The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) in partnership with Prostitution Research and Education (PRE) and SEVERAL other co-sponsors hosted a protest to bring attention to Craigslist’s facilitation of SEX TRAFFICKING across their large global network.

The protest comes in response to Craigslist’s ‘adult’ section, which has been an open forum for soliciting prostitution.

This a highly emotionally charged issue, and various speakers expressed their concern about the use of craigslist in the human trafficking network.

A former victim of sex trafficking shared her experience of being trapped in prostitution for 23 years. It was a humbling experience to see her vulnerability, and willingness to speak on behalf of other women who are victims of this crime.

We at Because Justice Matters are hopeful that these small acts of solidarity will continue to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking, and bring changes in the legal system to see an end to this injustice.

]]> http://blog.becausejusticematters.org/?feed=rss2&p=82 http://blog.becausejusticematters.org/?p=76 http://blog.becausejusticematters.org/?p=76#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:20:52 +0000 admin http://blog.becausejusticematters.org/?p=76

Tom & Kate

Introducing our BJM summer interns:

Tom

Hello, my name is Thomas Panicucci, and I’m from Iowa. Last winter, I took a semester off from school to spend 3 months in San Francisco. The city opened my eyes and expanded my world views. Coming from a relatively small town in Iowa, I had never been exposed to many of the things I encountered in the city. In the Tenderloin, I saw poverty, drugs, and prostitution. All of these existed back home, but they were certainly not as prevalent. Not only did I see new things on the streets, though; I also became more aware of important social issues occurring in the city: homelessness, addictions, sex trafficking, and immigration. After my time in San Francisco, I spent a couple months in Morocco and Italy. It was in Morocco that I discovered a passion that I never knew existed; I wanted to be a teacher. When I returned home to Iowa, I went back to school to get a degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. This was the perfect degree for me. I wanted to find something that would give me the opportunity to work in another country. Earlier this spring, I came back to San Francisco for a short trip. I was introduced to Because Justice Matters, and I heard that, among other things, they were involved with ESL programs in the city. As soon as I found out about the immigration focus, I wanted to be involved. It was an opportunity to be involved with a program that dealt with several passions of mine, so I contacted Ruthie and became an intern. Now, I am here in San Francisco for 2 1/2 months working with Because Justice Matters. My main focus will be working with the ESL Academy which we are starting in July. I am excited about being here in the city of San Francisco, and super pumped that I have the opportunity to be doing something that I love.

Kate

When I first learned about sex trafficking, it was in the context of my own faith. Through the story of Hosea, God was drawing my wayward heart to him. So aware of my own brokenness, I quickly identified with broken women. I knew about women standing in the windows of European Red Light Districts and desperately wanted to tell them the same story of love and compassion that God told me. I wanted to learn to communicate the worth that he bestowed on my tired heart.

Then, when I began to learn about the layers of corruption and injustice that surround sex trafficking, I was compelled to fight against it. During my first few years in college, I researched whatever I could to learn more about this modern day slavery.

Before I enter my senior year, and start thinking about jobs post graduation, I want to spend this summer absorbing. I am trying to learn all that I can about how to minister to women in prostitution, legislation, and the expansiveness of sex trafficking.

So far, I have been learning, in several different ways. There is a lot of information so soak in just through reading, so I have been pouring over some books and other material. I have also been researching different strip clubs in San Francisco, to discover which are guises for prostitution. Two nights a week, I go out at night with Rachael to reach to women on Broadway in the clubs. The boldness it requires is challenging for me, but I continue to push myself.

The first weeks of this summer have been overwhelming with all of the new information, but simultaneously exciting. It is good to spend these two months working for the freedom and restoration of trafficked women in San Francisco.

For information on what the TVPRA entails, go to the website of Polaris Project for a summary.

We were able to obtain a wide variety of gifts for the women such as bath and body gift sets, pajamas, robes, slippers, socks, scarves, hats, gloves, journals, and alarm clocks.

It was such a privilege to be able to see these women provided for and to have a hand in such a wonderful cause.

Thank you to all the individuals, churches, and organizations that gave your time, energy, and resources to help make this possible.

Merry Christmas from  Because Justice Matters!

Date books/journals, umbrellas, alarm clocks, hat/scarf/gloves set, bathrobes, slippers, bath & body sets

You can drop gifts off at or send gifts to the Youth with a Mission office at:

357 Ellis St. San Francisco, CA 94102

Please send gifts by December 3, 2008

If you have any questions you can email us at info@becausejusticematters.org

I would like to urge you all to make sure on future ballots to always do your research and make sure you know what you are voting for! Because just like Prop. K, it is easy to be deceived by a well written proposition and one good point that someone makes. Dig deep, be informed, and always vote!

