After 7 years working to stop child trafficking, I'm still amazed by how many Americans don't know it's happening in their own states and cities. So I'm going to take a few posts to report on trafficking in the US. (Apologies to my international readers.)
Click on the map to read about the efforts to stop child trafficking in your state:
IMPORTANT: This is NOT a report on how bad child trafficking is in each state because it's bad in ALL states. This is a report on each state's efforts to get rid of child trafficking within and across their borders.
Sometimes my Twitter feed sounds like it's a contest with tweet after tweet about whose state is worst. There's absolutely no way to quantify which state is worst--and it doesn't matter one bit.
The point is that child trafficking happens everywhere in the US. Yes, in your city. Yes, in your schools.
Shared Hope International and the American Center
for Law and Justice (ACLJ) analyzed each state's laws and then created a
national standard of protection against domestic minor sex trafficking or DMST (that is, trafficked US citizens who are underage). This national standard is called the Protected Innocence Legislative
Framework.
A year ago Shared Hope issued a challenge to each state to improve their laws to fight DMST. Here's what happened in 2012 as a result:
240 state and 38 federal bills were introduced that relate to DMST.
78 laws were passed that relate to DMST.
40 states introduced legislation that relates to the Protected Innocence Framework.
33 states enacted legislation related to the Protected Innocence Framework.
Pretty awesome. You can read specifics here about new efforts to criminalize DMST -- for sellers and buyers (not the children themselves). It's hard to believe that some of those old laws were ever on the books, but they were.
Kudos to Shared Hope and ACLJ for their excellent work to stop DMST in the US. More helpful links from Shared Hope:
This weekend I went to the Orlando screening of Nefarious: Merchant of Souls, a new documentary produced by Exodus Cry about human trafficking and the sex industry.
The producers filmed in 19 countries in North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The film includes dozens of riveting interviews with trafficking victims and those who help them--and those who buy and sell them. It weaves a picture of the complex cultural, economic, social, religious, and political factors that can influence trafficking.
I've seen a lot of films and documentaries about trafficking, but I always learn something new. For example, I had no idea that 10% of the current population of Moldova has been trafficked. That's a shocking statistic.
Or that in some parts of Asia when a girl is born it's actually cause for rejoicing (unlike in other parts of Asia where boys are more valued than girls) -- because parents know their daughter will generate a steady supply of income when she's old enough to be trafficked.
"Old enough" means about 4 years old, by the way.
There are a lot of graphic images in Nefarious, but to me the most horrendous was a group of fathers in Cambodia playing cards and drinking--which they do all day, every day--all funded by selling their young daughters to sex tourists.
The fathers don't need to work because their daughters do.
I'm all about getting angry over the issue of human trafficking, and Nefarious will make you angry. I strongly encourage you to see it. The Incurable Fanatics* screening tour dates and cities are here.
* "If to be feelingly alive to the suffering of my fellow creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large." -- William Wilberforce, 19th-century British politician and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.
In spite of huge challenges, The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking made huge gains in 2009. And you were a part of that.
If you gave to B2F, prayed for B2F, tweeted about us, blogged about us,
posted about us on your Facebook page, emailed me, or encouraged me in
the fight--you helped make 2009 a strategic year.
Here's what you and I and the B2F team accomplished in 2009 to help stop child trafficking:
1. Finished writing the manuscript for Born to Fly, a story to warn kids and parents about the ploys that traffickers use.
2. Completed nearly 500 illustrations to turn that manuscript into a wordless book; artist Leah Wiedemer did a brilliant job.
3. Designed the wordless book and prepared it for print. Hat tip to book designer Cathleen Kwas for fantastic work.
4. Continued writing the B2F curriculum that goes with the book; we'll give this to teachers around the world free of charge.
5. Partnered with educators to help write the curriculum.
6. Linked with translators around the world who'll translate the curriculum into Russian, Thai, French, and many other languages. 7. Heard from 20-25 organizations around the world who've asked to distribute the B2F materials as soon as they're ready. (We're working on many other distribution avenues, too.)
8. Teamed with 2 web developers as we prepare to put the entire wordless book and curriculum online as an additional distribution vehicle.
9. Launched the 09-09-09 Twitterthon: 9,000 people giving $9 each on September 9 to stop child trafficking. We didn't reach our financial goal for the Twitterthon, but we...
10. Increased our reach and number of partners, thanks to 09-09-09.
11. Collaborated with dozens of bloggers who wrote about B2F and the fight to stop child trafficking. (See partial list here.)
12. Networked with 100+ anti-trafficking organizations and individuals on Twitter. (See partial list here.)
13. Produced a new brochure on The B2F Project.
14. Posted on this blog 1-2 times a week to increase awareness about child trafficking around the world and in the US.
15. Guest-posted or was interviewed on others' blogs about how to stop child trafficking (here and here, for example).
Anti-Trafficking Resources (including list of abolitionists on Twitter), Charisma Magazine, November 2009
Orange TV interview, October 2009 (link coming)
7 Ways to Change the World, by Troy Anderson, Ministry Today magazine, November/December 2009 (Born to Fly and yours truly are profiled in the cover story--link coming)
And here's some of the extensive coverage that Born to Fly received thanks to our 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking. As a result of these stories, thousands of new people learned about child trafficking and how to stop it:
Prevention and awareness are huge parts of stopping the traffic, so I'm grateful to all these publications, blogs, and writers for featuring Born to Fly and our work.
It's been busy around here! Here's what has been happening since the 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking:
1. You donated more than $15,600 for The Born2Fly Project! That's donations via Chip-in, PayPal, and check. Fantastic--thank you! Every penny goes to reaching kids before the traffickers do.
2. Any day now, I expect a call from artist Leah Wiedemer saying she's finished the last illustration for the wordless children's book that's the centerpiece of the B2F project. The book will be about 75 pages with more than 400 illustrations. (You'll love it!)
3. I'm almost finished writing the companion curriculum that will teach kids the important concepts in the book.
4. We're getting quotes from the printer on the final cost to print the books and curriculum.
Since we didn't reach our full financial goal of $81,000, we can't print nearly as many books as we want, but we'll print what we can.
Remember, our mission is to reach kids before the traffickers do.
Most kids get lured into trafficking because they don't know the ploys that traffickers use.
Wherever awareness training takes place, the rate of trafficking plummets. There's just not enough, nor is it in the languages of most at-risk kids.
That's the beauty of The B2F Project. Through a wordless book, we can educate kids and parents all over the world about the dangers of child sex trafficking -- no matter what their language or country, nor how remote their villages.
After working on this project for 4 long years, I'm thrilled we're almost ready to go to press and print these precious materials. I'm anxious to hear back from the printer telling us how many books we can print.
If you want to see that number go up, you can still donate via PayPal or credit card by clicking the orange Chip-in button at the upper-right or here.
On behalf of the many children we'll reach before the traffickers do, thank you.
