Many thanks… Brad

Unicef believes over 240,000 minors live on the streets of Mexico City with over 90% having had a sexual encounter with an adult. We are working to end this. Over 60 people from the US made up of professors, psychologists, practitioners, students, and everyday advocates joined us in Mexico City in 2011. Their work included collaborating with locals, strengthening our relationships with street outreaches to abandoned and homeless kids, media tours, research, strategizing with us, and raising funds to be directly distributed to survivors. (the child pictured above is not a trafficking victim)

We participated in raids throughout Mexico resulting in the rescue of minors from forced prostitution, victimizers arrested, and brothels closed. Girls are being rescued weekly now that Mexico is passing new anti-trafficking laws and law enforcement is focusing on the problem. Media from the raids will be used for multiple purposes including the CNN Freedom Project.

Every frame of our films, each photo we take, and the artifacts we gather document the specific stories in the exact locations of the kids we serve. This results in us filming in some great and mostly crazy places. This year the FBI allowed us to come to their headquaters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, DC. We filmed an interview and training session with Agent Evan Nichols, a supervisor from The Innocence Lost Initiative. Their sweeps have rescued over 1,500 US minors from forced prostitution. The interview is featured in our US films engaging the trucking industry and our 2012 prevention projects focusing on at-risk kids in the US.

We are part of the leading after-care movement for child survivors of sex trafficking in Mexico. With the surge in rescues, the 25 bed Mexico City safe-home is continually at capacity. We are collaborating to aggressively expand the movement and resources throughout Mexico City and the entire country.

iEmpathize intern and University of Colorado International Affairs major, Helen VanDam, spent the summer in Russia researching service providers for our orphan teen protection project and for her degree. 17,000 teens age out of orphanages each year. They are routed to the nearest big city where half the girls will be sexually exploited shortly after arriving. We are collaborating with orphan outreaches to implement a prevention program educating orphan teens on the tactics of traffickers. The teens are then connected to the service providers that can aid in their vulnerable transition to the city. The project will launch in 2012.

The picture above was our news conference at the Attorney General’s building in Mexico City. Our media gives child survivors of sexual exploitation a platform to share their stories to impact three audiences: keeping at-risk kids safe; inspiring understanding and advocacy among people of influence; moving the public towards empathy and engaging. Screenings and mixed media installations have been featured in Mexico by the 1st Lady, the US Embassy, Congress, the Attorney General, public events, and to at-risk kids. In the US, we were featured at public schools, universities, churches, synagogues, galleries, theaters, trucking companies and expos, and by Homeland Security. In 2011, our media was aired on multiple television news broadcasts, through PSA’s, and talk shows in the US and Mexico.

Anti-trafficking and child protection legislation were put through Mexico’s Congress this year and passed. We premiered our Spanish media steps away from the voting chamber. The two congressman pictured above were among many who were educated about these crimes against children right before entering to vote. This is one example of how the iEmpathize message is having national and global impact.

Child trafficking and sexual exploitation is happening in our own backyard. In partnership with Truckers Against Trafficking, we educate and engage the trucking industry and its 3 million drivers to recognize and respond to trafficking scenarios along our nation’s highways and at truck stops. Our films train companies, drivers, and travel plaza employees. Our media installations are featured at truck shows recruiting the tens of thousands of industry professionals in attendance. The efforts have resulted in rescues, investigations, and pending prosecutions.

iEmpathize is all about collaboration. We empower local solutions and grow grassroots efforts. We create tools that protect, rescue, restore, and advocate for vulnerable and victimized kids. One of our many collaborators is Congresswoman Rosi Orozco of Mexico who chairs Congress’ Commission to End Human Trafficking. We have co-hosted numerous advocacy events this year in the US and Mexico and collaborated on a book benefitting child survivors.

Our work is multifaceted, but always focused on keeping vulnerable kids safe and seeing victimized kids rescued and restored. Providing direct funding to child trafficking survivors is vital to our project and partner portfolio. This year our field projects and programs have grown to over $200,000 with nearly $40,000 invested directly to survivors in Mexico and Cambodia. This includes meeting their needs for housing, food, addiction recovery, medical care, education, court cases, and therapy.

