Nathan George

Today I interview Lieutenant John Vanek on the Human Trafficking Task Force of the San Jose Police Department. I first met John at the Freedom Summit. What I appreciated most about him was that here was clearly someone on the front lines of the fight against trafficking, measured in his use of language, able to partner with all sorts of different organizations to get the job done, and in it for the long haul.

NG: John, tell us what your role is and how it fits into a national law enforcement effort against human trafficking

JV: Since 2005 the San Jose Police Department has been funded through a grant from the United States Department of Justice to create and manage a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary anti-trafficking task force. We were one of the original agencies to receive this grant. The program now includes about 40 such task forces across the country. I’ve managed the program since 2006.

The program is designed so local law enforcement agencies organize task force representatives from a variety of local and federal agencies. Our task force includes representatives from our department, the FBI, ICE, the United States Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Labor, our District Attorney’s office, and other local law enforcement agencies.

We work in collaboration with the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking, a collection of victim-services providers. The Coalition is also funded by the Department of Justice, and we have formal agreements to work together to identify and rescue victims of trafficking. We also work on training local law enforcement officers in recognizing trafficking victims or situations, and we also put a lot of effort into raising the public’s awareness of trafficking.

I’ve been very fortunate. My role with the task force has given me the opportunity to engage a large number of governmental and non-governmental agencies across the country. We work closely with the Polaris Project, who maintains the National Human Trafficking Resource Center and the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Reporting Hotline (888-3737-888).

All of the task forces are working toward a better understanding of how we can all share expertise and information to best assist victims and investigate cases.

NG: What is the most shocking thing you have become aware of in the course of your work?

JV: I often hear comments about how shocking, or terrible, trafficking is. While that is true, in 24-years of police work I’ve seen too many terrible things. Being a victim of violent crime is a terrible thing, whether the victim has suffered sexual assault, domestic violence or other trauma. I really try to avoid comparing tragedies.

That said, the scope of slavery, worldwide, is amazing, with estimates that as many as 27 million people are enslaved today. As I began my involvement in the anti-trafficking movement, another element that surprised me was the socio-economic scope over which trafficking occurs. Trafficking occurs everywhere. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you think you don’t have trafficking in your community, your not looking for trafficking.” In the trainings we give, we try to get people to understand that they have to closely examine the cultural and socio-economic make-up of their communities. Doing so may give them a better idea of how trafficking may be discovered. Trafficking looks different in different communities.

NG: You must see some egregious crimes against people in the course of your work. What gives you the most cause for hope in tackling trafficking?

JV: What gives me the most hope, and makes my current work so rewarding, is the level of commitment of so many people within the anti-trafficking community. It is important to understand that our nation’s response to trafficking is really just ten years old, starting when Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000. And much of the support for victim-services and law enforcement task forces began around 2005.

So both from a governmental and non-governmental standpoint, most of us have been learning about trafficking as we’ve developed programs, investigated cases, and discovered how victims are exploited. Human Trafficking is the most complicated subject in law enforcement I’ve encountered, and outside of law enforcement it is just as complicated. Victims of trafficking have unique needs, and agencies that don’t have a history of working together need to learn how to do so, because no one single agency can assist a victim or investigate a case. We all have to work together to raise awareness and understanding of trafficking.

So many of the people within the anti-trafficking community are really dedicated and energetic, and just working to end slavery. This work brings together people and organizations with really divergent views on other subjects, but we are all abolitionists.

I can tell you that in all of my varied experiences in law enforcement, I’ve never partnered with social entrepreneurs like Trade As One, collaborated on a training project with Stanford Medical Center like we are now, worked with so many different federal agencies and victim services providers, or such a wide variety of faith-based organizations. Fighting slavery brings me and my partner, Officer Jenn Dotzler, into contact with all of these. The people we meet are truly inspiring to me. They give me faith in the future. And after 24 years of policing, I can use all of the positive energy I can find.

NG: What can we do to help your efforts and those of your colleagues in similar positions in police forces around the country?

