Overwhelmed

** This is a long one... but hopefully worth the read***

The past couple of days have been pretty intense for me and they have been key in my journey to be an abolitionist. So, I wanted to share...

I went with the Transitions Global team down to Oregon State University and the University of Oregon to take part in a student led event called, Slavery Still Exist.

James Pond (founder of Transitions Global) and Bill Hillar (retired Colonel of the U.S. Army Special Forces) were the keynote speakers at each event.

I have heard James speak several times and so, sadly, I have become desensitized to the facts and information that he shares. I say this because his presentation is, although full of hope, pretty intense... and the fact that I am growing more callous to the facts bothers me. This was weighing pretty heavily on me during the first night but on the second night I had one of those "aha" moments (which I will share in a second) when something really clicked.

Mr. Hillar's presentation was really good.... It was so intense and personal that I feel I would not do it justice by recounting it in an online forum like this... I will suffice it to say that he went through a human trafficking experience first hand in the eighties when his own daughter was kidnapped, trafficked and never seen again. If you ever have the chance to hear him speak you should not pass it up.

Besides the personal story that Mr. Hillar shared he made two points that will stick with me for a long time to come...The first point he made was as he opened his speech... He said, "Last night 40,000 people died of starvation while you were sleeping, and most of you don't even give a shit. In fact most of you are more concerned that I just said shit than that 40,000 people died. And you know why? Because you are just like me... If it doesn't affect you directly, you don't care."

His second point ties into my "aha" moment... At the U of O they placed, what I thought was, 27,000 flags (in the above picture) to represent the 27 million people that are in slavery around the globe. The picture that I took does not do this monument justice. The lawn was probably the length of two football fields and 50 yards wide...As I walked through the field of flags it was nothing short of eerie and emotionally overwhelming... All of the students were done with classes for the day, so I was out there alone... just me and 27 million people... the flags were rustling in the wind and I could almost hear the voices of all those who are out there waiting on me to help them...

I haven't had a moment like that since I interviewed a survivor in Phnom Penh... I just walked around looking at each flag and tried to let the fact sink in... each flag represented a thousand people. As I was walking off the field I felt like I was punched in the stomach when I read a sign that said the students were only able to place 4,600 flags and that each flag actually represented 6,000 people. As I started to tear up, I truly felt paralyzed... What am I supposed to do to even begin to make a dent in this issue???

I made my way into the auditorium and listened to Mr. Hillar make the second point that will stick with me... He said, "No one snowflake ever thought it was going to be the deciding factor in the avalanche. Rosa Parks didn't think she was going to make such a change... she was just tired of being mistreated and took a stand for what was right."

To listen to him say this and then to listen to James talk about the ethos of Transitions Global and how we offer hope, and that what we do doesn't start with a program... it starts with a girl, was truly encouraging....

We are still fighting an uphill battle but I can't give up... There is nothing that I can do that will ever be enough... this is a life time marathon... the fact is that the lives of little girls and boys are depending on me and others like me to step up and do the right thing.

After the final night a few of us went to a local pub and got to talk with James and Mr. Hillar. I don't think I can put into words what I felt as I was sitting there with these two men.... I just can't even begin to imagine what they have done and seen in their lifetimes. The way they have served their countries, and are now fighting human trafficking on a global and local level is truly amazing.

So... We got up on Friday, headed back to Portland... I played some soccer with my girls.. I got a few hours of sleep... I met with a band about a benefit concert for Transitions Global and then headed in to work my 12 hour graveyard shift... But I am not going to bitch and moan about it... I have a job in an economy where 1 out of 10 are unemployed... I can take care of my wife and girls... and I have an opportunity to plug in with an amazing organization who is actually in the trenches working with survivors in a truly effective way.... I am truly blessed.

Be The Change!

I am so excited about the newest campaign that Transitions Global is launching!

When President Obama was on the campaign trail he talked about the "Change". Right now our country is suffering economically but people still want to help and show that the US is as strong as ever. We want to show that we can be the "Change!"

The Buck Up Campaign is the answer to this dilemma!!

Right now 27 million people around the globe are in slavery... If you have done any reading about human trafficking you have heard this statistic over and over. In his book, Skinner quotes Stalin when he says, "The death of one man is a tragedy but the death of a million is a statistic." When Stalin says this, he is speaking to a common truth that I have heard called, "The paralysis of analysis", meaning that when there is an issue that is so huge we as humans just shut down.

The Buck Up Campaign gives us the answer to the question, "How do you eat an Elephant?" We all know the answer, right? It is, "One bite at a time" I would say that we could modify the answer and say, "One Buck at a time."

In his book, Siddarth Kara makes the statement that, "if all the slaves in the world were freed today, they would have nowhere to go." Transitions Global is in the business of setting up safe and effective homes for survivors of sex trafficking. They have taken the global success rate of 30% and flipped it on its head. They have a near 80% success rate! When Transitions Global came up with this campaign they figured that if everyone in the state of Oregon (they are currently running a home in Cambodia but are working to set one up in Portland and Mumbai) gave $1 then they could run a shelter for victims of sex trafficking for 3 years!!

