I am so grateful that our resolution on Human Trafficking passed so overwhelmingly at Conference Annual Meeting. Since returning home, Carolyn Wenger sent me the following link that I think you will be interested in: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100614/wl_ynews/ynews_wl2569. It's from Yahoo news and talks about the more than 12 million human beings who are enslaved in our world today. Blessings!

Local Church Hosts Conference on Trafficking

by Loey Powell

On April 24, Country Club Congregational UCC (CCCUCC) in Kansas City, MO, hosted a Human Trafficking Workshop. Paul Osgood, former JWM Board member, has spearheaded this effort to engage his congregation in response to the General Synod
26 resolution on human trafficking. Loey Powell offered an overview of the issue stressing why it is important for the religious community to become incrisisvolved. Award‐winning Kansas City Star investigative journalist Mike McGraw gave in‐depth stories from the work he did in several countries preparing the articles in his series for the newspaper.
Cynthia Cordes, Assistant US Attorney for the W. Missouri Region, who heads up a Human Trafficking Task Force, spoke about the coordination of efforts to prosecute traffickers and protect those who have been trafficked,and Kristy Childs spoke
about her own experiences as someone who had been trafficked. Childs is now the Director of Veronica’s Voice, an organization that helps people get out of being trafficked. Students from a nearby seminary, staff from women’s shelters and a rape crisis shelter, and members of churches in the area attended the event. Plans are underway to continue this awareness and call to action effort.

http://www.ucc.org/synod/resolutions/
gs27/human‐trafficking.pdf
http://www.kansascity.com/trafficking/
http://www.veronicasvoice.org/

Amelia Shivers, one of our pastors in Penn Central, put me on to an important article that came out in Sojourner Magazine's Faith and Justice Connection online newsletter. The article is Slavery is Alive and Well...for Now. It shouldn't be hard to find in a search engine.

Have you been to the website www.notforsalecampaign.org. There's a bunch of really important stuff on thee, including when the next conference is coming up. But i want to "re-post" their statement about people of faith getting involved. Here it is:
"
Think of what would happen if churches, synagogues, and mosques in every community prayed and preached against slavery.

Imagine what would happen if missionaries and religious workers sent from every faith community networked within their countries to be a force against trafficking.

Think of what would happen if leaders from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu communities of faith dialogued about the evils of slavery and strategized about how to work together despite the differences to end slavery.

Those “what/ifs” reveal the potential of our collective engaged faith communities. The resources are unlimited. The energy is palpable. The results would be amazing.

People of faith have a special role to play when it comes to the work of abolition: freeing slaves and creating a world where survivors can thrive. We will assist you to grow a thriving abolitionist program in your backyard by providing platforms for active engagement."

So...what are you going to do? Send me a comment and let me know.

Yes, Trafficking Happens in the US

Nick Kristoff, columnist for the New York Times, posted this link to a magazine called the TExas Monthly, which did a lengthy and engrossing piece about women and girls that are trafficked through the port of Houston. Give it a read at http://tinyurl.com/yg3rthe. Or you can preview it here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/yg3rthe.

Bruce Bouchard gracious prepared this book review for us. I've already bought the book, if for no other reason than to keep the royalties flowing to this young girl whose male relatives are now giving her more respect. But I think it will be a great read. Thanks Bruce.

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
New York: Three Rivers Press 2010
$12.00 176 pages

Can it be true that a young girl ten years old was not only married, but also divorced? Nujood Ali is ten years old and she is divorced. She lives in the country Yemen at the southern tip of Saudi Arabia. In that culture, girls can be married off when they are just children to men who are twice or even several times their age. The men in the family make the choice for them. The decision can mean that they no longer have the potential to go to school. They soon discover that they are also forced into a long series of pregnancies. Since maternal health care is so poor countries in countries like Yemen and women are so young, child birth can threaten their health if not take their lives.

Nujood had the amazing courage to appear in court one day, demand a divorce, and eventually received one. It is a heroic and heart felt story that tells of her bravery, gives insight the culture of Yemen, third world poverty, and tells why we need to care.

Nujood tells her own story with the help of the French- Iranian writer, Delphine Minoui. The book is an appropriate read for someone Nujood's age or an adult.

Sharing the work in a congregational book group would be a great opportunity for those in the church to have an opportunity to identify better with what poverty means for both women and men in a developing country with a traditional culture like Yemen.

TIP report

Want to know what the State Department knows about trafficking? Read the TIP report (Trafficking on Persons) at http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2009/index.htm. You can also read Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks at the same site.

Have you read the resolution from last General Synod about stopping human trafficking? You can find it at http://www.ucc.org/synod/resolutions/gs27/human-trafficking.pdf.

Just saw the latest issue of Lancaster Theological Seminary's "Leadership Letter". It seems that as part of their Jusice Summit over the New Year weekend, the students included a workshop on "The Sex Industry and the Women of Thailand" based on their trip to Thailand last summer. Do you know someone who went? Why not invite them to speak at your church? If you don't know any of the participants, I'm pretty sure Jacquie Church-Young at Leadership Now would be happy to put you in touch with one.

Today's post is an idea for action. Contact a local law enforcement agency---the sheriff's office, the district attorney, the local police---and invite them to come and speak to your adult church school class, forum or at an all church program. Ask them to tell you about human trafficking in your community. Don't believe it's so close to home? Within the last year, several counties in central Pennsylvania have had arrests for trafficking for illegal labor, for forced prostitution or for child labor. We can begin here, by increasing our own awareness. It's going to take the whole world to demand a stop to slavery! But we can do it. We must.

I want to lift up several websites that will help you educate yourself about human trafficking. The first is from Mt. Sinai Hospital and is especially aimed at medical providers, but even has some case stories. It is http://www.humantraffickinged.com/. The second is from the FBI. If you ever waant to know how to report ifyou suspect trafficking, this is the place: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/civilrights/slavery.htm. The third one is from another government source, the Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/. What resources have you found? What stories have you heard? Let's talk about it here.

Half the Sky Event
NCM Fathom and CARE are partnering again for a one night event inspired Nicholas Kristof's New York Times bestseller, "Half The Sky." The Event will feature a musical performance by Michael Franti, the debut of Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone's new short feature "Woineshet" and will conclude with a panel discussion about various topics and issues facing women around the world. The panel would include Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone. Also with appearances by Michael Franti, India Arie Maria Bello, Diane Birch, Dr. Helene Gayle, Nicholas Kristof, Sarah, Duchess of York and Angelique Kidjo. The event is being captured Live on February 11th out of the Skirball Center in New York and will be played back on March 4th 7:30pm (local time) at the theatres (fully pre-recorded) to celebrate International Women's Day. Talent subject to change.
Tickets are on sale NOW for "Half the Sky" on March 4 th at 7:30 pm (local time). In central PA it is playing at the Stadium 14 in Harrisburg, and, I believe, in Lititz.

Welcome to our Penn Central Conversation on human trafficking. Some of us have read Half the Sky by Nicolas Kristoff and his spouse. Others have attended conferences about trafficking. Some of us are following organizations like the Global Fund for Women on Twitter. This is a place where we can challenge each other to act. A place where we can share information. And a place where we can share and dialog. Please join us by leaving your comments. If you would like to post actual blog entries for others to comment, please contact me at the Penn Central Conference Office in Harrisburg. Blessings, Marja, Penn Central Conference Minister