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For Immediate Release
January 9, 2006
Contact: Karrie Delaney
Director of Communications
Tel: 703.351.8062
Karrie@sharedhope.org
Linda Smith, Founder and Executive Director of Shared Hope International, Joins President Bush in Signing Trafficking Reauthorization Act
Strengthening and Expanding Laws Against Human Trafficking at Home and Abroad
WASHINGTON/ January 9/ -- Former Congresswoman Linda Smith, founder of Shared Hope International, will join PRESIDENT BUSH as he signs into law The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, (HR972), Tuesday, January 10, 2006. This breakthrough piece of legislation both strengthen and expand laws against human trafficking at home and abroad.
Shared Hope Founder Linda Smith says “The swift and overwhelming support in Congress for this strong bill, authored by Congressman Chris Smith, sends a clear message to human traffickers that the United States is continuing its global effort to crack down on this violation of human dignity wherever it may occur. This is an important bill because it not only enhances our international efforts, but it also focuses on the trafficking problem in the United States. Domestically, it provides law enforcement agencies and service providers with the necessary tools to close the gap between the high number of estimated victims and the actual arrests of traffickers, pimps, pedophiles and sex offenders.”
For over seven years Shared Hope International (SHI) has fought diligently to increase laws to eradicate sex trafficking in the United States and around the world. In support of the President's initiative to combat human trafficking, SHI co-hosted the World Summit in 2003, gathering representatives from over 114 nations to focus on comprehensive practices to eradicate sex trafficking. Next Steps conferences followed in six global regions convening government officials and civil society together to educate local law enforcement and prosecutors, while increasing public awareness and services for survivors.
“I am particularly pleased to see strong language in this bill aimed at helping trafficking victims in the United States,” says former Congresswoman Smith. “I believe that most of the unidentified victims in the United States are young U.S. born teenage girls who are being prostituted by pimps in cities throughout the country. This bill increases the focus on the demand for young bodies in U.S. sex tourism markets like Las Vegas.” SHI is currently supporting the domestic focus of this bill through the co-coordination of a Mid-Term Review (MTR) process. The MTR process will call for U.S. Government agencies and selected organizations from civil society to report on the efforts made to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Following the submission of reports participants will convene in Washington D.C. for a two-day conference. This unprecedented collaboration will result in a report on current progress and existing gaps and weaknesses in the domestic response, inclusive of vast perspectives for action and solid courses for implementation.
The bill also addresses a key aspect of the trafficking problem - the demand for victims. Demand for commercial sex creates marketplaces of victimization. “I have recently worked in several cities including Amsterdam, Tokyo and Las Vegas to research child sex tourism. Despite slight differences in procedure, when you begin to look beneath the surface, you see a shocking pattern of regulated exploitation and deprivation of human dignity. When the marketplace for demand is institutionalized, sex traffickers flourish” SHI will continue to expose this exploitation through the expansion of its Predator Project, which has captured hundreds of hours of interviews of predators and their victims in 14 different countries.
“President Bush has championed this issue from the beginning, drawing a hard line against those who would exploit our most vulnerable. I am encouraged to see the strengthening of this bill, which aims to attack the problem at its roots. Additionally, I commend Representatives Chris Smith and Deborah Pryce along with key Senate author Senator John Cornyn for their leadership in passing this legislation and their commitment to protecting women and children around the world.” Linda Smith says.
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About Shared Hope International:
Shared Hope International was founded in 1998 by former Congresswoman Linda Smith. In partnership with local organizations SHI runs seven Homes of Hope and works closely with various government and non-government agencies, both domestically and around the world, to bring greater awareness about marketplaces of victimization. As a worldwide leader in the effort, SHI has been instrumental in accomplishing the following in multiple countries:
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Advancing legislative measures |
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Increasing outreach to both faith-based and non-faith-based NGOs and growing their capacity to provide holistic restoration services to survivors |
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Providing technical training and assistance to law enforcement |
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Building public awareness on the nature of trafficking in each perspective country/region |
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