JV: Talk about trafficking within your communities. Not just your neighborhood communities, but your work and faith communities, too. Raising awareness can help law enforcement agencies understand the importance of this issue, and make anti-trafficking work a higher priority. Task forces like ours’ offer training to law enforcement. Ask your local police or sheriff what they are doing to assist victims or investigate potential cases.

There are several great sources of information on trafficking, including the Polaris Project website. (www.polarisproject.org)

I also believe we all need to continue our personal study of trafficking; how and why it occurs, how is it linked to supply and demand both in labor and sex trafficking, and how we as individuals can be unwitting beneficiaries of slave labor, and how we impact slavery in the course of our lives. We all need to work together if we want to abolish slavery.

In February I spoke at the Freedom Summit in Fremont CA, which was the largest gathering on the subject of human trafficking ever held. Betty Ann Boeving led the team that pulled off this fantastic event that surprised everyone with the numbers of people who attended, the numbers of churches and organizations that collaborated, and I am sure it will, in hindsight, continue to surprise us in its impact. Here’s my friend Betty Ann. She is a super-talented type-A person who can get things done. If it were ever possible, I would pay good money to watch her deal with perpetrators of human trafficking if she ever was in a position to administer justice.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.”

This is a favorite phrase of ours at the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition as we continue to work towards the “answers” to fight the injustice of human trafficking with who we are, where we live and with the choices we make. The systems and solutions that got us to today, are not necessarily the forms, networks and ideas that are going to rid our neighborhoods of human trafficking—we believe the best ideas are yet to come. People from all walks of life are coming together, learning not only how to recognize signs of trafficking, but how to respond on behalf of the oppressed. For example, in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, abolitionist groups, churches, community organizations, government and law enforcement agencies and everyday citizens are sharing information and resources, and joining forces for effective and sustained response to the call to end modern-day slavery.
The Bay Area Anti-trafficking Coalition is part of this modern-day abolitionist movement. In January, we hosted the 2nd annual Freedom Summit in Fremont, California, and Trade as One was there. It was not only the largest anti-trafficking event on record, but by focusing on education, collaboration and empowerment, it has become a catalyst for action and a model for other regions to replicate. Attendees were touched deeply as they learned about human trafficking in our region, and to the question ‘What can I tangibly DO to ACT on my convictions?’ Attendees were offered a 10-minute, 10-day, 10-month prototype for considering their steps towards engagement that anyone can follow.

In 10 minutes

• Put the National Anti-Trafficking Support Hotline on your cell phone, 1-888-3737-888
• Shop to stop slavery, check www.tradeasone.com and buy from vendors who use fair labor practices
• Learn about abolitionist organizations and events in your area, visit www.freedom-summit.org

In 10 days

• Host your own screening of ‘Call + Response’ with family or friends
• Take a training class with Not for Sale, sign up at www.notforsale.org

In 10 months

• Do a group study of one of the many powerful books on trafficking, such as Good News About Injustice from International Justice Mission.
• Ask your church to join the Bay Area Church Coalition, which now numbers more than 100, so that congregants can be informed and stand against human trafficking in their own communities.
• Write a letter, or a blog, or start a petition to adopt anti-trafficking laws at the local and state levels.
• Whether you tell a friend, volunteer an hour, report a suspicious incident, purchase slave-free products, write to your senator, or donate to a worthy abolitionist group, every act is significant and cumulative, bringing the light and hope of rescue and restoration to those who deserve to be free.

Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Founder Betty Ann Boeving and Media Coordinator Robin Shepherd can be contacted at: justicejourney@gmail.com

On day four of our week long blog posting on the issue of modern day slavery I want to focus on one of the people on the front lines of the battle to restore the lives of women rescued from the evils of human trafficking and enforced prostitution.

I first met Pierre Tami in London six years ago at a conference on how for-profit business was being used to address extreme poverty and cycles of abuse. Within only a few sentences of our conversation we were immediately talking about the need to understand consumer behavior, design and channels to market. I venture to suggest that there are not many conversations concerning the global poor and the trafficking of humans that ever get into those subjects, let alone so quickly. But Pierre understands the essential need for the creation of sustainable fair trade jobs in a globalized marketplace.

