Nomi Network

Closing the Economic Gender Gap

2011-12-29T15:21:00.001-08:00

As the founder of an anti-sex trafficking organization, in country after country that I have visited, I have observed a strong correlation between high levels of sex trafficking and unequal economic opportunities for women. This tells me that closing the income gap between men and women will go a long way to help reduce sex trafficking. In the November 26 issue of The Economist, in an article titled, “Closing the Gap,” author Barbara Beck shows the worldwide economic disparities between the genders. Beck cites Kevin Daly of Goldman Sachs who estimates that closing the gap between male and female employment rates would have major implications for the global economy – mainly boosting the United States GDP by as much as 9%, Eurozone’s GDP by 13%, and the Japanese GDP by 16%.

This is no surprise given the fact that women are spenders. The global cosmetic market alone was forecasted by Europemonitor International to exceed $300 billion in 2010. Clearly, the elimination of the economic gender gap would benefit everyone. Women spend money on the 3 P’s - products, people, and other priorities. Studies show that women are more likely to invest their paycheck on improving health, education, and infrastructure. Based on these variables, shouldn’t putting more dollars in the pockets of women not only increase the GDP but also improve the social economic state of the economy? This would be an ideal scenario, but narrowing the gap in economic disparity between men and women still seems beyond reach.

According the World Economic Forum, in countries like Turkey, South Africa, Malta, Thailand, and even the United States, opportunities are scarce for women. The United States ranks high in the proportion of women who participate in the economy but lags in the proportion of women at higher levels. This is commonly known as the “glass ceiling.” In contrast, economic opportunities are plentiful for women in Nordic countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Notably, sex-trafficking in the Nordic countries is among the lowest in the world. In the Nordic countries, policies, both economical and political, work hand in hand to prevent women and children from being commoditized. This is not the case for Thailand, South Africa, or even the United States—countries where sex-trafficking thrives.

This past year, for the first time ever, the United States Department of State included the U.S. in its annual Trafficking in Person’s Report. This is a good reminder that we in the U.S are not immune to the issue of sex trafficking. In fact, virtually every global study of human trafficking cites the United States as a prime destination for trafficked sex slaves. The U.S. will soon have to face the fact that sex-trafficking is not something that just happens overseas. According to Harvard researcher Siddharth Kara, sex-trafficking was a $38 billion industry in 2010, globally.

Although research about the correlation between economic opportunities for women and sex-trafficking is scant, it is easy to conclude that giving women more economic opportunities as well as spending power will increase consumption in legitimate sectors and spur economic growth. Economic parity for women seems to be a win-win for everyone; however, with limited investment into their education and training globally, we have a long way to go. According to the United Nations, two thirds of women are illiterate among the 774 million illiterate adults in the world. Perhaps recognizing the fact that gender income disparity perpetuates sex-trafficking is a start to addressing this issue through a more targeted approach.

- Diana Mao

NYC Restaurant Supports Nomi Network

2011-12-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

On December 6 Nomi Network’s executive team in partnership with the NYC based German restaurant, Wechsler’s Currywurst and Bratwurst (120 1st Avenue, New York NY), hosted a gathering to introduce customers and new friends and acquaintances to the organization’s mission of leveraging the marketplace to eradicate human trafficking. The restaurant displayed products along their counter tops as well as brochures and a container for a business card raffle. There was a diverse mix of individuals in attendance, including employees of financial, marketing and legal firms, journalists, and health industry professionals. The cozy space created a festive atmosphere and attendees stayed late into the evening sampling the restaurants’ specialty beers and authentic German street food.

Nomi Network team members chatted with guests as adept hostesses, Misty Shores and Sho-Joung Kim-Wechsler helped serve guests and skillfully usher people to seats while simultaneously sharing about the global issue of human trafficking and Nomi Network’s mission. Restaurant owner, Andre Wechsler, a native of Germany, left his job in finance in 2008 to open Wechsler’s Currywurst and Bratwurst. His ancestry included a lineage of Bavarian butchers and he was inspired to follow in their footsteps, making authentic German food and culture available to New Yorkers. His restaurant has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Village Voice, NYMagazine, Timeout, and many others. Andre first heard about Nomi Network’s mission to fight human trafficking through his wife, Sho-Joung Kim-Wechsler.

Despite the rainy weather on the evening of the event, the gathering was warm and vibrant, and the connections vital to the growth of the organization. New York City is the epicenter of ideas that create wealth and social change. The Wechsler’s created an environment where this exchange took place effortlessly.

- Alissa Moore & Diana Mao

Nomi Network's Fashion Corner: Ethical Fashion Defined

2011-12-29T15:13:00.000-08:00

As holiday shopping draws to a close, many have spent countless hours entering stores and boutiques to purchase gifts for family and friends. As consumers, we can choose to purchase products that promote ‘ethical fashion’. Through our shopping decisions and habits we can begin to make better choices to help promote sustainability and ethics in one of the largest industries in the world.

‘Ethical’ fashion is becoming a new focus in various sectors of the fashion industry. Ethical fashion serves as an umbrella term in fashion including a number of issues. Ethical fashion includes: organic, fair-trade, vintage/second-hand, recycling, re-design or ‘up-cycling’, and technology. Ethical fashion is more than just a trend, it is a value shift stemming from informed consumers and value-driven fashion designers and companies.

Choosing to buy ‘ethical’ fashion is not about making a right or wrong decision in one’s purchases but rather committing to making an informed decision that coincides with one’s own ethical priorities. Fair trade practices provide fair wages and conditions for workers, farmers, and employees. Fair trade leads to sustainable growth and positive development in local communities around the world.

Purchasing vintage/second-hand apparel or recycled or up-cycled garments reduces the environmental impact of production and simultaneously reduces waste. According to some statistics, 90 million items of clothing end up in landfills each year. We can reduce this number by reducing our purchases of ‘disposable’ fashion and focus on thinking before we buy.

As informed consumers, we can think about where and how the product came into being, by whom and under what conditions the product was made, and how long we will personally use the product. Answering these questions will help us to understand the consequences of a single consumer’s choice.

Also, as informed consumers we have the power to vote. We vote with each ‘ethical’ fashion purchase, we vote to infuse a greater social and environmental responsibility into the fashion industry with each fair trade, eco-friendly purchase.

Below are some resources to learn more about ‘ethical’ fashion:

http://ecofriendlyfashion.blogspot.com/p/fashion-industry-facts.html

http://fairtradeusa.org/

http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/

http://globalactionthroughfashion.org/for-consumers/what-is-ethical-fashion/

- Sachiko Pettit

Church Partners Give the Gift of Freedom

2011-12-29T15:08:00.000-08:00

Over the Advent season, two churches invited Nomi Network to share their global mission of eradicating human trafficking.

Co-founder and Vice President Alissa Moore spoke at both Forefront Church and Everyday Church, joined by key volunteers Kala and Matt Mueller, Kelli McDaniel and Holly Ernst who helped sell Nomi Network bags to those in attendance.

The churches gave financially to the non-profit’s work by matching half the cost of each bag or item sold during the services. The generosity shown by both communities was truly inspiring and many of the items in their inventory sold out day-of. For the team, it was incredible to see hearts and minds impassioned by Nomi Network’s vision to empower victims of sexual slavery. Many attendees visited Nomi Network’s Holiday Booth at Union Square, and are still offering to volunteer their time and talent to contribute in specific areas.

In both churches, the warm reception of the attendees and the poignant message about the meaning of justice underlined the importance of giving back to the community and to those in need. It was clear that accepting people as they are is a gift that flows naturally from Forefront and Everyday Church members.

Nomi Network wants to thank Forefront and Everyday Church once again for their generosity and enthusiasm for our work. We are honored by these partnerships and are excited to see the growth that is bound to happen as these church bodies become a force of love and hope in both local and global communities.

- Don Torrance & Lisa Kim

Sustainable Carpentry for the Holidays

2011-12-29T15:03:00.001-08:00

Throughout the month of December Nomi Network’s booth at the Union Square Holiday Market was up and running and all a bustle with visitors. The colorful booth was outfitted with Nomi Network products made by survivors and women at risk of human trafficking, including hand bags, totes, and wallets, perfect for the gift giving season. Open everyday until Christmas Eve, the booth was persistently staffed by executive team members and volunteers alike who all testified that being a part of the market was a gift in and of itself. Everywhere you looked there were craftsmen and women displaying their work proudly for shoppers to see, purchase, and enjoy. They were not only selling their wares, but sharing their skills and creativity with the world. Since being a sales person is an art form unto itself, everyone working at the different booths had to be both nice as well as dedicated to their products. Nomi Network’s volunteers were just that. Whether it was rainy or sunny, mild or frigid, the Nomi Network team shared their story with visitors daily while raising awareness about human and sex trafficking.

When Nomi Network fist secured a booth at the Holiday Market, there was much work to be done before the market opened. A structure on which to display the products needed to be built and would hopefully reinforce the organization’s mission. Enter our highly capable carpenter: Brad Acopulos. When he first heard about the job, Brad was hesitant, but after speaking with Nomi Network’s lead product developer and the visionary for the holiday booth, Supei Liu, he was instantly onboard with the project. “Supei was so very nice and there was [such] a good human connection with her, that I felt comfortable taking on the job,” Brad said.

Due to Brad’s execution the shelving and display units in the booth made excellent use of the small space. Using bamboo he constructed two thin units that fit along either side of the narrow space, with shelves for storage underneath and bars creating a criss-cross framework above. The framework created rectangles on which hooks could be hung so that products could be displayed, as well as openings in which photos of the women Nomi Network works with could be seen. The main shelves on the units where made with trough-like counter tops that were filled with rice in order to help shoppers make the connection that the material being used to construct the products was recycled rice bag material. The reason Brad began working as a carpenter and constructing custom made furniture was more or less inspired from observing people. “I give the analogy that people are like furniture, once made really well, but over the years abused, neglected, worn out, and just not functional anymore, and thus [it] gets tossed out in the street. With furniture that was once well made, I say you can repurpose it, restore it, and combine the pieces in creative and functional ways as such, to produce a perfectly desirable and functional piece of furniture.”

Thanks to skilled individuals like Brad, Nomi Network was able to present their products to a growing New York audience this holiday season and count their experience as a Holiday Market vendor a true success!

- Caroline Hughes

Stories of Hope Fundraiser a Success

2011-10-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

On October 12^th 2011 Nomi Network hosted our 2^nd annual Cocktail and Awards Ceremony in New York City. With 170 people in attendance, we gathered to honor Dawn Conway of LexisNexis with Nomi Network’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award, as well as to announce Nomi Network’s expansion of programs into India.

In an effort to share about the event with our supporters who are not based in New York, we asked one of our wonderful volunteers, Caroline Hughes, to reflect on her experience at the cocktail and to share about the evening from her perspective. Below is her lovely recap. Special thanks goes to our Host Committee, our sponsors, our board of directors, our volunteers and our in-kind donors for making the evening possible! We hope you’ll join our mailing list and keep an eye out for future events and opportunities to engage!

It’s a Wednesday night just at dusk. I walked into the Scandinavian House located on Park Avenue only to be greeted by some of the loveliest and biggest smiling Nomi volunteers ever. As a volunteer for Nomi myself, I truly felt that sense of family that is entwined throughout the group of workers that make what the organization does possible.

After greeting people at the door for the first hour, I made my way upstairs to see my friends I invited and to check out the venue. It was flawless! Everything from the music of Bethany and a Guitar band to the red and yellow flowers on the table to the wonderful dresses the women were wearing – it was just simply picturesque!

After a little bit of munching on mouth-watering goat cheese and red pepper skewers, scrumptious Scandinavian meatballs, and delicious desserts paired with ginger flavored mixed drinks, Diana Mao, co-founder of Nomi Network, made her way to the front to begin the evening. She gracefully opened by explaining the true meaning of the night’s gathering - which is actually a sobering epidemic - sex trafficking. Nomi is a real girl who has been rescued from trafficking which is something the many young girls like her are still trapped in today. In fact, the UNICEF reports that of the sex workers from the Mekong part of Southeast Asia 30-35% are young girls ages 12-17 years old.“Nomi Network works to empower and protect surviving and at–risk women of sex trafficking specifically in Cambodia by leveraging the fashion industry to create sustainable job and educational opportunities that otherwise don't exist” (Nomi Network website).

JoJo Smith a representative from Goldman Sachs then introducedMinna Elias, member of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney cabinet. Congresswoman Maloney leads a strong fight in the political realm against sex trafficking and is the co-chair of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus.

Elias presented Nomi Network’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award to Dawn Conway of LexisNexis. Dawn manages the LexisNexis Cares program that encourages corporate volunteerism. The company has been a powerful leader in making more awareness about this crime through databases for social service workers and online training corpses. Also, Conway and LexisNexis have done a large amount of work in driving laws and educating people about the issue. After her presentation, there was a beautiful slideshow of pictures from the country of Cambodia while the band played.

The night ended with the winners of the silent auction and raffles announced along with the cutting of the tasty cake shaped like a Nomi Network bag. As I surveyed the crowd while people were departing, all I saw were smiles.

Leaving the event though, I still wanted to give more to the organization and ones similar to it. Buying products made by Buy Her Bag, Not Her Body and other lines that support women economically is one simple and fashionable way. Being involved in the political fight by letting your local congress people know about your cares and concerns, is another way to help. Also, demanding that policies be in place with corporations to not allow trafficking of any kind to be allowed during production. Volunteering and giving of your time and money (go to www.nominetwork.org) are some of the simplest but most impactful way to help. One way to practically share the love is to host a home party! If you’re interested, contacted supei@nominetwork.org.

Honestly, why spend your money on something as meaningless as a label. Stretch your purchase and make a statement that says you will not stand for injustice.

- Caroline Hughes

Spotlight on: Congresswoman Maloney’s Office

2011-10-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

In a press release dated October 5, 2011 Congresswoman Caroline Maloney’s office announced that an amendment introduced by Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT), based on legislation authored by Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), was approved by a voice vote as part of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), H.R. 2830. The press release explained that, “the Maloney language would encourage companies with over $100 million in gross global receipts to post on their websites what policies they have in place to ensure their supply chains are free of slavery and human trafficking. It will increase transparency, allow consumers to make informed decisions, and motivate businesses to ensure humane practices throughout the supply chain.” We had the wonderful opportunity to interview Congresswoman Maloney’s Chief of Staff, Minna Elias, to dig a bit deeper into what we can continue to do to support more positive change.

First, congratulations on the revision of the “Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.” How can everyday citizens further support this Act?

Congresswoman Maloney’s measure is one of many amendments to the law; her amendment will make it easier to know whether large corporations are benefitting from forced labor – and to know which ones have adopted policies specifically rejecting such goods. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act will make sure that the United States continues to protect trafficking victims and to take steps to combat trafficking both here and abroad. If you want to support the bill, call or write to your Representative and your Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the bill.

Congresswoman Maloney is one of the few politicians who has taken action to combat trafficking. Why do you think others have not joined the fight against trafficking?

Trafficking is actually an issue that has significant support on both sides of the aisle. The Congresswoman has taken a very strong interest in this issue since 1999 when she learned about Big Apple Oriental Tours, a company engaged in sex tourism. They would bring men abroad to meet prostitutes, advertising that they could meet as many women as they wanted. At the time there was no law directly banning the practice. The original Trafficking Victims Protection Act explicitly banned sex tourism and made it much easier to ban the practice. As the Congresswoman became more knowledgeable about trafficking in persons, she became increasingly interested in finding innovative ways to address the issue. Her End Demand for Sex Trafficking Act, which she sponsored along with Representative Deborah Pryce (R-OH) was included in a previous Trafficking Victims Protection Act reauthorization bill. The Congresswoman has found that the more members of Congress are educated about the problem of labor and sex trafficking, the stronger their resolve to take steps to combat it. It is always helpful for members to hear that their constituents are concerned about an issue and want them to get involved.

Nomi Network's model is sustainable because it leverages the purchasing power of consumers. It also provides education for women to overcome their current situation. Do you think the power of a strong business model can be a driving force in combatting trafficking?

One of Nomi Network’s strengths is its determination to provide women with a means of escape and to provide vulnerable families with a way to earn a living without selling their children into slavery. I applaud Nomi Network for giving trafficking victims a way to rebuild their lives and earn a decent living.

- Caroline Hughes

Learning From Lee Nesbit, Home Party Extraordinair

2011-10-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

Lee Nisbet was browsing through Boho magazine when she stumbled upon an article about Nomi Network’s mission to aid survivors and women at-risk of trafficking and how she could get involved: throw a home party. Since Nomi Network helps to provide employment for this population through product design and development, product sales are key to supplying these women with work. Home Parities give our supporters an opportunity to introduce our mission and sell our products to their friends in an intimate environment, and Lee immediately saw the importance of this endeavor. For her 40^th Birthday, Lee said she wanted “to do something that was not focused on (her) but focused on something else that could help the world.” Lee’s desire to help the women and be involved in the fashion industry sparked the planning and execution of one of Nomi Network’s most successful home parties, generating more than $1,000 in product sales, and more importantly, bringing awareness to the issue of human trafficking to her network in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Lee definitely knows how to throw a party. Instead of planning the event at her home, Lee held her Nomi Network party at a retail storefront in downtown Raleigh, Epona and Oak, owned by three sisters who are all friends with Lee. The party was held after store-hours so that it would not interfere with the normal business day and was not just open for anyone coming through, although 400 people were invited via Facebook and the store’s website blog. Lee also sent out personal emails to her book club and her close friends in hopes that they would come. 40 people RSVPed to the Facebook page, and 45 people came to Lee’s party.

