Friday March 8th, 2019 Union Depot, St. Paul, MN.

Transcription

1 Friday March 8th, 2019 Union Depot, St. Paul, MN

2 THE PROBLEM Sex trafficking is one of the most heinous human rights violations of our time. The United Nations estimates that 27 million people are enslaved around the world today, more than any other time in history. Breaking Free s Profile of Sex Trafficking Victim s 60-90% are without safe housing 71% have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 85% were victims of child sexual abuse, rape, or incest 83% were victims of assault with a deadly weapon 75% were victims of physical abuse as a child 91% are chemically dependent Over 90% have criminal records 100% are somebody s daughter THE SOLUTION: END THE DEMAND Since 1996 Breaking Free has provided groundbreaking programs and services to women and girls who have been victims of abuse and sexual exploitation in the form of prostitution and sex trafficking and who need assistance escaping the violence in their lives. Each year, Breaking Free serves around 300 women and girls, providing them with support from our Sisters of Survival (SOS) program, as well as education and housing. Breaking Free is a survivor-led organization that also serves men who are looking to break free from purchasing sex. We are on the forefront of leading our community by providing solutions to both the supply, which are of course all of us who experienced sexual exploitation as well as demand, which are the men who purchase. SHIFT THE CULTURE: HEAL THROUGH TRANSFORMATION

3 DEMAND CHANGE PROJECT Friday March 8th, 2019 The Breaking Free Demand Change Project brings together local, national, and international leaders and experts in the anti-human trafficking movement for an interactive conference. Political leaders, law enforcement officials, public health representatives, faith community leaders, survivors, and service providers will learn about new and progressive ways to handle the demand. Breaking Free will showcase the Mens Breaking Free restorative justice program and will involve the audience with active participation. The afternoon promises dramatic insight to sex trafficking of Indigenous women in our region. As a survivor-led organization we are excited to display our interactive art called "The Cocoon" and we will be featuring the jewelry made by survivors at our boutique which will also be available. Several of our staff and clients have authored books which will also be on-site for purchase and signing. LUNCH Title Sponsorship Available During lunch attendees will have the opportunity to experience what it feels like to be in the life by walking through "The Cocoon". Created by survivors to reach the public beyond words. Debriefing/Connecting/Reflecting Light refreshments and conversation 4:00PM-5:00PM We know that this day will be filled with an extraordinary amount of information much of which will be new to many of you and we want to respect you by allowing for some debriefing time post-conference.

4 FEATURED SPEAKERS Deb Foster Deb Foster St. Croix Ojibwe, is currently the Executive Director of the Ain Dah Yung Center in St. Paul which provides holistic services for at-risk and homeless American Indian youth and their families. She is currently championing an expansion to the Ain Dah Yung Center with a new 42-unit Permanent Supportive Housing Project for homeless youth between the ages of 18 24, the largest gap for homeless youth falling back into homelessness with Native homeless youth having the highest disparity in MN. Deb has worked in the non-profit sector for over 25 years with expertise in program development and administration, fundraising, communications, change management and leadership development. Advocating for and facilitating collective action for systemic change, whether with communities at large, within agencies, or for families - is the framework of her work. With a MS in Marriage & Family Therapy, Deb has also provided individual, couple and family therapy with a concentration in domestic violence and sex trafficking. Donald Gault Donald Gault is the founder of Building Peaceful Community, a consulting practice dedicated to reconnecting humanity with humane which provides training, consultation and planning facilitation in the Twin Cities and nationwide. He worked at Saint Paul Ramsey County Public Health from , managing the department's Healthy Communities Section and cofounding The Initiative for Peaceful Families and Communities in Ramsey County. Primary areas of focus with Building Peaceful Community include promoting healthy, productive workplaces, peaceful and healthy lives for men and boys, and building respectful, nurturing communities for children and youth to grow and thrive. Donald has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Northeastern Illinois University and a Master of Arts degree from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Patti Larsen Patti Larsen is Anishinaabe woman residing in Duluth, Minnesota. A survivor of incest and trafficking, she has worked for the Department of Corrections and Mending the Sacred Hoop. A trusted and passionate advocate for Native women and girls, she works to end the exploitation of Native women especially on the streets of Duluth. She has an MSW from University of Wisconsin, Superior.

