Take ACT-ion: Write Your Local Politician

The legislative front is one of the most important in combating sex trafficking within Oregon’s borders. Writing our politicians truly makes a difference. This past spring and summer, many ordinary citizens wrote, emailed, and called their state senator(s) to express their desire to see Senate Bill 673 passed into Oregon Law. Please join our email newsletter – click on the Legislative Efforts category – and receive alerts of new bills needing our support from a grass roots level.

Oregon House – Tim Freeman – Roseburg, Glendale, Hugo

Oregon House – Wally Hicks – Grants Pass, Merlin, Cave Junction, Murphy, Williams

Oregon House – Dennis Richardson – Rogue River, Applegate Valley, Central Point, Eagle Point

Oregon House – Peter Buckley – Jacksonville, Phoenix, Talent, Ashland

Oregon House – Sal Esquivel – Medford

Oregon Senate – Jeff Kruse – Roseburg, Glendale, Merlin

Oregon Senate – Herman Baertschiger – Grants Pass, Central Point, Eagle Point

Oregon Senate – Alan Bates – Medford, Applegate, Ashland

U.S. House – Peter DeFazio – Roseburg, Cave Junction, Merlin, Murphy, Williams

U.S. House – Greg Walden – Grants Pass, Central Point, Eagle Point, Medford, Ashland

U.S. Senate – Ron Wyden – Jeff Merkley – All Areas

Are you just now learning about the issue of sex trafficking? Let your state and national elected officials know you are concerned and will support efforts to eradicate the problem within our borders.

Click here for Oregon’s 2012 “Sex Trafficking” Legislative Report Card

New Class: Sex Trafficking Awareness 101

ACT Southern Oregon is pleased to announce a new class available to the public, Sex Trafficking Awareness 101, held monthly at Club Northwest in Grants Pass. This class is for all those who are new to the issue of sex trafficking, or have heard and read some on their own, but would like to learn how they can get involved locally in the effort to eradicate the commercial sexual exploitation of our youth. The documentary film Chosen by Shared Hope International will be shown at each class.

If you or someone you know is interested in attending, there is no charge for admission.

A big thank you to Club Northwest for letting us use their Conference Center for this class. If you’ve never been to the Club, their facilities are top notch.

Note: Child care is available at the KidZone. Please visit www.clubnw.com for more information.

Ambassadors of Hope

In March of this year, four of us here at ACT Southern Oregon were able to attend training to become Ambassadors of Hope, a program of Shared Hope International.

Read about AoH here:

http://sharedhope.org/about-us/join-our-team/ambassadors-of-hope

As part of that training, we have begun outreach locally to spread awareness of the issue of sex trafficking in the Rogue Valley, the State of Oregon, nationally, and beyond. These efforts have included speaking at local church men’s groups, organizing an evening of education sponsored by a coalition of churches in Rogue River, and most recently being invited to speak on the panel at the Josephine County Domestic & Sexual Violence Leadership Summit (more information below).

http://www.wcstjoco.org/1/post/2013/10/domestic-violence-awareness-month-events.html

Are you interested in receiving this training and learning about opportunities to speak and teach locally as an Ambassador of Hope? Contact Shared Hope for more information.

A Major Step Forward, Senate Bill 673

Now a felony for first-time offenders who purchase sex from a minor in Oregon.

Mail Tribune:  “Bill ensures swift penalties for having sex with a minor”

Follow this link for further details of Oregon Senate Bill 673.

Movie Screening + Guest Speakers

Kicking off the week, former Sgt Doug Justice (shown with his wife) introduced the film “Pornland” to a crowd of nearly 100 at the GPHS Performing Arts Center. He gave a presentation afterward, and answered audience questions. Michelle Bart of Helping Heroes (not shown), also spoke.

Shared Hope Int’l + High Tech Crimes Unit

Our second day of speakers included Kristin Rudolph, National Training Coordinator for Shared Hope International, and Detective Mike Vanderlip of the local High Tech Crimes Task Force.

Terri Shamar opened the morning performing her original song “Child After My Own Heart.”

Candlelight Vigil at the Courthouse

City Councilors’ Proclamation

The City of Grants Pass, matching the earlier efforts of the Josephine County Commissioners.

Youth Education and Prayer Night

A screening of the documentary film Sex + Money, followed by discussion and prayer.

KOBI “Five on 5”

Caleb LaPlante and Orlinda Mathis talk about Child Trafficking Awareness Week with Joe Camarlinghi of KOBI Channel 5 during this week’s “Five on 5” feature.

The following media outlets also featured coverage of the week’s events.

