Some photos from the streets

Thanks to Kelsey and her friend Andrea Rip, we have some nice photos of the area we work in downtown Athens.

Going global without really trying

This week in Nea Zoi I am reminded again that even though I work in Athens, Greece the work we do is international in nature. Joining us on our outreaches are women from a local Romanian congregation, responding in greater numbers as the percentage of Romanian women we meet increases. Daniela from Romania shared with us on Monday that a church from near her hometown has started reaching out to increasing numbers of Romanian women working there. And they are wondering if Nea Zoi could help them by sharing our training materials.

Then yesterday I spent the day in a conference hosted by the ministry of foreign affairs here together with unicri, a united nations body fighting trafficking specifically from Nigeria. We discussed all the unique challenges of working with women from Nigeria, and possible ways it could improve.

These discussion occur just after our meeting with other International Teams people who want to see growth of our work against trafficking globally. I believe that God cares more than we ever can about those trapped by trafficking and prostitution, and has resources and people all over. Let's see where this all ends up!

Thoughts on pornography & faith

The plague of pornography

-- 11/19/2009

By Cardinal Justin Rigali


A particular scourge of our time is that of pornography. Since it has such devastating effects, we address this topic, once again, this week.

Temptations in every age of history
We can say that there are many “defining experiences” in the history of God’s relationship with the human race. A number of them involve a great temptation at a given moment, which God allows in order to show forth virtue on the part of the one tempted or to bring about a greater good. We think of the temptation of our first parents in the Garden; the envy of Cain that led him to kill his brother, Abel; the doubting of Moses, which led to his not being allowed to enter the Promised Land; the lost opportunity of Saint Peter to proclaim his faith in Jesus and the weakness shown by Pilate in condemning our Lord, although he knew Jesus was innocent. These, obviously, are just a few examples of temptations that have been permitted at different times in salvation history.

I mention this concept because it is important to remember that every age, and every individual, has his or her particular temptation. In fact, in the spiritual life, we speak of what is called the “dominant fault” of a person. This is that particular area of weakness in a person which can result in great holiness if it is overcome with the help of God’s grace and the good intention of the individual. Likewise, different times in history have had their great moments of temptation for a people or a country.

The ancient phrase used among the Romans: “O tempora, o mores,” which means: “Oh, the times. Oh, the customs (of people),” reminds us that societies have lamented the unfortunate aspects of their own times for centuries. However, this never means accepting, as individuals with our dominant faults or as societies, with the particular challenges of our times, what is evil just because “that’s how things are.”

This week, I would like to address a topic which I have written about before but which bears repeating because it is one of the principal evils of our own times: the terrible scourge of pornography.

What makes pornography particularly deadly in our own time?
We know that the unfortunate reality of pornographic images is nothing new. They have been found among the graffiti of ancient civilizations and have been known up to the present. What makes pornography the particular scourge of our own time is its availability. In the past, we can say that there was a natural, built-in control in obtaining this form of images. The necessity of going to a particular, somewhat public, place; purchasing an item; bringing it home; viewing it and then secreting it somewhere, made for a healthy complication that often allowed the person tempted to overcome the temptation. With the advent of the computer, all this has changed. The public act of purchase has been replaced by the privacy of one’s own home; what had to be purchased is often free or can be purchased somewhat anonymously and a physical book or magazine is no longer necessary. The temptation has not changed but its availability has changed drastically.

We may ask the question: Who is harmed by pornography? First, we think of the men and women who are often made use of in order to produce pornographic images. While it is true that they may do so with their consent and even be paid well for what they are doing, are they not being exploited for the gain or illicit pleasure of others? What will the ultimate result be on their own sense of dignity and self-worth? Most unspeakable is the actual use of children for these horrible purposes.

There is also a devastating effect upon those who view pornography on a regular basis and often become addicted to it. It can be devastating to the possibility of true, fulfilling human relationships because a “virtual” experience takes the place of genuine human interaction. It is also destructive to a person’s view of the dignity and worth of the members of the opposite sex. In many ways, it is the ultimate “using” of a person while giving nothing of oneself in return.