“Facebook has revolutionized how we are getting the word out about things. I know much more about events in the community than ever before. … I have a good group of friends and between my friends and the women who own the store, other people were invited that I didn’t know. It was a better to invite people to a store than hosting in my home, where maybe at most 20 people would come. I was thinking about what ways to do it where there were as many people as possible to be invited. A public venue also encouraged people. No one who didn’t know me would come in to my home, but others who didn’t know me now would feel welcome to come to a party I was hosting at a storefront,” says Lee.

Lee wanted to make this party special and centered the theme around Cambodian culture. Lee laid out an array of Cambodian treats for her guests: summer rolls, peanut butter cookies sprinkled with cinnamon, a sweet rice treat that she homemade and lemon grass tea. She also asked her friend to help DJ her party. Lee found late 1960s and early 1970s CDs of Cambodian rock to play in the background. Lee explains, “the music was from such a huge time period because it was right before the Khmer Rouge stifled the artistic progress that was being made.” She hoped to expose her guests to something new, and in the process celebrate the reviving culture and talent that was showcased in Nomi Network’s products made by survivors and women at-risk.

Lee’s party started at 7 in the evening and ended at 9:30 pm. To encourage her guests to stay through the event, Lee held a drawing at 9:15 pm for an item that she purchased. She wanted the vibe to feel casual and did not schedule anything else but the raffle to close the night. A donation jar was also placed where people came in for cash donations, and the storeowners helped take credit card donations at the register. The Nomi Network video played throughout the evening on a laptop that was placed on a stand by the Buy Her Bag Not Her Body® product table.

Lee says she ultimately wanted “people to do their own exploration… There were a lot of people who wanted to just talk about the issue of human trafficking. It stirred a lot of conversations.”

“I think the fact that we were all coming together and having a fun time and it was for a good cause made it more fun. It was a fun party - meeting new people, good food, good drinks. They have amazing scents in the store and it was a wonderfully aromatic experience and a good space for a party. People knew you could have fun and help someone else and help the world in a small way. We’re not making huge changes, but anything we can do can help these women,” says Lee.

Lee’s party helped generate over $1,000 that will be directly invested back into training and education for the women at Nomi Network’s partner facilities. Lee selected a limited amount of Buy Her Bag Not Her Body® products to be displayed in the store for sale, but also blew up pictures of other products in a binder so her guests could place orders at the event. Three of Nomi Network’s patch wristlets were sold that evening because her guests saw the pictures in the binder.

“What’s great about Nomi asking people to throw a home party is that it allows people to get involved and be a part of the process. Knowing that you are a part of the process of the women’s rehabilitation is really inspiring. Asking people to do home parties is exciting because it’s not just sending a check. Helping to market the products created by the women, helps the women. I think the fact that when you are purchasing a Nomi Network product you are supporting the women 100%- supporting their jobs and wages and the ability to expand the program is inspiring,” says Lee.

Lee hopes to throw another Nomi Network home party in the future. For those who are considering throwing a party, Lee’s advice is: “Collaborate with a group. Have a group put something together. The more people that feel they’re involved, it helps generate buzz about the event. But get the most people involved without over-extending. I was the organizer and there were people who were willing to help out in any way, like my DJ friend who was willing to bring his equipment that night. It was a good group effort. Or, do it for a birthday. It encourages people to be there. They want to celebrate you. Doing it for a birthday is a great thing when you don’t want gifts but you want people to purchase something in honor of your birthday. It’s also a great way to give gifts for the holidays.”

If you would like to host a Nomi Network home party and help your friends and family purchase holiday gifts, contact Supei Liu at supei@nominetwork.org. You and your guests will receive 20% off all Nomi products! Plus, the host earns Nomi credit for every product sold, which can then be used towards purchasing Nomi Network merchandise. Nomi Network will send your choice of Nomi products along with our Home Party kit, which includes our informational DVD, a set of instructions and a product price sheet. To view Nomi Network’s products, visit www.buyerherbadnotherbody.com.

- Lisa Kim

Nomi Network at Union Square's Holiday Market

2011-10-31T19:32:00.001-07:00

Snow whips through the air in one of the earliest snowstorms recorded in New York City. Slush and grime are quickly become staples on our daily commutes. Yet, approaching brightly on the horizon is Union Square’s Holiday Market. From November 18 - December 24, the market hosts several businesses every year to promote art, hand-made jewelry, toys, beautiful ornaments and the spirit of giving and hope. Shoppers can explore the market and pick out their favorite items to purchase and take home to their friends and families.

This year, Nomi Network is proud to present products that are sure to win shopper’s hearts with a booth at the market! Nomi’s vision fits directly into Union Square Market’s sense of community. Supei Liu, Co-Founder and VP of Commerce relates:

"Every day we make purchases that impact others. You may never see most of those faces but you might have heard some of their stories. Nomi Network is at Union Square as a voice for the women we serve. These women have overcome abuse and despair, but choose to turn their tears into hope. Nomi Network provides training and job opportunities to help these women turn their dark past into a brighter future. By purchasing our products, you are not just supporting a cause, but you are giving these women an opportunity to start a dignified life, bringing hope to their children and creating change in their community."

Naturally, Nomi inspires a way to communicate the holiday desire to give to others. All of their wonderful pieces would make great gifts. Bright wallets, beautiful bags, colorful laptop covers are obvious choices for a present that will mean a lot not only to the receiver, but to the women who are part of Nomi Network.

Conveniently located in the heart of Union Square, the market is an easy stop off the subway and close to many other shops and restaurants. The thought of blissfully sipping hot chocolate while browsing for a bag designed and produced by the women at Nomi Network is worth waiting through the premature snow and cold weather!

This is a perfect opportunity for bargain hunters and those excited to partake in a New York tradition. Well loved and cherished as a must see, this year’s Union Square Market should be on your list of adventures this winter. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

- Nadine Carole

Nomi Network’s Fashion Corner: T-Shirt Love

2011-10-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

As responsible consumers, we have to the question where our goods come from and who makes them. Often we may not be aware that many of the items we use daily are made by slaves or through forced labor practices. Nomi Network understands the integral role fashion plays in seeking sustainable solutions to end human trafficking. That’s why we love seeing the high-end global retailer, All Saints Spitalfields, joining the movement to end slavery. Partnering with Not For Sale, a fellow anti-trafficking non-profit, All Saints launched a capsule T-shirt collection during this year’s London Fashion Week.

Similar to Nomi Network’s mission, Not For Sale and All Saints aim to put an end to human trafficking, and with this effort focuses on forced labor. All Saints is promoting Not For Sale’s vision by working directly with factory owners and workers who produce these shirts, educating them about human trafficking and sharing in a dialogue with them about the importance of what they are doing.

Through this collaboration All Saints demonstrates the power of sending a message through fashion. Proceeds from the line will benefit Not For Sale’s efforts to end human trafficking around the globe and the collection will be sold online and in their retail stores.We are hopeful that this unique collaboration will spur on global efforts to infuse social activism into the fashion industry inspiring us all to find creative outlets to strengthen the movement to end slavery.

http://www.us.allsaints.com/not_for_sale/

Sachiko Pettit

The Give Blog and The Joy of Giving

2011-10-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

You only get to keep what you give away.

In an October post, The Give Blog featured Nomi Network’s work in Cambodia to empower women at-risk of trafficking, teaching them marketable skills and providing them with steady employment. In the post titled “On The Ground: Nomi Network,” The Give Blog focused on Nomi Network’s mission to empower at-risk women with financial independence.

The Give Blog seeks to motivate their audience to give more to worthy charitable causes. The authors write about how we can consciously live our lives in a way that will enable us to give more. Through researching and writing about conscious living, innovative charities, and pressing social issues, The Give Blog encourages its readers to realize that the greatest fulfillment in life comes from giving and helping those in need.

Nomi Network was curious to know what other blogs or organizations were also focused on the importance of giving and we found the following:

http://www.thegiveblog.com/give/

http://www.everydaygivingblog.com/

http://www.whatgives.com/

http://www.charitablegiftgiving.com/

Together we can all give a little more.

- Sachiko Pettit

Nomi Network's Project Beauty: A Different Kind of Photo Shoot

2011-09-30T14:43:00.001-07:00

This past August, nine Nomi Network team members had the privilege of venturing off to Cambodia to visit our partner facilities and to strengthen our work there. The group leveraged its own network of family and friends to raise funding for the trip. During our second Project Beauty photo shoot, we lavished the women who create our products with makeovers and new clothes. With the help of five volunteer photographers, we returned with priceless snapshots of women whose lives are being restored and whose smiles have continued to inspire us even upon returning home to the United States.

Project Beauty initially began as a spontaneous photo shoot, where Supei Liu, Nomi’s Lead Product Developer VP of Commerce, desired to give the women a comprehensive overview of the fashion industry, including the importance of seasonal look books and product photo shoots when generating sales opportunities. Throughout the initial photo shoot, the women involved gained knowledge of artful product photography as well as personal confidence. The first shoot involved four women, all of whom volunteered to model the products that they had helped sew or produce. Inspired by an interest in learning more about the fashion industry, they became aware of their position to help their own social enterprise gain exposure. When we presented them each with copies of their photographs, we saw and heard them express their excitement and delight, and the full potential of this photo shoot becoming a treasured experience was realized. It had boosted their confidence and made them feel beautiful and special, and we wanted to give them so much more than that; beyond feeling pampered for a day, we wanted to unlock their potential on every level, demonstrating that they could try something new with confidence. We wanted them to know that they are worthy of affection, encouragement and the even the spotlight.

Project Beauty is now one Nomi’s formal initiatives, where we provide participating women with new clothes, hairdos and makeovers as well as a time of laughter, learning, and building safe and supportive relationships with Nomi team members. Our project gives participants a chance to feel beautiful from the inside and out. This summer we completed our second Project Beauty photo shoot, using various locations both indoors and outdoors and increasing the number of women involved. Some “veterans” returned fierce and ready for the camera while new participants giggled shyly as their pictures were being taken. Each woman kept the clothes that they modeled and were given other items donated by Nomi Network supporters and clothing companies in the United States.

We worked together effectively and efficiently as a team and executed the entire photo shoot in only two and a half hours. We were amazed that after only a couple of hours together, laughing, walking hand in hand and chatting with the women, we felt as though all of our friendships had been significantly deepened and strengthened. These memorable images of the women holding our Buy Her Bag Not Her Body® products will be celebrated in our next product Look Book.

Nomi Network is proud to develop and distribute products that help support the livelihood and future of these beautiful women – our dear friends.

- Lisa Kim & Alissa Moore

Nomi Network's Fashion Corner: Fashion in 2025

2011-09-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

While the fashion world is always anticipating the next season, having one eye on the future seems to be the mantra of all those who truly champion the sustainable fashion movement. While researching educational institutions that teach about both fashion and sustainability we were impressed by the vision of the projects and initiatives found on The Center for Sustainable Fashion, London School of Fashion. In their project, Fashion Futures 2025, the Centered partnering with the Forum for the Future to create four animated video concepts on what the world of fashion might look like in 2025.

Designed as a tool to cause companies’ to strategize and rethink opportunities to plan ahead, these collage-like videos hold a somewhat grim reminder that everything we do today creates a ripple effect that impacts the future – even those things we do in the name of fashion.

The four videos are linked below:

- Alissa A. Moore

Spotlight on Nomi Network Fashion Designer, Lindsay Boswell

2011-09-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

There is a vast pipeline of talented young professionals who are drawn to non-profit and cause-based organizations. For this generation of abolitionists, a six-figure salary from Wall Street is just not as fulfilling as making a positive impact on the world. Lindsay Boswell, a fashion designer for a major retailer and Nomi Network volunteer, is passionate about devoting her time and talent to designing products made by survivors and women at-risk of human trafficking. She is one of Nomi Network’s original New York City designers. Lindsay looks forward to meeting Nomi, our organization’s namesake, on the team’s next trip to Cambodia. Lindsay says that the first thing she will do upon arrival will be to give Nomi a big hug.

What brought you to NYC?
It has always been my dream to live and work in NYC. Fortunately, I was accepted to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in 2006 and moved here to pursue my degree in Fashion Design. It's been almost six years now and I can't imagine leaving!

How did you hear about Nomi Network?
I was taking a couple handbag design classes during school and became very interested in accessory design. Coincidentally, I was also taking a World Affairs course that brought my attention to the issue of sex trafficking. I was speaking to one of my good friends who was familiar with the issue and, knowing my interest in handbag design, suggested that I meet the founders of Nomi Network.

What inspires your design? What inspires you in general?
I can't really pinpoint what inspires me, but the artist, Ruben Toledo, once said to "always have your antenna up." I think that is they best way to describe what inspires me. When you constantly tune into your surroundings, current events and experiences - they all intersect to create ideas. The idea with the greatest frequency wins. I think that's the "aha!" moment. I am probably most often tuned into art, though, and the interaction of colors and shapes. I could easily spend an entire day at a good museum.

What is your favorite Nomi product and why?
I really love the quilted cosmetic case. Cosmetic cases are the perfect item for our bright palette and I love the color-blocking technique we used in this piece with the contrasting zipper and tassel. Plus, the size is great because it is easy to throw in your purse. It perfectly fits all the essentials! The zip wallet is also another favorite of mine!

Why are you passionate about fashion and Nomi Network?
I love fashion because it is an artistic expression and can have a positive effect on the person wearing it. I know that fashion alone cannot make someone happy, but it can contribute! I love creating pieces that enhance someone's life in both a utilitarian and aesthetic way. To me, that is good design and I love the challenge. I am so passionate about Nomi Network because it allows design to be used for the greater good. Each time someone purchases a Nomi Network product, they are helping to spread awareness and empower women. The more you wear these products, the more you share the brand Buy Her Bag Not Her Body®, and the more you become a part of the solution.

- Diana Mao

Launch Party for the New See Jane Charm

2011-09-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

Nomi Network Cocktail and Awards Host Committee Member and actor Geena Davis founded the non-profit, See Jane in 2004 upon discovering the disparities and stereotypes between men and women in the entertainment industry. Aimed at educating and empowering children under 11 years old, the research-based institution advocates for gender equality in the portrayals of men and women in the media.

On October 6th See Jane will launch the sale of a philanthropic charm in partnership with Altruette. Geena Davis & Fred Segal cordially invite all fashionistas and abolitionists to join the launch party at Zero Minus Plus (500 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA) from 7:00-9:00 pm. 50% of the proceeds from each charm will go to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media and will help promote healthy images of women and girls. For up-to-date info on the new charm and additional information on Altruette visit www.altruette.com.

- Lisa Kim

Team Nomi Network in Action in Cambodia

2011-08-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

Three decades after the Khmer Rouge set its destructive course of mass torture and genocide, there stands a new generation that will lead Cambodia out of its dark past. Currently, 80% of Cambodia’s population is under 30 years old. After visiting shelters and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), dining at local eateries and conversing with local tuk tuk drivers, we found a people and culture ready and willing to learn from the past and build a better future.

One of our favorite moments was spending time with Nomi, the little girl who inspired our organization’s creation. Hearing Nomi’s familiar voice say, “I love you, sister,” as she embraced us again was a treasured experience. Nomi converses in English and attends special education classes during the day for her other course work. During our visit we saw her helping two younger girls learn the English alphabet by tracing letters in a workbook. Seeing how Nomi has continued to be transformed by the love of those around her fuels our desire to continue our work in Cambodia.

After conducting art classes and spending time at the shelter where Nomi lives, we realized how adept these young girls are in learning new skills. While working on different art projects several of the girls brought their own aesthetics and creative ideas to the table, creating variations of the project and allowing each of their final products to be unique. Throughout our visit the girls warmed to our presence, and invited us to participate in their games and activities. They also took a particular interest in the gadgets we carried with us, particularly our cell phones which we were using primarily to tell time. We were all amazed when we caught one of the youngest girls at the shelter, approximately 3 year old, effortlessly scrolling and dragging items on the screen of a Droid X belonging to one of our teammates. No matter where one is growing up these days, exposure to the information age is clearly having an impact, and we were excited to note that many of the girls at this particular shelter are taking computer classes to round out their education.

Over the two weeks we were in Cambodia, our team had the privilege of going deeper with 15 survivors and women at-risk of trafficking. These beautiful young women shared about their daily lives, their current endeavors, and their hopes and dreams for the future. By understanding their stories and their aspirations, we are re-shaping our career development and training programs so that we can help them attain their goals. These stories of hope will ultimately lay the foundation for our next phase of development inspiring our 2011 Cocktail and Awards Ceremony on October 12.

Our trip also shed light on how we can strengthen our existing efforts to provide sustainable income and help channel more resources directly into local communities. A few years ago, the Cambodian markets were monotonous - with vendors selling the same trinkets or purses to scrounge for a living. Their markets are slowly improving and diversifying. Local shelters and artisans are elevating the quality and design of products by incorporating other techniques like silk-screening prints directly on recycled materials and quilting fabrics to create sturdier and more appealing products. Though the skill level of survivors and women at-risk is increasing, there is still a gap between their current abilities and the job-skills required to qualify them for sustainable employment in larger facilities.