Imagine if everyone in the US did this!!!

This is a way that the people of the United States can stand up and put an end to slavery while they pay their light bills, mortgages, kids soccer tuitions, etc...

This is a way for the American public to stand up and make a difference!

Join me and make the statement, "I Bucked Up!"

An average girl who is not so average...

Angel Daniels is a fellow abolitionist that I have had the privilege of talking to a couple of times via email and Facebook.

It is amazing to me how unassuming her website and blog are. I am absolutely amazed at the work she is doing.

It is people like her that inspire me to keep going even when I am sick, working in the middle of the night, the car needs work, bills need to be paid, there are tivo'd episodes of Lost and 24 that need to be watched, my wife needs a date, my girls need to go to the park, I need to workout, homework is due.... you get the point. :-)

Currently, Angel is working on her PhD in Clinical Psychology, with a focus on the effects of human trafficking, prostitution, slavery, and exploitation.


She has already been to Cambodia. While she was there she met with Transitions Global and was so impressed she wanted to continue the relationship with them especially in the area of Trafficking as it relates to the States.

She states on her own blog, "I became more and more intent on working with Transitions somehow, and it was at that time that I discovered that James and his wife, Athena, were expanding Transitions Cambodia into a global operation, and were starting a shelter in Portland, Oregon, for survivors of trafficking and slavery in the US! Can you imagine how thrilling that is?! It has been my goal to figure out how to help these survivors, and to start some sort of a program for the enslaved in our very own country - and now the hardest part (the getting it started part) is already being done! And by two of the people I most respect, using the most effective model of recovery worldwide! Eek!"

This summer, she will be traveling to Uganda, Africa, to study the reality of slavery and exploitation that occurs there on a massive scale. In order to fund this research, 100% of the proceeds from her art sales will be going directly to the Uganda trip.

U of O Students take action!!

Last year students at the University of Oregon held a week long event called Slavery Still Exists. These are some photos from last years event.

The event was so successful that they are doing it again this year!

The week of April 18-26 will be dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking globally and locally.

Students and community members will learn about human trafficking and go door to door to raise awareness and support for Transitions Global’s Portland Shelter Project, a secure aftercare facility for survivors of sex trafficking.

The event is sponsored by ASUO Executive Office, the Substance Abuse Prevention Program, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Oregon Human Trafficking Task Force, University of Oregon Philosophy Department, and Transitions Global.

“Slavery Still Exists” week is going to engage the campus community and the city of Eugene to become aware of the issue and to do something about it.

The week will begin with an installation of 27,000 flags on the campus quads to represent the 27,000,000 people in modern day slavery.

In addition to the lawn project, and the lecture night, students will campaign door to door across Eugene to educate people about sex trafficking in Oregon and to raise support for Transitions Global as part of their "Buck Up Campaign".


The "Buck Up Campaign" is an initiative started by Transitions Global that organizes University and High School students around the issue in an effort to raise awareness for their Portland Shelter Project. Transitions Global needs to raise 1.2 million dollars to cover the capitals costs for the shelter. They have successfully raised half of these costs already, and are hoping that public support will build momentum towards the completion of the project.


On April 23rd The University of Oregon will host Bill Hillar, SAPP instructor, human trafficking expert, and father of sex trafficking victim; and James Pond, founder and executive director of Transitions Global.

"We know that when students are in engaged in issues of social justice, they feel more connected, they feel better, and they do better in the classroom. I am pleased that this group is bringing awareness to human trafficking on campus, says Dr. Robin Holmes, Vice President for Student Affairs. "This university is creating global citizens, and if students aren't engaged in making the world a better place, this will not be a dynamic campus.

Old enough to know better

I saw this picture last night and then I read this quote this morning: "Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everybody agrees that it is old enough to know better."

When I found this photo the caption read, "It pays to be Russian." As if it were a good thing.

This is so vile... most of these girls are underage, most of them are there against their will, and most of them will never see a dime that is made from them laying on there backs over and over and over again.

I have heard it said that this issue is one for the christians to deal with, or the feminist, or individual governments. I would argue that this is one for the human race to take care of. We are, "old enough to know better" and "we should be ashamed of ourselves."

We are so proud of globalization and being accepting of different cultures, but at the same time we have let this gender bias flourish and enabled men to create a commodity out of little girls.

We might be able to soothe our conscious and flick on another episode of "24" or "Lost" and say that we are not the dirt bags that are out creating a stain on the human condition.

When I start to think like that I am reminded of Edmund Burke's words, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (and I would add, women) do nothing."

Belts Breaking Bondage

Today I got an email that I was totally stoked about and wanted to share with everyone.

There is a student group of activists at Ohio University that formed at the beginning of March. They call themselves, "Belts Breaking Bondage"

They sew and sell waist belts and donate 85% of the profits to different anti-trafficking organizations. They were so impressed with the work that Transitions Global is doing in Cambodia and in the US that they wanted to make sure we received the first check!

This is so great! I get so inspired when I see people join together and use their passions and abilities to help end slavery!

Thank you so much, "Belts Breaking Bondage"!!!