In a society where relationships in general are said to be in crisis, pornography is another means of destroying the possibility of healthy, fulfilling, genuine interpersonal relationships. Studies show that pornography also has a very harmful effect upon marriages. Many women feel that their husbands are being unfaithful to them in some way by constantly viewing pornography, even if they are honest about doing so.

Pornography and its effect on children
During his visit to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI said this about the responsibility of adults to protect children from pornography: “Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. They should be spared the degrading mani-festations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today. Children have a right to be educated in authentic moral values that are based on the dignity of the human person. What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?” (Address to the Bishops of the United States, 18 April 2008).

Caring about our children is a challenge with many levels. The values that society puts forth and encourages; the removal of morality from schools and public settings; the desire of those who profit from the multi-billion dollar pornography industry to make money; and the collapse of the traditional family with its security and support system all combine to leave children in a very vulnerable state when it comes to pornography. The statistics of the numbers of children and young people who view pornography and the ease with which they do so is truly shocking.

What to do?
There are many groups and organizations which have banded together to fight pornography and its devastating effects. “Morality in Media” (www.moralityinmedia.org) is one organization which has recently published a thorough study of the pornography industry and its effects. An organization called “The King’s Men” (www.thekingsmen.org) has recently asked me to endorse a national initiative of theirs to raise awareness of this terrible scourge. Their effort is being sponsored by a number of community and religious organizations to enlist the help of all people of good will in combating this spreading in our communities.

Recognizing the damage that has been done to marriages, families and individuals as a result of the widespread dissemination of pornography in recent times, I have recently written to all of our priests enlisting their support of these efforts. A very helpful pamphlet has also been written for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops entitled: “Pornography: What’s the problem?”

Do not become discouraged!
I would like to conclude with a very important message to those who may be addicted to pornography or who find themselves having recourse to it. My message is: Do not become discouraged! Do not think that you are a horrible person or that God will not forgive you.

The ease with which these materials are available have taken a weakness that has always been present and has always needed to be fought and has made it into an almost superhuman battle. However, we have supernatural means at our disposal! This is what prayer and the sacraments are. They bring us help from heaven for our human weaknesses. Say your prayers. Go to Confession. Go to Mass and receive holy Communion. These are all the means that God has given us for our battles.

As Jesus told Saint Paul when Paul asked that a weakness of his be taken away: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9), so Jesus says the same thing to us. Remember that, in this battle the devil uses one of his oldest tricks. When we are being tempted, he tries to convince us that “it’s not so bad.” Once we have fallen, he tempts us into thinking that it’s so bad that God will not ever forgive us. Neither is true. Pornography is very bad, but forgiveness is always available.

The ease with which pornography is available is the great temptation of our time but we have not been left defenseless because God’s grace is sufficient for us as well.

Good job antitrafficking police

ATHENS, Greece, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Police in Athens say they have broken up a sex-trafficking ring that lured more than 40 Nigerian women to Greece with promises of legitimate jobs.

Instead of jobs, the women were held for ransom or forced to work as prostitutes, Kathimerini reported Friday.

Police broke up the ring with the rescue of five young Nigerian women who were being held captive until each of their families paid a ransom of $119,000.

They arrested a 20-year-old Nigerian woman believed to be part of the ring and are seeking her husband, a Nigerian with Greek citizenship in the scheme.

Police say members of the ring blackmailed some of their victims to work as prostitutes by threatening to place voodoo curses on their relatives.

A surprising night...

It was my first night back on outreach after being away for the IT Antitrafficking Prayer Summit. I was a little out of it. But now I'm thinking that maybe I should go away more often because we had so many great encounters - here are a few...

We met Ana from Romania - tall, dark-haired and a little out of it. Like so many that we see from Romania, she too is from a small town near the Black Sea coast. It reminded me of our discussions last week on equipping International Teams workers in Romania to do prevention work - how great it would have been had Ana met people who affirmed her value, helped her in practical ways, so that prostitution in Athens wasn't her best option!!!