Remember, most kids get lured into child sex slavery because they don't know the tactics traffickers use. The B2F Project is a strategic 4-stage plan to educate kids, parents, and teachers about the dangers of child trafficking—with the ultimate goal of ending it.
Thank you for helping us reach kids before the traffickers do.
Welcome to the 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking. All funds go to The Born2Fly Project, which works to stop child trafficking through awareness and prevention. Learn more at www.born2fly.org.
HOW TO DONATE: Click the orange "Chip-in" button to the right and donate safely by credit card or PayPal.
UPDATE: Although September 9 has passed, we are still very grateful to receive donations to help meet our goal--thank you!
Total donors: 554
Donations via Chip-in: $12,095.46
Donations via check: 2,719.00
TOTAL: $14,814.46 (as of 9/12)
All funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. That's our passion--and this is what we do:
Thank you for helping us reach children before traffickers do. The 09-09-09 fundraiser will help us print and distribute strategic awareness materials to kids all over the world. You are helping us do that--$9 at a time.
* * *
11:36 pm ET update: Thank you all for making 09-09-09 a big success. Thousands of people who didn't know about child trafficking now do. Thousands of others who knew about it and felt helpless now know what we can do to help stop it.
These are success stories--and you're part of them. Thank you for your love, prayers, donations, tweets, Facebook posts, blogs, emails, and words of encouragement. I couldn't do it without you!
10:26 pm update: And the winners of our final prizes are....
Tracey Solomon: 2 nights at any Aqua Resorts in Hawaii courtesy of AquaResorts.com (value $895)
Julie Dobson: Sterling silver and 14-karat gold-filled bracelet from MetaLace artist Kathryn Stanko (value $125)
Daniel and Shellie Hoffman: Pumpkin Patch original watercolor painting by artist Leah Wiedemer (value $350)
Congratulations to the winners and huge thanks to all the donors! I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes (or promotional certificate for the resort stay). You can see details of your prize by scrolling below.
10:06 pm update: We're about to award the Hawaii resort stay...so if you're thinking of donating, this is the time!
9:09 pm update: Congratulations to these prize winners!
Donna Standridge: $25 gift certificate for PartyBeans.com
Carolyn Rowan: $25 gift certificate for PartyBeans.com
Emily Hill: $35 gift certificate for AnnouncementsGalore.com
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes. You can see details of your prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes soon.
Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something nice.
9:05 pm update: It's almost 9:09 pm on 09-09-09. Time to award a few more prizes in honor of the moment...
7:40 pm update: Congratulations to these prize winners!
Melinda Howard (@MelArt): Custom Twitter background from TwitterWalls.com
Jon Swanson (@jnswanson): Custom Twitter background from TwitterWalls.com
FC Kibler (@Kibler): Premium membership to BreakPal.com
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes. You can see details of your prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes soon.
Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something nice.
7:05 pm update: We have lots more great prizes to give away, so stay tuned.
6:19 pm update: Huge thanks to everyone who's donated so far! You are amazing. Our goal? To reach kids before the traffickers do. Your donation will help us print the B2F awareness materials and get them to at-risk kids and parents around the world. How great is that? You've just changed a life.
5:00 pm update: Congratulations to these prize winners!
Clifford Sumner: Purpose assessment with purpose coach Dr. John Stanko
Rockey Measom: $25 gift certificate for PartyBeans.com
Sue Henderson: Adventures With PawPaw children's book series, by yours truly
Erin McKennah (@McKennah): Sterling silver Twitter name necklace from Survival of the Hippest
Lisa Bergren: Slave Hunter, book by Aaron and Christine Buckley
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes. You can see details of your prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes soon.
Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something!
4:45 pm update: Announcing 3 more prizes momentarily...Donate now by clicking the orange Chip-in button to the right.
4:27 pm update: Congratulations to these prize winners!
Alison Tishenko: DISC profiling with purpose coach Dr. John Stanko
Katrina Cole: $25 gift certificate for PartyBeans.com
Christine Moore: Trust Agents, book by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes. You can see details of your prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes soon.
Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something!
4:14 pm update: Just ignore that Chip-in total! It hasn't updated on here for hours, but I can see the update on their site. Between Chip-in donations and checks, we're well into $12,000. Can we reach $13K by the bottom of the hour??
More prizes coming shortly. Tell 9 people.
3:47 pm update: Congratulations to these prize winners!
Julie Taylor Shematz (@JulietheArtist1): Custom Twitter background from TwitterWalls.com
Stacy Brice (@StacyBrice): Custom Twitter background from TwitterWalls.com
Stephanie Hamilton (@Nowhere2Hide): $25 gift certificate for PartyBeans.com
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes. You can see details of your prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes soon.
Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something!
3:11 pm update: You pushed us over $12,000! Time for more prizes...
1:43 pm update: And the winners are:
Patricia Stallings: Original watercolor from artist Leah Wiedemer
Dirk Nebbeling: My Pittsburgh, book by Ed Folino
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes. You can see details of your prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes soon.
Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something!
1:37 pm update: Ready to give away more prizes...
1:09 pm update: We passed $11,000! That's the Chip-in total + checks received. Keep it coming!
12:20 pm update: We have some just-for-Twitter prizes. If you're on Twitter and you've already donated, DM or tweet me to let me know so you'll be included in the drawing. (Plz RT)
12:09 pm update: Congratulations to these prize winners!
Steve and Francine Heiks: Set of Karim Rashid-designed kitchen and office tools from slice
Diana Day: Custom-made sterling silver charm bracelet from The Charm Factory
Norm Anderson: Beyond Purpose, book by Dr. John Stanko
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes. You can see details of the prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes soon.
Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something!
11:58 am update: Coming up on 9:09 am Pacific Time--so time to award more prizes. Watch this space...
11:16 am update: Congratulations to these prize winners!
Bob Korzeniewski: MetaLace sterling silver circle earrings from artist Kathryn Stanko
Randy Arrowood: Julbo Kitty sunglasses from Traveling Mamas and Kara Williams
Sally Bard: Original charcoal portrait by artist Melinda Howard
Melissa Godshall: I Wrote This Book on Purpose, book by Dr. John Stanko
Margaret Buckley: The Quiet Place, music CD by Nancy Scimone
Janie Graziani: Long Time Coming, book by Ed Folino
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of
your prizes. You can see details of the prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes soon.
Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something!
11:09 am update: It's 9:09 am Mountain Time--and we're ready to award more prizes. Watch this space in a moment... BTW, the Chip-in widget is waaaay behind. We have 317 donors; I'll total the $$ and post it here.
9:27 am update: The total showing on the Chip-in widget is really behind. There are 283 Chip-in donors, and total should be around $7400. Plus $2200 from donations made by checks. We're nearing $10,000--can we do it by 10 am??
9:09 am update: Congratulations to these prize winners!
Nina Long: Plane Quiet Platinum Headset
Jim and Beth Herman: 2 small topiary plants from Shubert Nursery
Rebecca Anzelone: Essentials Skin Care Set from Saphoros
Charlene Elwood: The Power of Purpose book from Dr. John Stanko
Victor and Janice Danz: Adventures With PawPaw children's book series, from Diana Scimone
I'll email winners and prize donors so you can arrange for delivery of your prizes. Congrats! You can see details of the prize by scrolling below.