At the end of this year, Nomi Network will launch a training program and design competition that will showcase a winning designer affiliate with a local NGO. The driving force behind this Cambodian “fashion meets social media” campaign will be the training program that will teach participants various techniques, fashion trends and give them greater access to the global marketplace. Approximately 20 NGOs sent representatives to Phnom Penh to attend Nomi Network’s information session and have expressed interest in participating in the program. We are excited to work with this talented pool of participants and help connect a global audience to their designs and products.

Nomi Network bridges the gap between the local NGOs and the marketplace, and endeavors to prepare vulnerable women for the job-market. After meeting with the owners and managers of several larger sustainable businesses in Cambodia, these potential employers have asked us to help assess and train up a workforce. In addition, our current partner organizations are trying to build agricultural and other local industries and they need buyers and distribution channels for these goods. In the following years, Nomi Network hopes to help our partners establish a consistent consumer base, modeling the power of investing these funds into education initiatives and further training for the women and children we all aim to support. Our team was collectively energized by the connections that we made, the relationships that we strengthened, and the individual stories that we heard. Our commitment to Cambodia, and our beautiful friends and colleagues there, permeates our work and spurs us forward.

- Lisa Kim

Nomi Network Fashion Corner: Organic by John Patrick

2011-08-31T14:04:00.001-07:00

While scrambling to do all the appropriate research for NY Fall Fashion Week, we've become quite enamored with this year's 2011 fashion collection by sustainable designer John Patrick. Earth tones, layered with distinct textures, is a common theme, as are knit sweaters, sheer dresses and laced boots. His "granola" take on business-casual creates an autumn collection that will make most tree-huggers happy, especially after they learn about Patrick's commitment to building his garments locally, from the raw materials he uses to his final products. Check out his fall collection on his website.

Known for his label, Organic by John Patrick, Mr. Patrick was also recently featured in The New York Times Style Magazine for his endeavors as an "organic" painter. He had been painting for years, dabbling mainly in China ink, but after being invited to submit his work to an organic art show and simultaneously finding several inspiring organic paint pigments at a novelty art store in Saratoga Springs, he agreed to put his work on display.

As an aspiring designer and a graduate of Skidmore College located in Saratoga Springs, it brings me great satisfaction to know that both Mr. Patrick and myself have shopped for art supplies as well as inspiration at the same local art stores. While my art pieces were completed for course work on campus, Patrick's was entered into the show “Leaf // Cloud” this past June at Fair Folks & a Goat, 7 E. 88th St., #0006. We thought this blog post on Inhabitat New York City was a particularly good review of the show.

- Alissa A. Moore

Interview with Siddharth Kara, Special to CNN, Part 2

2011-08-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

Siddharth Kara is the first Fellow on Human Trafficking at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the author of the book, Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. He is also on the advisory board of Nomi Network.

This is part 2 of the interview that was published on August 25, 2010, Nomi Network Advisor on CNN. The interview was conducted on July 1, 2010, just prior to his departure to South Asia to begin field research for his next book, on bonded labor, which is now complete and to be published soon.

You had suggested that there is a fine line in defining what labor trafficking and slavery are, and that it could be as simple as somebody not receiving fair wages all the way to another extreme. Do you feel like you have adequately put some definitions in your work that do a better job at defining categories of slavery, or is that something that you wish to do further?

That’s a really good question. I think I’ve started to do that work, but in my next book or a couple of papers that I am working on, I am really going to take that definition question much further… The line between forced labor and labor exploitation of some extreme kind is very gray. There is a line there obviously, there has to be, but it’s grayer than people treat it. The more you see, the more you see that it is more complex, and even in my own mind, my thinking has evolved across the years. Definitely, in terms of what it is, what it is not, and how many are there--that work I’m going to really advance in my next book.

In your book, you estimated that for the end of 2006, there were 28.4 million slaves in the world. What methodology did you use to come up with that number?

Across ten years I’ve built up a model. It’s a mix of what’s called capture-recapture methodology, plus random statistical sampling. From there, I extrapolate in a way that is defensible and conservative because you can’t identify and quantify every such individual in the world. I take statistical samples in certain ways and that extrapolate in ways that are statistically defensible. So, to summarize: I use random sampling, capture- recapture methodology, followed by extrapolation. My estimate was as of the end-of-year 2006.

Now I look back and my own thinking has evolved. Four years back, it was the best I could come up with. The next time around I will be publishing a confidence interval, which will provide a range of numbers. That means that with a certain level of confidence, usually 95 or 99%, I can say that the number of “blank” in the world is between A and B.

I’ll be doing that next time and from now on. Otherwise, one does an injustice to the gray areas that have been becoming more and more evident to me. We need try and pin-point the things in those gray areas. My end-of-year 2006 estimate was the mean of a confidence interval. But I didn’t get into that in the book. There were already so many charts and graphs in the book. But later I realized that I hadn’t done full justice to my own work or to the complexities of things. I’m going to do that next time, in the bonded labor book, and there will be fewer charts and graphs. It will provide a range and it will include growth rates by category.

The numbers by category are so important. They are not just slaves. There are different kinds. And I have three categories. Others may have a different number of categories. What is in each category, how much, what they contribute to the global economy, what are the various growth rates? All of these things are so important to get a grasp on rather than just use a blanket statement that there are this many slaves in the world and that there have been that many for ten years and that’s that.

Do the three categories correspond with the three books you are writing?

Yes, roughly: bonded labor, forced labor and trafficked slaves. Trafficked slaves are individuals that have been trafficked into a situation of bonded or forced labor, so in a sense there are two categories.

But this new, post- World War phenomenon of a rapid increase in slave trading is worth carving out and running some numbers separately, because it is such a fast growing phenomena as compared to bonded labor which grows at a much slower pace. But there are so many more bonded laborers than any others.

Are you defining slavery by the way the person is being held as not the purpose they are being held for?

No, because one person could be exploited in several ways. Then you double count them. You could have a bonded laborer that works in agriculture, brick making, and carpet weaving, at different times. In fact, I’ve met some. So we can’t say that we have carpet slaves, brick slaves, and agricultural slaves. That seems to miss the boat.

That’s so helpful. For such a long time, I’ve been trying to define slavery by the types, the purpose, for an actual slave, instead of the way in which they are being held.

I think the more effective way to define it is by modality or industry. Any single individual at any given time can be exploited in several different industries. Again, these are people I’ve met. A child slave later becomes a victim of sex trafficking, who then later becomes a victim of forced labor in domestic work. That isn’t three slaves. It is one slave--one forced laborer, who at various points in time inhabited different categories of enslavement with different business models and economics. Each category of enslavement differs in its vulnerabilities and how they work. Each category requires different laws, tactics, and policies.

- Alissa Moore and Stephen M. Bauer

Fighting the Demand Side: US Demand for Trafficking Fuels Trafficking From Mexico

2011-08-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Nomi Network Board Member and Global Centurion President, Dr. Laura Lederer, was recently quoted in this press release regarding the issue of US demand fueling trafficking from Mexico. The Global Centurion Foundation is the leading international organization focused on fighting sex trafficking by focusing on demand. Men who buy sex fuel the market for commercial sex. Today’s brothels often trade in women and children who have been trafficked into prostitution. Global Centurion assists communities, states, and governments in developing a comprehensive demand reduction strategy. Nomi Network seeks to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking globally, which includes taking a long, hard look at how this trade manifests within our own boarders.

Global Centurion Press Release: Mass arrests of traffickers in Mexican human trafficking raids – U.S. men fuel the trade in women

"More than 1,000 people were arrested last week by Mexican police in a crackdown on human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Ciudad Juarez, a town just across the southern border of the U.S. Mexican police rescued dozens of women and at least 20 children who had been trafficked into prostitution.

Analysts say that much of the violence in Mexico, particularly in the north, is linked to the trade in drugs and humans. What is left unexamined is what fuels this trade in young females for sex. According to Laura Lederer, President of Global Centurion, an anti-trafficking organization in Washington DC, ‘men frequenting brothels and cruising the streets for commercial sex are a key factor in the booming sex trafficking business.’ Lederer says women and children are trafficked from Mexico and Central America into back-alley brothels in the United States. In addition, she says, ‘Men from the U.S. also cross the border into Mexico seeking sex from women and children who have been trafficked into prostitution and are being held against their will. This business knows no national borders.’

American men need to understand who runs the sex trade. ‘The people who traffic women and children into prostitution are violent criminals, often connected to other criminal syndicates and networks’ says Lederer. Ciudad Juarez is one of the most violent places in Mexico. More than 3,000 murders were committed in 2010 alone, making it the country's deadliest city.

To address this serious problem, Mexico must pass a new human trafficking law that addresses the triangle of activity involved in trafficking: supply, demand, and distribution. ‘Too often, the laws only prohibit human trafficking. This is a start, because it gives law enforcement the tools to arrest and charge traffickers, but it does not address either supply (the women and children being sold) or demand (the men buying). A comprehensive law will address the entire triangle of activity,’ according to Lederer. ‘It will have a victim-centered approach for women and children who are trafficked AND it will target both traffickers and buyers – the men who purchase sex and fuel this illegal market. Over time, vigorous enforcement of such a tri-partite law will effectively eradicate the scourge of human trafficking.’"

- intro by Alissa Moore; press release by Dr. Laura Lederer

Can the Healthy Media for Youth Act Change Gender Stereotypes and Women Employment?

2011-08-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

Geena Davis, Oscar-winning actress and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media, has been recently spotlighted as she works with US Senator Kay Hagan and US Representative Tammy Baldwin to promote how women are portrayed in the media. The trio introduced the The Healthy Media for Youth Act on Wednesday, a new bill that would seek to support media literacy programs, encourage youth empowerment groups and generate research on how depictions of women and girls in the media affect youth. In addition, it would create a National Taskforce of Women and Girls in the Media, a group dedicated to developing standards for healthy, balanced and positive images of women and girls in the media.

Photo from Left to Right: Alissa Moore, Co-founder of Nomi Network, Geena Davis, Founder of Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media at the BCLC/UN’s Investing in Women and Entrepreneurship Conference

As co-chair of the Healthy Media Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls, Davis is working alongside more than 30 media and women's organizations to improve images of women in the film industry. She is the founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, working to fund and compile research on gender in children's entertainment and the impact it has on societal stereotypes and gender roles. As women and girls learn that they do not have to fit into these specified roles, their vision for future career paths and personal development is expanded. It is particularly important, when considering those who have been exploited, to provide opportunities to see women, in a non-objectified way, with multiple opportunities for sustainable careers that do not involve physical or mental abuse. We believe that with the collective passion for the cause and the Commission's continued efforts, there will be lasting, positive change.

- Amanda Lassiter

Nomi At Home: Chicken Curry Over Rice

2011-08-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

Need a quick, tasty recipe that satisfies your appetite and your budget? This chicken curry recipe has a mild Cambodian flare that is sure to be a summer hit among loved ones around the dinner table. Following these easy steps, any cook can bring a taste of Southeast Asia into their home.

You'll need:

4 small onions, peeled and cut into eighths
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups coconut milk
2 (2 lb) fryer chickens (legs, wings or thighs) or
2 (2 lb) chicken parts (legs, wings or thighs)
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Prepared Basmati rice

Cook onions, garlic and butter on medium heat until the onions are soft and lightly yellow. Stir in curry, chili powder, salt and add 2 cups of the coconut milk. Once these ingredients are blended, add the chicken and potatoes. Cover tightly and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender. Add the chopped peanuts and the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes and then serve on Basmati rice.

- Amanda Lassiter

Our Team in Cambodia

2011-08-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Cambodia! After a looong 24 hour flight, we were excited to meet with our primary partner organization live and in person in their production facility. We witnessed our winter collection in production and watched Supei, our lead product developer, experimented with materials and patterns for this year’s holiday collection (yay new products!).

Left: Hand crafted by the beautiful women we work with.

We have come to understand that Cambodia is full of personal stories that are intricately built layer upon layer. We were privileged to hear autobiographical detail of some of those stories. One would assume that in our line of work the most powerful stories would come from the women. But we were inspired to find that the male staff workers have just as powerful stories coloring why they are choosing to be there.

Right: Can’t leak any of our Winter Collection yet, but here’s one of the best sellers from our Spring Collection!

Thank you for all of your fantastic support! We’ll be writing again soon.

Classy Awards: Nomi Network Makes Top 25!

2011-07-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

Nomi Network, Winner of the 2010 National Classy Award for Small Charity of the Year is in the running again for another 2011 Classy Award honor!

Nomi Network wishes to thank our powerful network for voting for us and for standing beside us to end modern-day slavery. Due to your dedication to our work and your "likes" on Stayclassy.org, we have been selected as one of the top 25 contenders in the next round of voting for the Young Non-profit Leader of the Year Award. This award would honor Diana Mao, Nomi Network’s Co-Founder. Diana volunteers full-time to empower and employ women affected by human trafficking. Through the “Buy Her Bag Not Her Body®” campaign, Diana, along with Nomi Nework’s relentless designers, industry experts and consumers, provides sustainable careers for Cambodian women while raising awareness about the issue of human trafficking.

Voting commenced on July 25th and we need your continual support and votes to become an award finalist. Please vote for Nomi Network and Diana Mao by August 26th to move us on to the final round, where Stay Classy judges will ultimately decide the winner.

The Classy Awards highlight and create a large community of advocates and fundraisers that use social media as a platform to bring awareness to the issues for which they are fighting. Stay Classy, the hosting organization, is entering their third year of recognizing the top Philanthropic Achievements from charities, businesses, fundraisers, and volunteers from across the United States through these awards. Winners receive national recognition and exposure in addition to cash and in-kind donations of services for their cause.

We hope you will extend your hearts and your network in support of our work by voting for us again on Stayclassy.org! Thank you for your support!

- Ruth Diaz and Lisa Kim

Celebrating Our Summer Interns

2011-07-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

This edition of the Nomi Wire is dedicated to, and was largely produced by, our talented class of Nomi Network summer interns. We want to take this moment to introduce our network to these four poised young women, and to recognize and thank them for their hard work. Thanks to their diligent efforts over the past several months, Nomi Network has had an unusually productive summer. Our interns' creative ideas, unique perspective, effervescent excitement and willingness to rise to every challenge, inspired every member of our executive team. Take a look below to find out more about their diverse backgrounds, interests and aspirations for the future.

Allie Gazmarian

This past May, Allie graduated from Virginia Tech University with a Bachelors degree in English and a minor in Sociology. Allie will attend graduate school in the fall to receive her Masters degree in Public Policy. Through her internships with Nomi Network, she has learned the importance of working collectively to support and help restore the lives of survivors and women at-risk of being trafficked.

Ayleen Nazario

Ayleen is going to be a sophomore at Binghamton University this fall. During high school, she was an honor roll student and a community leader. She has pioneered “Change for a Change,” a toy drive for child cancer patients at Saint Vincent’s Hospital. Her exuberant personality and experience generating sponsorships and donations for fashion shows and community service oriented projects, has helped drive Nomi’s fundraising efforts and event planning.

Jennifer Frye

Ever since she was in the 8^th Grade, Jen knew she wanted to work in the culinary industry. From the old Stone Creamery to the Four Seasons Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown DC, her blossoming career is already marked with extensive experience. She received her training at the Culinary Institute of America, a food mecca rife with competitive drive. She is now a Personal Wine Broker and is the brain child behind our Nomi at Home articles in the Wire.

Ruth Diaz

Ruth has over ten years of professional experience in education, research, and non-profit programs. She graduated from the University of Texas Pan American with a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and has researched human trafficking and sustainable agriculture in global and food security issues. From a pre-kindergarten teacher to a Texas State Commodity Inspector and a USDA-ARS Honey Bee Researcher, Ruth is always seeking to learn and has put her best into every opportunity.

Allie, Ruth, Ayleen and Jen - we will miss you and wish you the best of luck in all you do!

- Lisa Kim and Alissa Moore

The Village Voice Challenges Ashton Kutcher on Trafficking Numbers

2011-07-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

The actor, model and activist Ashton Kutcher recently engaged in a very public Twitter debate with New York’s Village Voice concerning the validity of statistics used in his “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” campaign. In an article entitled “Real Men Get Their Facts Straight,” the Voice argues that Kutcher, as well as other various media publications including The New York Times, USA Today, and CNN, are incorrect in quoting that 100,000 to 300,000 children are prostituted each year in the United States. Village Voice contends that this statistic “was hatched without regard to science. It is a bogeyman.” The Voice conducted a two month study that surveyed law enforcement data from the nation’s 37 largest cities of juvenile arrest reports during the past 10 years. From it, they deduced that on average, 827 youth are being arrested for child prostitution each year and this is the figure we should adopt.

However, in their study, Village Voice fails to account for the countless children that were trafficked and did not face legal charges as well as those that currently remain enslaved. Their data also neglects to report trafficking victims that are not citizens or victims that were tried as adults (subject to more severe charges). Moreover, the Village Voice admits that some of those records were “incomplete”. By not fully examining the severity and complexity of this issue, Village Voice attempts to convince themselves and their readers that child trafficking in the United States is not that big of a problem.

Sadly, because sexual slavery is such a covert business, it is impossible to determine the precise number of how many children are being trafficked within the United States. But, by being consumed ourselves with facts and figures we are overlooking the core problem; that children, regardless of quantity, are being sold. We should turn our energy and attention to meeting the needs of these children, regardless if it is just one child being trafficked or 100,000.