It is still a strange thing for us, but as people get to know my wife Cath and me, our journey and our story, they often remark about the risks we have taken and the cost we are paying to see Trade as One’s vision take root. But when I compare what we are doing with Pierre and Simonetta… Well, there really is no comparison. They are my heroes. It is people like this that keep us doing what we do. Here’s what they do.

You can find their products on our site if you search for StopStart.

In yesterday’s blog post I mentioned that I thought that fair trade’s potentially largest impact could be the demonstration to corporations that there exists a large and profitable sector of the population that cares deeply about how people in the supply chain are treated.

One of my friends, Justin Dillon, singer, songwriter and the creator of the widely acclaimed and influential film Call and Response, is doing fantastic work in this area. Take a look at a great little video he has produced on this subject.

He is mobilizing people to get major brands to sit up and take notice of the fact that a lot of people care about how people are treated in the supply chain. Go and check out his website and get involved

I wanted you all to have a chance to hear from him on what he has learned on his road of getting involved and making a difference in the world. Here’s Justin:

5 THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT ACTIVISM

In the last 5 years I have had the opportunity to dip my feet into the rushing rivers of full time activism. When I started down the path to finding my own response to the horrors of human trafficking, I had no idea it would lead to directing a motion picture and creating a global campaign against force labor. I’ve learned that activism is not a profession, it’s a practice. For what it’s worth, I’ve compiled a few of the things I’ve learned.

1. Its Judo, not Karate
I used to think the way to fight injustice is with brute force. I’ve come to learn it’s more nuanced than that. One of the greatest maneuvers we can pull in fighting injustice is to use the opponent’s force against them. For those who profit from forced labor, the most strategic move I can make is to hurt their business. Sure I want to see them pay in other ways, but hurting what concerns them most is the greatest shot at creating systemic change. It’s not about what makes me feel good, it’s about acting with the end in mind. Advocating for tougher laws on pimps and johns (punter) may seem a step removed, but it’s a more effective move. Strategy above impulse.

2. I dost protest too much
Gary Haugen makes a quote in my film about how most of us are oblivious to human rights injustices, but when we learn about these injustices we tend to fall into a paralysis of despair. Neither of these two conditions are helpful. It’s easy to get upset and want to do something extreme about injustice, but extreme and dramatic opportunities to help are rare. We need to be honest with ourselves about how much we really care about injustice. Will we become part of the growing consumer mass demanding slave-free standards from the companies we buy from? Are we willing to adjust large areas of our lives to see change? Most are not. But it only takes a few who are to start a movement.

3. Slow and Steady wins the race
Reacting to something never gets a strategic result, but responding does. Our appetite for change is sometimes greater than our capacity to live in the trenches of the change-makers. We need to cultivate an activist metabolism, which allows our passion to burn over long distances, rather than short sprints. There has never been a human rights movement that was wrapped up in a week.

4. Obstacles vs. Opportunities
Seeing obstacles is easy. It merely takes a keen sense of the obvious. Of course there is disease, poverty, and injustice all around us. And yes, it’s very difficult to make a dent. Those who only see problems seldom solve them. It’s those that carefully look at a problem and find slivers of opportunity that gradually fix it. When I get overwhelmed its usually because my view is blocked by seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Its at that point that I need to back up and look more carefully for the opportunity to change the problem, and run after that opportunity with all my might.

5. Privilege > Passion
I constantly need to remind myself that it’s a privilege to possess any level of passion to fight injustice on someone else’s behalf. It’s a luxury to be passionate. Most in the world are simply trying to survive. The only reason this is possible is because I happen to live in a place and time where I am not required to fight gross injustices against myself. I am free. I am blessed. And I am firm believer that blessings like freedom and comfort are to be leveraged for others. Otherwise they become tawdry possessions that we take for granted.

In Solidarity,
Justin Dillon

I remember sitting in a small room in Mumbai, India, listening to a woman who led a business close to the red light district that employed women who had come out of commercial sex work. She spoke of how hard it was to change the course of the lives of women with which she worked. Some had come voluntarily out of the brothel to find a different life, to be trained in a skill in making products that were sold internationally. She spoke with an obvious sense of deep sadness of how difficult it was to pour months of care and training into a woman that she took in to the business only to see them for different reasons slip back into the life from which they came. Her focus was on creating enough work to keep the women fully employed. As she shared her greatest need – that of ensuring enough orders to sustain the momentum of their business and keep the women fully employed – this good woman could not mask her personal sense of guilt of not being able to provide for her women the opportunity they needed to keep them away from the grip of their old life.

