A National Search for Human Worth

 

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2.5% of all Haitian citizens are slaves

Report: 225,000 Haitian Children Work as Slaves

Tuesday , December 22, 2009

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti  —
Poverty has forced at least 225,000 children in Haiti's cities into slavery as unpaid household servants, far more than previously thought, a report said Tuesday.

The Pan American Development Foundation's report also said some of those children — mostly young girls — suffer sexual, psychological and physical abuse while toiling in extreme hardship.

The report recommends Haiti's government and international donors focus efforts on educating the poor and expanding social services such as shelters for girls, who make up an estimated two-thirds of the child servant population.

Young servants are known as "restavek" — Haitian Creole for "stays with" — and their plight is both widely known and a source of great shame in the Caribbean nation that was founded by a slave revolt more than 200 years ago.

Researchers said the practice is so common that almost half of 257 children interviewed in the sprawling Port-au-Prince shantytown of Cite Soleil were household slaves.

Most are sent by parents who cannot afford to care for them to families just slightly better off. Researchers found 11 percent of families that have a restavek have sent their own children into domestic servitude elsewhere.

Despite growing attention to the problem, researchers said their sources were unaware of any prosecutions of cases involving trafficking children or using them as unpaid servants in this deeply poor nation of more than 9 million people.

Glenn Smucker, one of the report's authors and a cultural anthropologist known for extensive work on Haiti, said he believes the number of restavek children is increasing proportionally with the population of Port-au-Prince as more migrants flee rural poverty to live in the capital.

The researchers surveyed more than 1,400 random households in five Haitian urban areas in late 2007 and early 2008, with funding help from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The most widely used previous number for restaveks came from a 2002 UNICEF survey, which estimated there were 172,000.

The new report used a broader counting system to include children related to household owners but still living in servitude, such as nieces or cousins, and as well as "boarders" living temporarily with another family but are still forced to provide labor.

"Most people working with restavek children ... think that these numbers, both ours and UNICEF's, are actually underestimating the problem," said Herve Razafimbahini, the Pan American Development Foundation's program director in Haiti.

He called for Haitian officials to conduct a national survey to analyze the full scope of the problem, including in rural areas.

Officials with the Ministry of Social Affairs could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Captive

-by Stephanie-

A squelched cry in the encroaching darkness.
A whimper and a malevolent whisper,
"Close your eyes and open no more.
No one is coming for you, helpless."

There was a fire burning in those
Endless pools of cedar.
The fire has been blotted out,
And there is no life left in that single rose.

The cries of millions rise.
The nations they long to aprise.
Hear their broken melodic cries.
Quash the evil lies.

You can extricate
All the demons we hate
To save our little ones from the fate
And these brothels eradicate.

Lying on a frigid cement floor
With only her rags for company.
Sobbing into the unfeeling night
As another knock sounds from the door.

Another man. Another night.
Shut out all feeling. Close off the heart.
No more crying. No more tears
That reach no ones ears.

Hold close her limbs as cold as ice.
Release all memory of what should be right.
She's only seven and she's
Given up the fight.

These bars are strong. These lights
Are harsh. Staring blindly ahead
The transparent wall reveals
The farce of business men.

Some with families, some with flocks
Caressing her dark locks.
When day comes they are welcomed home
And here she sits all alone.

This is present. This is here.
The faceless evil that we fear.
It's in your city, Even those you know.
Millions of souls they have scraped hollow.

And here she is, beaten and broken.
Down in a cell where the day cannot touch.
You know she's there. You have no excuse,
No alibi for her abuse.

What will you do know that you see?
Will you walk on as before and refuse
The plea to speak, to shout to cry out?
Will you turn and flee?

She was seven, yet now in heaven. By her death
She escaped her gates. But millions more
Still share her fate.
To live in death.
Used for the sake of lust and carnality
In death she is set free
But how long did she live in captivity?

We can save these cherished children of God.
Think of your daughters. Think of your sons
Living in the brothels and slums.

Are you upset? Are you afraid yet?
To stand before the throne on judgment day
And account for all that you delayed?

I fear to break the heart of the God I love
Because I would not stand up for His precious ones.

TED India on child sex-slavery and rehabilitation

If you do nothing else today, WATCH THIS

Sunitha Krishnan has dedicated her life to rescuing women and children from sex slavery, a multimilion-dollar global market. In this courageous talk, she tells three powerful stories, as well as her own, and calls for a more humane approach to helping these young victims rebuild their lives.