Nomi Network applauds Ashton Kutcher for using his celebrity status as a platform to seek change and advocate for the silenced voices of trafficked children.

Resources on this debate:

To read Village Voice’s article in its entirety: http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-06-29/news/real-men-get-their-facts-straight-sex-trafficking-ashton-kutcher-demi-moore/
The Department of Justice’s page on Child Exploitation and Obscenity: http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ceos/
To learn more about what Ashton Kutcher is doing to fight trafficking, check out his foundation at http://demiandashton.org/

- Allie Gazmarian and Lisa Kim

Nomi Network’s Fashion Corner: Leather is for Lovers

2011-07-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

Good news for our animal loving fashionistas: Free People has just launched a new vegan leather collection! Although these two ideas do not normally coexist, Free People has discovered a way to provide customers with trendsetting products that will not compromise their cruelty-free values. The promotional video for this collection explains it in these terms, “you get a similar look and feel to real leather, but vegan leather is not made from animals, it is made from synthetic materials.” Their designers have created 4 pieces that can be purchased on their website and are available within an affordable price range ($98-$168). Currently, this is serving as a test project and depending on the reaction they receive from buyers, vegan leather products may enter into their permanent product rotation.

You must check out the collection’s lookbook and video, showcasing numerous Free People employees that voice their support for Vegan leather and their reasons for embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle. Their associate buyer states, “I love vegan leather because it gives the environmentally conscious person an option that’s still fashionable and wont cost you an arm and a leg.” In essence, vegan leather presents the best of both worlds, allowing you to guiltlessly incorporate leather pieces into your wardrobe at a fraction of the price. Their lookbook can be found on the Refinery 29 website.

Check out the products one by one on Free People’s website and post a comment to our blog letting us know what you think! We love seeing companies that utilize the fashion industry as a way to uphold social responsibility and we sense some snaps applaud Free People for doing so!

- Allie Gazmarian and Alissa Moore

Nomi Network at Home: Sweet Sensations

2011-07-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, in preparation for our upcoming trip to Cambodia, the Nomi team hosted an intimate ‘wine and cheese’ fundraiser. As we brainstormed additional items that could be served as hors d’oeuvres, I instantly began running through all of my favorite dessert recipes in my head, trying to choose one that would be fitting for this occasion. Although key lime cupcakes, peanut butter bars and German chocolate brownies were strong contenders, these White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies simply cannot be beat. When you're shopping for ingredients, don't forget to buy fair trade chocolate chips!

You will need the following ingredients:

1 cup of butter
½ cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cup rolled oats
1 cup fair trade white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries (I use craisins)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350
Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and eggs in one bowl
In a different bowl- mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
Mix dry mixture into wet mixture
Add vanilla and blend
Stir in white chocolate chips and cranberries
Place dough into Ziploc bag and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator
Roll into small balls and place on greased cookie sheet
Bake 9-10 minutes

You will soon discover that these cookies are perfect for almost any occasion- holiday parties, late night snacks, or fundraising events. Plus, these cookies not only taste wonderful, they will also make your home smell great as you bake them!

Happy Baking!

-Allie Gazmarian

photo from www.simplyrecipes.com

Can We Sell the Idea of High Confidence, Self-Esteem and Self-Worth?

2011-07-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Beginning in high school and into my first year of college, this issue of fighting child sex trafficking captured my heart. I continued studying this topic and digging deeper to find out the real story behind the issue. I pondered possible solutions to this complex problem day in and day out. This was one topic of interest I couldn’t get out of my head.

One day after watching an “Above the Influence” commercial about tabacco use by teens, I realized how mainstream marketers are both powerful and subtle in their advertising tactics. I’ve always had an interest in commercials and their power over consumers, but these commercials were different. I never knew that commercials could be used for anything other than selling a product for profit. As I researched “Above the Influence” commercials I learned that this type of marketing is considered social marketing. The idea of anti-sex trafficking campaigns effectively using social marketing inspired me to write my first college research paper on these two topics. Here is an excerpt:

Social marketing uses the concepts and strategies of traditional marketing to bring about change within society. In other words, the same strategies used by typical marketers to sell a product, are used by social marketers to sell an idea that will benefit society rather than the marketer themselves. The strategy can be used to promote safer driving, recycling, planned pregnancy and many other positive habits. If social marketing can be used for all of these other national issues and has delivered results, there's no reason why we shouldn't use it to empower the 293,000 young females who have already been classified by the U.S. Department of Justice, as potential victims of sexual exploitation. Why can’t we sell the idea that confidence, high self-esteem and self-worth as something that can be attained by anyone? This can be a very effective way of spreading hope for these young girls and maybe the tracks of this horrible dilemma can finally be slowly cut off.

I love the saying, “if you want to cut down a tree, you cannot start by picking at the leaves and tugging at the branches.” I think this is applicable to using social marketing to fight sex trafficking. Although the effects of this method are fairly influential, it will take time to see change. Cutting down the tree at the roots is a harder process and requires patience and endurance in order to see results, but the final outcome is very significant. If this tactic of social marketing is embraced by all, there could actually be hope that this aspect of the marketplace could be used as a positive force for good.

-Ayleen Nazario

The “T-Visa”: Immigration Protection for Trafficking Victims

2011-06-29T23:59:00.001-07:00

2010 marked the tenth anniversary of an important legal landmark in the fight against human trafficking and other forms of modern-day slavery. The federal Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (VTVPA) was passed by congress in 2000 and in addition to increased criminalization and prosecution of trafficking the law created several new national legal protections for trafficking victims in the U.S. Chief among these, the “T-Visa” created a new pathway to legal residency and government benefits for victims of human trafficking who cannot safely return to their home country and are willing to assist U.S. law enforcement if possible.

T-visas make temporary non-immigrant status available to victims of "severe forms of human trafficking" on the condition that they help law enforcement officials investigate and prosecute crimes related to human trafficking. T-visas allow victims of severe forms of trafficking to stay in the United States for four years from the date the T-visa application is approved, and may potentially lead to permanent residency (LPR or “green card” status). T-visas can also help former trafficking victims in the U.S. economically by giving them the legal ability to work through the automatic grant of a legal document called an “employment authorization document” (EAD), and providing access to certain social services and benefits. Immediate family members of a T-visa applicant such as spouses, children, and parents of applicants under 18 may also be able to access some of the same protections under the law.

As with many legal issues, the devil is in the details. Among other things, T-visa law requires the applicant to be the victim of “severe” human trafficking, to ensure that the immigration protection is only utilized by those who have legitimately arrived in the U.S. as a result of being trafficked. Sex trafficking, trafficking that leads to debt bondage or peonage, and trafficking that leads to involuntary servitude / slavery / forced labor are all generally considered “severe” for the purposes of a T-visa application. The other main hurdle that an applicant faces is the “extreme hardship” requirement. The law requires the trafficked person to show that they would face unusual and extreme harm if forced to return to their home country. Though lack of economic opportunities and social stigma are major problems for many trafficking victims, they will not satisfy the legal requirement to obtain a T-visa. In general, victims will need to show that they are likely to suffer serious bodily or psychological harm if they go home.

The government caps the annual issuance of T-visas at 5,000, but this limit does not include qualifying family members of trafficking victims. Though statistics on the issuance of T-visas are difficult to come by, it seems that administrative barriers, qualification requirements, lack of access to legal assistance, and safety concerns may be the primary obstacles to victims obtaining T-visas, not the statutory cap.

More information on the technical requirements of the T-visa and other immigration protections for victims of crime can be found on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center is part of the Polaris Project, a non-government organization providing assistance to victims of human trafficking through a national, toll-free and confidential hotline: 1-888-3737-888

More information about the U.S. Government’s efforts to fight trafficking here and aboard, including the 2011 annual Trafficking in Persons Report, is available from the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

- Tam Johnson

Nomi Network’s Fashion Corner: AHAlife!

2011-06-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

Do you need a daily dose of inspiration? I know – we all do. Well we have a suggestion on a fantastic organization that has one of the coolest mission statements we’ve heard to date:

“1 New Discovery. Every 24 Hours. 100% Inspiring—that's what we're all about. We showcase and sell a new hand-selected item each day and tell the story behind the making of the product, along with a designer profile and sometimes a video or audio slideshow that takes you inside the creative process.”

That’s the mission of AHAlife, a website that sends you daily fashion, gadgets and home ware ideas and share about the innovators who dreamt them up. We thought this was the perfect resource for our followers. Go to the shop section of their website and see thumbnails of the diverse selection of products they have featured since their launch, easily broken down by filters or categories. While you browse, , check out there logo enhanced glossary. The stylized eye stands for an AHAcurator: An AHAlife reader and influencer who is sharing a product they love with our community. The swirly heart means AHAkarma: Look for the AHAkarma heart icon next to certain products and when you buy them you'll earn karma points for supporting a brand that donates part of its profits to a good cause.

Nomi Network is all about feeding our socially responsible fashion followers solid products that are a good idea from start to finish. We love attention to detail and learning about the stories behind the product, which is why we think that our fans and followers will thoroughly dig their experience familiarizing themselves with AHAlife and their on-line store. And while you’re at it, post a comment on our blog and let us know what’s inspiring you this summer!

- Alissa Moore

Nomi At Home: Leftovers Make Over

2011-06-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

I always find myself staring into my fridge in amazement the day after indulging in greasy Chinese take out with two thoughts on my mind—how the heck did I eat that much lo mein and yet wind up with so much sticky rice sitting in my fridge, and what on earth can I make myself that is light and NOT greasy? Well, after just a few all-nighters with greasy Chinese food I’ve taken to making a delicious dessert that works wonders when entertaining or prepared for just for myself.

You’ll need:

1 cup leftover sticky rice
1 ¼ cup coconut cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 half ripe mango, sliced

Add the coconut cream and sugar to a sauce pan and heat slowly, occasionally stirring gently to help sugar dissolve. Add vanilla extract and sticky rice. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve warm or chill for a rice-pudding like consistency. Layer the sliced mango on top of the rice. For some sweetness add a drizzle of honey, or spice it up with a sprinkle of paprika. For an elegant dessert cube the mango and serve it in a wine glass.

This Cambodian-inspired dessert is easy to make with leftovers but can be made with fresh sticky rice—just reduce the coconut cream to ½ a cup instead. This is the perfect dessert to serve your friends if you host a home party, or if you just want to show off your fabulous new accessory from BuyHerBagNotHerBody.com! Invite your friends over for a great evening and share stories of hope and inspiration, or just chat about your favorite bags. Just don’t forget to enjoy the dessert, too!

- Jen Frye

Goldman Sachs & Nomi Network Volunteer Day - A Success!

2011-06-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Bright and early on a Saturday morning in mid-June, Nomi Network’s volunteer team and a group of Goldman Sachs volunteers met to strategize around several of Nomi Network’s sales, membership, and program models.

Executive team members Alissa Moore, Diana Mao and Lisa Kim, opened the floor for a lively discussion by first presenting the organization’s long term goal of creating 100,000 jobs for women at risk and survivors of trafficking by 2020. For this audience, initiative impact was reinforced by the mention of corporate giant Hilton Hotels’ recent press release detailing their public stand against human trafficking.

Nomi Network and Goldman Sachs’ volunteers broke into three task forces that all worked on separate aspects of achieving 100,000 jobs by 2020. Product sales, member subscriptions and metrics for measuring impact were the projects at hand. Each team spent the day brainstorming ideas on how Nomi’s efforts could be improved in these areas and researched ideas for expansion.

Ideas were a dime a dozen and the collaboration was a successful match with the business savvy skills of Goldman Sachs employees in the mix. From the discussions, it became clear that it’s easy for anyone to become an enthusiastic supporter of anti-human trafficking efforts through the way Nomi has uniquely engaged survivors and activists.

Goldman Sachs team member Martin Schneider shares, “Utilizing Goldman Sachs volunteers, the Community Teamworks event was in perfect alignment with the Nomi Network’s strategy to leverage the marketplace to eradicate human trafficking. This was an opportunity for myself and other people at my firm to learn about the plight of survivors of human trafficking while giving us the chance to share our skills with the Network volunteers. I am confident that the impact of the day’s activities will last for a long time for everyone who participated.”

At the end of the day, each team presented their ideas and plans of action to the entire group. Comments and advice were encouraged, and what ultimately became clear was that Nomi Network should continue recruiting volunteers with diverse expertise and a fresh eye for ways to continue to innovate and improve on current practices.

To join the efforts, email info@nominetwork.org!

- Don Torrance

Nomi Network is Now Fair Trade Certified

2011-06-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Nomi Network’s Buy Her Bag Not Her Body® Campaign empowers women who have been exploited by sex trafficking and we are now proud to announce that these products are fair trade certified.

This captures the heart of the fair trade practice- repaying producers of products a fair percentage of the revenue received through purchases. Fair trade eliminates the need for a “middle man” so that companies and organizations are able to work directly with producers, making it possible to give back a large percentage of money for their hard work.

The Fair Trade Federation is an association which moves to strengthen and promote fair trade by supporting various practicing organizations. Their main purpose is to help those organizations cultivate economic opportunity for those who have been pushed to the side and neglected of proper working conditions, fair payment and just treatment. They emphasize consistent, trustworthy relationships between the producer, organization and consumer.

Nomi Network’s bags and totes are currently made in Cambodia using recycled rice bag material that is local to the region. The women that develop the Buy Her Bag Not Her Body bags are trained in the production of these products and 100% of the sales profits from each bag is re-invested into job training and educational opportunities for the women we serve.

Nomi Network focuses on providing at-risk women and survivors of sex trafficking, the right working conditions to fulfill their jobs. By celebrating their strength and encouraging them to push forward, overcoming such harsh pasts, Nomi Network provides these brave women with the economic stability and skill sets to ultimately prevent them from being re-trafficked..

Nomi Network strives to be transparent and foster open dialogue with any organization that is integrated in any step of the production process. Nomi Network communicates the reason behind our products and cause and are sure to thank our customers and producers for taking part in our efforts to fight for freedom. Our products are sold through workshops, home parties, public speaking and we are constantly building an identity for our products and ensuring that the global market connects with the faces behind our cause.

With more awareness being raised about the women and their powerful stores through our Buy Her Bag Not Her Body® products, more women and young girls can have a future and a hope. Nomi Network is proud to be a certified fair trade producer, but even more proud that our products can empower consumers to make a difference.

- Ayleen Nazario

Letters of Encouragement to Nomi

2011-05-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Nomi Network is named after a young Cambodian survivor of sexual slavery who now resides in a rehabilitation home. In addition to having to overcome her past abuse, this brave little girl also battles a mental illness. She is getting a chance to go to school, build friendships with the other girls, and reclaim her childhood. Despite the pain of her past, her resilience is inspiring and she has maintained a contagious and simple joy for life.

The Nomi Network team will be visiting her rehabilitation home this summer. Supporters like you make Nomi Network possible so we would like you to invite you to submit questions and words of encouragement to Nomi and the other girls at the rehabilitation home. We are accepting submissions in the following format – First Name, Last Name, Location, Question or Encouragement. Please keep your words to 1-3 sentences and submit to us via twitter (@nominetwork) or email (info@nominetwork.org) by July 4, 2011. Questions and words of encouragement will be read to the girls during our trip.

- Team Nomi

Nomi At Home: Coconut Cake Dessert & Book Club Conversations

2011-05-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Are you or your friends hosting a social get-together or club meeting this month? Try hosting a Cambodian-themed event next time! Introduce your friends or coworkers to Nomi with a Cambodian appetizer and read an eye-opening book about human trafficking in Cambodia that will have you hooked at every page. Just follow our recipe for the perfect Cambodian home party!

First, read David Batstone’s Not For Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade—and How We Can Fight It, a short book that both exposes the intensity of the illegal human trade that generates $31 billion annually, and celebrates the hope that comes with a commitment to choosing a world free of slavery. Not For Sale offers a collection of personal stories that are representative to the experiences of the victims of human trafficking, offering the reader an intimate peek into the lives of the women and children that fall victim to human trafficking all over the world.

Then fold Nomi Network’s anti-slavery endeavors into your night by introducing your friends to Nomi Network’s Buy Her Bag Not Her Body products made of sustainable materials like recycled rice bags, all made by survivors and at-risk women of human trafficking. Make sure you check out our sale merchandise and remind your friends that 100% of the profits are reinvested into the rehabilitation, care, and education of survivors and at-risk women.

Top-off your evening by sharing a delicious 5-minute recipe for Cambodian coconut cake as a dessert or snack—great with vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit! Or make the coconut cake in individual servings by filling cupcake liners half way.

Mix together:

1 cup pancake mix

1 cup coconut cream

½ cup shredded coconut

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, whisk together pancake mix, coconut cream, and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and butter. Mix in shredded coconut. The batter will look lumpy. Pour the batter into cupcake liners or a cake pan that has been sprayed with vegetable oil. Top with a gentle sprinkle of shredded coconut. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes, or until it is a light brown on top and a toothpick poked into the center comes out dry.

Serve warm for the best crowd-pleasing results. To knock the socks off of your guests put a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream and a few slices of fresh mango on each slice of the warm coconut cake. (Note: you can always reheat slices individually in the oven by wrapping slices in foil and popping them in for a few minutes!)