Her husband worked with law enforcement to expose the trafficking of young girls into brothels and spoke of the very palpable sense of evil and danger that he confronted daily. The whole experience for me was an epiphany, although I did not recognize it as such at the time. The good that this couple were attempting to do in an atmosphere of bondage and abuse was a challenge to my sense of significance in life. Not just whether my life had enough meaning when compared to what they were doing, but I had to ask myself if I had the courage to do something as brave as them and risk looking back on years of labor to ask how much I had really achieved? I did not know it at the time, but those two days I spent with them would alter the course of my future.

I find myself seven years later running a business that exists to create enough work for businesses like that one I visited. Here is how I see Trade as One‘s mission is an important part of a response to slavery:

1. After all the hard and dangerous work of releasing someone from the grips of slavery, if they do not have a dignified source of income that pays a living wage, they can be just as vulnerable as they ever were.

2. The reason why people are trafficked and enslaved in the first place is because they are poor. This poverty deprives them of financial stability and of the protection of the rule of law. It is a noble act to rescue people from drowning in a river. After seeing so many – 27 million slaves alive today – one has to ask the question of why they are falling into the river further upstream. Providing dignified work to the poor allows them to stay well away from its dangerous banks. It stops them from running out of options and migrating or being sold to the urban slums or brothels.

3. Fair Trade is using the market, not charity, to include the marginalized. As awareness and participation in it grows, it becomes an increasingly powerful message to larger corporations that there are a lot of people who are stating with their wallets that the way in which people are treated when they are making the products we buy is a very important issue. This could be the most influential role Fair Trade has in the long term. By proving that a large and viable market exists for ethically sourced products we will be able to change the way the rest of business is done.

4. We need practical, every day actions that we can engage in. Writing a check to a charity that works in this area is great and we need to do more of it. Phoning your senator, yes but once you have taken three minutes and done that, then what? Hosting a film that raises awareness, for sure. We need lots of ways to respond. Fair Trade is a way to decide, on a daily basis if you want, to take small actions that create paths out of slavery. Eating white rice from the Surin co-operative in Thailand in one of the poorest regions of that country keeps communities together and stops them from having to abandon their rural homes and migrate to the city. If everyone made small purchases the collective effect on the ability of organizations like the one I spent time with in Mumbai would be very large indeed.

Today i kicked off a week of discussion in blogs and Facebook about the issue of human slavery at Trade as One. Let me start with a confession. I was wrong about this issue three years ago. As awful and shocking as slavery is, I predicted that within eighteen months the interest in the subject would have passed. Behind closed doors I stated that given how ADD we are as a society, the public would have moved on from human trafficking to the next issue of the day, as sad as that would be. I was wrong. I am seeing more engagement in this subject than before. That engagement is happening because at its root, human slavery brings out the worst in humanity and we are all shocked by how one human being can behave to another. We like to think that we have moved beyond that level of depravity. The momentum is coming from grass roots where individuals are saying to community leaders – to churches, to politicians, to law enforcement, to our media – what are we doing about this?

What we want to do in the next seven days is to look at the issue from different angles and provide you with information, inspiration and engagement opportunities. We’ll be hearing from Justin Dillon the creator of the movie Call and Response, from Betty Ann Boeving who has worked in this area for years and recently organized the Freedom Summit which was possibly the largest event on trafficking ever held, and from a police officer who specializes in this area. Stay tuned!

In this first entry I wanted to set the scene in general for the subject and then tomorrow will go into more detail on how what we do at Trade as One is connected to the issue of human slavery.

When I think of the best place to start for an overview of the issue, International Justice Mission is the first organization that comes to mind. Take a look at this.

and we heard just today that CNN has just launched its Freedom Project about modern day slavery. You can watch the video for this project at : http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/07/the-cnn-freedom-project/