The arts provide pathways for people to explore and engage issues of injustice. The arts open the door to empathy. iEmpathize media and events converge the work of many photographers, filmmakers, and musicians. Artist Jonny Rodgers performs his original score to our Mexico film with tuned wine glasses, guitars and electronics with live loops used in unexpected ways. www.jonnyrodgers.com The special edition DVD will be released in 2012.

Child sex trafficking survivors, ranging in ages from 9-17, perform a dance for our teams who joined us on our summer expeditions to Mexico. Each of the girls above have a heinous story of victimization but a new home and a team of relentless caregivers have provided a way for them to dream and even dance on their injustice.

We produced and participated in our first events in New York and LA. We developed our Empathy Event portfolio to meet the needs of small house events to producing diverse mixed media experiences for large audiences. Thousands of people have heard our message this year through our events or events that have featured us.

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In our work, we encounter the reality of child trafficking face to face. This compels us to relentlessly fight against this crime and for the countless kids it impacts. In Mexico, we collaborate on growing and sustaining a safe home movement. Over 100 child survivors have been provided with short or long term care. We also provide media for the Mexican Congress’ Commission to End Human Trafficking. Our media has educated, inspired, and influenced people at the US Embassy, Congress, and other strategic venues. Our media educates Attorney General departments and employees who are now taking on anti-trafficking portfolios in light of recently passed human trafficking legislation. At the end of this story you can learn about our new projects for 2012 and how you can be a part.

Leading up to the raids, a small group of us sat with Chief of Intelligence Alejandro Poire (recently appointed Secretary of Interior) and President Calderon and heard their perspective on the trafficking issues in Mexico and between the US. The week following we were asked by congress member Rosi Orozco, Deputy of the anti-trafficking commission, to document some upcoming efforts that the Mexican government was taking to combat human trafficking. The footage will add to our advocacy media in Mexico and is meant to be used for a December airing of CNN’s Freedom Project featuring Mexico’s growing anti-trafficking movement. If the feature airs it will certainly strengthen our work and that of our partners.

We invite you to explore the screen shots we have selected from our filming and gain insight on the reality of raids and rescues in Mexico. This recent media expedition began at the southern border of Mexico in the state of Chiapas where human trafficking from Central American is a daily dilemma.

We are so proud of the Chiapas authorities who made this case a priority and one week after the raid rescued the girls, arrested the perpetrators, and closed the brothel.
After Chiapas, we moved north to Toluca, the capital of the state of Mexico where the cartel is deeply entrenched. The trafficking and exploitation of women and children is most often connected to organized crime in this area.

Our media gives child survivors a voice with three audiences: vulnerable kids, influencers, and the public. Throughout 2010 and 2011, we developed media that engages diverse influencers like policy makers and segments of the marketplace that intersect with at-risk and exploited children. We have integrated the media into events that inspire the public to empathize and engage. In 2012, we are editing our media to be viewed by at-risk populations of kids in the US, Russia, and Mexico. Kids get to help kids. All of this media is connected to hotlines that are in place and proven effective, just like in the Chiapas story and with Truckers Against Trafficking. We have open doors in schools and existing outreaches to at-risk kids in all the countries we work in.

These are immediate needs both financially and through hands on advocacy here in the US and internationally. We are grateful for your donations, influence, and volunteerism.

Will you help us with a donation today?

Will you walk with us into 2012?

Will you inspire others to do the same?