Check back next week for more great ideas on Cambodian flavor in your own home!

- Jen Frye

Bringing Moore to Skidmore

2011-04-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

In the quaint, little town of Saratoga Springs, NY, tucked four hours away from the concrete jungles of New York City, lies Skidmore College - the genesis of Alissa Moore’s journey into the world of fashion and the arts. Alissa returned to her alma mater on April 15, 2011 to share about Nomi Network, the non-profit she co-founded, and how she was inspired to bring hope to such a dark issue.

Alissa’s Friday night began inside Skidmore’s The Little Gym, where student designers, make-up artists, models and DJs produced the Element Fashion Show to an audience of approximately 300 attendees. As the Fashion Show’s opener, Alissa shared about Nomi Network and her personal encounter with Nomi, the young Cambodian girl whose simple embrace drew her into taking action. After presenting how Nomi Network is a nexus where professionals in the public and private sectors fuse their expertise for the purpose of freeing those in sexual bondage both domestically and abroad, Alissa encouraged the students that they too can use their talents and experience to impact positive change in another’s life. Yet, the night’s pleasantly unexpected act of kindness and generosity came from the student producers who announced – to Alissa and the audience – that the show’s proceeds would be donated to Nomi Network. Alissa thanked the producers backstage and headed off elated to her next speaking engagement at the SPA Student Center.

Inter-Varsity, Alissa’s campus fellowship during her Skidmore years featured her as the alumni speaker for Inside the Business of Sex Trafficking: A True Story of a Modern Day Abolitionist. Twelve other campus clubs, including SASW, FAN, Hillel, ACA, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Skidmore Democrats, Newman Club, LateNight, The Center for Sex and Gender Relations, Pride, OSDP, and BARE partnered with Skidmore’s Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship to bring attention to the sexual trafficking phenomenon to the campus for the first time on such a scale.

Students and faculty members packed the room and some even stood listening in the halls of the Student Center. Alissa gave a business-like presentation of the hard facts of human trafficking and sex trafficking. The sheer number of incidents astounded the audience. However, Alissa’s presentation of Nomi Network’s market-based solution to the monstrous problem shed newfound understanding on the systematic barriers that contribute to the victim’s struggle. Nomi Network’s holistic approach focuses on preventing the cycles of poverty that perpetuates the abuse of women and young girls. By providing job-training and increasing the skill-set level of each woman, the women can turn to other viable sources of income and even compete in the global marketplace. Furthermore, by connecting retailers and designers to the eco-friendly products made by the survivors and women at-risk, these critical market players are helping to build a larger slave-free distribution chain. Each purchaser is then invited to purchase these products, connecting the global consumer to the faces and stories behind the issue. Alissa’s presentation ultimately shared the choice that each individual has in giving someone else freedom. This revelation opened the eyes of the undergraduate students and faculty to the power they carry every day. Not surprisingly, Nomi Network’s product table, positioned prominently in front of the Skidmore Shop, grossed $400 plus in product sales at the event.

The arc of the evening was punctuated by an InterVarsity student’s testimony of date rape and on-going sexual assault by her boyfriend when she was fourteen. This bold, young woman allowed herself to be vulnerable before her peers and professors to underline that a victim is your friend, your sister, your girlfriend, your colleague, your neighbor. She matters like all the other women and young girls who you know may matter to you. These stories so often silenced by the shame and self-deprecation caused by sexual abuse is familiar to many women. By speaking of how she overcame these grim years, she gave hope that redemption and healing are possible. Her story, like Nomi’s story, proclaims: “Know me, know my story, know my success.” Nomi Network’s mission is to empower each woman the organization serves to live out this anthem of hope.

Discussions of Alissa returning to Skidmore in the future have already begun. Her graduation into the anti-human trafficking field marks the first steps on a pathway that many future abolitionists from Skidmore will soon courageously follow.

- Lisa Kim

Nomi's Fashion Corner: A Shopper's Guide

2011-04-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

While discussing the practicalities of being a socially sustainable consumer our currently intern, Kala Burst, recommended that I look into the book Better World Shopper. While doing some further research on-line, I was pleasantly surprised by its companion website’s clean design, relatively easy layout, and most importantly, it’s solid, research based content. This book and website gives letter grades to companies and their products based on a process of data collection and analysis.

While looking through some of the product categories and companion charts listing their letter grades and rankings, I was particularly pleased to see a category for “slave free”. As a teaser for anyone interested, I’m highlighting author Ellis Jones’ sound-bite explanation for his intentions behind his commitment to over 20 years of research on this topic.

“Money is power. And wherever large amounts of money collect, so also new centers of power form. The latest historical manifestation of this is the modern corporation. Make no mistake, these new power centers are not democracies. We don't vote for the CEO's or their policies (unless we are: rich enough to be significant shareholders, informed enough to know what's going on, and compassionate enough to care about more than just personal profit), yet our destinies are increasingly in their hands.

As these power centers shift, we must shift our own voices if we wish to be heard. As citizens, on average, we might vote once every 4 years, if at all. As consumers, we vote every single day with the purest form of power...money. The average American family spends around $18,000 each year on goods and services. Think of it as casting 18,000 votes every year for the kind of world you want to live in. Use this site to take back your power.”

Check it out and tell us what you think!

- Alissa Moore

Retail Luminary, Ken Nisch, Unmasks the Future of Retail

2011-04-28T14:32:00.001-07:00

Ken Nisch, Chairman of JGA, a global leader in brand strategy created retail experiences for clients including Godiva, The North Face, H&M, Verizon Wireless and Hot Topic. With over two decades shaping the face of retail he unmasks the future of retail in this interview.

DDI Magazine recently recognized you as a “Retail Luminary” with unparalleled creative excellence. Where do you get your inspiration? Most of my inspiration comes from looking behind things, under things and below things. It is about seeing the things that are “invisible.” For example, we sent out a thought-provoking New Year’s gift to our clients one year. It was an empty snow globe with the Thoreau quote, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” I try to look to things that are less obvious. My daughter recently brought back a Carnival mask from Santa Domingo. At the time, I was working on a retail project in India. The mask inspired me to think about an identity within identity; a mask of sorts. It was a less than obvious inspiration “found” within the obviousness of a daily occurrence.

You have developed retail experience for many world-renowned brands. What is your favorite project? Why? My favorite types of projects are often for museums. Each has a unique local and global identity reflecting the philosophy of the museum itself- sophisticated but inherently local. I also like challenging projects that take me out of my comfort zone. I remember working with Hot Topic and walking in as a middle-aged suburban guy working with a team that was clearly none of the above. I did a lot of listening and immersed myself in a place that was difficult for me to identify with. I had to create an office environment illuminating edge, freedom and the Hot Topic brand for a company that has a unique personality with the acumen of a business leader.

You talk about bringing a brand to life. Do you think it is challenging for cause related products to be brought to life? What about difficult topics like human trafficking and modern day slavery? I don’t think it is impossible, but I think it is challenging to determine which stories to tell and how to tell them true to reality, stories of hope without whitewashing anything. As an example, a friend lives in Toledo Ohio, a smaller town near the Canadian border, the fourth largest city with convictions in human trafficking. Every place, every person, is affected by these realities. Finding the personal connection instead of the exotic, telling that story visually and intentionally, is a way to “retail” an important message about a hard-to-see topic. No matter how terrible the story is, there has to be an expression of hope.

Despite a downturn in the economy, sales of cause related products continue to grow. Have you seen examples of companies providing a retail experience according to this trend? Many companies affiliate themselves with a cause from a marketing perspective. The danger is “green washing” or “cause washing.” There are some companies that are more actively engaged the causes they support. Estee Lauder is one example of a company walking the walk and using their clout in manufacturing to make an impact. Consumers can easily get jaded when there are a few bad apples in the bunch that abuse their cause-marketing platform and conduct business in an unethical way. So it is critical for companies to deliver what they say they will deliver. If it says organic, then it needs to be organic. We live in a day and age where people feel increasingly connected to other people around world.

Where do you see the retail industry 10 years from now? Retail will continue to be integrated more globally. You will be just as more likely to purchase a brand from India than Indiana. People talk about the 3P’s – price, promotion, and product. I believe there will be a 4th P, philosophy. Sustainability and social change falls under this category. People will continue to consume, but with more consideration and emotional attachment to the impact of that purchase. I think that last P will be the most important factor when consumers decide to purchase. We currently source labor and materials from India and China but we don’t typically buy brands from India and China. The transparency of where products come from will be increasingly available to consumers. They will want the middle-man to be removed and consumers will want to understand how the source and the brand impact the livelihood of the artist. I recently read one of those in-flight magazines. It featured a beautiful necklace, and a person who wanted to purchase the necklace asked the magazine to provide the local artist’s contact information in Sao Paolo. I think Etsy and 10,000 Villages is a good model to examine as we move into a future where the consumer wants full transparency from store to product.

Ken’s prediction of where the retail industry is going 10 years from now is already a reality for White Saffron, a local boutique in Soho. White Saffron modernizes traditional, local, and sustainable fashion. The boutique works directly with independent designers to ensure the authenticity in its materials, making sure that each fashion piece is fairly made and with sustainable materials. They feature a group of local and international designers and artisans every season to handpick a collection. Accessories labels as such as Trash to Trendy by Sheila Odessey and IENA Design develop their collections with used plastic bags and innertubes, while apparel label Eko-lab uses only organic fabrics. White Saffron supports the development of local designers and entrepreneurs by supporting independent labels such as Pamela Kay and Ellelauri. Both designers produce their collection in New York City. Boutique owner, Ying Ying Chong believes that sustainable fashion is going to be big in the next 5 years. Increasingly, there is a consumer demand for products that are sustainable and social.

- Diana Mao

Virginia Strengthens US Fight Against Sex Trafficking

2011-04-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Virginia Delegates Tim Hugo and Vivian Watts aided in passing House Bill 1898 which was created to protect both minors and adults who are exploited in the sex trafficking industry. Shared Hope International is also credited with bringing this to fruition by joining with other anti-trafficking organizations to urge the Virginia Legislature to improve the current state law.

Founder and President of Shared Hope International (and former Congresswoman), Linda Smith says, “At least 100,000 American children are exploited through prostitution in the United States every year. This bill brings Virginia's laws closer to the national standard of legislative protection for children from sex trafficking outlined in Shared Hope's Protected Innocence Initiative.”

HB 1898 has improved current law by making the following changes:

Abduction for Sexual Purposes: Adds the crimes of abducting "any person for the purpose of prostitution" and abducting "any minor for the purpose of manufacturing child pornography" to current abduction law. These crimes are Class 2 felonies punishable by 20 years to life imprisonment and a fine up to $100,000. In addition to the prison sentence, a suspended sentence of no less than 40 years is mandated. This stronger penalty will serve as a deterrent to those criminals who would traffic women and children for sex in Virginia.

Evidentiary Protections: Prevents a defendant in a prosecution for abducting a person for the purpose of prostitution from introducing reputation and opinion evidence concerning a victim's "unchaste behavior or prior sexual conduct" (commonly referred to as "rape shield law"). This will encourage victims to testify against their exploiter and help prosecutors win convictions.

Strengthens Laws Relating to Indentured Servitude: Makes it a Class 4 felony punishable by 2-10 years imprisonment and a fine up to $100,000 for any person to receive money or value for causing any person, including minors, to engage in prostitution, or the sexual performance in any obscene material or child pornography. This provides another way to prosecute the crime of sex trafficking when there may not be proof of force, deception or intimidation. A child victim of sex trafficking may believe she is "in love" with her trafficker and psychological coercion is difficult to prove.

Congrats to Shared Hope International and Virginia Delegates for their support and action on improving the fight against sex trafficking!

- Don Torrance

Prevention vs. Aftercare

2011-04-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

In a video interview conducted by Gregory Russinger, of One Voice to End Slavery, James Pond makes the case that while there are many laws against sex trafficking, there has been very little publicity about the need for aftercare services for victims. A great deal of publicity seems to focus on rescues, especially of young children, yet an infrastructure needs to but put in place to ensure a healthy, supported transition back into society.

Pond identifies a great need for entrepreneurial thinkers to help devise ways for survivors to become financially independent and to support themselves going forward.

Pond and his wife Athena founded the anti-trafficking organization, Transitions Global. They co-established the Agape Restoration Center, a high-security, long-term aftercare facility in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for Cambodian and Vietnamese victims of sex trafficking between the ages of 8-18. Some excerpts from the above interview:

What we're seeing on a global scale is that there is just a tremendous need for victim services.
We really need professionals in this field. We need people with some expertise in trauma counseling, social work, working with at-risk youth, in terms of creating some intervention strategies. We need folks out there that are entrepreneurial thinkers to create ways for victims to actually rebuild their lives once they've gone through this kind of experience.

The entrepreneurial thinkers that James Pond refers to are people who can train survivors for sustainable jobs, who can provide initial employment, and who can train survivors in how to start and run their own businesses. This is one of the biggest challenges facing abolitionists today, and it constitutes the core mission of Nomi Network.

- Stephen Bauer

image courtesy of cambodianangkortour.com

Film Spotlight: Very Young Girls

2011-03-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

Girls Education and Mentoring Services (GEMS) is an anti trafficking organization that I admire deeply. I was first exposed to their work in 2008 when, on the onset of launching Nomi, I became obsessed with learning about all facets of the issue.

The film is summarized on the GEMS’s website as “an exposé of the commercial sexual exploitation of girls in New York City as they are sold on the streets by pimps, and treated as adult criminals by police. [It] follows barely-adolescent girls in real time, using vérité and intimate interviews with them, documenting their struggles and triumphs as they seek to exit the commercial sex industry. The film also uses startling footage shot by pimps themselves, giving a rare glimpse into how the cycle of exploitation begins for many women.”

Yes, this is certainly an accurate synopsis of a powerful film, but what left me recommending this film to anyone who would listen, was the intricate, yet astoundingly resilient hope that was demonstrated over time and through the personal stories of the girls involved. In contrast, most of the films that I’ve seen on the topic of trafficking attempt to give such a general overview of the topic and its many forms, that they lack the simple power of walking with an individual as their life continues.

I was also deeply impacted by this film because it takes place in New York City and highlights local hot spots and neighborhoods where trafficking occurs. I also appreciated that the film recognizes the power of media and other mainstream influencers that normalize abuse, sexual exploitation and the objectification of the human body.

When I suggested writing a blog post about this film I was not aware that I would be recommending it as a part of a curriculum that I would create for a 2011 Lenten study guide. Lent is the 40 day period before Easter that is remembered through prayer and fasting by the Christian church. This year several Christian communities all throughout NYC are coming together to collectively observe Lent through praying and fasting for several different issues all relating to social justice and our city. Each week from March – April, we will be focusing on a different umbrella topic that impacts the city, and Human Trafficking has been slated for week two. A friend asked me to write the study guide on this topic, and I have strongly recommended that participants in the study watch the film Very Young Girls. I’m pleased to have an opportunity to share this as an additional resource for this group.

You can download the film on netflicks through this link on the GEMS website: http://www.gems-girls.org/get-involved/very-young-girls .

- Alissa Moore

A Day in the Life of a Nomi Seamstress

2011-03-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Every weekday morning at 7 a.m., a group of women arrive at a social enterprise in Cambodia. These women are not ordinary by any means, and have lived through more than many of us can imagine. These women are Nomi social enterprise employees.

Their daily routine goes like this: if they have children they drop them off at the daycare center in the factory, then begin a much needed group time to start their work day. This group time centers around words of encouragement in preparation for their new day. Around 7:30 a.m. each woman chooses a treadle sewing machine to delicately sew together the pieces of what we know as the Nomi bag.

A few hours later, they are alerted to signify the end of the morning sewing session and the workers are off to lunch. A common Khmer lunch can sometimes consist of white rice and prahok, a pungent fish paste, and is often shared among all the women—as sharing meals is common etiquette of Khmer culture. After the lunch break, the lights are turned off throughout the factory and the women are given the option of napping or attending the free English class offered by their employer. After their break the work commences until 4:00 p.m., when they pick up their children and their work day officially ends.

And among the sewing sessions and classes, between the group time and the childcare, there are conversations, laughter, smiles, a word of encouragement, sometimes tears. Relationships based on trust and the consistency of a daily routine is being developed, and a community is being built. Nomi Network are constantly looking to strengthen and encourage this community, and to cast a vision for a future where these women will have both the opportunities and the freedom to make decisions that will empower them and their families.

- Kala Brust

A Party that Inspires Social Change – The Nomi Network Home Party

2011-03-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

In just one night, Jan, a working mom from the DC-Metro, raised over $1,300 dollars during her Nomi Network Home Party! Inspired by her Nomi sales receipt that simply asked if she would be interested in hosting a home party, she decided to throw one for her friends. Jan partnered with her next-door neighbor who then invited the entire block! 14 people showed up to her Nomi Home Party, and even those who could not attend placed product orders through Jan.

“Everyone bought something. We planned the party at a good gift giving time. We happened to do it as Christmas was approaching so people could purchase products as part of their gift giving. People bought stuff to give away to others. The discount was a great incentive in getting the guests introduced to Nomi Network’s products,” Jan explains.

“I found the products to be sturdy. Most totes can’t handle the weight. My friends are still using the products and so am I!”

