Want to win a Half the Sky Movement poster signed by authors Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn? Donate at least $37 to GEMS’ Crowdrise page from now until May 6th at 12pm (EST) for your chance to win. Follow the link for more details: http://promos.cdn.crowdrise.com/Rules-RFW-HTS-3-Poster-Nicholas-and-Sheryl.pdf

Tomorrow night! Come to a screening of Very Young Girls at NYU’s Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life from 4-7pm with GEMS and Youth Take Charge. A panel discussion and dinner will follow the screening, which is free and open to the public!

Hawaii has passed 4 trafficking laws! The laws range from creating “the new offense of solicitation of a minor for prostitution, graded as a class C felony,” and making “all solicitation of prostitution crimes ineligible for deferred acceptance of a guilty or no contest plea,” to changing “the state's ‘child abuse and neglect’ and ‘harm’ definitions to include child victims of human trafficking, ensuring that such children receive proper legal attention and adequate support services.”


Hawaii Lawmakers Pass Four Anti-Slavery Bills | Hawaii Reporter
www.hawaiireporter.com
Kathryn Xian, Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery REPORT FROM THE PACIFIC ALLIANCE TO STOP SLAVERY - During the 2013 legislative session, the State Legislature

Join us for GEMS’ Inaugural Male Allies Awards Breakfast on June 6th! We’ll be honoring men who are making positive changes in the fight to end commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking such as Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, Michael Grohman, and Detective James Wong. Get your tickets TODAY! http://bit.ly/GEMSMaleAlliesAwards

Today is World Press Freedom Day! It’s a day to celebrate press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. Follow the link for more information: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-press-freedom-day/about-the-day/


Saudi Arabia- Journalist and human rights defender Iman Al-Qahtani stops tweeting due to the harassm
www.gc4hr.org
Popular journalist, writer and human rights defender Iman Al-Qahtani has been forced to shut down her Twitter account due to harassment by members of the security forces as a result of her human rights activities. Following her graduation from the College of Arts in Riyadh in 2002 with a BA in Engli...

Emmy Nomination for FTS partner’s innovative trafficking campaign! Story now on FTS blog. http://bit.ly/Zsg2Ak via @freetheslaves


FTS Partner’s Trafficking Campaign Gets Emmy Nomination « Free the Slaves BLOG
ftsblog.net
Great news from Hollywood this week: We’ve learned that the mtvU Against Our Will Campaign has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award!

GEMS has partnered with Teece Torre! Their GEMS Collection of pink and black gemstone bracelets is perfect for Mother’s Day. Check out their website today!
http://teecetorre.com/collections/gems

Your purchase helps our clients working every day to reclaim their freedom: www.sevenly.org/PolarisProject

This week, Upworthy featured Given's story. What will you do to help survivors like Given?


This Guy Was A Slave. In 1998. In America. I'm Not Joking.
www.upworthy.com
This is actually happening. In America.

Safe Harbor laws protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society--people under 18 in commercial sex. Help make sure they're treated as kids, not criminals by sharing our petition: http://polarisproject.org/SafeHarbor

A Louisiana bill would “create a Human Trafficking Prevention Act and require employers of sexually oriented businesses to conduct a questionnaire with potential employees to verify their ages and work statuses.” The bill is currently awaiting approval from House Labor and Industrial Relations.


Bill considered to prevent La. human trafficking
www.lsureveille.com
Though typically seen as a global issue, human trafficking is a crime that hits surprisingly close to home — so close that state legislators are taking official action to prevent it in Louisiana.

Hey, Facebook! Read Holly Austin Smith’s latest article about the connections between trafficking victims and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.


Human Trafficking & PTSD: Is there a connection?
communities.washingtontimes.com
Licensed Master Social Worker Margaret Howard explains the relationship between PTSD and trauma associated with human trafficking.

From our CEO, Bradley Myles: A few weeks ago, I watched a young woman bravely stand on stage and announce to a room full of corporate technology executives, human trafficking experts, and global philanthropists, "My name is Samantha. I am a human trafficking survivor." Read her story and what we did: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bradley-myles/technology-to-fight-moder_b_3199574.html


Technology to Fight Modern Slavery
www.huffingtonpost.com
Human trafficking and slavery is in all of our backyards. It exists in nearly every country on earth and is a $32 billion industry. Technology can also be a powerful force to stop traffickers and help victims of this abuse find help. But there is still more we can do.