KDOV Radio – Wednesday 2/8/2012

Mail Tribune – Sunday 2/3/2012

Daily Courier – Link not Available

Commissioners’ Proclamation

Police Bust Local Trafficking Operation

The sex trafficking ring involved a fourteen-year-old girl from Grants Pass. The Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force has been working on the investigation for almost a year.

Watch KTVL Channel 10’s video coverage of the story.

KAJO Radio Interview

Local radio talk show hosts Jeanette Stark and Carl Wilson – of KAJO 1270AM –  interview Steve Raycraft of ACT today about the upcoming Child Trafficking Awareness Week.

KAJO Eyewitness Reports – February 6th 2012

Super Bowl Legislation

Indiana lawmakers passed tough human trafficking legislation this week — just in time to prevent an event where thousands of young girls are bought and sold for sex.

Fox News: Human Trafficking Law Passes Before Super Bowl

“The Super Bowl — or any large sports game — always draws traffickers and they bring the product line because there are a lot of men that are used to buying commercial sex around these events. Unfortunately, it draws minors as a product line. So what has happened in Indianapolis is absolutely amazing. The leadership standing up saying – we’re going to send a message to traffickers saying we’re not a good place for you to be bringing kids or vulnerable women to sell.”

– Linda Smith, president and founder of Shared Hope International

“Pornland” chosen as Feature Film

“Pornland, Oregon: Child Prostitution in Portland”

Written and hosted by Dan Rather, and released by the Huffington Post, this feature documentary film about Pornography and Child Trafficking in Portland, OR has been chosen as our Feature Film on Sunday February 12th, a part of the overall upcoming Child Trafficking Awareness Week.

As Mr. Rather writes: “Child prostitution has become a national problem in this country. Yes, I know that you have trouble believing that. You don’t want to believe it, so you tend not to….The business is booming. One of the worst areas for it runs along lines running roughly from Seattle to Portland, to San Francisco and Los Angeles, to Las Vegas. But no place in the country is immune.”

Sgt. Doug Justice, former head of the Portland Police Department’s Vice Detail (and featured in the video trailer above), will also be on hand as a Guest Speaker. Joining him will be Michelle Bart, Public Awareness Chair at Soroptimist International Northwest Region.

3PM at the GPHS Performing Arts Center. Venue details and directions here. Free admission.

CNN’s “Hero of the Year” coming to Ashland

Anuradha Koirala has helped rescue more than 12,000 girls and women in her over 2 decades of work fighting sex trafficking in Nepal. She will speak on “Protecting Humanity: Learning from the Heroes Among Us” at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, at the Meese Auditorium in the Center for the Visual Arts at Southern Oregon University. It’s free and open to the public.

More information on Koirala and her work can be found in today’s Mail Tribune feature article.

GPHS Blackout Day

Wednesday, January 18th is “Blackout Day” at Grants Pass High School.

In an effort to raise awareness for Human Trafficking locally, Student Leadership is encouraging their student body to wear black, talk about the issue, and stop by the information table in the lobby to learn more about the problem as it pertains to Southern Oregon.

Contact Jalynn Dinkins for more information at 541-474-5700.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

… is today!

Read all about it on SharedHope.org‘s facebook page. More info here also.

Help spread the word today by talking with others and taking time to learn more about the issue.

Northwest Conference Against Trafficking

4th Annual Conference and Film Festival — January 9th to January 15th.

Monday  •  Film  “Pornland” by Dan Rather Reports and HDNet
Tuesday  •  Film  “The Day My God Died” by Andrew Levine and Winona Ryder
Wednesday  •  Film  “Selling the Girl Next Door” by CNN and Turner Broadcasting
Thursday  •  Film  “Wonderland” by James Cox, starring Val Kilmer and Kate Bosworth
Saturday • Film “Your American Teen” (world premiere)

Friday  •  John Kroger, Oregon Attorney General + FBI and DHS Representatives
Saturday  •  Anuadha Koiral, Hero of the Year (CNN Freedom Project)
Sunday  •  “Road Through Wonderland” with Dawn Schiller and Friends

Full Conference Details listed on NWCAT’s Website.

Slavery & Trafficking Prevention Month

Did you know? January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

This year’s Presidential Proclamation was released last Friday and included clear words from the White House regarding the importance of raising public awareness for this life-and-death issue.

“This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking.  Together, and in cooperation with our partners around the world, we can work to end this terrible injustice and protect the rights to life and liberty entrusted to us by our forebears and owed to our children.”

Did you learn something new today about human trafficking while visiting our website?

Help spread the word…pass it along!