For Immediate Release
April 3, 2006
Contact: Karrie Delaney
Director of Communications
Tel: 703.351.8062
Karrie@sharedhope.org
Lead Organizations and Agencies from Around the U.S. Gather in Washington, DC to Assess and Address Measures to Combat the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in America
Conference hosted by Shared Hope International, ECPAT-USA and
The Protection Project of the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies
Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2006) - In an historic gathering, government leaders and civil society officials including representatives from United States government agencies, service providers, academics, policy analysts, criminal justice agents and victim advocates will join to assess government and private initiatives that protect children from commercial sexual exploitation. They will also discuss further measures to stop demand for commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) including pornography, prostitution, sex tourism and sex-trafficking.
The U.S. has taken many steps towards combating the commercial sexual exploitation of children within its borders, including the recent passing of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). However, statistics and stories from survivors reflect a need for continued attention. The TVPRA cites that everyday between 1.3 million and 2.8 million runaway and homeless youth live on the street and that 100,000 to 300,000 children here in the U.S. are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation.
Shared Hope International, ECPAT-USA, and The Protection Project of the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) have co-organized the Mid-Term Review on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in America to be held April 3-4th, 2006 in Washington, DC. The Mid-Term Review will evaluate and assess action taken toward combating CSEC in the U.S. by government and civil society. The resulting report will be submitted to the Third World Congress on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children to be held in 2007. For more information please visit the Mid-Term Review website at www.csecmtrusa.com.
Prestigious leaders in the field of CSEC and sex-trafficking including Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn of Chulalongkorn University and General Rapporteur for the Second World Congress Against CSEC as well as recipient of the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education, and Ambassador John Miller, U.S. Department of State, Senior Advisor for Trafficking in Persons, will open the event. Practitioners and experts will lead discussion through panel sessions.
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About Shared Hope International:
A global activist in a worldwide effort to prevent and eradicate the marketplaces of sexual exploitation through a three pronged approach of prevention, intervention and restoration. Founded in 1998 by former Congresswoman Linda Smith, Shared Hope International operates seven homes of hope, providing long term shelter and restorative care to those who are survivors of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. In addition, SHI has partnered with nongovernmental organizations worldwide in 14 countries in order to strengthen laws that prosecute the perpetrator and provide services to victims of sex trafficking.
About ECPAT - USA:
A network of organizations and individuals working together for the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. It seeks to encourage the world community to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
About The Protection Project at the Johns Hopkins SAIS:
A human rights research institute based at the Foreign Policy Institute at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. Founded in 1994 to address the issue of trafficking in persons as a human rights violation, The Protection Project focuses on the promotion of human rights values throughout the world. Of particular importance to The Protection Project is the protection of human security, especially women's and children's rights; fostering of civil society and nongovernmental organizations development through capacity building and coalition building; enhancement of the rule of law by encouraging citizen participation in the political process; advancement of human rights education; and elimination of trafficking in persons.
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