Sex Industry Rampant in Bucheon

-by Stephanie-

In a small yet populated city near Seoul you can find whatever you're looking for in the way of debauchery and communicable diseases. Look no further than 2 blocks from your apartment to find a slew of choice venues for your carnal pleasure.

A couple steps from the entrance of our apartment building you find this overt advertisement for a "massage." The Korean writing states, "Sport's Massage." Ah yes, because it is absolutely necessary that your masseuse wear a skimpy leopard print bikini while she pounds out your "sore muscles."

Another half block and you'll find another massage shop painted across the skyline. Bare-breasted and all it clearly advertises the true nature of its product.

 Here is a view of the hopping downtown night life strip. More than half of these bright lights contain sex shops masquerading as singing rooms and massage parlors. This is less than two blocks from our apartment.

Self explanatory.

I edited out some sensitive material on this next one so it would not be too vulgar, but in broad daylight next to populated apartments and playgrounds these pictures are anything but edited.

 Again, self explanatory.

This is a blown up advertisement standing in the middle of a pedestrian walkway descrying the benefits of their "Noraebang" (Korean for singing room). A sexy, scantily clad girl as its spokes person. Now, many companies use this technique, but few truly follow through. Here you know you can get what you pay for. If you're a group of men and with a nod from the owner a couple loose women will be sent to your room to sing with you. They will try and convince you to pay for more once your karaoke time is up.

 A plethora of calling cards are stuck into each car parked along the side of the road. It is possible that the owners of these cars are only too happy to pick up the phone, but it is just as likely to be a family with small children out for dinner. In the morning these siren cards will litter the streets for the high school kids to oggle as they walk innocently to the bus.

Another massage parlor hocks its wares.

 

And the women need not worry, they haven't been forgotten amongst the copious amount of of sex shops catering to middle aged, greasy business men. There is one shop for the middle aged woman seeking a night away from children and husband.

She can even choose what height she most desires.

 

 

 We were only out for an hour or so taking photos of all the "massage parlors", "singing rooms" and "bars" that were overtly designated for the lecherous pursuits. We took 56 photos of 56 different shops. All within a 2 1/2 block radius of our apartment. And this is in a relatively small city outside of Seoul. I asked one of my Korean friends how one can distinguish between a true massage parlor or singing room and ones that offer "pleasure." She said that generally they just assume that every place has the "pleasure" option. Every massage parlor I have come across has either a half naked women painted across its banner or is open 24 hours. What innocent massage parlor would need these expansive hours I wonder?

When asked what she thought of the sex trade here in Korea, she said, "When I think about this industry I feel ashamed of my country. Although we are a developed nation, this aspect of who we are seems third world. It's very disheartening."

In most of these shops the women are acquiescent, however, some of them may be forced into this life. Women from Thailand and the Philippines are brought over under the rouse of "lounge singing" and so on. Once they arrive at the country, however, they find that they are anything but the previously stated job description.

This happens in almost every country in the world, and America is no exception. It may not be as overt as here in Korea, but it exists nonetheless. Even though in Korea these types of shops are illegal the law enforcement is abysmal and does next to nothing to stop the rampant spread of this malignant evil. If you see any suspicious activities in the States, report it. Our judiciary system prosecutes these kinds of places. At least, for the most part...

the.idea: voting with your wallet

all sourced from betterworldshopper.com

the.problem

Money is power. And wherever large amounts of money collect, so also new centers of power form. The latest historical manifestation of this is the modern corporation.

Make no mistake, these new power centers are not democracies. We don't vote for the CEO's or their policies (unless we are: rich enough to be significant shareholders, informed enough to know what's going on, and compassionate enough to care about more than just personal profit), yet our destinies are increasingly in their hands.

the.solution

As these power centers shift, we must shift our own voices if we wish to be heard. As citizens, on average, we might vote once every 4 years, if at all. As consumers, we vote every single day with the purest form of power...money.

