DHS Launch of "Blue Campaign" to Combat Human Trafficking

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today launched the “Blue Campaign”—a DHS-wide initiative to combat human trafficking through enhanced public awareness, victim assistance programs, and law enforcement training and initiatives.

“The battle against human trafficking is a shared responsibility involving the Department’s federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, governments around the world and communities across the nation,” said Secretary Napolitano. “With the Blue Campaign, we seek to shine a light on a crime that thrives in the shadows, bring traffickers to justice, and assist victims in communities across the nation.”

The Blue Campaign was officially launched today by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Deputy Director Ken Keene and Alice Hill, Senior Counselor to Secretary Napolitano—underscoring the unified effort to prevent human trafficking, assist victims and hold traffickers accountable by bringing together the Department’s diverse resources and expertise under one initiative.

To help citizens learn to identify and properly report indicators of human trafficking, the Department is launching public outreach tools that include social media, multilingual public awareness campaigns, and a new, comprehensive one-stop website for the Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking at www.dhs.gov/humantrafficking.

The Blue Campaign also features new training initiatives for law enforcement and DHS personnel, enhanced victim assistance efforts, and the creation of new partnerships and interagency collaboration—including the deployment of additional victim assistance specialists and specialized training for law enforcement personnel.

The Blue Campaign’s name and symbol were chosen by the Department to evoke the “thin blue line” of law enforcement, as well as the global anti-human trafficking symbols the Blue Blindfold, produced by the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Center, and the Blue Heart, developed by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, to help raise international awareness about this issue.

A fact sheet detailing the numerous aspects of the campaign across the Department is available here.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov/humantrafficking.

Source: GOVMONITOR

Funding FREEdom™ in 2010

· Today 27 million people are held in slavery

· 80% are Sex Slaves & Female

· 60% are Children

· 100,000 – 300,000 domestic minors are being lured into prostitution yearly

· Every minute 2 children are being forced into sex slavery worldwide

· 90% of adult sex workers were victims of sexual abuse as children

· Florida is the #2 state for human trafficking

· Every year more than 1 million children are forced into global commercial sexual exploitation (CSE)

· Human trafficking will be the #1 crime worldwide in 2010

· Currently there are less than 50 beds for the much-needed specialized services for domestic minors of sex trafficking in the USA.

Will you help Beauty From Ashes™ start

the New Year strong

and enable us to better assist

victims of CSE and human trafficking?

How Far Will Your Dollar Go?

$50 – Cost of BFA’s monthly strip club food outreach (25 – 30 meals)

$100 – Cost of BFA’s bi-monthly strip club gift outreach (25-75 gifts)

$125 – Cost of 25 Bibles

$20/day, $140/week & $600/month – Cost to clothe, feed, shelter, provide therapy, staffing & insurance to survivor in BFA FREEdom™ Home

$400/month – Cost of BFA administration

$3000 – Cost to relocate family of 4 (two children; 3 months & 2 years) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Fort Myers, FL. Mother is CSE & human trafficking survivor who has worked as a hair stylist for 4 years. Husband wants to go into local drug rehabilitation residential program (Teen Challenge) while mother & children receive survivor-based assistance from BFA, including licensed therapy.

$415/month, $5000/year – Cost to acquire Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) degree for over-comer of CSE, mother* of three children (1, 3 & 8 years old) who has already acquired state nurses aide license & CPR training. She has been out of industry for 4 years.

$1000/month, $12,000/year – Cost to acquire Cosmetology Degree for CSE & human trafficking over-comer*, who has been free from slavery for 8 years and maintained full time employment.

*Rahab’s Hope Fund Candidates that have worked with BFA for 3-5 years. Both have demonstrated consistent maturity and a sincere desire to better themselves through higher education means.

You can give two ways:

1. Mail cash, money order or check made out to Beauty From Ashes Ministries to 5100 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907

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All donations are tax deductible. Your gift of love enables a victim and survivor to realize they can experience FREEdom™ to become an over-comer. Please notate in Memo if you desire your gift to go to specific area of need and thank you!

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Together we are better & are making a difference.

PLEASE NOTE: January 11^th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Awareness is key to prevention and intervention. Join the slavery abolitionist movement and refuse to be a bystander. Contact us for resources, ideas and possible speakers.

The FREEdom™ Team

Beauty From Ashes Ministries