Bravely: Trafficking & Trauma Survivors

If you are interested in or concerned about human trafficking, this episode is a must listen. We are hearing more and more about human trafficking in the United States, including warning signs and who to contact if you suspect trafficking. What we do NOT hear about is what happens to women who have been trafficked and are able to move on from this imposed life. They escape sometimes with little more than their lives. A large number of the women suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and often have co-occurring substance dependence. But we don't hear about the survivors and what they have to go through to rebuild their lives. Why is that?

In this episode we have a powerful discussion with Hope Jernagan, the Executive Director of Magdalene of St. Louis, and the Bravely company. We also hear the empowering story of recovery from Anika, who is a resident of Magdalene and an employee of Bravely. Our discussion with these two amazing women highlights the array of services that can successfully help women onto the path of recovery and support them as they get back on their feet, and as they use their recovery experience to help other women as well.

RECUT: Living in Conflict Zones: Women, Children & Survival

Women and children living in conflict zones are among the most disenfranchised individuals in our world today. They subsist in the midst of violence, chaos, failed states, refugee camps, crumbling systems and destroyed infrastructure. Despite this, every day women try to hold their families together. Feed their children. Care for the young, the elderly, the sick. They give birth, and often they die during childbirth. And they are also victims.

Gender-based violence in conflict zones has become not just a reality, but a tactic of war. Women and children are the most frequent victims because of their status in society, and their gender. Wide scale and systematic rape has been deployed in many conflicts, and survivors are sometimes blamed.

In this episode I have a fascinating discussion with Annie Agle about women and children living in conflict zones, the difficulties they face, and the shocking ways they are victimized by perpetrators as well as their culture sometimes.

Human Trafficking - Part 2

In this second part of my two part series on human trafficking, I begin with a quick recap of part one through a discussion with my guest co-host, John Philbeck, about highlights from part one. I continue my discussion with Dr. Karrin Anderson, a Professor from Colorado State University and a researcher and activist in human trafficking. We discuss how trafficking perpetrators avoid detection by law enforcement and are able to evade getting caught. We also discuss the steps that activists and astute bystanders can take to get involved in watching for signs of human trafficking, as well as becoming an activist against this horrific crime.

 

Human Trafficking - Part 1

The International Labor Organization estimates that human trafficking is a $150 billion a year industry worldwide. According to the State Department, trafficking is the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprise. And it's an enterprise that is devious, and nimble, and well-funded, and really good at evading law enforcement and hiding in plain sight. It is also probably in your town, your city, maybe even your neighborhood.

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Karrin Anderson about her work and research in the area of human trafficking. We talk about how trafficking has changed, and how we as witnesses have changed our thinking and views of trafficking and of victims over the years. In the first episode of this 2 part series, we discuss what human trafficking is, what it isn't, and popular misconceptions about trafficking.

What It's Like to Be a Refugee

Refugee. The word has become quite an insidious code word. While it used to mean the needy, the hungry, the displaced, it seems that now for many it has taken on a very different meaning: the terrorist, the job-stealer, the beggar, the rapist.

How did we come to a place where our empathy has been almost completely arrested by disinformation campaigns targeting those who are completely disenfranchised? Homeless, without a country, welcome nowhere?

There are currently an estimated 65.3 million refugees worldwide according to the UNHCR. This is more than at any time in the world's history since World War II.

This country was founded by refugees fleeing religious persecution, yet we find ourselves having difficulty opening our arms to current day refugees.

This podcast will discuss who modern refugees are, where they are, and the plight of refugee women and children.