We'll award more prizes later this morn. Everyone who donates is eligible, and all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. So chip-in $9 and you might win something!
8:30 am update: Here are the prizes we'll award at 9:09 am:
Plane Quiet Platinum Headset, from Shannon Hurst Lane
2 small topiary plants, from Shubert Nursery
Essentials Skin Care Set, from Saphoros
The Power of Purpose (book), by Dr. John Stanko
Adventures With PawPaw (children's books), by yours truly Diana Scimone
Scroll down for complete descriptions. Everyone who donates is eligible to win!
8:03 am update: We'll award prizes starting at 9:09 am. Watch this space... (Scroll down to see all the prizes.)
7:46 am update: I slept, you donated! The total is now $9,428.49 (Chip-in total + checks). Donor Andrew N. says, "Raise the bar to 90k if you hit the 9k before you even launch. :-)" Let's do it!
1:36 am update: You donated $8,832.49 in advance donations (Chip-in total + checks) even before the fundraiser officially started! (You are awesome!)
1:20 am update: All prizes are listed here. Everyone who donates is eligible to win. 1:08 am update: Just posted a late-breaking prize to give away later today--a customized sterling silver Twitter name necklace.
12:01 am update: The 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking is officially underway!
We've got one more super prize to announce: A sterling silver customized necklace with your very own Twitter name!
It's from SurvivaloftheHippest.com. Twitter ID necklaces are a cool twist to the nameplate trend for social media aficionados. Why leave your Twitter name stuck on the screen when you can wear it proudly in sterling silver?
The necklace you could win is part of the "Social St@tus Collection" from Survival of the Hippest. Survival prez Phoebe Jonas says this collection has rescued legions of Tweeters from Twittername obscurity and helped them increase their social net worth.
All necklaces are custom made from .925 sterling silver. Phoebe suggests a chain length of 14" long (to bring the total length of the necklace to 16").
Follow Phoebe on Twitter @thehippest. (She's the one with the cool necklace.)
We'll give away this prize on 09-09-09. All funds raised go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
How to donate: Click the orange "Chip-in" button at the top right and donate safely by credit card or PayPal.
It's the day before 09-09-09 when we'll do something never done before: raise $81,000 in a single day to stop child trafficking.
It may seem odd at this moment to be thinking about my high school biology teacher.
Mr. Bateson spent a lot less time teaching us about frog innards than he did teaching us life lessons. At the time, his monologues about life used to annoy me because I knew tests were coming and I wouldn’t know the difference between a lung and a liver.
Flash forward a number of decades. I can’t remember a thing about frogs—but I still remember one of Mr. Bateson’s favorite lines: “It’s better to aim for the moon and miss than to aim for the gutter and make it.”
Today, 24 hours before trying something that seems like aiming for the moon, I’m remembering his words. And the words of someone else who told us just to step out on the water and trust Him.
It’s absolutely crazy to think we can raise $81,000 in one day. It’s totally foolish to think we can someday see the end of child trafficking. It’s ridiculous to hope I’ll be out of a job someday.
Sometimes the things that are foolish in the eyes of the world are pretty sane and normal and business-as-usual in the eyes of God.
So, thank you for being part of such a crazy, foolish, ridiculous thing.
Thank you to everyone who has already donated $9 or is ready to donate...posted something on their blog about 09-09-09...tweeted about it...Facebooked about it...emailed 9 friends about it...prayed for me...prayed for the kids we’re trying to keep from being trafficked...and more.
Thank you for joining me as together we aim for the moon.
Reminder: All day on 09-09-09, I'll post updates here, including prize give-aways.
If you subscribe to this blog by email, remember you normally receive it the day after I've posted. So you don't miss anything, please visit www.dianascimone.com throughout the day on 09-09-09 and keep refreshing the page to read the latest.
I want to tell you about an email I received from someone last week.
She gave me permission to share it with you--to show the critical need for the Born2Fly awareness materials.
I have only ever told one other person about the following experience when growing up in California. I was approximately 10 or 11 years old and had entirely too much freedom.
I was taking a short cut through an apartment complex and going home. There was a limousine in the parking lot but not in a parking spot. As I walked by, the back door opened to the guest in the back. It was a woman, well dressed and attractive.
First she invited me to sit next to her, and being as I was to sit on the outside of the seat I did so but left one leg outside the limo. Also, the door was left open.
She asked me if I wanted a job. I was curious and said, "Yes." She told me I would have to go home and pack up my things. She also mentioned that "they" could get my teeth fixed. I had an eyetooth that protruded slightly.
I told her "okay" and she said to meet her back there (in the parking lot) in an hour. I then left but had no intention of going with her.
Instead I left for awhile then came back and hid in the bushes watching the limo. It waited for me but not for long. It left without me and to be honest I had no idea what I had so narrowly avoided.
It took a long time, years actually, before I figured out what that was all about. Honestly, it really freaks me out now! I wonder if some other child had left with her and wish I would have been more attuned to what was going on. Maybe I could have helped catch her.
I was unaware of the situation I was in when it was occurring and it gives me shivers to think about now.
Thank you for all you are doing. I had not thought about that incident in years and because of your diligence in trying to make people aware of this problem it helped me to share my experience with my children. They are now aware of this evil and better prepared to acknowledge a dangerous situation if it occurs.
I've received other letters like this, which you can read here and here. All three of these incidents occurred in the US.
These children escaped from adults who were trying to traffic them. How many did not?
Can you see why I'm so passionate about getting the B2F materials into the hands of at-risk kids and parents all over the world?
Traffickers think children are commodities. Will you partner with us to tell kids they're priceless? $9 is a great way to start.
Blogger Doug Picirillo is much better at math than I am.
Doug came up with a creative way to show the power behind Wednesday's 1-day fundraiser to stop child trafficking. Here's how it goes:
The goal is to raise $81,000 by asking 9,000 to chip in $9 by 9-9-9.
How do we find 9,000 people?
I tell 9 people. We are 10. Those 9 each tell 9 more. 81 new people. We are 91. The next 81 each tell 9 more. 729 new people. We are 820. The next 729 each tell 9 more. 6,561 new people. We are 7,381. The next 6,561 each tell 9 more. 59,049 new people. We are 66,430.
It might not go exactly like that, but it could. The numbers are simple.
Your $9 contribution is hugely important. But please, tell a friend or two or three or nine and ask them to pass it on!
Just in time for autumn, here's our latest prize to be given away on 09-09-09 during our fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project: a luscious original watercolor called Pumpkin Patch.
1. She's the fantastic artist who's illustrating the Born to Fly wordless book that we'll distribute to at-risk kids and their parents around the world.
2. She's already donated another painting as a prize for the fundraiser. (You can see them here.)
3. And today is her birthday. (If you're on Twitter, you can send her a birthday tweet @RoamingArtist.)
So you might say it's Leah's birthday--and she's giving you a present.