Jan provided food and drinks for her guests just like she would at many of the other gatherings at her home. “I looked at it like a Tupperware party and I’ve been to other product parties in the past. We had refreshments and showed the video which was pretty powerful.”

“Women relate to women in that situation. They can only imagine how horrible it must be. There is a real heart of understanding. But if the products weren’t quality, my guests would not have bought that much. Otherwise, they would just give a contribution.”

“It was fun to help Nomi in a tangible way and to help the women in Cambodia in a tangible way. I am encouraged to know how little it takes to make a difference. If you are already having a gathering for people, it’s a good excuse to throw a party for a good cause.”

Her advice: “Just do it and don’t be afraid to ask people and don’t be offended if they don’t come. Two people throwing it together … broadens the horizon of people who are invited.”

Hosting a Nomi Home Party is easy, and a great way to have fun with your friends and family while supporting survivors of human trafficking and women at-risk of trafficking. Whether you’re hosting a small party or a large gathering of people, the goal is to raise awareness to the global pandemic of human trafficking and ultimately invite the audience to take action by purchasing a Nomi product - 100% of the profits are invested into job-training programs that provide women with a comprehensive package of fair wages, healthcare and accident insurance.

Nomi Network will send your choice of Nomi products along with our Home Party kit, which includes our informational DVD, a set of instructions and a product price sheet. You and your guests will receive 20% off all Nomi products! Plus, the host earns Nomi credit for every product sold, which can then be used towards purchasing Nomi Network merchandise.

If you are interested in hosting a Nomi Home Party, please contact Supei Liu at supei@nominetwork.org.

- Lisa Kim

Superbowl Superheroes: Airline Industry Fights Trafficking

2011-03-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Superbowl sits on its throne as the premier American ritual—reveling in athleticism, ambition, and teamwork. Yet over the years, a darker side has quietly bubbled up beneath public notice.

According to a recent Time article([1]), authorities obtained 24 children at last year’s Superbowl in Miami—many of whom were runaways and trafficked there specifically for the event. Additionally 100 prostitutes from outside the Miami-Dade county region were documented.

However, several groups have taken initiative to combat the sex trafficking trend at last year’s Superbowl. Among the many groups was Airline Ambassadors, a humanitarian aid non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Nancy Rivard.

Rivard is an American Airlines flight attendant. She noticed there was extra room in the overhead storage compartments, and envisioned the excess space going to good use: delivering medicine and other aid to global communities in need.

Airline Ambassadors has since expanded their mission, constructing two safehouses in Haiti and two more in progress Additionally, they’ve been called upon in two congressional hearings on human trafficking and the airline industry.

For the most recent Superbowl, Airline Ambassadors brought 10 experts to the Dallas-Fort Worth area— providing the very first training workshop on human trafficking and slavery. It was open to all members of the aviation industry who were interested in attending.

Over 60 employees of airlines like American, Quantas, United, several TSA officers, and members of the hotel industry attended the workshop. Responses from the attendees were uniformly positive, and several commented that they felt more confident about recognizing the signs of trafficking, as well as the proper reporting methods. Collaboration allowed airline professionals to brainstorm new ways for travel industry insiders to assist in the fight to end trafficking.

And a sign of the weekend’s success? Two young girls were rescued by the police thanks to the efforts of Airline Ambassadors.
[1] http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2046568,00.html

Nomi’s Fashion Corner: Listed

2011-03-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

I am a firm believer in lists. During the most stressful moments in my life I think I may have made lists in my sleep, and in the most productive moments of my life, I’ve taken great joy in triumphantly crossing all the items off one of my many lists. I have made to-do lists, gift lists, play lists, lists of things I love, lists of things I strongly dislike, lists of things I want to do before I die, lists of things I want to read, lists of things that I want to get better at, and even lists of things that I think I’m pretty good at already. You name it, I’ve probably listed it. So it was with great interest that I embarked on seeing what kind of comprehensive fashion blog lists already existed on the web. I was pleasantly surprised to find this list of 100 fashion blogs, curated by Customized Girl. When digging deeper, I was particularly fond of the blogs listed under Vintage and Thrift. For those of you who want to be fashionable, but don’t want to consume thoughtlessly, it can be a nice compromise to go this route and to give new life to gently used goods.

From Customized Girl: Their Vintage and Thrift List

“No, “Vintage” and “Thrift” aren’t the same, but both topics are hot at the moment. So we compiled this list of sites that are both vintage and that can be thrifty, or visa-versa. Many of the bloggers sell what they find through online store or on eBay, so you can share in their bounty!” In alpha order, check these out below:

I Spy, Thrift Eye: This is just a fun little site, authored by a woman who’s obsessed with thrift store finds and with matching them up with celeb fashion. You can visit this blogger at her eBay store, and you also can find her at Thrift Eye Traducido (en español).
Life of a Jersey Girl: Carol owns this blog and she also owns Dandelion Vintage Clothing, online since 1997. She sells vintage clothing, lingerie and accessories from the 1900s to the mid 1960s. Fresh vintage stock at very reasonable prices is added every Monday.
Lizzie’s Vintage Travel Journal: Lizzie writes about a nice collection of old fashion ads, fabrics, and clothing. Occasionally, she’ll offer something that she finds for sale. Or, she’ll just tease you with some perfect piece as she states that it’s hers and hers alone.
Lulu’s Vintage: “The Retro Retreat for the Fashion Elite,” is the motto here. You can view vintage delights and click to the online store where they’re for sale. Lulu carries some vintage items for sale as well, so you’ll have a great time if you’re into old and beautiful threads and patterns.
Sally Jane Vintage: Sally Jane offers vintage finds and original designs for sale at SallyJaneVintage.com. Her blog is a behind-the-scenes view on how she discovers her finds and how she puts them together.
Style Bytes: Outside of the incredible link list, this blog will keep you up on the author’s vintage finds as she models them herself. Yes, she wears her finds with style.
The Happy Hippie: Hippies aren’t dead. This blog might have fit under the ‘lifestyle’ category, but its retro theme carried it all the way to vintage.
The Thrifty Fashionista: “99 cent Flip Flops & a Louis Vuitton” is the attitude carried by this blogger. She loves stoop sales, lives for clothing swaps, and would like to make a living with shopping. When she does, we’ll move her to the “shopper” category.
The Vintage Society: The “Society Girl” entries are flattering and inspirational and the other blog entries cover everything you need to know about how to carry that vintage outfit off.
Vintage Style Files: After 20 years in the food industry, this blogger decided to open a vintage clothing business at Blue Velvet Vintage. This blog represents her lifelong love for vintage clothes.
Zuburbia: This blog features a Vintage Pick of the Day (VPOD), PLUS insights, tips and information for today’s current and future vintage fashionistas. She’ll also consider purchasing your vintage pieces.

photo courtesy of hongkiat.com

- Alissa Moore

Nomi’s Dance for Freedom Fundraiser a Success

2011-02-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

In an elegant dance studio in the heart of Manhattan’s Times Square, couples and friends gathered Saturday, February 12th to support Nomi Network and celebrate Valentine’s Day. Hosted by Dance Times Square, the evening was fired up with a salsa lesson given by choreographers from the hit show So You Think You Can Dance, Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin. Guests also got to see a spicy Latin ballroom dance performance by Vladimir Velev and Lily Kolman.

Warmed up and inspired, guests crowded the dance floor—eager to try out their new moves. Others mingled, sampling some of the decadent chocolate desserts and drinks from the open bar.

What happens when you combine salsa dancing, wine, and chocolate around Valentine’s Day? Well, it’s magical. But you’ll have to come to next year’s Dance-a-thon to experience it for yourself!

Thank you to everyone who came! We raised approximately $2,500 and we couldn’t have done it without you!

- Laura Daniels

Nomi's Fashion Corner: Of a Kind-ness

2011-01-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

Fashionistas, stand to attention! Keep tabs on the latest, up and coming fashion designers with the new on-line fashion tumblr, Of a Kind. They showcase and sell clothing and accessories that are innovative, beautiful, and not in the least bit mass produced. Each week features a new designer and up to 50 limited edition items, along with several inside-the-design-studio articles and interviews.

Limited edition items by featured designers go on-sale via their on-line store Wednesdays at 1pm EST. This week’s featured item is a La Pochette Wallet designed by Clare Vivier. Other designs and designers have included:

17 gorgeous polished rock and copper Geode Lariat Necklaces, designed by Erica Weiner
25 silk screen denim Trails Rucksaks, designed by Dusen Dusen
20 fuzzy, colorful All of A Kind Hats, designed by all knitwear (a Nomi Network favorite!)

But don’t take our word for it, go check out their picture packed tumblr for yourself and get inspired.

Quick tip: thanks to a little personal research, I happen to know that the fabulous folks at Of A Kind now have a gift certificate option—perfect for your fashion guru friends who seem to have everything.

- Alissa Moore

Adriene Jordan Directs Groundbreaking V-Day Production

2011-01-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

Nomi Network is partnering with The George Washington University Students Against Sexual Assault to produce this year's official Washington, DC production of V-Day DC “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer”. This groundbreaking collection of writings features pieces penned by renowned writers such as Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof, noted author Maya Angelou and Academy Award winning actor Jane Fonda. Our spring production will be staged in the nation’s capital at the downtown Jack Morton Auditorium from March 11-13^, 2011. Come support this V-Day event and its mission to generate broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls. All profits from the production will be donated to organizations such as V-Day, Nomi Network and Men Can Stop Rape.

Adriene Jordan, one of Nomi Network’s newest board members, will be directing our V-Day DC production. Ms. Jordan established Freedup Films, a television production company specializing in political, corporate and non-profit communications strategies. During the 2008 Presidential election season, Jordan joined the Obama Media Team. She co-produced Southside Girl, a short film about First Lady Michelle Obama aired just before she delivered her keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Ms. Jordan later co-produced American Stories; American Solutions- Candidate Barak Obama’s 30 minute special. She has served as a Producer for CBS Evening News in Washington, DC, a visiting lecturer at Georgetown University, Dartmouth College and the Close-Up Foundation and is a member of several professional organizations.

1.) You are one of Nomi Network's newest Board Members. What drew you to Nomi Network and why did you get involved?

What drew me to Nomi Network was word of mouth about the mission and the goals of Nomi. I first heard about Nomi from Caroline Okumu [Board Member], who attends the same church as myself, and Diana Mao [Co-Founder and President] when she lived in DC. When I met Diana I was really impressed by her passion and commitment to the mission of Nomi and the history that got her involved.

2) What is your career background? How has your experience inspired you to direct the V-Day DC 2011 Event?

I was a journalist. I worked as a Producer at CBS Evening News. Simultaneously, I pursued the creative aspect of telling stories with pictures by studying film and film directing. As my professional experience evolved into more creative storytelling, I was able to start my own film and television production company. With that, opportunities came my way where I could stretch myself into more challenging and creative arenas. Now, I have the confidence and the background to produce, direct, and create with talented actors and other storytellers.

3) What is your favorite thing about Nomi Network?
My favorite thing about Nomi Network is the unbridled commitment of its staff. Those young women’s passion and determination is contagious. Their efforts to advance the mission of Nomi Network are always 200% and that inspires me to contribute all that I have to help eradicate human trafficking.

4) You are an amazing career woman, balancing family life, an independent production company and planning a V-Day Event. How do you stay grounded in the midst of your schedule? Do you have any advice for other professional women who are trying to balance their family life and a career?
Prayer is the response to the first question and pray is my advice to the young women. Life keeps me grounded. Tending to the daily responsibilities of earning a living, parenting my two sons who are in college, nurturing relationships that are important to me, and staying active in my church, are the things that ground me. My advice to young women is: Cultivate a relationship with God in order be sensitive to His lead.

5) Which activist inspires you the most and why?
The First Lady, Michelle Obama. I don’t think she even sees herself as an activist but I love her commitment to her children, to her husband, to her family, to her friends, to the health of the nation’s children, and to military families who have endured so much. And she even makes time to work-out. I love her arms!

- Lisa Kim

Nomi Network Confirmed as Echoing Green Fellowship Semi-Finalist

2011-01-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

Barely half a month into the New Year and it’s already an incredibly happy one as Nomi Network has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Echoing Green Fellowship. Echoing Green, a non-profit organization that identifies tomorrow’s visionary social entrepreneurs and provides them with seed money to nurture their start-up organizations. In the past they have provided support to Wendy Kopp of Teach for America, Michael Brown of City Year, Mark Hanis of Genocide Intervention Network, and Karen Tse of International Bridges to Justice.

Echoing Green received a record 2,854 fellowship applications this year, and through an extremely competitive process only the 7% moved on to the semi final round. If Nomi Network is successful in securing this fellowship, Echoing Green would provide $60,000 in capital over two years for Nomi Network. Just as exciting would be access to additional support opportunities—such as conferences led by organizational development leaders, technical support, pro bono partnerships, and network of community of like-minded social entrepreneurs and public service leaders.

-Stanley Lee

Internship Experience Brings Awareness, Commitment, and Meaningful Change

2011-01-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

I learned about Nomi Network through my involvement with Columbia University’s InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Through our group’s social justice efforts, I was first exposed to the serious problem of human trafficking. It is infuriating that the experiences of these women and children have been ignored, unrepresented, and swept under the rug by many, including me. As my internship with Nomi Network comes to an end, I can reflect on the importance of awareness and how we all can and must play a role in fostering it. This whole time I have asked myself, “What can I, as a 21 year-old college student, do to make a dent in this enormous injustice?” I have learned that I can make a difference by informing my friends and family about this issue and encouraging others to get involved.

My internship duties included researching potential donors and fundraising opportunities. Through this, I learned a lot about different organizations and people who are dedicated to philanthropic giving. I also consulted with university bookstores regarding placement of Nomi Network’s products that are so beautifully made by Cambodian women. This project is still in progress as Nomi Network is always looking to expand the venues and places where its products can be sold. Another part of my internship has been brainstorming for the organization and execution of the monthly Nomi wires. Nomi Network is looking to extend its presence on the Internet, in order to spread awareness and inspire others to get involved in the abolitionist movement with us.

Nomi Network goes beyond awareness. Its leaders, donors, and volunteers are committed to bringing long-lasting and meaningful changes to the lives of victims of human trafficking and at risk women in Cambodia. During my internship, I had the wonderful experience of meeting weekly with Vice President Alissa Moore or President Diana Mao. My relationship with them was one of the most invaluable and unforgettable parts of my internship. They are both intelligent and inspiring women and I have been so blessed to know them and to share my life, goals, and passions with them. They have both shown me so much commitment to my development, my future, and my involvement in the abolitionist movement. Even though I came to them as an utter amateur regarding human trafficking, fashion, and the private sector, they both took the time out of their already-booked schedules to guide me and help me learn about the work done by Nomi Network. I now have a clear understanding of how Nomi Network seeks to engage and utilize the private sector in order to provide an abundant and meaningful life for as many women and children as possible. Nomi Network has so acutely targeted the roots of the human trafficking problem, and has dedicated its efforts to build and rebuild lives that it will sustain, liberate, and satisfy Cambodian women, children, and families.

I must admit that I’m unsure about how I will be involved in the abolitionist movement in the future. I do know, however, that Nomi Network will forever have a special place in my heart, and I will continue to be a volunteer and supporter. I know that God has led me to Nomi Network, and will continue to call me to organizations that are dedicated to serving His people, and fighting for true liberation and long-lasting change. Regardless of where life takes me, all of the human trafficking victims will forever be in my heart and mind, and will inspire me to act.

-Joy Harrison

Valentine’s Day Dance Charity Event

2011-01-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

Nomi Network offers another fantastic evening of dancing and drinking this Valentine’s Day weekend with their upcoming event: Dance for Freedom. Nomi supporters and volunteers will gather at Dance Times Square, NYC’s premier Latin and Ballroom dance studio on Saturday, February 12th from 7-10PM. It will be a night of dancing, desserts, and sparkling beverages—and all proceeds will go towards Nomi Network’s global anti-trafficking efforts.

Enjoy a professional dance lesson with So You Think You Can Dance? choreographers and Times Square Dance founders, Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. Watch as they give a live demonstration of dance moves from the rumba, salsa, swing, and the waltz.

Nomi Co-Founder and Vice President Alissa Moore says, "Our annual dance fundraiser is one of my favorite Nomi gatherings of the year and this year's Dance for Freedom event is going to be a blast! Everybody should feel welcome to come, even those with no dance experience. There will be lots of opportunities to learn some new moves from professional dance instructors, meet a dance partner or two, and schmooze with other passionate activists. We're also super excited to have Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin join us for the evening - they are truly giants in the dance world!"

Food and beverage items are being generously donated for this event. If you or your company would like to make a financial contribution to the Nomi Network Valentine’s Day Dance Charity Event Day please contact Kala Burst, our Event Point Person at Kala@nominetwork.org.

No dance partner is required but please invite all of your friends and advocates! Tickets for Nomi Network Members are $15, to become a member CLICK HERE. Online-tickets will be discounted at $20 and will soon be available for purchase at www.nominetwork.org. Tickets at the door will be available for $25.

Raaka Chocolate Ensures Ethically Sourced Beans and Quality Taste

2011-01-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

Nomi Network was awarded the 2010 Classy Award for Small Charity of the Year—and every month we’ll be featuring a local business we’re proud to support. Why? Because their fair and ethical business practices define classy. Up this month: Brooklyn-based Raaka Chocolate.