5 Bridget Perrier Bridget Perrier is a First Nations woman. Her spirit name is Wasayakwe, meaning Women of Light. Bridget was born to a Ojibway woman who lovingly placed Bridget up for adoption so that she would have a better life, and so she was raised in a large, loving, non-native family. When Bridget was 8 years old she was sexually abused by a family friend, the pain that she felt burdened her, and by 12 years old Bridget had been lured and debased into prostitution. She was bought and sold in brothels and streets all over Canada. Bridget found healing within Toronto's First Nations community, eventually went back to school and got into George Brown college, where she graduated from The Community Worker Program. Bridget also was a recipient of the YWCA Woman of Distinction Turning Point award in In 2007 she co-founded Sextrade101 a organization that is survivor lead that educates the public about the real truths surrounding Prostitution and Trafficking and also providing support to those who are caught up in the cycle of prostitution with exiting and mentorship and advocacy. Bridget as a First Nations woman has made it her mission to educate everyone about the real truths and stories that dispels the myths that Prostitution is a Choice. Bridget has gotten a second chance in motherhood and has been blessed with four beautiful daughters, and one special needs son, her daughters are active role models in the social justice movement. Bridget speaks from a First Nations perspective and feels that Prostitution truly effects and places Canada's First Nations women at harms risk. Bridget has represented and spoken as a First Nations Survivor seven times at Commission of the Status of Women for the UN in New York City. Bridget is the Co-Founder of Sextrade101 Canada's first survivor run activism coalition. Bridget was pivotal in lobbying and testifying for the passing of Bill C-36, she also helped advocate for Bill C-268 and has also been a active in lobbying and testifying for Canada's National Inquiry for MMIWG.Bridget is a Survivor Champion for SPACE International she is the Survivor Leader for Canada. Bridget alongside Natasha Falle who both are trailblazers in the Abolition movement in Canada! Christine Stark is an award-winning writer, visual artist, national and international speaker of European, Anishinaabe & Cherokee ancestry. Her first novel, Nickels: A Tale of Dissociation, was a Lambda Literary Finalist. Her essays, poems, academic writing, and creative non-fiction have appeared in numerous publications, including Palgrave International Reference Work on Trafficking; University of Pennsylvania Law Review; Dignity Journal; The WIP; Florida Review; The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prize Winning Essays; When We Became Weavers: Queer Female Poets on the Midwest Experience; Hawk and Handsaw: The Journal of Creative Sustainability; and many others. Her poem, "Momma's Song", was recorded by Fred Ho and the Afro Asian Music Ensemble as a double manga CD. She is also a co-editor of Not for Sale: Feminists Resisting Prostitution and Pornography and a co-author of "Garden of Truth: The Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota". A two-time nominee for a Pushcart Prize, in 2012 she was named a Changemaker by the Women s Press. She has appeared numerous media, including Roseanne Barr s and Robin Morgan s radio shows. Currently, she is completing her second novel, Carnival Lights and researching a book on the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team. She has taught writing and humanity courses at a universities and community colleges for 16 years and worked as a Two-Spirit program director at Minnesota Indian Women s Resource Center. Currently, she is completing an MSW at the University of Minnesota at Duluth. For more information:

6 Jeremiah Witt Jeremiah Witt is a father of eight children. His oldest daughter had been a victim of sex trafficking and prostitution and he invested seven years to save her. After seeing the terrible effects the sex industry had on so many other women, girls and families, it became his mission to help as many as he could by working in the streets doing outreach in California before moving to Minnesota, where he continued street outreach with Breaking Free. Jeremiah began a dramatic turn by facilitating the John School, now known as Men Breaking Free where he impacts an innovative approach to reach, educate, heal, and equip men to be Men of Integrity - not thru shame and anger, but instead through understanding, and authenticity.

7 DEMAND CHANGE AGENDA Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the Union Depot in St. Paul. Friday, March 8, :00am-9:00am: 9:00am-12pm: 12:00pm-1:30pm: 1:30pm-1:40pm: 1:45pm-3:45pm: 3:45pm-4:00pm: 4:00pm-5:00pm: Registration Men Breaking Free Lunch/Art Exhibit/Boutique/Book Store Performance by Second Generation Survivors Panel Discussion Sex-Trafficking of Indigenous Women in Our Region Closing Prayer by Anishinaabe Elder & Anishinaabe Women's Drumming Debriefing/Connecting/Reflecting Agenda subject to change.

8 DEMAND CHANGE REGISTRATION Conference Registration Pricing 1-Day Conference Pass: (includes all featured speakers, lunch, & debriefing/connecting/reflecting)$89 There are no refunds for cancellations after February 15, Additional Conference Options Sponsor a Conference Registration Help a survivor of sex trafficking/exploitation, woman of color, student, or senior citizen to attend Demand Change by purchasing a 1-Day Conference Pass! To register, go to

9 SPONSORSHIP PARTNERING WITH BREAKING FREE SPONSOR HOPE & SPONSOR PROGRESS: SPONSOR THE 2019 DEMAND CHANGE PROJECT Sponsoring Breaking Free s Demand Change Project will assist us in presenting a one-day interactive conference that mobilizes professionals and community members to end the demand for sex trafficking. Private donations, corporate sponsors, and exhibitor/vendor opportunities are funding this entire event. Your partnership with Breaking Free and investment in Demand Change will allow us to reach individuals with the passion, drive, and knowledge to join us in our work to end sex trafficking and prostitution. Breaking Free offers exciting opportunities for sponsors to get involved at a number of different levels. We are committed to working with our sponsors to make sure that the package of benefits you receive in exchange for your partnership meets all of your marketing needs. For more information on sponsorship, contact Terry Forliti, Breaking Free Executive Director, by at tforliti@breakingfree.net.

10 I was awestruck at the bravery I saw at every turn. The unity. Seeing the catastrophic cruelty that these women are recuperating from. Feeling humble when watching the women speak, sing, or dance to spite those that controlled and manipulated them. Seeing the loving embraces of new acquaintances and old friends Demand Change Participant P.O. Box 4366 St. Paul, MN Voice: (651) Fax: (651) MISSION: TO END ALL FORMS OF SEX TRAFFICKING/PROSTITUTION