Pumpkin Patch is an original watercolor, 22 x 30" (unframed). It sells for $350--and you could win it on 09-09-09. Everyone who donates just $9 is entered in the prize drawing.
Our goal is 9,000 people giving $9 each on 09-09-09. All funds go to The Born2Fly Project to help stop child trafficking, and will help us print and distribute strategic awareness materials to at-risk kids and their parents all over the world.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: When it's peak citrus season in Florida, it can also be peak season for human trafficking. What happened last February to turn that grim fact around?
A: Florida has a huge number of immigrants who look for work in the agriculture industry. Many are illiterate, unskilled, and desperate for work--and prime targets for traffickers.
Last winter the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking sponsored a workshop for farmers, growers, and local law enforcement on how to watch for and prevent trafficking. More than 350 people attended. You can read more here.
We're almost there!
On Monday I'll post some final info about Wednesday's 1-day 09-09-09 fundraiser. Remember, you don't have to wait until then to make your donation. Just click the orange Chip-in button at the top right (or here).
We're in the final stretch of our 31-day countdown to the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project. Our goal is 9,000 people giving $9 each to stop child trafficking.
We've already received $4,400 in donations! Thank you to everyone who's donated (and who plans to on 09-09-09).
You'll all be entered into a drawing on September 9 to win prizes like this one: a complete DISC Profile, donated by PurposeQuest coach Dr. John Stanko.
John is my own personal purpose coach, and a board member of Born2Fly. Here's what he says:
Have you ever tried to be who you are not? Have others expected things of you that you just can't produce?
If so, perhaps it's time to step back and take a good look at who you really are and how you can be more effective in your work and relationships.
I took the DISC profile years ago (I'm an I/S) and I can't even count the number of ways it's helped me understand myself and others--and be more effective at what I do.
I've been in coaching sessions when John has profiled and then counseled people, and they're literally in tears when they understand who they are (and who they are not).
If you win this great prize, you'll take the DISC profiles online, and then receive follow-up reports from John via email.
It's a $100 prize that could change your life--and you could win it with a contribution of just $9 to the 09-09-09 fundraiser.
Just click the orange Chip-in button at the upper right (or here), and donate safely by credit card or PayPal. Remember, all funds go to The Born2Fly Project, which will help us print and distribute the strategic B2F awareness materials to at-risk kids and their parents around the world.
Oh, what's the best way to stop child trafficking? Make sure it never happens in the first place.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: Let's say you need a gift and you want to help stop human trafficking. Where could you shop?
A: You need some traffic-stopping shopping--beautiful items made by women and girls (and men) rescued from human trafficking. There are lots of online stores featuring these products and you can find a list here.
Today's question:
Q: When it's peak citrus season in Florida, it can also be peak season for human slavery. What happened last February that helped turn that grim fact around?
Stay tuned for the answer tomorrow--along with the final prize we'll give away on 09-09-09.
It's a $555 value. Whoops, update! Make that an $895 value!
You'll choose from 13 Aqua hotels in Honolulu and 2 Aqua resorts on Maui and Molokai. This, for example, is Aqua's Hotel Wailea on Maui:
It's perched above the inspiring Wailea coastline. The all-suites resort has spacious accommodations, each with a private lanai. There's world-class golf, top-tier tennis, first-rate restaurants, and unparalleled shopping within close proximity of this inviting, secluded resort.
There are lots of other Aqua hotels and resorts to choose from, too. Visit the website and take a mini tropical vacation while you check them out.
This is such a fabulous prize that we could have held a silent online auction for it, but I wanted to throw it into the mix and give everyone who donates an equal opportunity to win it.
How fun would that be to say you donated just $9 and won 2 nights at a resort in Hawaii?
Remember, our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on (or before) 09-09-09. Everyone who donates will be entered into a drawing to win prizes. You can donate safely via PayPal or credit card by clicking the orange Chip-in button on the upper right (or here).
All funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking, and will help us print and distribute these strategic materials to at-risk kids and their parents all over the world.
Our thanks to Aqua Hotels and Resorts for donating this super prize (and to @Neenz for making the introduction). Follow Aqua on Twitter: @AquaHotels.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question (and remember, I promised good news):
A: The rate of cross-border child trafficking dropped. Why? Because of better collaboration among local residents, civil society groups, village chiefs, and government.
It proves it does not take a huge infrastructure to make a difference in the rate of child trafficking; it simply takes collaboration and communication. You can read more here.
Today's question:
Q: Let's say you need a gift and you want to help stop human trafficking at the same time. Where could you shop?
Watch this space for the answer tomorrow, along with another prize we'll award on 09-09-09. Remember, make your donation on or before 09-09-09. All funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
It's Day 8 in the countdown to the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser. Our goal is 9,000 people giving $9 each on 09-09-09 for The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
I have some really great prizes to announce this final week. Everyone who donates on or before 09-09-09 is eligible to win them.
If you're keeping track, you know that MetaLace jewelry artist Kathryn Stanko already donated a beautiful hand-crafted MetaLace sterling silver and 14-karat gold-filled bangle bracelet (retail $125+). (The one pictured to the right is gold-filled, but the winning bracelet will be both 14-karat gold-filled and sterling silver.)
Now she's sweetened the pot by adding another gorgeous piece from her fall collection: these round MetaLace earrings made from Argentium sterling silver. They're about 1-1/4 inches in diameter with French wires--very light, elegant, and trendy.
Kathryn's work sells primarily in art galleries around the country. These beautiful earrings are valued at $65--thank you, Kathryn!
We'll award the earrings and the bracelet as 2 separate prizes. They could be yours on 09-09-09. Everyone who donates to the fundraiser will be entered into a drawing to win all the prizes. You can donate safely via PayPal or credit card by clicking the orange Chip-in button on the upper right (or here).
Remember, all funds go to The Born2Fly Project to help stop child trafficking, and will help us print and distribute these strategic materials to at-risk kids and their parents all over the world.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: What does the travel industry have to do with child sex slavery?
A: Sadly, a lot. Child sex tourism is big business in many countries. Charter flights arrive packed with customers willing to pay to rape children.
A few hours after I posted yesterday's question, 3 American "tourists" were arrested in Cambodia in an ongoing federal sex tourism investigation--part of an effort by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify and prosecute American sex tourists in Cambodia. You can read about it here. And here is something the travel industry is doing to stop this kind of tourism.
Today's question:
Q: I think it's time for a good-news question. What happened last year on the border between Guinea-Bisseau and Senegal, and what did it prove?
Watch this space for the answer tomorrow--along with a really big prize that you won't want to miss. (I hope you win it.)
My enormous thanks goes to all these bloggers and reporters for
helping
us in our efforts to stop child trafficking. (And if I missed your
post, please leave a comment with the link, and I'll happily add it to
the list.)
There are more blogs and articles coming this
week, and I'll share the links with you.
I also have a list of many other
people to thank who've volunteered their time and talents to help us. I'll do that in an upcoming post.