Raaka Chocolate doesn’t create candy bars—they create experiences. Available in flavors like Dark with Sea Salt and Vanilla Rooibos, their chocolate bars will make you close your eyes and savor the taste. To say the least, they’re delicious.

And what’s more, Raaka is guided by three simple but elegant values: ethical trade, respect for the environment, and philanthropy.

They source their beans from a small co op in the Dominican Republic, ensuring farmers receiving premiums for their beans
Their packaging uses 100% post-consumer recycled, chlorine free processed paper that was made from wind-generated energy
They donate 2% of its annual profits to the World Cocoa Federation, which supports cocoa farmers and their families

Raaka has stepped up and filled a void in conscious consumerism, as many high-end chocolatiers cannot be accountable for slave-free beans. Additionally, Raaka has modest roots in the local community, with a small bean-to-bar operation based out of Brooklyn, New York. Learn more about their delicious, ethically produced chocolate at http://www.raakachocolate.com/values/

Nomi Network Sets Ambitious Goals for 2011

2011-01-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome back and happy new year! As 2011 kicks off, we at Nomi Network wanted to share our goals and resolutions for another successful year. Thank you again for your continued support and be sure to come back often—we’ll be posting more regularly throughout the new year!

Nomi Goals:

Create 100 jobs for survivors of human trafficking
Improve Nomi's e-commerce website to make it more interactive
Sell A LOT of products (and we mean A LOT)
Secure funding for various training programs
Visit Nomi in Cambodia
Win the Classy Awards again
Amp up our online presence and post on the blog more regularly

How are your own resolutions going? Do you have goals you’d like to suggest for us? Feel free to leave us comments or questions below.

Welcome Rhoda Belleza, Nomi Wire’s new Editor-in-Chief!

2011-01-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Nomi Network welcomes Rhoda Belleza as the new Editor-in-Chief. She first learned about Nomi Network through co-founder Diana Mao and volunteer Joyce Guinto, and was inspired to leverage her background in communication to empower survivors of sex trafficking.

She recently moved to New York from Seattle, she worked for the YWCA as a writing instructor for homeless youth. Rhoda worked closely with case managers to recruit and employ homeless youth while encouraging them to explore writing as a creative expression outlet. Ever passionate about writing, she joins the Nomi Network team in hopes of strengthening our online presence. Nomi Wire writers are excited to have her on board and use this experience as an opportunity to refine their own writing skills.

Farewell Amy Arden, Nomi Wire Editor-in-Chief!

2010-11-30T19:12:00.001-08:00

Amy served as the Nomi Wire editor for nearly a year and now she is off to a new adventure.

1) You are starting your masters degree, how exciting! Where are you moving?

Literacy and education, especially for women and girls, have always been issues close to my heart. I've started a master's in education program at Montana State University in Bozeman to prepare for a career shift to education. As far as MSU - I visited Bozeman this summer and absolutely fell in love with the town!

2) How long did you serve as editor-in-chief of the Nomi wire and what do you think was accomplished in way of sharing what Nomi is doing with the public during your term?

I served as the Nomi Wire editor for nearly a year, from January to October 2010. One of my goals as a Nomi volunteer was to find tools that would help us share our work more frequently and consistently, and the Wire helped us to do that. Regular updates to our supporters help keep our work fresh and relevant, and it is also an effective way to publicize the larger abolition movement by sharing anti-trafficking news, events, and legislation updates as well. Feedback on the Wire has been very positive.

3) What sparked your passion to volunteer for Nomi? Any specific experiences that led to your interest for fighting human trafficking?

I've always been interested in social justice issues and after hearing Diana Mao speak in Washington in the Fall of 2009 I was very impressed by Nomi's vision and sustainable model. I knew right away I wanted to get involved and use my communications background to support Nomi's work!

4) What challenges do you see that Nomi, and other non-profits like Nomi, face when sharing their message with the public? What are some next steps that Nomi can be doing to continue to build their message?

With so many organizations vying for public attention, I think differentiation is key. Nonprofits, just like for-profit organizations, need to focus on what makes them unique and what they bring to the table that other organizations don't. I think Nomi had done a great job by paying careful attention to their brand and making sure that everything from our logo to messaging is tied into that brand. Nomi had also excelled at creating a special relationship between the fashion industry and human rights advocates. For next steps, I think we need to keep finding partnerships and opportunities that will raise the organization's profile even more. Our recent Classy Award is fantastic and definitely a step in that direction!

5) What advice would you give to the next editor-in-chief of the Nomi wire?

Don't panic! More seriously, the Nomi Wire is not a one-person job. I'm grateful to Diana and Alissa for always being so willing to contribute, as well as to our team of writers. It really is a shared effort. So be creative, be collaborative, and have fun with it!

By: Don Torrance

NOMI NETWORK AROUND THE CAMPUS, AROUND THE WORLD

2010-11-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Diana Mao, President and Co-Founder of Nomi Network, was invited to speak on a panel for Net Impact’s 5^th Annual Social Responsibility Forum on November 12th and 13th at IE University. IE University is a private university world-renowned, highly ranked Business School in Madrid.

“The Progressing Social Economies" panelists explored how businesses create social change and how social change creates new business opportunities from an entrepreneur’s, business/social change expert’s and investor’s perspective. Diana Mao provided an entrepreneurial view of how Nomi Network works to bring positive change within the Cambodian economic system, which has very damaging consequences for its women. Through Nomi’s social entrepreneurial model, she showed how education and economic opportunity empowers women to escape sexual slavery and make positive contributions to society,” said IE Business School student, Elizabeth Painter. Students were very engaged and asked thought provoking questions about Nomi Network’s unique model of job creation in an economy that traditionally lacks employment opportunities. In addition, they asked practical questions about how they could start social enterprises of their own.

Net Impact’s goal of being a global network of leaders changing the world through business meshes perfectly with Nomi Network’s aim of leveraging the marketplace to end slavery. The conference theme of “Leading To The Next Big Thing” could not have been more appropriate. Keynote speakers for the conference included polar explorer Sir Robert Charles Swann, Philip Armstrong, Head of Global Corporate Governance Forum in Washington D.C., the Reverend Karen Tse, CEO of International Bridges to Justice, Joshua Ramo, the youngest to ever be Managing Director at Kissinger Associates and visionary entrepreneurs, Wendy Luhabe and Hans Reitz.

Back across the pond, Alissa Moore spoke at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey’s Intervarsity Christian Fellowship about the integration of faith and justice to eager young minds. Rather than indulging in Thirsty Thursday’s festivities, on October 14^th, 80 New Jersey Rutgers Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and RU-Pride Gay Community students gathered for a social justice meeting to learn how they can change the world. The evening’s keynote speaker, Alissa Moore, an Inter-Varsity alum and Nomi Network’s Vice President, shared her personal testimony and the inspiration behind Nomi’s mission to end sexual trafficking. Her story, along with Nomi’s story, the 8-year old girl who prompted the creation of the social enterprise, challenged the students to see the hope that can arise from the ashes of desolation.

Alissa’s candid reflection and remorse for Rutgers University’s recent loss of a student, who committed suicide, also encouraged students to live to make a difference for someone in need. After the program ended, students eagerly asked how they could get involved in anti-human trafficking efforts. The night grossed the largest amount in bag sales at any single event, and students also donated over $300 to Nomi Network. We believe that these future leaders will continue to make a difference.

By Stanley Lee and Lisa Kim

2010-11-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

Nomi Network Secured an $8,500 Matching Grant for our 2010 Holiday Campaign!!!

Will you help Nomi Network finish this year strong? We invite you to make a tax-deductible donation to Nomi Network by December 31^st 2010 so your gift will have double the impact.

This Holiday Season, we celebrate Nomi's success. Nomi is a young Cambodian survivor of sex trafficking, who befriended Nomi Network's Co-founders, two years ago.

Past: Nomi's family was deeply impoverished. She was abused and raped by her father, who later forced Nomi to support his alcohol addiction. Due to her traumatic experiences, Nomi developed a mental disability. She currently lives at our partner organization's rehabilitation center. Unlike the other girls who transition out of the rehabilitation center, Nomi may need to remain there permanently.

Present: Nomi has learned social skills over the past several years and is now less aggressive, making it possible for her to live peacefully in a dormitory with other girls. She has learned how to get ready in the morning by herself, and can even do her own laundry. Nomi has a poor memory but she is determined to improve her studies and wants to learn Khmer, English, and other subjects. In her spare time, she genuinely enjoys learning how to sew.

Future: Nomi Network is developing a training and internship program for girls like Nomi to learn art, fashion, and sewing skills. We believe survivors and women at-risk to human trafficking should have the opportunity to develop vocational skills that will give them a head start in advancing their future.

Invest in their future - Nomi Network has the ambitious goal of aiding 100,000 women by 2020! Nomi Network's plans to start working in India in 2011 marks a significant step towards reaching our goal. Please consider supporting our work with victims of human trafficking by d onating today.

Riding for Freedom

2010-11-29T19:38:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of October I had the opportunity to reconnect with a former Nomi Network intern, Kaylin Linneman. The day prior to our rendezvous, she and a group of 7 other individuals had arrived in New York City by bike for a fundraising effort they called Ride for 146, to Freedom For Freedom. They started in Indianapolis, IN and collectively rode 900 miles, arriving eight days later at their final destination, the Statue of Liberty.

I met with Kaylin and her team on a bright and brilliant autumn day, and memories of the fall prior came flooding back the moment I saw the familiar face appear at the revolving door of my office building in the bustling Manhattan fashion district. Almost a year ago, to the date, we had launched the first annual Freedom Week NYC together. I had spent countless hours as a co-producer sewing into that first week of awareness raising events taking place on college campuses, in public spaces, and local galleries, aiming to raise awareness and allowing anti-trafficking groups from all over NYC to come together and connect with potential audiences and volunteers. I was assisted by a group of faithful interns, one of whom was Kaylin, and was constantly buoyed by their enthusiasm and support. Many of our first Freedom Week meetings took place in that very same office building lobby, and although she had moved to Indiana soon after the week of events was launched, we had remained in touch.

Now, just in time for the second annual Freedom Week, I watched as she ushered 14 plus people into the building, including fellow bike riders, family who had come to celebrate their accomplishment, and members of their support car, which rode with them for first aid and re-supply purposes.

After greeting the entire group, I sat down with Amanda Bocik, Cary Teeple and Kaylin who gave me the details of their trip. The group had created two teams of bikers that traded off throughout each day’s ride, spending up to 8 hour daily on their bikes in order to complete the trip in their designated timeframe. They broke the trip up based on topography, averaging 150 miles a day on flat stretches, and around 90 miles a day in mountainous regions. The group was comprised mostly of novice bikers who had never had never completed a stamina-based bike ride before and had trained diligently for on average 28 weeks before embarking on the journey.

When asked what inspired the trip, Amanda shared that she had learned about trafficking seven years ago while attending Lee University for her undergraduate degree. She has shared the shocking humanitarian issue with her family while visiting home and since then, her family had found a way to demonstrate their outrage annually in some sort of awareness raising activity. Cary, Amanda’s father, had also become an avid abolitionist, and shared that this year he had a deep desire to do something that was a physical and emotional sacrifice. He decided on a bike ride, and soon after Amanda and her husband, Adam joined the effort, with the team growing from there.

The group quickly saw the potential of turning this experience into a fundraiser to support a specific anti-trafficking effort. They decided to donate the proceeds to Love 146 after discovering that all of the things they would have wanted to incorporated in a safe house were represented in the ones that this organization supports in South East Asia. In addition to the sacrifice of time that went into training for the ride itself, the team pulled together seven different events, from art shows to raffles, in order to raise approximately $10,000 for the organization.

As our conversation came to a close, Cary passionately shared some of the stories of the girls who were currently being housed in Love 146’s facilities that he had committed to memory. He reminded me of how hope had disappeared for many young victims as they found themselves trafficked, not just once, but multiple times, sometimes by the hands of individuals who had offered to help them escape their initial abusers. But action, like this bike ride was a concrete way to show those girls who had finally escaped that they had not been forgotten. In recognition of the ride, Rob Morris, a founder of Love 146, called the team to thank them for their efforts. He shared that when he told the girls in one of the safe houses about the Ride for 146 they couldn’t understand why people they had never met would do something just for them.

The Ride for 146 team actively demonstrated their solidarity with survivors of trafficking. The longer that I work with other anti-trafficking organization and the people that support them, the more I understand the human heart’s capacity for empathy and the creative capacity everyone has within themselves to demonstrate to a survivor their worth and beauty.

By Alissa Moore

Spotlight Stephen Bauer - From Father to Father

2010-11-29T19:11:00.001-08:00

How did you first learn about the human trafficking issue, and what was your reaction?

I am sure that I had heard of human trafficking before, but in January of 2009, I read an article by Nicholas Kristof, of the New York Times, about girls being forced to work as prostitutes in Cambodia. He described it not as an isolated case, but an evil, ongoing practice involving thousands of children who, besides being raped multiple times per day, were sometimes beaten, drugged, starved, and tortured. My reaction was that this was an outrageous moral offense and a crime against humanity. I do not know how the good people of the world can sit by and allow this situation to exist. I emailed the Kristof article to a number of friends urging them to raise their consciousness about this. To my surprise, Alice Chang replied saying, “Hey, did you know that my roommate Diana was an anti-human trafficking activist and that she is in the process of starting a non-profit organization to fight sex-trafficking Cambodia?”

You have been a strong contributor to Nomi Network's efforts. What motivates you to be a part of this team?

I have always had the desire to work for social justice but never found a convenient opportunity. The fact that I am getting older gave me a sense of urgency—that I had to do something while I was still physically and mentally able to do so. I want to be able to say that I tried to help make the world a better place.

When I discovered Nomi Network, I had just completed a Master’s Degree in Management that was focused on the non-profit sector. As I was finishing my Masters, I had decided to keep an eye out for a volunteer opportunity with a non-profit with which I might be able to work full-time after I retire from my day job.

When I found out about Nomi Network, I saw that it was a particularly good opportunity. With a startup, you can get involved in things that you would never be able to in a large, established organization. I also thought that I would be able to use or at least observe some of the things from my master’s program that I would not be able to on my day job. In fact, everything that I have done with Nomi Network has helped me to broaden my skills, knowledge, and experience.

My day job is in an industry where money and power count for everything. With Nomi Network it is a joy to be able to work with people in an organization where everyone is intrinsically motivated and where we are all working for something transcendent, something beyond money and power.

You are very involved in Nomi Network and are continuously conducting research on human rights. What do you do for a living?

I do computer systems administration for a global financial institution. For most of my career I have been a hands-on technical person—first an application programmer, then a systems administrator, and now a manager of other systems administrators. I have two people working for me. I have had as many as four. I am trying to make a transition from being a successful individual contributor to being a successful manager. I like to think that I find the time for Nomi Network by not watching sports on T.V.

Given your experiences with Nomi Network, if you were given $1,000,000 how would you allocate the funds to end sex-trafficking?

With most problems, there are two aspects, the immediate crisis, and the root cause. We have to address both. One million dollars is not a lot of money. I would use the money in a small region, such as Cambodia, where it could make a difference in such a way as to set a precedent to change the society permanently. The needs of the victims are obvious. To eradicate the root causes is a much bigger problem.

One of the root causes of human trafficking is poverty. Literacy is the fundamental element for economic empowerment and the prevention of poverty. I would use the money to build and improve schools in the poorest rural regions of Cambodia as well as in the neighborhoods in Phnom Penh where sex trafficking is most common. Cambodia has a very high dropout rate among girls because many schools do not have bathrooms for girls. We need bathrooms and sanitary supplies for girls. In school, I would also provide free breakfast. Malnutrition is common in Cambodia. Yet, by Western standards, the cost of food is mere pennies. Providing breakfast is an added incentive for parents to send their children to school.

Another aspect of education in Cambodia that needs to be addressed is that the salaries of school teachers are so low that it does not meet even their basic needs. It forces teachers to find other ways of supplementing their income. If teacher salaries were boosted to a living wage, it would allow them to focus on education, and it would draw more qualified people into the profession. The entire country would benefit.

However, I think it is important to point out that money alone is not a guarantee of success of any social initiative. Projects where large organizations suddenly arrive with money and resources, complete a project, and then leave, frequently fail in the long run. The key to making something like this work is to first build relationships with the community and get the buy-in and support of the local leaders, parents, and school teachers. If they feel that they have influence in building the school the way they want, that it meets their needs, and that it is their school, then they will support it wholeheartedly, and it will be successful.

How has being a father influenced your views on child sex trafficking?

I don’t think being a father has affected my views on child sex trafficking as much as my own upbringing. My parents and grandparents lived for their children--they sacrificed their own comfort and material well-being for the benefit of their children. My parents were very strict, and I was overprotected. However, I had the freedom to be a child. Every child in the world should have the freedom to be a child.

What's your favorite experience with Nomi Network?

My favorite experience at Nomi has simply been the honor and privilege of being able to work with others who are selfless, and committed heart and soul to making the world a better place. On a more specific note, one of the things that I have done at Nomi Network has been to reach out to people outside the organization, for purposes of networking and assistance. Previously, I would have thought that I could never do such a thing. Yet, I have done it successfully, and I find that amazing. I also like the interviews that I have done for the Nomi Wire and Nomi blog.

What is your advice for those who are interested in getting involved with anti-human trafficking efforts?

