U-ACT meeting tomorrow.. September 21st

U-ACT will be meeting tomorrow, Monday, Sept. 21st from 7 to 8 p.m. at Friedens United Church of Christ church building (8300 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN, 46217). Items on the agenda include the following:

1) Review of the Hands of Hope Conference and Forum

2) Updates from Action Areas

3) T-shirt idea

4) Alternative Gift Markets

5) Faith leaders luncheon on Oct. 14t at 12:30 p.m.

6) Campus awareness plans in progress

7) U-ACT group opportunities

If you would like more information or have any questions, please contact us at uact.indy@yahoo.com

Stand Against Trafficking (StAT) meeting

For those of us in the Indianapolis area, there is a meeting we will not want to miss this Wednesday, September 9th. Heartland Church (9665 Hague Road) in Fishers, IN, is hosting an Indiana Community Forum in their auditorium for Stand Against Trafficking (StAT). The forum begins at 7 p.m. and will include information on how to abolish human trafficking through awareness, education, response, prevention and resources. To learn more about this event, please go to the official StAT event information page.

"Playground'" Documentary by The Nest Foundation

Recently, I viewed a clip from the "Playground" Documentary, a film produced by The Nest Foundation (with movie star, George Clooney, as one of the executive producers). This film focuses on the domestic sex trafficking of children, specifically the story of Michelle, a victim of the American sex trafficking industry whose sexual abuse began at the young age of five.

To learn about filmmaker Libby Spears, her inspiration for the film, and the film itself, click here.

To view a clip from the "Playground" Documentary click here.

What is Human Trafficking & What can "I" do?

Information on Human Trafficking (all information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services):

-What is human trafficking? Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery where victims (men, women, teenagers, children) are subjected to force, fraud, coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation (commercial sex, including prostitution, stripping, pornography, live-sex shows) or labor exploitation (domestic servitude, sweatshop factories, migrant agricultural work).

-Where is human trafficking happening? Worldwide; approximately 600,000 to 800,000 victims are annually trafficked across international borders.

-How does one become a victim of trafficking? Through force, fraud or coercion, traffickers compel men, women, teenagers, and children to their activities. Traffickers may use forceful violence, especially during early stages of victimization, to make victims easier to control. Traffickers may use fraud to entice people into trafficking situations through false job advertisements. An example of this is promising work as a waitress or maid in another country when in reality the person will become a prostitute once they arrive in the other country. Finally, traffickers may use coercion by threatening serious harm or physical restraint to victims.

-What can "I" do about human trafficking? When reading information on human trafficking, it is hard not to become overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and inhumanity of the crimes. However, it is of great importance that we do not ignore the cries of the victims and assume 'someone else' will fight for them. Gracehaven House, based in Ohio, has compiled a list of '24 things you can do to fight human trafficking.' Although not comprehensive, this list provides a variety of practical advice on how to mobilize and respond to the atrocious crimes.

Who We Are and What We're Doing

Welcome to United Against Contemporary Trafficking (U-ACT)'s blog. As stated in the blog's title, U-ACT is a grassroots organization that supports and assists local and international individuals and organizations in their fight against human trafficking. U-ACT was founded in August 2009 and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. This blog will be updated regularly with links to online articles and videos pertaining to national and international human trafficking and will also be a convenient way to provide both members and non-members information about upcoming events and meetings.

Although we are a newly formed organization, we are already working to fight human trafficking in eight 'action areas.' Our 'action areas' currently include the following: legislative representatives, facebook group page, this blog, Craiglist flaggers, free2work researchers, fundraising team, community awareness team, and a resource update team. If you are interested in learning more about any of these action areas and how you can be involved, please contact us at uact.indy@yahoo.com.

Our meetings are scheduled for the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Common Grounds Coffee Cafe at the Friedens United Church of Christ (8300 South Meridian Street) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our next meeting is Monday, September 21st at 7 p.m.