* * *
Update #1: Here are more articles and blog posts that have appeared since I wrote the above. If I've (still) missed you, leave a comment and I'll be happy to add you.
Our countdown to 09-09-09 is now in the single digits. It's just 9 days until the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser to stop child trafficking.
Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09. So far we have nearly $1,400 in advance donations. All funds go to the Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
We'll
give away lots of great prizes on September 9, and everyone who donates
on the day or ahead of time is eligible. Here are some great books andCDs we'll give away.
1. Adventures With PawPaw children's book series, written by Diana Scimone and illustrated by Leah Wiedemer (@DianaScimone and @RoamingArtist)
Adventures With PawPaw
is a series about a little dog who travels to a different country in
each book, introducing young children to other countries and cultures.
We'll give away 2 sets of all 3 books in the series--China, France, and
Costa Rica--which will be signed by yours truly (the author) and
illustrator LeahWiedemer (who's illustrating the Born to Fly books for the B2F Project). (Retail value $25 per set)
John is my own personal purpose coach and serves
on the board of directors of Born to Fly. His excellent books will
help you know your purpose and then move beyond that to actually do
something about it. We'll award the 3 books to 3 separate winners.
(Total retail value of all 3 books $34)
Ed
is known as the Pittsburgh Poet. After he retired a few years ago
working as an office products dealer in the Steel City, he realized a
life-long dream: to publish the poetry he'd been writing for years.
He's already published 2 books, which we'll give away on 09-09-09 (1
book each to 2 winners). (Total retail value $29.90)
There's
nothing like tweeting with someone who posts riveting updates such as,
"We're about to break into a brothel in Cambodia to rescue trafficking
victims." Aaron Cohen and co-author Christine Buckley have brought that
immediacy to their brand-new book, which is already #75 on Amazon's
list of human rights books. We'll give away a copy on 09-09-09. (Retail
value $24.99)
I
already posted about this hot-off-the-press book a few weeks ago, but
wanted to include it in our book giveaway list. You can read that post here. BTW, kudos to Chris and Julien because Trust Agents is now #13 on the NY Times best-seller list. (Retail value $24.95)
This
book by yours truly will help you write the book that's inside you.
It's practical, motivating, and encouraging, and will show you how to
move your book from dream to reality (which every author on this page
had to do). This is an e-book, and if you win, I'll send you
instructions to download it free. (Retail value $14.95)
Nancy
is my sister, and I'm a little miffed that she got all the singing
genes in the family. She graciously left me some of the writing
genes--but she can write, too. In fact, she wrote all the gorgeous
songs on this CD, which is a collection of favorite psalms set to jazz
and classical (both of which Nancy does beautifully). It's one of the
most relaxingCDs you'll ever hear--and you could win it on 09-09-09. (Retail value $11)
You
could win one of these great prizes on 09-09-09 simply by donating to
our fundraiser to stop child trafficking. Just click the orange Chip-in
button at the top right (or here), and donate safely and securely by credit card or PayPal.
Remember, all the funds go to the Born2Fly Project
to help stop child trafficking, and will help us print and distribute
these strategic materials to at-risk kids and their parents all over
the world.
* * *
Here's the answer to Friday's question:
Q:
A young girl named Rosa testified before Congress about how she was
smuggled into the US. What country was she from, and what US city did
she end up in?
A: Rosa was from Mexico, trafficked into the US,
and brought to Orlando, where she was held in a trailer and raped for
profit many times throughout the day and night, until she finally
escaped. She told her story before Congress, which you can read about here.
Today's question is:
Q: What does the travel industry have to do with child sex slavery?
Watch
this space tomorrow for the answer--along with another prize in the
31-day countdown to the 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking.
We've got some pretty big prizes coming up this week!
We're announcing a prize a day for 31 days (not counting weekends--ya gotta give me a little break).
We'll give them all away on 09-09-09 during our 1-day fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
The prize-du-jour is a set of 3 uber-cool sliceproducts for home and office. What makes them so sharp? All the cutting surfaces are high-tech ceramic.
Ceramic is the most durable substance on earth after diamonds. Unlike stainless, these ceramic blades won't dull, rust, pit, or get discolored.
Plus they'll look pretty cool in your kitchen or office. Karim Rashid designed the slice Y-Peeler (right) and slice Precision Cutter (left) with fun kiwi-green lightweight and ergonomic handles.
Karim's products hang out in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, so your kitchen and office will be in very nice company.
Also included in this prize is a handy slice Safety Cutter (below). It's got a ceramic blade, too. I keep one in my kitchen and another in my office, and they're put to good use all week long.
Our thanks go to Slice, a great company that donates a portion of its profits to autism research. The cutting-edge prize package they've provided is worth $28, and it could be yours.
Everyone who donates to the 09-09-09 fundraiser (either on September 9 or before) is eligible to win.
Remember, our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09. All funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking and will help us print and distribute these strategic materials to at-risk kid and parents all over the world.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: A reporter leaves his office in New York and flies to Haiti. How long does it take before 3 different people offer to sell him a 10-year-old child?
A: 10 hours from the time he left his office in NY. It happened to ABC Nightline reporter Dan Harris, who was working on a story about child slavery. You can read what happened here.
Today's question is:
Q: A young girl named Rosa testified before Congress about how she was smuggled into the US. What country was she from, and what US city did she end up in?
Watch this space on Monday for the answer--along with another prize in the 31-day countdown to the 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking.
Yes, someday I hope to announce that there's no more child trafficking.
In the meantime, I'll announce the latest prize we'll give away during the 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking: a $35 gift certificate for custom photo announcements at AnnouncementsGalore.com.
Need birth announcements? Save the dates? Wedding invitations? Christmas or Hanukkah cards? Party invites?
The announcement or card you need is just a click away on this fun-filled site where you can choose your own design, colors, background, and font. Personalize it with your own photo, and voila: a one-of-a-kind keepsake card or announcement for your special day.
Give the site a whirl and see what you could win. Our thanks to Announcements Galore for this nice gift. (Follow them on Twitter @DawnA_G.)
Remember, our goal for the fundraiser to stop child trafficking is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09. I don't know 9,000 people--so would you help me out by forwarding this to 9 of your friends?
All the funds go to the Born2Fly Project to help stop child trafficking and will help us print and distribute these strategic materials to at-risk kids and their parents all over the world.
BTW, I really do believe we can end child trafficking someday. I wouldn't be working this hard if I didn't. (I've got lots of other things I want to do, so let's get this one out of the way, okay?)
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: What is the Innocence Lost Initiative, how many children has it rescued, and from what country?
A: Stephanie at Nowhere2Hide left the correct answer in a comment: "Innocence Lost is a combined initiative between the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Its focus is to identify and rescue children in the US who have been victims of sex trafficking. To date, they have rescued over 500 kids!" Read more about this great program here.
Today's question:
Q: A reporter leaves his office in New York and flies to Haiti. How long does it take before 3 different people offer to sell him a 10-year-old child?