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Screen shots captured from film footage by Christopher Kueh

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Most of us drive down the road and pass by houses, buildings, alleys and rest areas, but all we ever see is the wood, brick, steel, and pavement. However, when you live in a neighborhood or are part of a community, you notice homes instead of houses and livelihoods instead of businesses. I’ve spent years living and working in some of the roughest cities and neighborhoods in the US. Over time and through relationships, I began to know who lived where and what types of activities went down in certain houses and alleys. With over 2.5 million US truck drivers on the road, no one knows what happens on our nation’s highways better than they do. There is no better example of this than a driver named Willie. When en route from Minnesota to Detroit, Willie took the time to notice that something wasn’t right as he watched a very young girl “working” the lot. What he didn’t know was that she was 15, and along with her 14 year old cousin,  had been kidnapped from Toledo and forced into child prostitution. They were US child trafficking victims. The FBI estimates that well over 100,000 children and young women are trafficked in America today. They range in age from 9 to 19, with the average age being 11. The FBI has rescued close to 2000 sexually exploited kids in the past 3 years. This past year we have produced a film that tells this story. At the time, we didn’t even know which trucker made the anonymous 911 call that led to the rescue of the Toledo teens. At a recent screening of the film, we were amazed when someone recognized the caller’s voice.  Just 15 seconds of a garbled 911 call and the viewer says, “I know that voice!”  Within moments he confirmed that it was his friend Willie. Willie’s simple phone call not only rescued these two teens but broke open a 13 state trafficking ring that rescued seven other minors and led to the arrest of 39 victimizers. In the film, Sheri’s mom says, “If it weren’t for that trucker, that trucker who made the call, I don’t know what we would have done. If he ever sees this… thank you, thank you, thank you!” For over five years, Willie had no knowledge that his call saved so many lives. Willie did “see this” and has been in contact with the family. I had the privilege of meeting Willie and he told me that he has watched the film more times than he can count and it is one of the proudest moments of his life. Wille, his lovely wife Jan and their two Chihuahuas, joined us recently at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas where over 40,000 industry professionals were in attendance. iEmpathize has a collaborative partnership with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT). Our goal for the truck shows is to engage the trucking industry in the fight against child trafficking in the US. Drivers, trucking companies, travel plazas/truck stops, and a myriad of industry related businesses are enthusiastically coming on board. This translates to literally thousands of individuals seeing our training films and being equipped through TAT’s programs to safely intervene in child trafficking scenarios. Over 100 truckers have made calls from over 30 states with reports of victims being assisted. Stay tuned for updates and thank you for supporting us by connecting us to your relationships in the travel industry, and through volunteerism and donations!

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Watch the the new 3min trailer

Watch the 28minute industry training film.

Willie, the trucker who made the call and Brad Riley of iEmpathize

Press conference featuring trucking industry professionals who are leading the way as Truckers Against Trafficking.

iEmpathize Expedition to the Great American Truck Show in Dallas TX. Nine empathizers and everyday advocates who spent three days inspiring the trucking industry to join the cause.

The iEmpathize exhibit and film for Truckers Against Trafficking brings the reality of the issue directly to the 40,000+ truck show attendees.

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Former Nuggets player Ervin Johnson will be sharing. Ervin, born December 21, 1967 in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a retired NBA basketball player and currently a Community Ambassador for the Denver Nuggets. A 6’11″, 245-pound center, Johnson attended the University of New Orleans where he was named a third team All-American and Sun Belt Player of the Year. He finished college fifth in the nation in rebounding and is the school’s all-time leader in rebounds, blocks and field goal shooting. Johnson was selected 23rd overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1993 NBA Draft. During his 13 year NBA career, he played for the Sonics, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks.

We have space for 30 more people so email us at rsvp@iempathize.org to attend.

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Photo by Peter Gibson

3 year old *Perlita’s eyes sparkled as I spotted her in the busy mall. Her tiny hands were clinging to a department store bag. As soon as the coveted hugs and kisses were given, she was allowed to open the bag, pull out and slip on the princess dress she had chosen for herself. This was the selection she and all of the other little girls under the age of 5 from the safe home had made. They had also chosen ballet outfits for their dance classes, and had found shoes, dresses and hair accessories. All their own. Just for them.

We caught up with the older girls who were giggling and running back and forth from the dressing rooms with their “shopping buddies”, exchanging sizes and perfecting their individuality through that one outfit that would be their final purchase. They had each been given a gift card to spend, and budgeting was an essential part of this day.

