Speaking for the Silenced Hopewell Valley Student Publication Network

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name: Speaking for the SilencedEpisode 8: Sex Trafficking: Part 1Tune into this week’s episode of #SpeakingfortheSilenced!
You are listening to Speaking for the Silenced podcast with your host(s) Jacqueline Sun.
In this episode of Speaking for the Silenced, we will be discussing one the most pervasive forms of human trafficking, which is sex trafficking. This crime reportedly makes up 79% of human trafficking instances all across the world. Virtually everyone knows or has heard of it, yet sex trafficking is still not given enough attention in mainstream media.
Segment 1: BackgroundDefinition of sex trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to cause a commercial sex act with an adult or cause a minor to commit a commercial sex act.
Includes prostitution, pornography, and sexual performance exchanged for any item of value.
May occur at brothels, clubs, hotels, and other night-time locations to sell their services
As of 2019, the National Ceter for Missing and Exploited Children has estimated thatn1/6 runaways were likely sex trafficking victims
Sex trafficking victims are both genders, although a majority are women and girls
Sexual assault among males is given much less attention
Segment 2: Clearing up some misconceptionsCommon misconception that sex trafficking only occurs in “shady dealings”; this is untrue
By establishing trust early on and a degree of intimacy, the traffickers can exploit this later
Prositution is often looked down upon but can often overlap with sex trafficking
Many of these women have their appointments arranged for them by men known as pimps, who are individual traffickers
However, not all sex work is sex trafficking.
In general, the stigma that exists around sex work has caused many of the workers to fear going to law enforcement
Contributes greatly to the insidious nature of human trafficking
Segment 3: How can we prevent sex trafficking?The best thing the average person could do is learn to recognize the signs of sex trafficking
Unstable living conditions
Imbalanced power dynamics with the employer
Abuse, threats, or clear signs of manipulation
These signs apply for human trafficking in general, but it is important to known them so you may help any and all victims
Increasing online safety could prevent sex trafficking as well
Fostering safer homes and neighborhoods
Cutting demand for commercial sex
Learn to recognize the little signs
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Speaking for the Silenced! See you soon!
Music Credits: Brooklyn and the Bridge by Nico Staf
At the Restaurant by Monolog Rockstars
Subscribe to our PodcastApple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Stitcher
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC07e_nBHLyc_nyvjF6z-DVg (YouTube)
​​https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136)
Connect with us on Social Mediahttps://twitter.com/thehvspn?lang=en (@theHVSPN)
Sources:https://sharedhope.org/the-problem/what-is-sex-trafficking/
http://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today/sex-trafficking (http://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today/sex-trafficking)
https://guardiangroup.org/sex-trafficking-myths/ (https://guardiangroup.org/sex-trafficking-myths/)
​​https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/trafficking.html (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/trafficking.html)

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name: Speaking for the SilencedEpisode 9: Sex Trafficking: Part 2Tune into this week’s episode of #SpeakingfortheSilenced!
You are listening to Speaking for the Silenced podcast with your host(s) Jacqueline Sun.
In this episode of Speaking for the Silenced, we will be focusing on two stories of sex trafficking that occured in New Jersey, not far from where we are now.
Segment 1: TrentonIn January of 2018, state troopers found a 17 year old girl was found alone, in the middle of the night on the side of Interstate 295 (
Eventually she revealed she was sex trafficked by Ashley Gardener and Breon Mickens of Trenton
For the days before she was found, Gardener had arranged between 5 and 15 men for the teen per day
While Gardener was the so-called mastermind of the operation, Mickens did the grunt work
As of 2021, Mickens has been sentenced to 5 years in prison while Gardener has received 50.
This is a reminder that sex trafficking is a very real and present threat.
The next story will focus on the an international human trafficking ring exposed in 2021 run by a considerably larger group.
Segment 2: Group TraffickingIn early February of 2021, Authorities announced the charging of 22 members of a sex trafficking operation that made its base in Bergen County.
More than 50 women, most of them immigrants from Mexico, were caught up as victims
Had over 1500 clients
Victims ranged from anywhere in the late teens to the mid-30s
They were promised jobs and shelter but were then forced into prostituion
The crime ring was reportedly bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars every month from the work of the captive women
The women were compensated with half of what was paid for the prostitution, but most of it was used to pay off their “debt”
Currently, the prosecutor’s office is coordinating efforts with the Covenant House to provide shelter and crisis care for the 50 plus women rescued from the trafficking sting.
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Speaking for the Silenced! See you soon!
Music Credits: Brooklyn and the Bridge by Nico Staf
At the Restaurant by Monolog Rockstars
Subscribe to our PodcastApple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Stitcher
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC07e_nBHLyc_nyvjF6z-DVg (YouTube)
​​https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136)
Connect with us on Social Mediahttps://twitter.com/thehvspn?lang=en (@theHVSPN)
Sources:https://nj1015.com/nj-woman-who-made-teen-have-sex-with-dozens-of-men-gets-50-years/ (https://nj1015.com/nj-woman-who-made-teen-have-sex-with-dozens-of-men-gets-50-years/)
https://www.nj.com/bergen/2021/02/22-accused-of-running-human-trafficking-ring-in-nj-for-past-six-years.html

