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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2005)
Danielle Hickey | Photo editor Senior anthropology and psychology major Lauren Visconte and junior anthropology and biology major Stephanie Jackson started a new student group called HASTE: Humans Against Sex Trafficking Exploitation, which will show a movie about sex trafficking at 7 p.m. today in 100 Willamette. New organization aims to shed light on sex trafficking Two students formed HASTE: Humans Against Sex Trafficking Exploitation, one of 11 groups nationwide BY BRTTTNI MCCLENAHAN NEWS REPORTER Two University students have tak en action against sex trafficking by creating a new student group de signed to educate students about the world’s third-largest criminal activity. The new student organization, HASTE: Humans Against Sex Traf ficking Exploitation, is spreading the word about the issue with a discus sion and free film showing at 7 p.m. today in 100 Willamette. Inspired by Dr. Carol Silverman’s Women and Culture anthropology class, HASTE was started in fall 2004 after undergraduate students Lauren Visconte and Stephanie Jackson watched the film being shown tonight. “Lilja 4-Ever” is a Swedish film based primarily on the life of a Russian girl trafficked into Sweden and sold as a sex slave. The group will host a discussion prior to the showing. “We think it’s so important that people see this film,” Visconte said. “It’s so powerful.” Visconte, a double major in an thropology and psychology, is writing her honors thesis on sex trafficking in the United States and will present it at a sex trafficking and prostitution conference in Ohio in September. “This is an issue that really hit me hard,” Visconte said. “The numbers are too staggering to ignore.” According to the Polaris Project, a grassroots organization fighting hu man trafficking in the United States and Japan, human trafficking is the third-largest and fastest-growing criminal industry in the world today and coercively employs millions of women through physically and psy chologically abusive methods. Currently, 2 percent of Indonesia’s gross national product is generated from the national sex trade, which equates to approximately 650,000 women and children traded in the in dustry. In Thailand, 14 percent of the country’s GNP is generated by com mercial sex acts. The United Nations estimates that four million women and children are trafficked and sold into sex slavery each year; however, that number is probably too low because human trafficking is widespread and difficult to track, according to Polaris. A rough estimate by the U.S. Office of Justice Programs states that about 75,000 of those 4 million are trafficked in the United States. Jackson, a junior double major in biology and anthropology, said the group hopes to build awareness about this underrepresented problem. “This is why we started the organi zation,” Jackson said. “This stuff happens everywhere, not just over seas behind closed doors. Just a cou ple of days ago I met a woman at a health clinic whose sister was traf ficked. This stuff is everywhere, and we need to recognize that if we ever hope for things to improve.” Jackson said that economics also plays a role in the sex trade and con trasted it with drug trafficking. “Virginity runs about $3,000,” Jackson said. “It’s much more prof itable than the drug trade.” HASTE is the 11th organization in the nation created to combat sex trafficking. The group obtained sponsorship from Amnesty Interna tional, and while the organization does not give HASTE money, Vis conte said Amnesty International support has been instrumental in giving the group more authority and fuel for its cause. The group is looking into grant money for next year, and Visconte said group members hope HASTE will continue long after the founders have left the University with the sup port from faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students. “Currently, the line between prosti tution and sex slavery is very thin,” Visconte said. “HASTE completely agrees that it is a woman’s choice to do whatever she wants with her body, but people need to know that sex trafficking is not a choice. This is modern-day slavery. ’’ For more information about HASTE or to join the group’s daily newsletter list, contact Visconte at lvisconte@aol.com. bmcclenahan@dailyemerald.com Willamette Valley’s Largest Flyfishing Shop A great selection of flytylng and flyfishing supplies Mckenzie River guided fishing trips 1/2 and full day available Fly fishing classes: May 18-20 & June 15-17 Wed-Fri 6-8 pm each evening djwisFfeY 342-7005 168 West 6th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97401 theCaddiSf ly.COm Weekdays 9am-6pm Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday 10am-3pm r mm THURSDAY, MAY 19TH Third annual women-centered celebration to inspire thought, dialogue and action in our community. LYSA FLORES ZERO AWARDS LYSA FLORES - 3 pm amphitheater Lysa Flores was born and raised in East Los Angeles, a first generation Mexican-American, and has been a pioneer in the Chicana alternative scene since her teens. MA VIE EN ROSE - 6:30 pm Fir Room (“My Life in Pink”) is the story of Ludovic, a little girl horn in a little boy’s body. For him, nothing is more natural than to change his gender. As a hopeful and sensitive child, he truly believes that a miracle is going to happen. For more information, call 346-3724 Creating A Space ToCetebrateWomen METOLIUS ROOM UMPQUA ROOM ALSEA ROOM FIR ROOM To: The Campus Community From: The Bias Response Team and the ASUO Executive Re: Bias on Campus The Bias Response Team and the ASUO Executive believe that to have a positive community, all people need to feel welcome to express themselves and to participate as members of our society. The Bias Response Team and the ASUO Executive ask that all students join us in opposing bias, hate, discrimination, and intimidation against any group or individual in our community. Each day, incidents of Bias occur on our campus, be it in a classroom, on the street, in the residence halls, or any of the numerous places where we go throughout our day. These occurrences create a chilling effect not only for the individual who intentionally or unintentionally targeted in the episode, but also the group to which those individuals belong to. It is important to be mindful of the things that we say and do, because there may be instances where we accidentally hurt another without realizing it. To this end we ask that members of our community be mindful of how their actions may be perceived by others, and to take the time to learn more about other individuals and groups. To aid in this request, the Bias Response Team is hosting several events this week to promote a welcoming campus. Please feel free to stop by the Bias Response Team table from Wednesday thru Friday 11:30 to 1:00 outside of the EMU; or come to the joint panel on Wednesday at 6:30 pm in 111 Lillis where representatives from the Oregon Daily Emerald, Oregon Commentator, the Student Insurgent, and the Oregon Voice will be speaking about freedom of the press in campus publications. On Thursday at 6:30 pm in 111 Lillis, the College Republicans and Democrats will be speaking about political freedom and censorship in a joint panel. ._; On Friday at 3:30 pm in the Ben Linder Room, Lee Mun Wah, famed filmmaker and diversity trainer, will be on campus to screen his latest film, “Last Chance for Eden.” After the film, there will be an opportunity to speak about the moving nature of the work. We hope that even if our community does not take advantage of the above events, that they will be aware of the campus climate, and if they see something that needs to be addressed, they will contact the Bias Response Team through http://bias.uoregon.edu by stopping by the Office of Student Life in 164 Oregon Hall, or by filling out a report form that can be found in numerous locations throughout campus. In addition, the ASUO Executive Office is another source of support and resources. With respect and kindness, The Bias Response Team Adam Petkun ASUO President