Leave a comment if you know. I'll post the answer tomorrow, along with another prize we'll give away on 09-09-09.
The 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser to stop child trafficking hasn't even
officially started yet--and we already have nearly
$1,000.
Pretty amazing, huh? Thank you to everyone who's donated ahead of
time.
The 09-09-09 fundraiser is 2 weeks from today. Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 to help stop child trafficking. Everyone who donates--whether now or on September 9--will be entered in a drawing for lots of fabulous prizes.
When I asked my friend portrait artist Melinda Howard if she'd
donate a prize, she came up with a one-of-a-kind idea.
If you win, Melinda will draw
an original 9x12" charcoal portrait from one of your photos (one person or
pet). It will be on archival quality paper (white or cream) and includes
shipping anywhere in the US and a black mat ready for you to frame.
Here's one of Melinda's charcoal portraits. You can see more of her beautiful work on her blog and you can follow her on Twitter (@MelArt). This is a $175 value--and I hope you win!
Everyone who donates to the 09-09-09 fundraiser is eligible to win. Just click on the orange Chip-in button at the top right or here.
Remember, all funds raised go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking and will help us print and distribute these strategic materials to at-risk kids and their parents all over the world.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: If you're visiting another country and see someone who looks like they're being trafficked, what should you do?
A: If you've bookmarked this website on your iPhone, Blackberry, or laptop, you'll be ready: Global Hotlines List. It includes phone numbers in 80+ countries from Albania to Zimbabwe that you can call to report cases of suspected human trafficking.
Here's the number for the US (which strangely is not on the list): (888) 373-7888.
Today's question:
Q: What is the Innocence Lost Initiative, how many children has it rescued, and from what country?
Leave a comment if you know. Watch this space for the answer tomorrow--along with another prize to be given away during the 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking.
We're announcing a prize a day for 31 days leading up to the 09-09-09 fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. We'll give away all the prizes on September 9--and everyone who donates is eligible to win.
The prize we're featuring today is courtesy of The Charm Factory: a beautiful custom-made sterling silver charm bracelet.
If you win, you'll choose 8 sterling silver charms from their extensive collection: holidays, pets, babies, birthdays, hobbies, crafts, gardening, food, and many more categories to choose from.
The Charm Factory will attach them to their most popular sterling bracelet--which will look quite fetching hanging from your wrist.
All the charms are .925 sterling silver, free of nickel and lead, and manufactured in the United States. The retail value is $60. Our thanks to The Charm Factory for this lovely gift! (You can follow them on Twitter @charm_factory.)
Everyone who donates to the fundraiser to stop child trafficking is eligible to win this and all our other prizes. Just click the orange Chip-in button to the right or here, and donate safely by PayPal or credit card.
Remember, our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09. All the funds go to The Born to Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: What US city helped shut down an international sex slave ring operating in their midst?
A: Clearwater, Florida. Earlier this year, the Clearwater Task Force on Human Trafficking and local police agencies worked together to investigate and shut down an international sex slave ring that held many women hostage. You can read more here.
Today's question:
Q: If you're in another country and see someone who looks like they're being trafficked, what should you do?
Leave a comment if you know. We'll reveal the answer tomorrow--along with another prize that we'll give away during the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser to stop child trafficking.
The gift you could win on 09-09-09 won't even be available to the rest of the world til a few weeks after our 1-day fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
Saphoros.com is donating their brand-new Skincare Essentials Gift Set--the same set they'll debut later in September when they tuck them inside celebrity gift bags for nominees at the Emmy Awards.
The nominees--and the rest of the world--have to wait til after the Emmy's telecast on September 20 to see the new Saphoros gift set. But you could win it on September 9.
"I think what your organization is doing is absolutely fabulous and close to the heart as I am a mom to 5 children," says Saphoros CEO Donna Standridge, who writes about The Born2Fly Project on her company blog. "We're so excited to be helping out."
The Saphoros' Skincare Essentials Gift Set includes 5 full-size products designed for all skin types (including sensitive): Gentle Cleansing Milk, Essenza Antioxidant Toner, Jojoba Facial Polish, Lussuria Eye Treatment, and Mineral Renewal Day Creme.
Everything is made with vegan ingredients and is paraben-free and formaldehyde-donor-free with no artificial fragrances. The retail value of the gift set is $102. Thank you, Donna and Saphoros! (BTW, you can follow Donna on Twitter @saphoros.)
So help cleanse the world of child trafficking by donating during our 09-09-09 fundraiser...and you could win this nice gift that will help you cleanse and take care of your skin. Everyone who donates to the 1-day fundraiser to stop child trafficking (either on September 9 or before) is eligible to win.
Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09.
Q: 2.8 million kids live on the streets in the US. How long does it take them to be lured into child trafficking?
A: One-third of kids arriving on the streets (including runaways) will be lured into child prostitution within just 48 hours. You can read more about the process to recruit and groom them here and here.
Today's question is:
Q: What US city helped shut down an international sex slave ring operating in their midst?
If you know the answer, leave it in a comment. Watch this space tomorrow for the correct answer--and another prize that we'll award on 09-09-09. (Yup, you could win.)
BreakPal is the web's only fitness-at-your-desk program. It reminds you throughout the day to do 1-2 minute stretches, exercises, cardio, and even a little kung fu--and actually shows you what to do.
BreakPal pres Phil Weaver let me try out the program, and it's great. I do an hour-long Funiq Fitness workout twice a week, but in between I sit slouched over my laptop, so I'm loving these 2-minute breaks.
You can love it, too, because BreakPal is giving a premium membership ($125 value) to one lucky winner on 09-09-09. Everyone who donates to the fundraiser is eligible. Just click the orange bar on the Chip-in button to the right or here.
Remember, our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09--and all the funds go to the Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: What's one of the not-so-super-sides of mega-sporting events such as the SuperBowl, World Cup, and Olympics?
A: Human trafficking. Sadly the rate of trafficking skyrockets in cities where these and other international sporting events are held.
Anti-slavery groups are already working with organizers of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2012 Olympics in London to make sure this doesn't happen. Read more here about the most recent SuperBowl, or Google "human trafficking" and any of those events and you'll find a ton of links.
Tomorrow's question:
Q: 2.8 million kids live on the streets in the US. How long does it take them to be lured into child trafficking?
Answer tomorrow, along with another prize to be given away to a donor during the 09-09-09 fundraiser.
I love today's prize--is this cute or what? Schubert Nursery is donating this adorable ivy-covered bear--or another plant of your choice. In fact, they're so generous they'll let you pick 2 plants.
It's all part of the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on September 9 (or today, if you can't wait).
Everyone who donates will be entered into a drawing on 09-09-09 to win some super prizes, like these beautiful plants from Schubert.
Schubert is based in Salinas, California, and is one of the premier topiary wholesale nurseries in the US. If you win, you get to pick 2 plants from a selection similar to these, which they'll ship anywhere in the continental US:
The first one is a real olive tree. In the second one, the wine isn't included :) but the wine holder and plant are. Schubert will send the winner a list of 10 plants to choose from (approx. $90 value). (The towering topiaries you see on their website are not included, but you'll have plenty of other fun plants to choose from.)
