The Southwest Conference Against Trafficking (SWCAT) was
held at the Ontario Airport Hotel and Conference Center, Ontario, CA January 15
-17, 2016. With five Soroptimists on the planning committee, The National Women’s Coalition Against
Violence & Exploitation (NWCAVE) presented SWCAT, together with its partner Crittenton Services and San Bernardino County Coalition Against
Sexual Exploitation.

Here, Dawn Marie Lemonds and Alice Wells tell us about the bi-annual
conference, established 2009, and the 6th Annual Anti-Human Trafficking Walk, ‘Walk
Against Trafficking’.

 

Picture: Left to right: Liz Camp,
Cathy Standiford, Alice Wells and Carol Roddy

“Human Slavery – Human Trafficking – Sexually Exploited
people – labels to some and realities to too many,” Dawn Marie Lemonds

The theme of Human Trafficking was addressed at a recent
conference in Southern California, held during Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (USA). Bringing
together hundreds of people wanting to end modern day slavery in our society,
the conference featured 25 speakers/presentations, networking receptions, a media
award presentation, and importantly, survivor stories. Hosted by Honorary
Chairperson & Emcee Lisa Guerrero from ‘Inside
Edition’ and Chaired by Michelle A. Bart, Founder of NWCAVE, attendees included Soroptimists from California, Oregon,
Montana, and Arizona and brought together law enforcement agencies; healthcare
professionals; attorneys and social workers; non-profit organizations;
survivors and the families of missing children; politicians and clergy;
educators and members of the public, all keen to learn more about the issue. Saturday
16 January welcomed Keynote speaker and actress AnnaLynne McCord, No More Campaign Ambassador and sexual
assault survivor.

 

Picture: Packing
bags for the conference!  Dawn Marie Lemonds, Alice Wells, Wanda Costi,
Monica Madrid, Dr. Kathie Mathis

Dawn explains the aim of the conference: “Seeking to
educate, inspire and move people to take action against human trafficking and
violence, the multidisciplinary approach was used to reveal the importance of
including a wide variety of partners, so vital in advancing work in the field of
prevention, prosecution, protection and also in forming partnerships to end
this heinous human rights violation. The keynote speakers addressed crucial
action taken by law enforcement – including prosecuting organized crime,
exposing buyers of sex, revealing research findings and strategies, identifying
cautionary information about perpetrators and celebrating people from the media
who have revealed such important stories”.

 

Picture: Wanda Costi introducing Melissa Watson, Director
of ‘Free the Girls’, an NGO that collects bras for women in Mozambique, Uganda,
and San Salvadore, which provides a business for women survivors of sex
trafficking. SIA has
collected thousands and thousands of bras for this organization.

 

Ten Workshops focused on successful strategies and actions –
including one given by three Soroptimists. Alice Wells explains: “Dawn Marie
Lemonds, Lisa Lindgren and I facilitated a workshop entitled ‘Taking Rhetoric to Reality: Action Plans
for Coalition Partners’.  Each of us
spoke about a coalition we either knew about or have worked with in our local
areas.  We explained how that coalition
began and how it has achieved its goals in utilizing existing resources rather
than reinventing the wheel”. 

Alice continues: “I spoke about the Phoenix Dream Center
which began as a shelter for homeless men and is now a shelter for women and
girls who are survivors of sex trafficking. 
In a few months, this will be the largest shelter west of the
Mississippi River.  They have formed
partnerships with key groups such as the FBI, Homeland Security, Phoenix Vice
Squad, Phoenix Suns Foundation, just to name a few. The center is housed in a
former hotel and Contractors and Interior Designers have taken each suite of
rooms on the top floor and created themed living spaces that are spectacularly
beautiful”. 

 

Picture: Many
of the California Soroptimists wore these shirts! 

Lisa Lindgren spoke about a coalition of Soroptimist clubs
in the San Diego area – STAT- Soroptimists
Stand Against Trafficking; a coalition of Soroptimists from San Diego area
of California  that came together about
five years ago to work collectively on the issue of trafficking. Dawn explains:
“STAT has multiple projects that they have done for years including education
programmes, film and discussion groups, walks against trafficking, furnishing
‘soft interview rooms’ for trafficking victims, and an annual programme honouring
groups that support human trafficking causes through volunteer efforts. They
hold membership in the San Diego Task Force and are viewed as an essential
community network in that area”.

Dawn continues: “I spoke about the Aldersgate Abolitionists which began with interested members of my
church. The Abolitionists have taken on a two-prong approach – education about
trafficking to our church and community friends, and fund generation for a
local Salvation Army programme in Anti Trafficking”.

Alice adds: “The attendees then had an activity where they
worked in small groups and were asked to create their own coalition. They had
to brainstorm possible goals, identify resources they had and resources they
would need, such as information; local/national organizations to help; fund
raising; materials etc., then they presented to the entire group what they had
created.  Lisa, Dawn, and I served as
facilitators in the small groups”.

 “Two films were shown
as examples of tools that can be used in education”, explains Dawn. “Every section
of the conference included a presentation by a survivor, who delivered
information that facilitated the learning of the 100 plus attendees at the
conference and the 500 plus attendees who participated in the walk held on
Sunday morning on Martin Luther King Day. Survivors told us that they are “more
than their stories” and that they must be protected from further exploitation
by well meaning “do-gooders” who want to hear every gory detail.

“Survivors should also be considered “experts/consultants”
and compensated when they help”, adds Dawn. “Survivors need authentic
relationships with those who are helping them and say that work done on their
behalf MUST be survivor-informed!  Other
important considerations that activists must follow include the importance of
being cautious in telling authentic information and using correct terminology.  Find out where work is being done that is
successful and join in their work. Use the many resources that are available
rather than reinventing the wheel, such as the Blue Campaign in the USA. Deliver what you promise and have the capacity
to sustain. Safe housing; comprehensive programs that address mental and
physical health; education; and vocational training and opportunities continue
to be some of the most critical challenges facing survivors and people at risk
of being trafficked for sex or labour”.

Dawn concludes “I left this ‘mountaintop’ experience with a
renewed understanding and encouragement to continue our Soroptimist work – it
is truly essential for women and girls now and those who might be vulnerable in
the future”.