In the first game, we each wrote a question on a post-it note and stuck it on someone else’s forehead. The point of the game is to guess what question is on your head, based on the answers people give you. For instance, my (Stephanie) question was, “what is the meaning of life”, while others were a little more light-hearted, like “Why didn’t Justin Bieber respond to my love letters?” The second game was more action packed. We were each blindfolded and assigned a different animal noise. While blinded, we had to listen for our animal mate’s noise and pair off.  Poor Martin, however, got stuck with a platypus….

4) You-Tube

            For our evening activity, we took the night off from heavy discussions about trafficking, and tried a more comical approach. We compiled a list of our favorite youtube videos that we wanted to share. We decided on this activity since through the past few days, we kept mentioning to each other specific videos that we wanted other team member to watch.  This was an excellent way to kind of reground ourselves and take a step back from the topic. Here are a few good ones that were group favorites:

       

I Can't Stop (Manatee)

Funny Animal Voiceovers (British)

Bob Marley Baby

Teach Me How to Panda

3) Reflection in the Park

            Normally, after a day’s work, our group sits down to reflect and process all that we took in. Since the weather was so beautiful, we got to all sit outside and do our group discussion. There is a park close to our hostile so we took advantage of the sunshine and talked outside. Mostly what we discussed was World Vision and the differences between it and Courtney’s House. (See our #1 below)

2) Cross over game
            After our reflection, we played another little game. In comparison to our icebreakers, this game was a bit more complex and involved.  We were read a list of  situations, and if you had ever been in this situation, you were to step over the line away from the group and make eye contact with at least one person on the other side.  For example, “Step over the line if someone ever told you that the reason you got into UMD was because of affirmative action”.  These situations touched on issues people dealt with based on their gender, learning disabilities, race, socio-economic status, and more. Although this game was heavier, it forced us to recognize issues that some team members dealt with that others did not and about the general concept of privilege in society.  It divided us in some aspects, but ultimately united us when we realized that although we come from different backgrounds, we are fighting to help stop the same issue.

1)  TOP CHOICE! World Vision

             Today, we spoke with Jesse Eaves (the policy advisor for child protection) at World Vision.  He mainly spoke about their vision, mission and the process they use to combat human trafficking. It was interesting to hear the stories of their “clients” and how connected Jesse was to his work.  World Vision’s process is more policy related. He walked us through different accounts of survivors to identify how the systems had failed them. If a child is a victim of trafficking, Jesse says, it doesn’t happen over night.  It is a process where multiple informal systems (parents, family, teachers, community) and formal (law enforcement, social services) systems fail the child in recognizing vulnerability or exploitation. World Vision uses approaches to enrich the lives of children worldwide by restoring the broken systems in each community they work in.  Contacting local delegates or elected officials to support trafficking bills is one way that citizens can help to get victims the recognition and aid that they need.  This new take on trafficking prevention was a change from Courtney’s House take on trafficking, though both work directly with survivors.  Overall, getting another organizations story and view helps our team be well informed in trafficking.

THAT’S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS,

Love Jenny and Stephanie

Ps. Hi Mom and Dad

            From, Stephanie. 

Day 2...Teach me how to Dougie, teach, teach me how to Dougie!

Our day at: 

Hello family and friends of UMD ASB DC trip,

I’m here reflecting on today’s events with my fellow DC ASBer, Sayi, about a fun-filled day we’ve enjoyed with survivors of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking we met through Courtney’s House.  Courtney’s House is a DC based non-governmental organization established to address and fight against sex trafficking of minors.  They provide a safe haven for victims of sex trafficking through social services, counseling, and legal referrals. 

What we anticipated to be a day filled with traumatic and core-shaking stories and first-hand encounters, ended up being a day filled with crafts, baking, and channeling our middle school spirit for a dance party—learning how to “dougie.” 

Prior to making our way over to a community based location for today’s event, we were thoroughly briefed on the issue of sex-trafficking occurring in the heart of our nation.  The average age of girls forced into sex trafficking is 12 and 14. The average age of boys forced into sex trafficking is between 6 and 10.  In some cases, children first enter into the “game” through family members. 

As you can see the nature of our topic “Human Trafficking” isn’t so light.  However, today, instead of thinking about the issue, we were able to hang out with kids who share some of the same interests and goals as we do. 