So give some green ($9) to help stop child trafficking, and maybe you'll win some nice greenery. Remember, you don't have to wait until 09-09-09 to donate your $9. Just click on the orange bar on the Chip-in button on the upper right or here, and donate securely by credit card or PayPal.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: Last November thousands of people got together in Birmingham, England, to do something about human trafficking. What did they do?
A: They put on a concert called The Stand, which brought together leading musicians, artists, and the public to take a stand against human trafficking and learn what they could do to stop it.
Whether you're a singer, a songwriter, or grow beautiful plants, you can use your gifts and talents to help end modern-day slavery.
And today's question:
Q: What's one of the not-so-super sides of mega-sporting events such as the Super Bowl, World Cup, and Olympics?
Watch this space for the answer. Meanwhile, would you tell 9 people about the 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking? Just send them to www.born2fly.org.
Remember, our goal is 9,000 people giving $9 each to help print and distribute the Born2Fly materials to at-risk kids and parents all over the world.
So here's the prize I want to tell you about today: a comprehensive Purpose Assessment donated by purpose coach Dr. John Stanko, founder of PurposeQuest International (and a member of the board of directors of Born to Fly).
This is a fantastic gift. How do I know? Because John has been my personal purpose coach for 35 years. He happens to be married to my sister, Kathryn, so I get purpose coaching just sitting around the dinner table.
John has an amazing ability to bring order out of chaos.
If you've ever wondered why you're here or what you were created to do, John can help you find out. He's counseled and coached people all over the world for decades, bringing clarity to their purpose and order to their world.
A Purpose Assessment includes a profile and a follow-up session with John by phone. It's normally $200, but you could win it on 09-09-09 just by donating to the Twitterthon to stop child trafficking.
Go to www.born2fly.org and click on the Chip-in widget on the homepage. (You don't even have to wait til September 9 to chip-in; you'll still be eligible to win the Purpose Assessment and many other great prizes.)
Thanks, John, for the great prize. (BTW, you can follow John on Twitter: @JohnStanko. He also writes a regular blog and Monday Memo.)
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: Police recently broke up a human trafficking ring in Botswana. What country were most of the people headed to, had they not been rescued?
A: Canada. Police broke up a ring suspected of trafficking more than 1,000 people into Canada for slavery and sex exploitation.
Traffickers targeted vulnerable young women and girls, luring them with phony money-making opportunities, while they were really destined for slave-like conditions in Canada. You can read more here.
Tomorrow's question:
Q: Last November thousands of people got together in Birmingham, England, to do something about human trafficking. What did they do?
See you tomorrow for the answer (or leave a comment if you know).
We're well into the 31-day countdown to the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser for the Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on September 9.
Trust agents aren't necessarily marketers or salespeople; they're the digitally savvy people who use the web to humanize businesses using transparency, honesty, and genuine relationships.
As a result, they wield enough online influence to build up or bring down a business's reputation. This book will show you how to build profitable relationships with trust agents, or become one yourself.
Trust Agents isn't even officially on the market yet (it debuts August 24)--and it's already #43 on Amazon's best-seller list. Amazing, huh? I know Chris from Twitter (@ChrisBrogan) and read his blog and newsletter a lot. If his book is anything like his daily writings, you're in for a treat.
Yes, Chris and Julien will sign it for you if you win.
BTW, one of the best tools in the fight against human trafficking is being a trust agent. For too long, kids and parents have been held hostage by traffickers who act like they have the children's best interest in mind, but have anything but. Talk about needing trust agents.
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: Which 3 countries improved their efforts to stop human trafficking within their borders and were moved off Tier 3 this year?
A: Algeria, Moldova, and Qatar all moved to the watchlist on the 2009 TIP List. This means they've made improvement, but are still in danger of moving back to Tier 3 if they don't keep it up.
Today's question:
Q: Police recently broke up a human trafficking ring in Botswana. What country were most of the people headed to, had they not been rescued?
Answer tomorrow...along with another prize we'll give away on 09-09-09.
It's just 23 days til the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. We already have 7 donations from people who just couldn't wait until September 9 to give (and I'm not stopping them).
You can see the Chip-in widget here (or to the right if you're reading this on my blog) and watch that total add up.
Remember, our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09. So tell your friends, okay? All funds go to The Born2Fly Project, which will launch this fall.
We're working on some great prizes, which everyone who donates will be eligible to win (whether you donate now or on 09-09-09).
Now don't you wish you could wear these? Sorry, they're for kids! Win them now, and you'll have a fabulous gift ready for Christmas or Hanukkah (a $40 value).
Thank you to Kara, another one of my Twitter buddies and one of the famed Traveling Mamas, whose blog was voted Best Travel Blog among many other awards. Kara is MountainMama. On Friday we revealed a nice gift from CajunMama; I think it's wonderful that the Mamas are helping us stop child trafficking.
* * *
Here's the answer to Friday's question:
Q: What's the name of the State Department's annual report that assesses the efforts of 100+ countries to shut down trafficking within their borders?
A: The TIP Report, which stands for Trafficking In Persons. If you're traveling, like the Mamas do, check out the TIP list before you go and find out about the trafficking situation in the countries where you'll be.
Countries are divided into 3 categories (and believe me, no one wants to be stuck on Tier 3). You can see the 2009 list of countries and where they rank here.
And now, today's question:
Q: Which 3 countries improved their efforts to stop the traffic, and were moved off Tier 3 this year?
You can flip through the 320-page TIP Report to find the answer...or just tune in tomorrow.
Q: What's the only illegal industry that brings in more money than human trafficking? A: Illegal drugs. You can sell a drug once, but sadly you can sell a human being over and over again. Human trafficking is a $9.5 billion-a-year industry.
Stephanie from Nowhere2Hide left the right answer in the comments section. I've gotten to know Stephanie from Twitter, where she's @Nowhere2Hide. She does a great job working to end modern-day slavery.
Here's today's question:
Q: What's the name of the State Department's annual report that assesses the efforts of 100+ countries to shut down trafficking within their borders?
I'll post the answer tomorrow.
* * *
Here's another great prize that we'll give away on 09-09-09 during our 1-day fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking: a Plane Quiet Platinum headset, donated by my Twitter buddy, travel writer Shannon Hurst Lane, aka @Cajun_Mama. Shannon was one of the first people I followed on Twitter.
Now, Shannon doesn't want you to keep quiet about child trafficking--but she does want you to have nice quiet plane rides. The Plane Quiet Platinum headset will give you great noise reduction and super audio sound. It's compact, lightweight, and comfortable--perfect for traveling. It retails for $100--and you could win it on September 9.
Everyone who donates to our fundraiser (whether before the date or on 09-09-09) will be entered into a drawing to win the headset and other great prizes. Scroll through my blog to read about some of them and the great people, like Shannon, who've donated them.