Buy a Land of the Free shirt and support our work with survivors of modern slavery: www.sevenly.org/PolarisProject

Join 12,000+ other supporters who signed our Safe Harbor petition by sharing it with your friends: http://polarisproject.org/SafeHarbor

Do you have at least 5-7 years of work with youth, extensive knowledge of issues related to trafficking and gender-based violence, and a passion for GEMS’ mission? GEMS is currently seeking a Support Services Director to join our dynamic team! Follow the link for more details: http://www.gems-girls.org/get-involved/jobs-volunteering/support-services-director


Support Services Director | Girls Educational & Mentoring Service (GEMS)
www.gems-girls.org
Position Summary: The Support Services Director oversees the agency’s direct services with sexually exploited girls and young women including crisis, case

Oregon Senate passes stronger trafficking bill! If passed, the bill would “criminalize domestic minor sex trafficking, increase sentencing allowances for consumers, suppliers and facilitators of sex trafficking, provide greater protection for child victims of sex trafficking and gives investigators and prosecutors additional tools.” The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for deliberation.


Oregon Senate Adopts Bill Aimed At Human Trafficking | Albany Tribune News
www.albanytribune.com
The Oregon State Senate passed Senate Bill 673 Tuesday, a bill that gives law enforcement additional, more powerful tools to target human traffickers. The

Watch the film Next Door to the Velinsky’s on Thursday, June 13th at the Music Hall in Beverly Hills! Check out their Facebook page for more information. https://www.facebook.com/events/368979179866057/?fref=ts

Join us in an hour watching a livecast on #laborbrokers' role in #humantrafficking: http://ow.ly/kndYK http://ow.ly/i/1XBTk

This Saturday! Join GEMS and Youth Take Charge for a screening of Very Young Girls at NYU’s Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life from 4-7pm! A panel discussion and dinner will follow the screening, which is free and open to the public! https://www.facebook.com/events/572284829473020/

May Day webcast 1 pm ET Today: Learn how labor recruiting industry fosters human trafficking. http://bit.ly/ZV1Cxd via @freetheslaves


Learn how the labor recruiting industry leads to trafficking: Today 1 p.m. ET « Free the Slaves BLOG
ftsblog.net
There’s a terrific online opportunity today at 1 p.m. ET to learn about the loosely regulated world of international labor recruiters, and what needs to be done to stop traffickers from posing as legitimate labor brokers.

These shirts support our work serving survivors of human trafficking: http://www.sevenly.org/PolarisProject

HUGE shout out to GEMS' Survivor Leadership Coordinator, Sheila White, who had her convictions vacated today!!! Sheila just sent the GEMS staff the most beautiful email about her experiences:

"I never would have imagined that I would be where I am at today and to know that my life and my experiences weren’t in vain. That what I have been through wouldn’t define me forever as a person and hold me back from my dreams. Today I went to Midtown community court to vacate my convictions. I was standing there in the same courtroom that I’ve been in countless of times before but finally I was being seen. My whole life began to play out right before my eyes. All the heartache, misery, pain and suffering was spilling up and out of me through my tears as the judge spoke words of encouragement and praise on how far I have come. She commended me and expressed how much of a sincere honor it is for her to grant me this decision to vacate my convictions today. I couldn’t stop crying and my whole body was trembling as relief washed over me knowing that this is one final chapter in my life that is a 'case closed.'"

We are so proud of Sheila, who wrote a letter to Governor Patterson in 2010 to advocate for the passing of this law. And a special thanks goes to Duane Morris, LLP, who has been working with GEMS to help survivors vacate their convictions!

Still looking for a Mother’s Day gift? Visit Teece Torre’s website and check out their GEMS' Collection! 25% of the proceeds benefits GEMS. http://teecetorre.com/collections/gems

An estimated 100,000 kids in the U.S. are trapped in commercial sex and they need to be treated like kids, not criminals. Ensure your lawmakers know you support Safe Harbor laws to protect child victims of sex trafficking. Sign our petition today and mention 5 friends you would like to sign it as well: http://polarisproject.org/SafeHarbor (Source for estimate of the number of kids in commercial sex: http://www.missingkids.com/Testimony/01-04-12)