December 2013 • Issue 5
In This Issue: • Human Trafficking Update • Fall ODI Conference • New Member Class • Kudos • Community Collaborations • February Training Sessions • Mary Harriman Award Nominations • Sustainer News • Phase I Paperwork • Holiday Shoppes 2013 • JLS Book Club • GMM and Board Briefs
MARK YOUR CALENDARS December 1: Phase I Paperwork Due
December 5: Last Day of Hanukkah
December 7: Sustainer Pie-Making • Blessed Sacrament Parish Center • 9 am – Noon
December 10: December GMM / Holiday Party • Rosamond Gifford Zoo • Social: 6 pm; Meeting: 6:30 pm
December 25: Christmas
January 1: New Year’s
January is NATIONAL Human Trafficking PREVENTION Month Where are we with our issue of Human Trafficking? We have spent the last 3 GMMs, 1 Sustainer Lunch and Learn, and information in the weekly e-blasts educating the membership on Human Trafficking (HT). The presenters have taught us what HT is and that it truly is an issue right here in the Central New York area. At the Sustainer Lunch and Learn speaker Todd Bunnenberg of Homeland Security told the group that how traffickers find their victims varies by city, but here in the Syracuse area the internet and social media are the main source. Through our November GMM speaker Roni Dickhaut (of Homeland Security) we learned more about the “Blue Campaign” which is their effort to battle HT. President Barack Obama has, for the past 4 years, declared January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. “As Americans, we have long rejected such cruelty. We have recognized it as a debasement of our common humanity and an affront to the principles we cherish. And for more than a century, we have made it a national mission to bring slavery and human trafficking to an end. My Administration has been deeply committed to carrying this legacy forward -- beginning with trafficking that happens on our own shores. We have strengthened protections so all workers know their rights, expanded efforts to identify and serve domestic victims, devoted new resources to dismantling trafficking networks, and put more traffickers behind bars than ever before. In the months ahead, we will continue to take action by empowering investigators and law enforcement with the training they need, and by engaging businesses, advocates, and students in developing cutting-edge tools people can use to stay safe. We will invest in helping trafficking victims rebuild their lives. And as one of the world’s largest purchasers of goods and services, the Federal Government will keep leading by example, further strengthening protec-
tions to help ensure that American tax dollars never support forced labor.” – Barack Obama With all that we have learned thus far we are planning to launch the next phase of our advocacy campaign in January in honor of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. We have two programs in the works right now. One is an internet safety prevention program. The goal is to teach young teens about the dangers of sexual predators and ways they may be targeted online and through social media. The second will be using the Blue Campaign developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): “The Blue Campaign is the unified voice for DHS’ efforts to combat human trafficking. Working in collaboration with law enforcement, government, non-governmental and private organizations, Blue Campaign strives to protect the basic right of freedom and to bring those who exploit human lives to justice. The Blue Campaign provides information on training and outreach, how traffickers operate, and victim assistance to help keep the public informed. Increased awareness and training will lead to more tips to law enforcement, which will result in more victims being identified.” – www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign More information will be presented at the December GMM. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.
Contact the President: Heather Ford Wallace: heatherfordwallace@gmail.com
The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • December 2013 | 1