The average American family spends around $18,000 each year on goods and services. Think of it as casting 18,000 votes every year for the kind of world you want to live in.

how.some.stack.up 
New Belgium (A+) v. Guniess (D)

Toyota (A) v. Nissan (D)

Target (C+) v. Wal-Mart (F)

Clif Bar (A) v. Powerbar (D-)

Levi's (B+) v. Lee's (D-)

L.L Bean (B) v. Land's End (D+)

Cadbury (B-) v. Toblerone (F)

Starbucks (B) v. Maxwell House (F)

Chipotle (A) v. Baja Fresh (D)

In-N-Out (B) v. McDonald's (D-)

Micah's thoughts: If you have the choice between multiple products, all else being equal, why not choose the more responsible company's product?

To learn more, click here.

NYC's new $2M awareness campaign & "Journey" by the Helen Bamber Foundation

NOVEMBER 10, 2009, 2:30 PM

Art Show Shines Light on Sex Trafficking’s Victims

By JENNIFER 8. LEE

Jennifer 8. Lee/The New York Times A dozen artists collaborated on “Journey,” an installation at New York University that uses shipping containers to depict the experiences of sex trafficking victims.

The room is recreated with exquisite attention to detail: a scribbled price list for sexual services on a whiteboard. A large bowl with condoms spilling onto the end table. Half-used lipstick scattered among twisted thongs, high heels and toilet paper. A sickly perfume-type smell that clings to the torn wallpaper. A grimy stained bed designed to shudder under the weight of invisible, moving bodies. Men’s voices that alternately issue commands and groans.

The room is part of an immersive art exhibit, “Journey,” that depicts the experience of being a sex trafficking victim. The installation, made of seven shipping containers, was opened on Monday on Washington Place near Washington Square Park and will be open through Sunday. Visitors under 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

The exhibit is a collaboration of a dozen artists and was done under the aegis of the Helen Bamber Foundation, a British group that works with survivors of torture and abuse. Developed with a budget of 70,000 British pounds, “Journey” was originally shown in Trafalgar Square in London in September 2007, and now travels internationally.

The exhibit is a brainchild of Emma Thompson, the Oscar-winning British actress, who introduced the installation at a press conference with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Tuesday morning.

Ms. Thompson, who is chairwoman of the foundation, said she became aware of the issue of human trafficking when she was introduced to a woman who had essentially been a slave at a massage parlor that Ms. Thompson walked by every day on the way to the London subway “I was mentally, completely excoriated by it,” Ms. Thompson said. The inspiration for the project came from the woman’s request that people be able to understand, “just for five minutes, what it’s like.”

London and New York are hubs for human trafficking, though the victims’ countries of origin vary. London has many from Eastern Europe and Africa, and New York sees more from Latin America and Asia.

At the news conference, the mayor also announced a $2 million multilingual public advertising campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking. The campaign, which is to start in March, has the slogan “It’s happening here” and will include advertisements on buses, bus shelters and other media, said Norma Abbene, deputy counsel to the mayor, who is overseeing the campaign.

New York, Florida and California are all centers for human trafficking, according to Carol Robles-Roman, deputy mayor for legal affairs — New York, in large part, because it is a transportation hub with three airports, two of them international. The problem spills outside city boundaries. Long Island has also been identified as a region where trafficking is rampant.

The ads, which are designed by New York University students, will try to alert people to the existence of covert slavery. “When you walk, it’s in plain sight, but you don’t see it,” Ms. Abbene said. The campaign will use the languages that dominate in specific neighborhoods. At minimum, the languages will include Arabic, Chinese, Haitian creole, Korean, Russian and Spanish. Funds will come from outside sources, rather than from the city budget, Ms. Abbene said.

The advertisements dovetailed with the arrival of “Journey.” Each of the exhibit’s seven shipping containers are named for a different stage of human trafficking: “Hope,” “Journey,” “Uniform,” “Bedroom,” “Customer,” “Stigma” and “Resurrection.”

Contributing artists include Anish Kapoor, a winner of the Turner Prize; Sandy Powell, an Oscar-winning costume designer;MODE2, a British artist; Simon Stephens, a playwright; and James Oster, a photographer.

Mr. Oster went to six brothels in three British cities and hired prostitutes to take pictures of him, which were assembled for the “Customer” exhibit. It is unusual to have so many artists working on a mutual goal, he said. “There is so much ego in art,” said Mr. Oster, who flew in from London for the opening. “To remove the ego, to have a common objective, is brilliant.”

The exhibit is open at the following times: Tuesday through Friday, from noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/art-show-shines-light-on-sex-traffickings-victims/