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name: Speaking for the SilencedEpisode 7: Organ Trafficking: Part 2Tune into this week’s episode of #SpeakingfortheSilenced!
You are listening to Speaking for the Silenced podcast with your host(s) Jacqueline Sun.
In this episode of Speaking for the Silenced, we will end a two-part segment discussing organ trafficking. Today, we will focus on a real-life incident of trafficking that occurred in Kosovo in 2008.
Segment 1: BackgroundVictim’s name is Yilmaz Altun, located in Pristina, Kosovo
Fainted in middle of airport due to wound from organ removal
It was found that the organ donation was conducted a clinic in Pristina called Medicus
Medicus was a chain of organ trafficking clinics that were designed solely for the purpose of making profit.
Preyed on the poor and vulnerable
Crime ring was operated by Lutfi Dervishi and his son, both Kosovo physicians.
Actual organ removal was conducted by Yusuf Ercin Sonmez, a Turkish surgeon
The main operators of Medicus had been on the run for some time, evading capture since their operations were exposed in 2008.
However, a few have been incarcerated
Segment 2: Even more twisted originsThe Medicus Case has an even more complex twist
Council of Europe found connections with Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)
Terrorist group that sought to seprate Kosovo from Yugoslavia
The KLA reportedly began organ trafficking in 1999
People and authorities have even began to suspect that Hashim Thaci, Prime minister of
So how is the link between Medicus and the KLA established?
Kidneys harvested from the Serbian captives were transported to Sonmez, the doctor who was involved in the transplants in Medicus
Public hoped that Medicus could be linked back to the KLA and ex Prime Minister Thaci.
Music Credits: Brooklyn and the Bridge by Nico StafAt the Restaurant by Monolog Rockstars
Subscribe to our PodcastApple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Stitcher
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC07e_nBHLyc_nyvjF6z-DVg (YouTube)
​​https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136)
Connect with us on Social Mediahttps://twitter.com/thehvspn?lang=en (@theHVSPN)
Sources:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/an-organ-trafficking-conviction-in-kosovo (https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/an-organ-trafficking-conviction-in-kosovo)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/08/a-cruel-harvest-of-the-poor-israeli-allegedly-behind-human-organ-black-market-arrested-in-cyprus/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/08/a-cruel-harvest-of-the-poor-israeli-allegedly-behind-human-organ-black-market-arrested-in-cyprus/)

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name: Speaking for the SilencedEpisode 6: Organ Trafficking: Part 1Tune into this week’s episode of #SpeakingfortheSilenced!
You are listening to Speaking for the Silenced podcast with your host(s) Jacqueline Sun.
In this episode of Speaking for the Silenced, we will begin a two-part segment discussing organ trafficking, perhaps one of the least visible forms of human trafficking.
Segment 1: BackgroundInvolves a lot of stealth and intricacy, many crime groups participate in it
Organ demand is much higher than supply, what makes the practice so lucrative
Most traded are kidneys
Average wait time for a kidney is around 3-4 years
Time is much too long, people take desperate measures
Segment 2: How does it happen?Traffickers target the most vulnerable as in other forms of trafficking
Offer a lump sum of money
Engage in insanely upscaled reselling
Actual removal of organ is done without care for the patient
Organ buying and selling is illegal in many countries, many engage in something known as “transplant tourism”, which is legal
Little regulation on transplant tourism
CoVID-19 has bred the perfect conditions for an influx of organ trafficking
Influx of debt, traffickers can more easily extort organ removals
Hospitals are backed up with COVID-19
Waiting lists for organs increases, demand increases
Segment 3: What Has Been DoneTracking through the monetary transactions
Raising initiative: Project Protect initiative
Legislation targeting transplant tourism and organ trafficking
Involving the private sector
Working through social media platforms, where many ads are posted for organ buying and selling
Music Credits: Brooklyn and the Bridge by Nico StafAt the Restaurant by Monolog Rockstars
Subscribe to our PodcastApple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Stitcher
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC07e_nBHLyc_nyvjF6z-DVg (YouTube)
​​https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136)
Connect with us on Social Mediahttps://twitter.com/thehvspn?lang=en (@theHVSPN)
Sources:https://www.acamstoday.org/organ-trafficking-the-unseen-form-of-human-trafficking/ (https://www.acamstoday.org/organ-trafficking-the-unseen-form-of-human-trafficking/)
https://www.scidev.net/global/features/covid-19-a-perfect-storm-for-organ-trafficking-victims/ (https://www.scidev.net/global/features/covid-19-a-perfect-storm-for-organ-trafficking-victims/)

