HT-RADAR Quarterly Research Newsletter

HT-RADAR’s Quarterly Research Newsletter will also be sent out this month. The new structure of the Research Newsletter includes highlighting researchers in the anti-trafficking community and new research briefs that have been published. This month’s newsletter highlights two local San Diego researchers: Lianne Urada and Monica Ulibarri through a passion piece that shares why they ended up in research.

If you have a researcher you’d like to recommend or recently published anti-trafficking research you would like highlighted please contact Clara Anne Wagner at ht-radar@pointloma.edu.

Human Trafficking Awareness Month

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness is January 11 as designated by the United States Senate in 2007. Though our work doesn’t stop throughout the year, January is a key time for us to spread awareness in our workplaces, our churches, our schools, and our communities.

If you have something you’d like included in the HT-RADAR Monthly Update for January 2021 please email the information to ht-radar@pointloma.edu by December 21st 2020.

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HT-RADAR Quarterly Meeting: Estimating the Economy of Demand in Illicit Massage Businesses and Utilizing a Collective Impact Model

The next HT-RADAR meeting is scheduled for December 10, 2020 from 11:30am to 1:30pm and will be held virtually over Zoom.

Please make sure to register for the meeting!
Registration Link:
https://pointloma.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErf-iprTIoH9yHNkSJZ9XNZCj6M0DFgyS6

This meeting will feature a presentation on Solutions to End Exploitation’s (SEE) newest Illicit massage research from Denver and then a discussion on how they are using collective impact to create a collective strategy around the Illicit Massage Industry (IMI) by Missy Weismann and Rachel VerWys, MSW. This unique research titled Estimating the Economy of Demand in Illicit Massage Businesses in the Denver Metro Area, published in April 2020, is the latest addition to economic studies of this kind in various cities around the U.S. This research linked to collective impact principles creates a unique strategy for addressing this unique form of human trafficking in communities.

SEE nurtures creative possibilities to fight human trafficking and exploitation through the framework of Collective Impact. Human Trafficking is a complex problem, and SEE listens to this complexity in our research to amplify a collective story. Compassionate solutions are birthed from the research, and SEE promotes a collaborative approach that works across businesses, criminal justice, human and victim services, the tech industry, neighborhoods, philanthropy, health care, government, nonprofit, faith, and education sectors to achieve significant and lasting change.

Collaborative relationships create a network to engage in cooperative, strategic activity to disrupt and end human trafficking and all the unique forms it takes, like the Illicit Massage Industry.

An unconventional road has brought Missy Weismann to her work in both investigative and data driven research and analysis on human trafficking and exploitation. . Along the way she has experienced the beauty and pain of grassroots community development in central Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and rural southern U.S. She is currently receiving her Master’s degree from Michigan State University in Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis.

Rachel VerWys has life and work experience in diverse contexts and a variety of communities from Southern California to Western Michigan. She has been a part of holistic community development on multiple levels, in her own neighborhood, city, and the broader community. This experience ranges from uncovering big ideas over cups of coffee with a neighbor to the building of city wide collaborations. Her formal education includes a BSW degree (Calvin College) and an MSW degree (University of Southern California) with an emphasis in community organizing, planning and administration. She was named one of West Michigan’s 50 Most Influential Women in 2020 by the Grand Rapids Business Journal.

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OVC Launches Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center Website

The Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center exists to help organizations and tribes start, sustain, or grow their anti-trafficking work. The Center’s free services are intended to provide immediate and sustainable benefits to organizations and Tribal Nations with minimal demands on their time. The Center is a coaching and development hub. The Center assists organizations and tribes with: (1) building their capacity to aid all trafficking victims, (2) navigating the broad range of resources available to support their missions, and (3) strengthening human trafficking service networks.

• More information can be found here

Crisis in Human Trafficking During the Pandemic

Over the last few months, Polaris has been carefully tracking the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking. As part of this effort, Polaris has undertaken a systematic examination of relevant data from the Polaris-operated U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline. The analysis compares a post-shelter-in-place period to two deliberately chosen pre-shelter-in-place periods. The data brief includes the findings of this analysis and policy recommendations.

