PHTs Annual Spring Lecture Series is a great opportunity to learn from leading innovators, scholars and the practitioners making a difference in the fight against human trafficking. All events are free and open to the public.

April 2008 details and events:

Join Dr. Pierre Le Roux, a social anthropologist, and Christina Arnold, founder of Prevent Human Trafficking, for a viewing of the documentary film "Mekong Butterflies" and a presentation entitled: "Human trafficking and slavery in contemporary Southeast Asia: realities from field experience with local informants, sex workers, pimps, policemen, investigators, and experts."

Preview the documentary film: "Mekong Butterflies"

Calendar

• April 4,   2pm: American University
  (Weschler Theater, SOC, Mary Graydon bldg Rm 314)
  
• April 5,  11pm: Busboys and Poets (Washington, DC - Langston Room)
  
• April 7,   7pm: Northwestern University
  
• April 11, 5pm: Columbia University (International Affairs Bldg Rm 411)
  
• April 14, 6pm: Harvard University (Mather House Senior Common Room)
  
• April 15, 6:10pm: Yale Law School (Sterling Law Building Rm 129)
  
• April 17, 3pm:  SUNY/Buffalo
  

Dr. Pierre Le Roux

French Social Anthropologist, Southeast Asia specialist;  an associate member of the French Institute of Research on Contemporary Southeast Asia-IRASEC (Bangkok) and an associate member of the French Institute of Research on Southeast Asia-IRSEA (CNRS and University of Provence). Dr. Le Roux has undertaken research in Southeast Asia since 1985, specially among the Jawi, Muslims of Malay origin, in the provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat (Southern Thailand). Since 2004, he has been investigating the human trade, smuggling, prostitution and illicit drugs in Southeast Asia.

Christina Arnold

Social entrepreneur - Founder of Prevent Human Trafficking (PHT)
Christina spent the first 21 years of her life in South and Southeast Asia - and every summer since 1999 researching human trafficking. She has been invited to the White House; lectured internationally at conferences, think tanks, embassies, and universities; led eight accredited summer study programs to Southeast Asia, published articles; and has a forthcoming book chapter. Christina holds a B.A. in Political Science with honors from American University, is a Truman Scholar, and is also a Presidential Scholar-in-Residence at American University.

 
2008 co-sponsors

The Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights

Yale American Constitution Society

Yale Law Women

Yale Law Students for Reproductive Justice

Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Association

Harvard - Mather House Senior Common Room & Race Relations Program

Columbia - Asia-Pacific Affairs Council (APAC)

Columbia - SIPA's Economic and Political Development concentration (EPD)

Columbia - South East Asian Students Initiative (SEASI)

Northwestern University - One Voice 2008 & kNOw Trafficking

As founder of Prevent Human Trafficking, Christina Arnold has direct field experience that trumps theory and political posturing. Recently, Britt Bravo conducted an interview of Christina. If you'd like to learn more about the issue of human trafficking, start by listening to the audio version at Big Vision Podcast or by reading Britt Bravo's text version.

Dramatic police raids, questionable statistics and opportunistic politics weave a tale of anti-trafficking that just doesn't add up. In fact, anti-trafficking has fueled an industry of politicians and organizations that have done more harm than good. This is in part because they have twisted the facts, but even worse, they have chosen to ignore the reality of the victims of human trafficking. It's a complex issue, but one that we've worked hard to unravel and understand over the last eight years.  To learn more, start with our recommended reading.

In the meantime, be sure to read Brendan O'Neill's excellent article from Spiked-Online. O'Neill delves into the issue with a rare capactity for balanced and truthful reporting. Ultimately, he shows that the handing of anti-trafficking programs by the various agencies is not only flawed in tactics, but also lacking a sound strategic basis.

There was only one problem with this story: it was as fictional as the original Dickensian tale of artful dodgers. The Roma children were not child slaves; of the 10 kids ‘rescued’ in Slough on Friday (one of whom was less than a year old: hardly pickpocketing material) all but one were reunited with their natural parents or guardians the following day. No evidence has been discovered to show that the Roma adults in Slough were involved in a ‘criminal gang’ or a ‘child slave ring’ or any other form of serious criminality.

Click To Play

The Pattaya Home for Street Children is the only center of its kind in Thailand. Every day, Khun Ja rescues children and youth from abusive situations (including trafficking, pedophilia, and parental neglect) and offers them shelter, food, education, and protection. He dreams of helping many more children with the development of a new center that can accommodate many more than the 30 children he cares for at capacity in his current drop in center.

Please contact us to learn about supporting his efforts. For $200,000 Khun Ja can purchase the land he has picked out, build the center of his dreams, and furnish it to accommodate more than one hundred children.

I'm off to the State Dept for the NGO briefing on the release of this year's trafficking in persons report (released yesterday!)

See: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2007/

Secretary Rice's and GTIP Ambassador Lagon's comments: http://video.state.gov/

Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts on this year's report!

 You are invited to click this link to view http://sexworkerspresent.blip.tv/file/181155/

Taking the Pledge is a 13-minute film featuring sex workers from Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Mali, Thailand and more! They describe the problems created by the 'anti-prostitution pledge' required to receive USAID and PEPFAR funds.
In English, Khmer, Thai, French, Portuguese and Bengali, with English subtitles. Watch in full-screen mode to read the subtitles.
Produced by the Network of Sex Work Projects.

We're pleased to announce the launch of our 2007 Prevention Campaign. Please check back frequently for updates, or subscribe to our RSS feed. Take a look at our event calendar to find interesting events in your area.