Article—Bay Area News: Voters Choose Not to Legalize Prostitution in San Francisco:

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/elections/local/Voters_Choose_Not_to_Legalize_Prostitution_in_San_Francisco.html

This week in BJM we concentrated our efforts on working to raise awareness for Proposition K, which will appear on the 2008 ballot for San Francisco. A group of us handed out fliers on the streets and in the BART Stations. Proposition K’s arm is to legalize prostitution to protect sex-workers from being criminalized if a John were to take advantage of them. Then the sex workers can report the incident to the police. But, this in fact is already possible; sex-workers can report rape without being prosecuted themselves. The fliers we gave out have a full explanation of what Prop K and what it really means for San Francisco if it does in fact pass. Proposition K will open the door for even more sex trafficking in this city then we already have!

            It was good to get out on the streets and raise awareness, the public needs to fully understand what Prop K entails. I had the opportunity as did the other interns to have very encouraging conversations with those we met. We gave out accurate information so they can vote with informed minds on Prop K.

            At the beginning of last week statistics showed that if there were a vote that day, that Prop K would pass with 70%, as of this last weekend, 5 days after our first flier outing, the stats moved more to 50/50. Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best!

-MEG

Ten months ago when I first came to San Francisco, I was introduced to trafficking through hearing about the film “Call & Response”. At that time it was still in process of being made; now it has been released in some theaters and it turned out to be an incredible film, well made, good music, good information, very moving! Before I even actually saw it, it moved me to find out exactly what trafficking is and where it is. A couple of my friends I walked through the city that night and realized how many massage parlors are in our neighborhood alone. Quite honestly it is a disgusting amount! This is not a proven fact, but my guess is there is a lot of trafficking just in the 6 by 6 block community I live in.

  After realizing this my friends and I decided to do what research we could to uncover which of these parlors do have trafficked women held against there will, and which are really just brothels with women stuck in prostitution but choosing to be there. We mapped the Tenderloin, and began to keep track of The Guardian, Redbook, and made some phone calls to the actual parlors. Much of what our interns are doing now.

Human slavery IS an issue today, it DOES exist. It’s right here in our city, and many other places in our country in other forms besides sex slavery. This cannot be ignored. Why is our world so driven by money! Quite honestly it drives me crazy! If money was not put on this pedestal as the golden key to life and happiness would human slavery still be an issue today? Why do people sell people? Because people don’t run out, because people can continue to make you money, once u sell a drug it’s gone, you have to buy more to sell more. But a person you can buy once and continue to sell and sell and sell. Money should not come above the value of human life! For anyone who reads this I just want to challenge you to evaluate where money stands in your life. Money is not evil, or well it doesn’t have to be. But when we place money higher then people, it does. Even if you’re not trafficking people into the U.S. money can still consume you and bring more stress and upset to your life then needs there needs to be.

Why do we all care so much about it? I include myself in this, I personally have to keep myself in check on where I am holding money in my life, and where I am putting to much importance on what money can give me. But really think about it, if we could all just decided to give like 5% of our earnings to help people in poverty or out money towards people’s education that can’t afford it. Couldn’t we solve a lot of the problems we have here in the U.S and even beyond our own country? If we could all just choose to think of other people over ourselves what could that do to the money crazy world we live in?

Anyways, I’m going to get off my soap box now! Basically, I care about human life, I believe that every single person has value and has a purpose. When I hear about human slavery, families stuck in poverty, or women beat up in there own home and told they are worthless, I just don’t like, there’s a lot of injustice in this world and I hope “Because Justice Matters” can be a part of bringing justice to the places where people are held captive in the dark, they deserve to live in the light too.

-Katie, BJM Staff

My dear, do not cry

You are not those dirty lies

Let me wipe those tears from your eyes

You were taken, stolen from your home

When discarded souls become stone

Looked on as a pile of bones

I see you, I hear you love

Black bird turn into a white dove

Grace for you fits like a glove

Fix your gaze on what’s not yet seen

As before a mirror you sit and bleed

Love washes over you, it makes you clean

What if I showed you light?

Justice for what you need not fight

A world for you with things right

That alone would give me joy

To love a girl as a boy

You’re a bride not some toy

I turn over tables in the heavens

I yearn for opportunity to cleanse

And have you see yourself by my lense.

Written by Meg