• Access to the full data brief can be found here

The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST)

The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking is a U.S. based coalition that advocates for solutions to prevent and end all forms of human trafficking and modern slavery around the world. We advocate for lasting solutions to prevent labor and sex trafficking, hold perpetrators accountable, ensure justice for victims and empower survivors with tools for recovery. Three trailblazing organizations have joined the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST), expanding the alliance’s depth and breadth of expertise and strengthening the alliance’s collective voice. HEAL Trafficking, Humanity United Action and the McCain Institute for International Leadership bring the alliance to 15 member organizations. They will be instrumental in ATEST’s ongoing collective efforts to advocate for holistic strategies for government action to end trafficking at home and abroad.

• Additional information about ATEST can be found here
• Article: ATEST Expands, Adding Three New Organizations can be found here

8th Annual Freedom from Slavery Forum “Opportunities in an Age of Adaptation” Forum Report

The Freedom from Slavery Forum was established to gather anti-slavery leaders from around the world to create a collegial space to coalesce, create partnerships, discuss promising practices and develop a shared agenda for action. Participants have built relationships and prioritized actions in advocacy and collaboration with other sectors. The 8th annual Forum happened in a unique and exceptional environment. Countries have taken measures to contain the COVID-19 global pandemic, but modern slavery – including sexual slavery, child labor, forced labor and human trafficking – has grown worse. Civil society organizations are at the front of the fight, but are experiencing increased demand for services while facing a decrease in funding, driving an urgent need for innovation in advocacy and other programmatic design and delivery

• An in-depth written report of the proceedings is now available online, with summaries of each day’s key points and transcribed excerpts from keynote addresses. Read the report here.

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Webinars

Indigenous Survivors Speak Out: WorldWE Speakers Series

Indigenous Survivors Speak Out with: Jeri Moomaw (Innovations Human Trafficking Collective), Sandi Pierce (Innovations Human Trafficking Collective), Christine Stark (Author)

Labor Trafficking 101: Learning the Basics

A panel of experts share information about potential indicators of labor trafficking, vulnerable industries, and a broad range of resources available to help organizations and tribes start, sustain, or grow their support services for victims of labor trafficking. Participant questions are answered live during the event. This webinar is part of the Ask an Expert Series sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime, Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center.

Rethinking Representation: Framing Human Trafficking for Health Professionals

Representation is “the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way or as being of a certain nature”. This presentation explores how the anti-trafficking movement represents human trafficking in its public awareness efforts via visual media, stories and testimonies, and data and statistics. By the end of the training, participants will be able to identify common missteps and promising practices to utilize a trauma-informed, survivor-centered approach to authentically sharing information about human trafficking for health professionals.

Upcoming Conferences

Youth Human Trafficking Summit

Virtual Conference: January 9, 2021

Maryland Child Trafficking Conference

Virtual Conference: January 11-12, 2021

5th Annual Virtual New Mexico Human Trafficking Task Force Conference

Virtual Conference: January 11-13, 2021

Human Trafficking Summit – Ohio Attorney General

Virtual Conference: January 14, 2021

11th Annual Conference on Human Trafficking – Fresno EOC Central Valley Against Human Trafficking

Virtual Conference: January 27, 2021

Funding Opportunities

The McCune Foundation

The Foundation supports grassroots groups with a strong community base that are addressing critical issues in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties through community organizing strategies. Projects should be initiated and led by economically and politically disenfranchised groups including low-income, working poor, and marginalized individuals.

Close Date: January 15, 2021

OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Justice for Families Program

OVW is a component of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Created in 1995, OVW administers grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation and provides national leadership on issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. OVW grants support coordinated community responses to hold offenders accountable and serve victims.

Close Date: January 21, 2021

The  S. Mark Taper Foundation

The S. Mark Taper Foundation is committed to grant making that aligns with the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In order to overcome the systemic disenfranchisement of people on the basis of race, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability, the Foundation joins philanthropic partners in a continuing examination of privilege and a commitment to advancing inclusion and opportunities for all people of Southern California.

Close Date: February 3, 2021

American Psychological Foundation: Visionary Grants

The APF Visionary Grants seek to seed innovation through supporting research, education and intervention projects and programs that use psychology to solve social problems in the following priority areas: Applying psychology to at-risk, vulnerable populations (e.g., serious mental illness, returning military, those who are incarcerated or economically disadvantaged).Preventing violence. Understanding the connection between behavior and health (e.g. wellness, diabetes, obesity).Understanding and eliminating stigma and prejudice (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability and socioeconomic status).

Close Date: April 1, 2021

Forecasted Grants:

Victims of Human Trafficking – Services and Outreach (VHT-SO) Program

Information release date: March 22, 2021

Estimated Application Due Date: May 21, 2021

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