As with any commitment, to be successful to some extent, you have to know who you are and what your values are. Understand what it is that you desire. Do the proper discernment if you have to. After that, plunge in! It doesn’t matter what you do to start. Do anything to get your feet wet. Your experience will tell you whether you made the right choice. Whatever you do to start, you will eventually find the right niche for yourself. And no matter what your experience is, you will grow as a human being.

Incidentally, I am very aware of the fact that I am at a different place along the journey of life than most of the others in Nomi Network. I believe that every person has a different path in life. Everyone has talents, including ones yet to be discovered. No one should judge themselves as inadequate. If you have the desire to help, then act on it.

By: Lisa Kim

An Interview with Theary Seng, on Sex Trafficking in Cambodia

2010-10-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

Theary C. Seng is a former child refugee from the Khmer Rouge. She went on to become an attorney in the U.S. but has since returned to her place of birth in order to work full-time for human rights and social justice for her fellow Khmers. To learn more about her, see Nomi Network's, A Profile of Theary Seng, Cambodian Human Rights Activist.

Q. We know that you are involved with all of the human rights issues in Cambodia, especially with regard to trying to achieve justice for the victims of the Khmer Rouge. We at Nomi Network applaud your efforts. As an anti-sex trafficking organization, we would like to get your perspective on human trafficking in Cambodia.

I used to live on the riverfront in the heart of the respectable tourist sites of the palace, the national museum and high-end Western restaurants. But here also you find the sex traffickers roaming freely and openly preying on the young children or carousing with them in the open bars and public gardens. Here, it is an open hidden criminal enterprise as the problems run so wide and deep soiling even respectable spaces with their presence and activities. Cambodia is a safe haven for these criminals and sadists who not only exploit the bodies but also the souls and dignity of vulnerable young children and other human beings. Why? Easy profits with impunity because of the lax, corrupt law enforcement and many times the collusion with certain powerful individuals in law enforcement, military and government who profit from the trade.

It is not uncommon for me to hear stories from waitresses who would point out suspicious looking men here and there, each with two or three young girls around him sitting at a table near me in a respectable local hang out on the riverfront, detailing the patterns, frequency and behavior at their establishments. I would sit listening helplessly.

You cannot live in Cambodia and escape the trafficking problems, especially sex trafficking; you only need to open the local or English newspapers, listen to the Radio Free Asia, VOA or one of the other few broadcasts, pass along the riverfront and the myriads of karaoke/girly bars, or have a long enough conversation with another person, and the issues will bound to rise, many times discussed with resignation, nonchalance and only at times with a visceral disgust.

This is just surface observation. There’s a hellish underbelly to the night life that I am not even close to understanding, with all the 40-plus girly bars frequented by the foreigners and the countless karaoke salons and beer gardens frequented by the locals. They are already audacious in the broad daylight. What hell must go on behind those doors under the cover of night?

This modern slavery, whereby a PERSON is under the control of another and is treated as a chattel, with no pay or only the basic minimal subsistence includes not only sex trafficking involving girls and women but also includes forced labor among the children and the men. These problems run rampant here as well. People are kept as things, as objects and worked in the harshest conditions with effectively no pay to ever get out of this condition.

Q. We know that you and your entire family, along with millions of others, were used as slave labor by the Khmer Rouge during that period. Apart from driving Cambodia into abject poverty, which is a root cause of human trafficking, what impact, if any, did the Khmer Rouge have on either sex-trafficking, sexual violence, or prostitution?

The Khmer Rouge imprinted a destructive mentality upon us. A destructive mentality of impunity. A destructive mentality of helplessness. A destructive mentality of amorality where no longer our conscience pricks us of guilt. A destructive mentality of violence. A destructive mentality of dehumanizing another into objects. A destructive mentality of exploitation, of lack of accountability. This is why parents can sell their own children and not feel. Sexual violence occured during the Khmer Rouge years, but not to this degree. Prostitution did not exist during the Khmer Rouge years. The Khmer Rouge legacy is one of a dark mentality rather than one specific sexual or violent acts. The acts are only symptoms of something more diabolical.

Q. Since your return to Cambodia are you able to tell if the human trafficking situation in Cambodia is getting better or worse?

My first direct encounter with trafficking occurred in late 1995; I have at once a vivid and surreal/dreamlike memory of the crime. I was with a group of other volunteers going out in the late evening for fruit shakes on the circle of the Independence Monument. All of a sudden from nowhere, a woman ran wildly into our midst incoherently, wildly flailing for help. A few seconds later a man came screaming obscenity and waving a gun. Another Cambodian-American friend and I reflexively wrapped our bodies around hers to shield her away from the man who was screaming that she belonged to him using the most vulgar language. After what seemed like at least 20 minutes of surreal encounters of heated exchange and when he realized we weren’t going to let her go despite his violent threats, he moved away with the threat that he’ll find her yet.

This is the most direct and dramatic encounter I’ve had, but the situation now is a thousand times worse because of the porous borders, increased tourism, the obscene infusion of money involved and not available before, the increased inequity between the small elite and the poor majority, between rural poor and the urban rich, unemployment especially among a population of 14 million where half are under 20 years old, lack of education among a very traumatized population, and other social upheavals.

Q. In your work in Cambodia, have you or any of your organizations dealt with the issue of human trafficking, either of labor, sex, or other forms of trafficking?

I used to be very involved with the labor movement when it was just starting in 1997, but now my human rights work focuses mainly on education, justice and reconciliation as they relate to the Khmer Rouge years and to the KR Tribunal. My interest in the trafficking problems now is more a personal undertaking rather than regular professional involvement. How can I not be concerned especially as a fellow Cambodian woman? Their dignity is my dignity. The assault against them is an assault against me.

Q. What do you think can be done to help victims of sex trafficking, and what do you think can be done to eradicate sex trafficking permanently?

Effective law enforcement combined with education, employment and greater vigilance and concern by everyone in the community.

Q. In the various efforts in Cambodia to eliminate sex trafficking, do you see any gaps in the efforts of the organizations that are fighting it?

The human rights problems in Cambodia are so widespread and persistent; the trafficking issue is only one in a sea of problems. Everyone in civil society is stretched thin in terms of energy and resources. This said, however, better coordination could be had generally and more so with the courts and law enforcement. We tend to focus on the problems of the foreign perpetrators, but the larger problem is homegrown; it’s Cambodian men who are abusing their own; it’s the parents who are abusing their own; it’s the corrupt law enforcement officials and military who are abusing their own. We need to own up this very hard fact and be accountable.

Q. Are there any historical, cultural or gender issues that are specific to either Cambodia or the greater Mekong region that might be contributing to human trafficking? If so, what can be done about them?

Cambodian men believe that sleeping with virgins will give them virility, the younger the girl the better, especially with the fear of AIDS.

The problems in Vietnam and Thailand started with the Vietnam War and the large population of young soldiers; they persist with increased tourism again introduced to the region by the war.

The problems in Cambodia started with the presence of 24,000 UN soldiers and the problems persisted and stayed with increased tourism and the greater flush of money flowing through Cambodia since.

Q. Does the Cambodian government take human trafficking seriously enough? Prostitution is against the law in Cambodia. Do you think that there will ever be respect for and prosecution of the law, and what will it take to achieve that?

The Cambodian government can do so much more to combat trafficking in terms of education, law enforcement, and prosecution in the immediate term. The problem here is that some very power military and government officials are deeply involved in the trafficking syndicates, and they are untouched by the law and punishment.

The government is woefully inept in tackling the root causes of trafficking such as education, employment, legal and judicial reform, containing the military to be under the powers of the three branches of government, corruption etc.

Q. We know that serious problems like sex trafficking do not exist in isolation. Do you care to talk comment about the relationship between human trafficking and either other human rights abuses or unjust social conditions in Cambodia?

Trafficking is a serious symptom of the larger societal problems plaguing Cambodia: impunity, lack of education, trauma, unemployment, etc. The problem is one of mentality: the mentality of fear, of repression, of censorship.

- Stephen M. Bauer

A Profile of Theary Seng, Cambodian Human Rights Activist

2010-10-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

Theary C. Seng is an American-Cambodian attorney and activist now living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She was born in Phnom Penh in 1971 and lived under the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979. In 1980, she and her family immigrated to the United States. In 2004, she chose to return to Cambodia permanently.

In Cambodia, Theary founded the Center for Justice and Reconciliation, a non-profit organization that seeks justice for the victims of the Khmer Rouge. She is also a founding director of CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education, an organization designed to teach Cambodian citizens about civil rights, law, and government. She lobbies and speaks often about the major social issues in Cambodia which include human rights, poverty, education, land grabbing, government corruption, and human trafficking.

The Khmer Rouge regime was responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians, almost twenty percent of the population of the country at the time. The Khmer Rouge army gained control of Cambodia in 1975. The Khmer Rouge forced all of the residents of the cities to evacuate to the countryside, to become slave labor in collectivist villages. The Khmer Rouge arbitrarily killed anyone they didn’t like, including the systemic executing of everyone who was educated or had foreign influences.

Theary Seng and her family witnessed the full extent of the horror. While she and her family were evacuating Phnom Penh, Theary’s father decided to make a trip back to the city to get more food. He was never seen again. Sometime later, Theary, her mother and a brother were imprisoned for several months, where, one morning, brother and sister woke-up to discover that while they were sleeping, their mother had been taken away to be killed. Throughout the entire period, in both the collectives and the prison, families and individuals were being taken away and killed on a regular basis. Food, clothing, housing, and medical care were scarce. Everywhere, people were tortured, worked, and starved to death. Theary Seng's extended family of grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and brothers became refugees in their own country. At first they tried to seek refuge in Vietnam, but that proved too risky. They along with groups of other refugees decided to escape into Thailand. But Thai soldiers forced them at gunpoint to march back into Cambodia on a narrow path through a valley that was heavily mined. If anyone refused, was too tired, or lagged behind, the Thai soldiers simply shot them on the spot.

In 1979, Theary and her surviving extended family members were able to successfully cross the Thai border at another location and arrive at a refugee camp. After a year, they were accepted as refugees in the United States. Theary went on to graduate from Georgetown University in 1995, from the University of Michigan Law School in 2000, and is a member of the bar in New York State.

In 2005, Theary published a memoir titled, Daughter of the Killing Fields, incorporating historical sources, her own childhood memories and feelings, as well as the recollections of her family and others. As a young refugee in the United States, Theary became a Christian, and she attributes her sense of social obligation--of a need to give back--to her Cambodian past, combined with her Christian faith. As a law student and a lawyer Theary had gone back to Cambodia several times as a volunteer to assist with various human rights projects. In 2004, she moved to Cambodia permanently, with the initial intention of working on labor issues. But eventually the scope of her attention shifted and expanded to seeking justice for the survivors of the Khmer Rouge. She has been an influential public figure in the efforts to bring the former leaders of the Khmer Rouge to trial. Moreover, Theary frequently writes and speaks about what is needed for the Cambodian nation to recover from that evil regime. She has published articles regularly in Cambodia Daily, the Phnom Penh Post, and Ki-Media, She is also the co-host of a Cambodian T.V. show called, Youth Leadership Challenge.

After the Khmer Rouge had killed her parents her parents, Theary became the beneficiary of the unconditional love of her extended family of grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and her four brothers. After many years of healing of healing in the U.S., she was able to emerge from the experience with her humanity and her emotional health intact. Unfortunately that has not been the case for numerous other survivors. The Khmer Rouge years have scarred the psyche of millions of Cambodians and left them with a legacy of domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, hyper-vigilance, and social dysfunction that permeates their society.

In an interview, Theary said, "My work here is not to do anything big but to be a common citizen back in my homeland where I suffered a lot, and now I'm taking that suffering and shaping it into hope, and trying to work with individuals who have not had the time and space to heal that I've had.”

Besides the killings and abuse, the Khmer Rouge destroyed all of the commercial and education institutions in the country, leaving it as the poorest country in the world. In Daughter of the Killing Fields, she said: “I continue to mourn the loss of lives due to the Khmer Rouge. Today, I also mourn the loss of human potential. How many Khmer Mozarts, Einsteins and da Vincis will never be realized because there are no infrastructures to encourage and absorb a Khmer child’s potential? I mourn when I meet a little girl on the street begging. I see my face in her face. The only difference between us is in our opportunities. At one point in my life, an opportunity existed which led to other opportunities that nurtured and encouraged my budding potential. In this little girl’s situation, in light of the current infrastructure and framework, the odds are stacked against her.”

Theary Seng's own childhood story was a victory of hope over persecution, suffering and evil. Theary could have chosen to remain in the United States and pursue a career as an attorney, while living a life of comfort and affluence. Instead, she has chosen to work to inspire hope in her fellow Cambodians, to lead them to a vision of justice, human dignity, and triumph over adversity.

Also see Nomi Network's, An Interview with Theary Seng, on Sex-Trafficking in Cambodia

- Stephen M. Bauer

Haute Totes: Eco-Fashion Enters into a New Phase

2010-10-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

Nomi Network’s Fall Collection showcases our ambition to fight slavery with everyday luxuries. Our newest products cater to the consumer culture’s fascination with the latest trends while providing the purchaser with a chance to do some serious good.

There is nothing mediocre about this collection-its charm is in the unabashedly way it transforms recycled rice-paper material into a chic accessory. Finessed with stylish shapes and bold colors, our Fall Line unveils our newest revolution in eco-fashion: luxe quilting. The posh, diamond-shaped pattern gives each bag a designer touch, and elevates cause-based products into extraordinary designs.

Nomi’s Fall Collection offers a multitude of new choices that cater to your lifestyle. Our quilted cross-body bucket bag is large enough to hold a laptop or work portfolio and comfortable enough to navigate you through your daily commute. The mini cross-body purse is a must-have for any season, and conveniently morphs into a clutch. Both bags are splashed with iconic images of fish that are reminiscent of Southeast Asia, where our work is based. Our convertible handbag includes a removable shoulder strap and comes in vibrant, two-tone colors. Our unisex messenger, equipped with an adjustable shoulder strap, front flap with two-buckle closure, and exterior zip pocket, is the new utilitarian carryall. Although this is the only bag in the collection without the textured quilting, each bag’s solid blue exterior is constructed from a different patch of Vietnamese block letters on the recycled rice-paper material, making it a truly one-of-a-kind item. The collection also debuts our laptop sleeves with our plush quilted exterior that provides extra protection for your computer and comes in two sizes that fit a 13’’ or 15’’ Mac and PC, our new colorful collection of cosmetic bags that can also carry art supplies, accessories and other tools, and our clever little flip wallet that is ideal for the minimalist. Every fall bag has a black interior lining with interior zip compartments and extra slip pockets that neatly tuck away your essentials.

Each bag is still made in Cambodia at a facility that provides job opportunities for survivors of sex-trafficking and women at-risk. However, the creative credentials come from New York, where Nomi’s team of volunteers labors obsessively to create the perfect products to meet the everyday needs of fashion-conscious, socially-aware consumers. Our signature label, “Buy Her Bag, Not Her Body” is embedded on every bag as a constant reminder that your purchase helps restore a life. We want our supporters to feel comfortable and confident wearing our products, and we proudly present our brand-new look with the same passion to end sexual slavery.

Visit www.buyherbagnotherbody.com to purchase our new array of items. Your purchase doesn't just look good, but does good for the world's most vulnerable women.

~Lisa Kim

Nomi Network in Washington, DC

2010-08-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Human trafficking is a global epidemic that affects the lives of over 27 million people who are held at the mercy of their owners. The average citizen is not aware of this modern day atrocity. Nomi Network aims to raise awareness through hosting and participating in speaking engagements throughout the United States. Nomi Network has been invited to participate in several events and panel discussions from California to Louisiana to Washington D.C. On July 22, 2010, Supei Liu represented Nomi Network in a “What can we do to combat sex trafficking?” panel discussion, hosted by the Women of Global Action (DC Chapter).

Bethany Hoang, Director of the International Justice Mission Institute opened the discussion by sharing statistics on the extend of the problem and noting key drivers of sex trafficking. Andrea Powell, Executive Director of Fair Fund discussed sex trafficking from a local perspective, focusing primarily on the United States and Washington D.C. Our very own Supei Liu followed the discussion with her personal experience in Cambodia and the importance of market-based solutions. Candace Wheeler, President of Restoration Ministries spoke on rehabilitation, healing, and aftercare for survivors of sex-trafficking.

The event was attended by approximately 50 individuals who were extremely interested in asking questions and learning more about the issue, particularly about the best methods for combating demand. Nomi Network's work directly combats the demand for human trafficking on the micro-level and macro-level by providing job security to survivors and at-risk women so that they will not fall back into the sex trade, thereby decreasing the supply that feeds the demand. We partner with organizations that focus on demand while we focus on the supply and decreasing the vulnerabilities of individuals who are vulnerable to sex trafficking. In Cambodia, Nomi Network works with women to increase their skill and capacity to secure long-term jobs. Sukha’s story, which shows the successful emergence of a woman formerly victimized by the sex trade industry, is an example of how thoughtfully investing in the lives of women can - and does - work.

To increase the demand for product made by survivors, Nomi Network had the opportunity to display our Spring Collection tote bags at the event. Our bags were a huge hit! Participants were able to take immediate action by using their purchasing power to invest in the lives of survivors of sex trafficking.

~By Diana Mao