Lunch was at least 22 happy meals. Maybe more. Then the girls went ahead of us on a secret mission we were not to question. We arrived across the street a little while later and were ushered into an auditorium and told to sit on the first 2 rows as guests of honor.

The littlest ones had all changed into their matching ballet outfits and began to dance for us. They had been practicing their performance for weeks. They were so sweet.

Then the older girls took their places on the stage. The song started and it was nearly impossible not to let their personal stories roll through your mind.

Orphaned. Abandoned. Exploited. Abused. Suffering.

But as each girl began to share their gratitude and thanks through the one medium they all felt they could express themselves adequately through, their joy became more and more apparent. The song they had chosen was a message of believing. Of leaving the past behind and throwing themselves into the hope and the future they know belongs to them. And the result brought the kinds of tears that I hope everyone gets to experience at some point in his or her life. Tears of wonder and appreciation and hope. The kind of empathy that not only walks in the shoes of suffering, but as a result, gets to share in the joys.

This is the work you graciously support… you are empathizers.

*Perlita’s mother, a victim of forced prostitution and trafficking, abandoned her and her older sister. They live at the safe home full time, where they receive an education, quality care, love and understanding without measure. Names are changed for protection.

Written by Julie Riley

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Mexico Film (3min ver) & Project / Partner Portfolio

SUMMER EXPEDITION

The iE Staff and Interns relocated from Boulder to Mexico City for the summer. Joining us to collaborate with local advocates and our partners were 39 US child advocates whose ages ranged from 17-70. The diverse group included psychologists, students concentrating on research and case studies for degrees, PHD’s, lawyers focusing on anti-trafficking, various practitioners, and volunteers from all walks of life who are deeply committed to protecting and restoring vulnerable and victimized children. Our work included further strategizing with our partners, serving victims and at-risk kids, and influencing influencers in politics, including policy makers whose efforts directly impact this work.

Safe-home
Teams reorganized storage rooms, restocked the pantries and supplies, purchased the girls’ swim gear for their biweekly swim lessons, and they received gift cards to a department store so they could shop and practice budgeting. The girls also enjoyed two trips to the Aztec ruins and shared common meals at the cultural center.

Street Outreach
iE continues to maintain strong relationships with street outreaches to the vulnerable children populations in Mexico City. This summer, we began the delicate process of getting teen parents and their 5 month old baby off the streets. Other efforts included, visiting residential centers, serving and encouraging the kids and staff, cooking meals, playing soccer with the kids at both the Hovde and Alianza outreach centers. We remodeled, painted, and re-carpeted 2 bedrooms which house over 20 kids.

Your support makes these things possible and brings powerful changes to the lives of vulnerable and victimized children.

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“Political will (in most countries) is directly proportional to public awareness and concern. Until slavery reaches the public agenda slaves will continue to suffer.” Kevin Bales

In addition to empowering grassroots solutions, public awareness is a very big aspect of what iEmpathize does. In developing nations, it is often difficult to develop sustainable paths that solve justice issues indigenously. This places a dependency on outside resources. With Mexico having the 11th largest economy, we create media tools for local abolitionist efforts to combat the heinous crime of child trafficking. We are now advocating and fundraising for Mexico’s vulnerable and victimized children in both the US and in Mexico. We are amplifying the voice of survivors and letting them speak to those who need to hear them.

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Mexico

iE’s Research - Mexico is on virtually every top ten list for countries with human trafficking violations. The country has had little legislation and very few organized efforts to address the problem but all that is changing. There is an emerging group of Mexican abolitionists that are poised to lead the grassroots anti-trafficking movement. We met with, Congresswoman Rosi Orozco, the key influencer of the abolitionist movement and head of the governments anti-trafficking task force. We attended the Mexican congressional hearings on anti-trafficking legislation. We strategized and cast vision.  We visited an org with 20+ years of experience protecting the vulnerable children of Mexico City. We visited one of the few child trafficking safe homes in Mexico, met with Mexican practitioners, an attorney for the child victims, and safe home directors and caregivers. We witnessed current victims, and met the child survivors.

