Innocents at Risk

homepagead

Innocents at Risk is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded to fight child exploitation and human trafficking. Our mission is to educate citizens about the grave issue of global and local human trafficking. We are dedicated to protecting children from all forms of abuse, and work to end child exploitation and child trafficking everywhere.

Human Trafficking is a $32 billion industry worldwide, and it is happening throughout the world in every country and across the United States in every major city and small town. According to the Department of State, 2 million women and children are victims of human trafficking every year. In the United States, 300 thousand children are forced into child prostitution and child pornography each year. In Washington DC alone, trafficking innocent children is a $100 million industry.

Since 2004, Innocents at Risk has been working to raise awareness about the horrors of child trafficking in America and around the world. We conduct educational outreach programs through churches, clubs, organizations, schools and embassies. Our awareness DVD has been used at every major embassy and throughout the United States as an educational resource.

In 2007, we began training airline personnel, who are our first line of defense in protecting the countless children who are trafficked on major flights each day. Our brochures, wrist bands, and educational workshops have armed thousands of flight attendants with information on how to recognize and report trafficking before even reaching the ground. With the help of our new partner, Airline Ambassadors (airlineamb.org), we are working to expand our outreach to all major carriers.

Child trafficking affects all of us. TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD TRAFFFICKING.

Sincerely,

Deborah S. Sigmund

Founder/Director

Watch This Video About Innocents At Risk:

Watch Other Innocent at Risk Videos

2010 Trafficking in Persons Report

This morning, June 14, Innocents at Risk attended a special meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to present the 2010 Trafficking In Persons Report. It was encouraging to hear from the Secretary’s remarks how far we have come in ten years, and how much we still must achieve to eliminate modern day slavery. Secretary Clinton has made the fight to end modern day slavery a priority and emphasized that if the US Government, Congress, foreign governments and the NGO community can work together, we can end the global scourge of human trafficking.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Deborah Sigmund with Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs

Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

Please join

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

at the Release of the

2010 Trafficking in Persons Report

With additional remarks by

Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero

and

Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Luis
CdeBaca

Monday, June 14, 2010

Craigslist Protest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2010
Contacts:
NORMA RAMOS, Esq., (212) 643-9895 and MELISSA FARLEY, Ph.D., (415) 922-4555

On July 8, 2010 at noon the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW), Prostitution Research and
Education (PRE) and our over 75 Co-Sponsors will protest Craigslist’s facilitation of sex trafficking at Craigslist’s
office, 1381 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122.
A large portion of Craigslist’s profits come from the sale of commercial sexual exploitation, much of it
trafficked, all of it prostituted. Craigslist normalizes and facilitates online pimping – providing an outlet and
incentive, for sex traffickers to reach buyers of human beings. “By providing traffickers and johns with a virtual
red light district, Craigslist is aiding, abetting and enormously profiting from sex trafficking,” says Norma
Ramos, Executive Director of CATW.
Our protest is co-sponsored by 75 leading human rights and anti-trafficking organizations and prominent
individuals including Equality Now, End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT-USA), Center for World
Indigenous Studies, Soroptimists International of the Americas, Nevada Coalition Against Sexual Violence,
Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, and Gloria
Steinem, author Victor Malarek, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Congresswoman Jackie Speier.
Sex trafficking is fueled by the demand for prostitution along with impunity for its buyers. According to
Melissa Farley, author of 20 research articles on trafficking for prostitution, “Today, a majority of men buy sex
online from women or children many of whom are trafficked or controlled by third parties. Craigslist
mainstreams prostitution as ‘Adult Services’. This protest exposes these ads for what they really are: the sale
of sexual exploitation, paid rape, child abuse, and trafficking.”
Craigslist has defied and defeated the efforts of Attorneys General, a high profile lawsuit and members of
Congress who have tried to put an end to their facilitation of sex trafficking. Despite evidence of criminal
activity associated with its website, Craigslist remains above the law. “We are sending a message to Craigslist
from the human rights community that by hosting these ads they are partially responsible for much of the
rank exploitation that is human trafficking,” says Ms. Ramos.
We are calling upon Craigslist to close the euphemistically named “Adult Services” section of their website,
set a sex industry-free standard which would help to eliminate human trafficking on the internet.
Speakers include: Joy Friedman, Breaking Free; Glenda Hope, Executive Director, SafeHouse San Francisco for
Homeless Women Escaping Prostitution; Victor Malarek, Author/Activist; Aaron Cohen, Author/Activist; Terria
Joseph, Actor.

See the invitation here!

Please join us as Innocents at Risk comes on board to co-sponsor this vital event!