Remember, all the money raised goes to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 9/9/09. So tell 9 of your friends, okay?
We're on our way: The very first $9 donation came in yesterday for our 09-09-09 fundraiser!
Now, most people are waiting til September 9 to donate, but this person simply could not wait. And who am I to stop her? If you want to donate ahead of time, I won't stop you, either. Just use the Chip-in widget here or here.
Her donation was followed by another from some good friends. Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09--so we need only 8,998 more people to donate. Between you and me, I think we can do it.
Lots of companies have provided great prizes for us to give away on 09-09-09. Anyone who donates (whether on the day or ahead of time) will be entered into a drawing for the prizes.
Here's the latest one: TwitterWalls.com is giving away customized Twitter backgrounds to 4 lucky people.
If you don't want the same old Twitter background as everyone else on the planet, TwitterWalls will give you a unique look AND provide all the information you want to make available to your readers.
Customized Twitter backgrounds retail for $24.95 each--and TwitterWalls will give away four of them on 09-09-09. (Thanks, Robert, @TweetWalls, and @CoffeeDaze!)
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: What's the average age of sex workers around the world?
A: 11 years old. That's also the average age in the US. Remember, if that's the average, there are plenty of kids even younger.
Today's question:
Q: What's the only illegal industry that brings in more money than human trafficking?
Watch for the answer tomorrow...when we announce another prize to be given away on 09-09-09.
By the way, mega-thanks to Cathleen Kwas (@CathleenKwas) for designing our cool 09-09-09 logo. (She also designed the logo for Born to Fly and everything else I've ever done.) Nice work, Cathleen!
Look what artist Leah Wiedemer donated for the 09-09-09 one-day fundraiser to stop child trafficking: an original watercolor.
On September 9 someone will get to choose one of Leah's beautiful works of art:Hibiscus Jungle (in yellow), Poinsettias (red), or Roses (pink):
Each watercolor is 15 x 11 inches (unframed), and sells for $250. (Nice gift, Leah.)
Leah is a renowned artist (and blogger). She's also illustrating Born to Fly, the wordless children's book that's the centerpiece of our awareness campaign to stop global child trafficking.
Our goal for the one-day fundraiser is 9,000 people giving $9 each on 9/9/09 to help print the books and companion curriculum--and start distributing them to at-risk children and their parents all over the world.
How can you win Leah's watercolor?
On 9/9/09, anyone who donates $9 will be entered into hourly drawings for the painting and lots of other prizes. To find out what were giving away and when, follow me on Twitter; just go to www.twitter.com/DianaScimone or www.twitter.com/09_09_09.
Or better yet, sign up
for a Twitter account and follow me and Leah (@RoamingArtist). Twitter is free, it's easy, and it's fun (and you don't have to be a nerd or techie; we're not!).
* * *
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: Does child trafficking happen in the US, and if so how often?
A: Child trafficking happens in nearly every city in the US, where more than 100,000 children and young women are enslaved.
Today's question:
Q: What's the average age of sex workers around the world?
Answer tomorrow...along with another prize to be given away on 09-09-09.
Make sure kids don't get trafficked in the first place.
What if we could warn children and their parents ahead of time? What if we could teach them about the lies traffickers use--and how to stand up against them?
The rate of trafficking would drop and millions of kids would never be trafficked.
That's the goal of The Born2Fly Project--educating kids and their parents about the dangers of trafficking through a strategic global campaign of books and printed materials.
On 9/9/09 we'll host a 1-day fundraiser to raise money for B2F: 9,000 people each giving $9 on 9/9/09 to stop child trafficking.
Day 29 Prize give-away
I'm announcing a prize a day to give away on 9/9/09. The latest? Five $25-gift certificates to PartyBeans.com.
This is a cool website where you can easily create customized gifts and party favors with your own color photos. Pick a container, upload your own photo and text, add candy (Jelly Belly beans, M&Ms, or mints), and you're done.
On 9/9/09, we'll give away 5 $25 gift certificates to random donors. Thank you, PartyBeans, for the donation!
Here's the answer to yesterday's Q&A:
Q: How can you tell if someone is being trafficked, and what can you do about it?
It's Day 30 in our countdown to the 09-09-09 Twitterthon.
So a friend emailed me and asked, "Can you explain this Twitterthon? I don't get how it works."
Good question. A Twitterthon is like a telethon, except it's on Twitter--and in this case on Facebook and this blog, too.
The goal of this particular Twitterthon is 9,000 people each giving $9 on September 9 (09-09-09) for the B2F Project to help stop child trafficking.
There's just one little problem...
I don't know 9,000 people.
Enter the power of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. I follow about 1,400 people on Twitter, and a bunch more follow me (not necessarily the same people, BTW).
Take any one of those people; they might follow another 100 or even 10,000. So when I tweet about 09-09-09, they can "retweet" (forward) it to their followers. Same with Facebook.
And voila.
Suddenly we're talking huge numbers of people who learn about the B2F Project--and will hopefully donate $9 on 09-09-09.
If you're not on Twitter or Facebook, you can still donate on 09-09-09 via the Chip-in widget on the Born to Fly website -- and you'll automatically be entered into the drawing for all the prizes we'll give away that day.
All 09-09-09 donors entered in drawing for wonderful prizes
MetaLace jewelry just donated a beautiful handcrafted sterling-and-gold-filled bangle bracelet. This is a gorgeous work of art, and retails for $125+ at art galleries around the country. (I have one in sterling and another in gold-filled, and wear them constantly.) Shout-out to artist Kathryn Stanko (who happens to be my sister) for donating this wonderful prize. Someone will win it on 09-09-09--maybe you!
Here's the answer to yesterday's question:
Q: How many underage girls are involved in child labor around the world?
A: 100 million (via International Labour Organisation). You can read more here.
And here's today's question:
Q: How can you tell if someone is being trafficked--and what can you do about it?
Know the answer? Leave it as a comment. I'll give the answer tomorrow, along with another question. And info on another prize.
Yup, it's a mere 31 days til the worldwide one-day Twitterthon (and Facebook-thon and every-other-thon) for the B2F Project to stop child trafficking. Our goal? 9,000 people each giving $9 on September 9, 2009.
Wait til you see the prizes that companies are already donating. Everyone who gives $9 is automatically entered in the prize drawings, which will take place throughout the day on 09-09-09. I'll tell you what some of the prizes are very soon. (Yes, my subtle way of asking you to come back to read more.)
Some pretty amazing (and HUGE) blogs have already written about us:
If you want to blog about it, or just want to learn more about B2F Project and how we're working to stop child trafficking, there's more info here. And you can follow me on Twitter: @DianaScimone and @09_09_09.
For the next 31 days, I'll post a question about child trafficking:
Q: How many underage girls are involved in child labor around the world?
If you know the answer, leave it in a comment. I'll give the answer tomorrow--along with another question.
Remember, one of the best ways we can stop child trafficking is to keep kids from ever being trafficked in the first place. That's what the B2F Project will do. Join us?
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