Further along the route we met a big group of Nigerian women, who often are quite rude, at least indifferent to our teams. This time however, one of our new Greek volunteers really connected with two young women who confided in her that they really want to get off the streets. We are praying for them, and waiting for them to have the courage to make this huge change.

Also, please pray for protection for *Cindy* a young woman who was trafficked and now finds herself in danger as her case progresses.

If you would like to join Nea Zoi in assisting with legal fees for Cindy or the other two women, please contact us for details.

October encounters

These past weeks have been very exciting in Nea Zoi as we have quite a few new volunteers, both from the Greek Bible Institute and others from the local community. It means we have been able to be out and meet many new women like Jennie, from Nigeria. She is young, sweet and totally surprised to meet someone offering her tea and help in the middle of the night. It was great to see our new Greek volunteers chatting with them and teaching them Greek phrases.

We met Vera from Bulgaria on Monday night. She was young, thin, pale and trembling after a bad customer. While we introduced ourselves (through our card, gestures and a few words), the madame and customer were arguing in the front room. Because Vera seemed so scared, I had her showed our phone number and she copied it into her phone. Meanwhile, the argument escalated into a fight, that ended up with with the madame being injured. We told Vera she could call any time, and that we'd see her in a week.

I don't know what will happen with Jennie and Vera, but I was reminded of the constant violence that these women live in. We cannot take for granted the peace and security we enjoy.

Interesting article about trafficking in the US

http://www.independentcollegian.com/news/professor-inducted-into-hall-of-fame-1.1993495

Professor inducted into hall of fame

By Joe Griffith


Published: Monday, October 12, 2009
Updated: Monday, October 12, 2009


The city of Toledo is currently fourth in the nation for the volume of
investigations and rescue of children from underground human trafficking
networks; however, Celia Williamson, a professor in the department of
social work at UT, said Toledo is “just at the tip of the iceberg.”

After 15 years of working to solve issues surrounding human trafficking,
Williamson was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame on Aug. 26.
Williamson said the induction ceremony was just another chance to bring up
the issue and urge people to take responsibility in their own communities
to solve the problem.

“Toledo, I think, is further along than the other cities, but Toledo is
nowhere [near] where it needs to be in terms of responding to trafficking,
so I’m excited to get the awards because I get another avenue to talk
about what needs to be done and the more I talk about it, the more people
do, and the better I could sleep, and that would be the award,” Williamson
said.

Williamson said she first got involved in the issue of human trafficking
in 1993 while working as a social worker in the North End of Toledo.
“I would drive into work every day and I would see these women out on the
streets and I really didn’t like them myself. I thought it was terrible
because I was trying to work with kids and families and here are these
women,” she said.

Williamson eventually decided to engage prostitutes in Toledo,
interviewing them and conducting research into their situations over a six
month period. Many of the prostitutes Williamson spoke with explained that
they were recruited and manipulated into prostitution when they were
children, and had lived horrible lives filled with violence and drug
abuse.

“Once I heard those stories, it changed my life,” she said. “I could no
longer ignore the issue, I couldn’t sleep at night, I couldn’t go in and
pretend I was doing good work.”

That same year Williamson and other community members started Second
Chance, a program that works with women involved in prostitution and
children that have been trafficked into the sex trade. Today, Second
Chance works with the local FBI task force and consults with programs
throughout Ohio and across the nation that are beginning to respond to
human trafficking, Williamson said.

“In the beginning, I did struggle by myself for a long time trying to get
people to listen that this was going on,” she said.

According to Williamson, it took about 10 years before people really
started listening about the issue of human trafficking.

“I don’t think its people’s fault. I think it’s my fault in that it took
me a decade to learn how to approach people,” she said. “I was naively
thinking that people were going to reach out to these people because they
were dying and drug addicted and taken against their will most times, and
that’s not the case.”

Williamson said she finally realized how to utilize the media to spread
the message about human trafficking and change the public’s perspective on
prostitution, which is that prostitutes make a personal choice to sell
their bodies.