iE’s Response – We entered into an official partnership with Camino a Casa; a safe home in Mexico providing holistic care for survivors of child sexual exploitation and trafficking (50+ girls have been sheltered). This safe home serves as a model for other safe homes to be established. We are committed to monthly support and funding specific projects. We are partnered with Casa Alianza, a 110 bed shelter and outreach center for abandoned street children. The children in this area are at high risk and many are victims of trafficking. Media experiences for Mexico have been developed to benefit grassroots efforts in Mexico and raise funds/awareness in the US. The media is in English and Spanish and features real stories of child trafficking survivors as told through film, photography, and actual artifacts.  Additionally, we have mobile Mexican street exhibits that tour Mexico at strategic locations and gatherings (congress, law enforcement agencies, concerts, universities, etc.).  We are also providing images for Congresswoman Rosi Orozco’s book on child trafficking in Mexico that will raise funds for child survivors. Media for the US public is integrated into our events and rallies support for our field partners.

There is a Spanish version of the film. The graphics below say, “Sympathy is feeling badly for the suffering of others.” (top) and “Empathy is walking in another’s shoes.” (bottom)

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RETRACTION: The report of 100 rescues by www.landlinemag.com is not accurate. We will keep you updated on actual numbers as we get them.

SNEAK PEEK of the Truckers Training film featuring undercover lot footage, eye witness accounts by truckers, a Texas DA, the FBI, and a first hand survivor’s story. WATCH IT NOW

This very important advocacy tool still needs funding and we can’t do it without you!  Contact us for more information and consider contributing today.

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Cambodia
iE’s Research – We met a persecuted member of Cambodian Parliament and listened to her efforts and her plea for governmental and grassroots change to end child sex trafficking within her country. We interviewed the regional director of social work for southern Cambodia and were personally guided through the country by a Cambodian practitioner and expert on the issue. We did extensive research with a Cambodian network of 40+ orgs working in child protection, intervention, and restoration efforts. We met with safe-home directors and caregivers; we visited five prevention centers and interviewed their staff. We interviewed an investigation and rescue organization that shared many of their cases with us. We interviewed a leader of social entrepreneurism creating sustainable career paths for at-risk youth and survivors of child sex trafficking. We visited many at-risk areas, a recently closed child brothel, and sadly, we experienced a mother’s attempt to prostitute her very young daughter to our media team.

iE’s Response – We gathered the substantial media used in our exhibit and film. We entered into an official partnership with Chab Dai, a network of 40+ orgs working within the issue. We participated in funding the development of a prevention-training curriculum for boys and girls at risk to be trafficked. The program has proven to be effective in at-risk communities. We have entered into an official partnership with Transitions Global (TG) through child sponsorship, monthly funding, and expansion plans to India. TG provides safe environments and innovative solutions where girls can heal through intensive trauma therapy, life skills training and learn viable, sustainable job skills.

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The Russia film is not edited for internet as of this time but you may view it at one of our events.

iE’s Research – Over 17,000 Russian teens graduate orphanages each year at age 16. They are sent to the nearest large city with little to no life skills to cope leaving them highly vulnerable. Over half of the girls will be forced into prostitution. Hope Chest transition centers have been set up in these cities to serve the orphans during this difficult season. We visited these transition centers, interviewed caregivers, teen orphans, and trafficking survivors. We verified trafficking cases and researched the effectiveness of the underfunded transition programs.

iE’s Response – Media from this trip communicates aspects of the sex trafficking issue in Russia and Eastern Europe. We developed media communicating the anti-trafficking work happening through the transition program. Film, photography, and artifacts powerfully tell the story of five Russian orphan teens impacted by traffickers in both Russian and English. The Russian version of the media exposes trafficking tactics to graduating teen orphans and shares the stories of other orphans who have encountered trafficking scenarios. It serves as a simple but powerful prevention tool. The media is paired with a new novel featuring the Russian orphan sex trade. The iE exhibit travels with the nationwide book tour raising awareness and funds for the Russian field project.

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