Blue Lightning About Us Events Human Trafficking News & Media Get Involved
About Us Our Mission What We Do Awards Our Founder Board of Directors Contact Us Website produced by Mike Carson Creative	Innocents at Risk is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded to fight child exploitation and human trafficking. Our mission is to educate citizens about the grave issue of global and local human trafficking. We are dedicated to protecting children from all forms of abuse, and work to end child exploitation and child trafficking everywhere. Human Trafficking is a $32 billion industry worldwide, and it is happening throughout the world in every country and across the United States in every major city and small town. According to the Department of State, 2 million women and children are victims of human trafficking every year. In the United States, 300 thousand children are forced into child prostitution and child pornography each year. In Washington DC alone, trafficking innocent children is a $100 million industry. Since 2004, Innocents at Risk has been working to raise awareness about the horrors of child trafficking in America and around the world. We conduct educational outreach programs through churches, clubs, organizations, schools and embassies. Our awareness DVD has been used at every major embassy and throughout the United States as an educational resource. In 2007, we began training airline personnel, who are our first line of defense in protecting the countless children who are trafficked on major flights each day. Our brochures, wrist bands, and educational workshops have armed thousands of flight attendants with information on how to recognize and report trafficking before even reaching the ground. With the help of our new partner, Airline Ambassadors (airlineamb.org), we are working to expand our outreach to all major carriers. Child trafficking affects all of us. TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD TRAFFFICKING. Sincerely, Deborah S. Sigmund Founder/Director Watch This Video About Innocents At Risk: Watch Other Innocent at Risk Videos 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report This morning, June 14, Innocents at Risk attended a special meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to present the 2010 Trafficking In Persons Report. It was encouraging to hear from the Secretary’s remarks how far we have come in ten years, and how much we still must achieve to eliminate modern day slavery. Secretary Clinton has made the fight to end modern day slavery a priority and emphasized that if the US Government, Congress, foreign governments and the NGO community can work together, we can end the global scourge of human trafficking. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Deborah Sigmund with Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Please join Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Release of the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report With additional remarks by Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero and Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Luis CdeBaca Monday, June 14, 2010 Our Mission Human Trafficking is a $32 billion industry worldwide, and it is happening throughout the world in every country and across the United States in every major city and small town. The selling of bodies of women and children is the fastest-growing industry in the world, and an incredibly lucrative criminal industry, second only to drug [...] Learn More Upcoming Events Craigslist Protest FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2010 Contacts: NORMA RAMOS, Esq., (212) 643-9895 and MELISSA FARLEY, Ph.D., (415) 922-4555 On July 8, 2010 at noon the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW), Prostitution Research and Education (PRE) and our over 75 Co-Sponsors will protest Craigslist’s facilitation of sex trafficking at Craigslist’s office, 1381 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122. A large portion of Craigslist’s profits come from the sale of commercial sexual exploitation, much of it trafficked, all of it prostituted. Craigslist normalizes and facilitates online pimping – providing an outlet and incentive, for sex traffickers to reach buyers of human beings. “By providing traffickers and johns with a virtual red light district, Craigslist is aiding, abetting and enormously profiting from sex trafficking,” says Norma Ramos, Executive Director of CATW. Our protest is co-sponsored by 75 leading human rights and anti-trafficking organizations and prominent individuals including Equality Now, End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT-USA), Center for World Indigenous Studies, Soroptimists International of the Americas, Nevada Coalition Against Sexual Violence, Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, and Gloria Steinem, author Victor Malarek, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Congresswoman Jackie Speier. Sex trafficking is fueled by the demand for prostitution along with impunity for its buyers. According to Melissa Farley, author of 20 research articles on trafficking for prostitution, “Today, a majority of men buy sex online from women or children many of whom are trafficked or controlled by third parties. Craigslist mainstreams prostitution as ‘Adult Services’. This protest exposes these ads for what they really are: the sale of sexual exploitation, paid rape, child abuse, and trafficking.” Craigslist has defied and defeated the efforts of Attorneys General, a high profile lawsuit and members of Congress who have tried to put an end to their facilitation of sex trafficking. Despite evidence of criminal activity associated with its website, Craigslist remains above the law. “We are sending a message to Craigslist from the human rights community that by hosting these ads they are partially responsible for much of the rank exploitation that is human trafficking,” says Ms. Ramos. We are calling upon Craigslist to close the euphemistically named “Adult Services” section of their website, set a sex industry-free standard which would help to eliminate human trafficking on the internet. Speakers include: Joy Friedman, Breaking Free; Glenda Hope, Executive Director, SafeHouse San Francisco for Homeless Women Escaping Prostitution; Victor Malarek, Author/Activist; Aaron Cohen, Author/Activist; Terria Joseph, Actor. See the invitation here! From the Coalition Against Trafficking In Women Please join us as Innocents at Risk comes on board to co-sponsor this vital event! View More Events Awareness Merchandise Hotline Awareness Bracelet Show your support for Innocents at Risk and our mission to end the global trafficking of women and children with this stylish and sporty unisex bracelet which bears the number for the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Price: $15 View More Merchandise
1101 30th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20007 Phone: 202.625.4338 \| Fax: 202.625.4363 \| e-mail: dsigmund@innocentsatrisk.org © 2006-2010 Innocents at Risk. All rights reserved.

2010 Trafficking in Persons Report

Craigslist Protest

Hotline Awareness Bracelet