“What you need to do is change the perspective to say that these women who
are out on the streets are not there by choice, they’re prostituted by
other people or by drug addiction or by poverty and those are things
people can understand,” she said. “I didn’t understand that the first
thing I needed to do was re-educate people and once that happened then
there was more support than we were ready to handle.”

The adult prostitutes that are out on the streets are actually the
children who slipped through unnoticed into the underground human
trafficking network, Williamson said. While the actual number of human
trafficking victims is unknown, Williamson said researchers estimate there
are 100,000 to 300,000 teenage runaways each year, and in Toledo, runaways
are approached by traffickers within two weeks.

“In Toledo it has been difficult for people to wrap their head around
because this is a recruitment city, it’s not a destination city, so we
will have kids recruited here and then shipped off,” she said.
According to Williamson, 85 percent of Toledo children who are recruited
into the sex trade are shipped off to large cities like Chicago or Las
Vegas where the demand is higher.

“When you turn on the news or you see these HBO specials or whatever, and
you see these young girls walking in high heels in Chicago or Las Vegas,
some of those are our kids,” she said. “We don’t get them back until
they’re adults and they’re crack addicted and now they’re on the street
and now we say we don’t want to work with them because they chose to go
out there.”

Williamson said many people in society don’t fully understand the issue of
human trafficking as a domestic problem, and instead, they see it as an
issue abroad. According to Williamson, 14,000 to 17,000 victims are
shipped from other countries and forced into labor trafficking or sex
trafficking within the U.S.

“In Toledo they might be in buffets, they might be in massage parlors,
they might be in migrant camps, those types of things, but most people
think that’s the majority of the victims of trafficking, if they even have
a concept that victims are here, but overwhelmingly, the majoring are
domestic victims, victims born here, raised here, and trafficked here,”
she said.

Human trafficking is the second largest illegal enterprise in the world,
preceded by drugs and followed by weapons, Williamson said.
While drugs and weapons are sold and then used, Williamson said many
researchers predict that human trafficking will soon become the largest
illegal enterprise in the world because bodies can be sold countless times
for sex or labor. Large-scale organized crime, “mom and pop” businesses
and legitimate businesses are all involved in the human trafficking
“chain,” Williamson said.

“There is a whole chain that is economically benefiting off the backs of
kids, so it’s not just the trafficker and the victim,” Williamson said.
According to Williamson, a 2005 human trafficking FBI sting in
Pennsylvania rescued a large group of children from traffickers, and 20 of
the children were from Toledo. About one year later the news reported that
a Pennsylvania state trooper was helping the trafficking network, she
said.

“It can’t succeed underground alone. Some legitimate people are involved
to help it through,” Williamson said. “It’s the same economic principles,
it’s the same supply and demand and distribution; the supply are the
victims, the demand are the customers, the distribution people are the
traffickers, so the economic principles are the same and legitimate
business has to be involved for it to stay successful and continue.”
Examples of legitimate businesses involved in the “chain” are hotels and
motels around the world and truck drivers, because so many child victims
are forced to work truck stops along the interstate.

According to Williamson, the most rewarding part of her work is getting
people involved. Williamson first came to UT to teach in 2000 and many of
her students became involved in the cause.

“I love to get students involved because they are very passionate about
it, and I’ve had a couple of students that actually devoted their careers
to human trafficking so I think that’s the icing on the cake,” she said.
“If we keep producing students who keep going to different states then
pretty soon we’ll have a nationwide effort that is going to be making a
difference, so I think that’s the best.”

Williamson said society functions under the concept that it is socially
acceptable to “throw away” women and children.

“To me there are no throw-away kids, there are no throw-away women, so
they have to be ours. We have the responsibility as a community, as a
society,” she said.

According to Williamson, society has a responsibility to uphold the
principles that “we are our neighbor’s keeper, and children are our most
precious resource.”

“If we truly believe all those things that we say we do, then we naturally
think that these are our kids and these are our women,” she said. “If we
really believe that there is not one throw-away child then we have to do
everything we can to get that child back and restore that child to some
type of emotional health.”

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