So Sayi and I asked each other a few questions that we thought summarized our day.  For all of us on the trip, today was a refreshing day to be remembered for the rest of our lives.  After all, how many of us remember the last time they sat around making friendship bracelets, painting, baking cookies, and laughing so hard?   Because when we think back, no matter how different we are as individuals and where in life we’ve been, stupid YouTube videos are funny, and learning how to dougie is so hip. 

Sayi: What surprised you the most about the participants?

Hyo: They are just kids.  Just like us.  If anything, they were more filled with energy and life than any of us from the trip.  They loved hanging out, singing, and just having a good time.  It wasn’t until after the day was over and when we were reminded that they were survivors that I remembered about their lives. 

Hyo: What will you take away from today’s activity?

Sayi: The biggest thing that stuck out to me from our discussions today was when the founder told us that although we come from different places, classes, etc; that anyone can be a victim of sex trafficking because no matter your walk of life, as humans we can all be manipulated. That really stood out to me, because I began to think of myself in middle school (close to the average age of entry), and what I would have done if I were in the same situation as some of the people we met today. I just think of how vulnerable and easily influenced we are at that age and that made the issue more real. We’re not talking about adults here, these are children, and that made the issue scary.

Hyo: How did your perspective/ view on minor sex-trafficking change after today’s activity?

Sayi: Today, I learned how frustrating the issue is for those who advocate against it.  Our discussion with the founder of Courtney’s House opened up my eyes as to just how much the staff at the organization puts in to the cause.  Lack of federal law, funding, and awareness is greatly evident in what the staff have to deal with.  There is not much support on this issue in terms of government, so they have to rely on themselves, their skills, and support from their communities to fulfill their mission statement.  It truly takes a passionate person to work in this field, both in hands-on aspects and the energy they put into it.

Sayi: What do you think we can do as college students?

Hyo: Learn. I think that college students are a perfect group of individuals that are able to learn about issues and share with others. I believe if college students put their minds and passion to this issue we can push for change. Also, by virtue of being on the same campus we already have our audience.

When we arrived at Courtney’s House, one of the staff asked Hyo and I how we liked our experience so far. Today was our first chance at having our experience real and right in front of us. It’s one thing to watch documentaries and read articles and books, but seeing the center and interacting with the survivors and staff gave us a whole new perspective on the matter. We were able to ask questions and get honest feedback, which enabled us to learn things that we otherwise would not have been able to.

We’re anticipating the rest of our trip to be as eye opening as today.

And as fun as the crazy games we play...

Day 1--Yesterday was Friday, Today is Saturday, And Sunday comes after...warrrds!

       Saturday, March 19, 2011

  

           100,000-300,000 children are forced into prostitution each year (NCMEC)
                       The average age of entry into prostitution is 13 years old (SHI)  
Shocking statistics? Those are just two facts that we learned today on our ASB-D.C. trip!!!


          Today was the first day of our ASB trip in D.C.! For those who are not too familiar with the service we are engaged with - our group is learning about the heavy issues and complexities of human trafficking.  Even though our "road trip" was probably only forty minutes long (compared to some trips driving for 12), we were already very hungry and tired upon arriving at the hostel.  We played various icebreakers, including two truths and one lie, false identity, and the weather-color-animal-music game (?). The games helped us bond more and get to know each other better. Our group is AWESOME!
          Around 7 o'clock, we had our first home-made feast together as a group. There was pasta with ground beef and sauce and a large bowl of delicious salad (props to our first night chefs: Hyo and Zan).  Afterwards, we watched a documentary, called Very Young Girls, that was about a group of girls, from New York City, who were involved with domestic minor sex trafficking.
          In the film, we meet teenaged girls at different stages of transitioning out of their situation.  Some have been so psychologically manipulated by their pimps that they feel compelled to return, while  others have successfully broken with their pasts. As we come to know these girls better, they emerge as well-rounded individuals full of unexpected laughter and insight.  One element the film uncovers is a videotape - confiscated by police - of two pimps recording their activities with the intent of making a reality television show and another chilling element showing the buyers, or johns, being sentenced to a 6 month "school" instead of jail for purchasing sex.   The movie revealed very profound issues and perspectives.  It was shocking to see not only what the victims have to live through, but also the mindset of some of those same victims who end up falling back into "the life" or "the game." The documentary was followed by a deep group discussion, in which we shared our thoughts and feelings on the documentary itself and the broader problems of sex trafficking.


This week is going to be quite insightful - we look forward to the learning experience.


.~'~. Jen & Megan .~'~.


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