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name: Speaking for the SilencedEpisode 4: Child Soldiers: Part 2Tune into this week’s episode of #SpeakingfortheSilenced!
You are listening to Speaking for the Silenced podcast with your host(s) Jacqueline Sun.
In this episode of Speaking for the Silenced, we will finish a two-part segment discussing child soldiers and their roles in wars. This week’s episode will focus on the country of Yemen specifically, a place infamous for their frequent employment of children in fighting. Yemen is a desert country in Western Asia.
Segment 1: BackgroundYemeni Civil War fought between Houthi Rebels and Saudi Arabia starting in 2014
In 2011, there had been political uprising, led to the war
Now given support by Iran, a Shia majority nation
Shia and Sunni Muslim divide + conflict
Yemeni Civil War predicted to end quickly, continues today
Both sides exploit child soldiers
Segment 2: Set-Up for Child SoldiersVillages left impoverished, no food/resources, disease
Houthis and Saudi Arabia coalition take advantage of this, target the villages
Offer jobs to the unknowing children before throwing them into the war
Houthis engage in form of indoctrination in summer camps
Make fighting out to be a holy, noble purpose
In 2020, the UN had counted 163 cases of children being turned into soldiers by Yemen.
In 2021, Houthis have continued their advancement
US is trying to pull out of support for Saudi coalition
Segment 3: What Has Been DoneOrganizations and groups are fighting child soldiers in Yemen
Believe it violates International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute ban on child soldiers
Trying to have the UN intervene
CRUCSY program that reintegrates children
Prioritizes safety and assimilation
Issue is at its roots connected to the Civil War, so hard to pinpoint exact solution
Visit the Children And Armed Conflict UN website or the Borgen Project to learn more about the issue.
Music Credits: Brooklyn and the Bridge by Nico StafAt the Restaurant by Monolog Rockstars
Subscribe to our Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136 (Apple Podcasts)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC07e_nBHLyc_nyvjF6z-DVg (YouTube)
Connect with us on Social Mediahttps://twitter.com/thehvspn?lang=en (@theHVSPN)
Sources:
https://www.dw.com/en/underage-martyrs-recruiting-child-soldiers-in-yemen/a-58203651 (https://www.dw.com/en/underage-martyrs-recruiting-child-soldiers-in-yemen/a-58203651)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423)
https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/child-soldiers-in-yemen-one-element-of-a-humanitarian-disaster/ (https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/child-soldiers-in-yemen-one-element-of-a-humanitarian-disaster/)
https://borgenproject.org/child-soldiers-in-yemen/ (https://borgenproject.org/child-soldiers-in-yemen/)

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name: Speaking for the SilencedEpisode 4: Child Soldiers: Part 1Tune into this week’s episode of #SpeakingfortheSilenced!
You are listening to Speaking for the Silenced podcast with your host(s) Jacqueline Sun.
In this episode of Speaking for the Silenced, we will begin a two-part segment discussing child soldiers and their roles in wars. A child soldier is someone who is under 18 years old who is compelled through force or fraud to engage, directly or indirectly, in armed conflict. They may work under the military or a non-government organization.
Segment 1: Background of Child Soldiers93000 children found to be soldiers around world
South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
First use in Iran-Iraq war
3 causes
Poverty/Bad Home Conditions
Find food/income/home
Survival/Protection in Warring Zones
Outside threats of attack/organizations coerce families or child themselves
Force, Coercion, or Indoctrination (as seen in the Iran-Iraq war, where it all started)
Young, weaker, and more easily manipulated.
It is an extensive form of trafficking
Never a truly voluntary choice
Segment 2: The Experience of the VictimsNot always used in direct combat.
3 main uses:
Fighting:
Child more vulnerable, experience chronic injury or mental illness
Sent on suicide missions, talk about the Iraq-Iran war experience
Reconnaissance:
Due to unassuming nature, act well as spies
More trustworthy, experience less resistance, bring information back to their organization
Sexual services:
Girls are frequently targets, given to adult soldiers as compensation
Suffer physical and mental trauma, highly susceptible to STIS
Segment 3: The AftermathPTSD plays huge role :
Adults more likely to find help, children more likely to shut down
Grow up believing in a life of violence
Important to welcome child back into comfort and normality, which often doesn’t happen
Provide physical comfort and aid, psychological support
Music Credits: Brooklyn and the Bridge by Nico StafAt the Restaurant by Monolog Rockstars
Subscribe to our PodcastApple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Stitcher
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC07e_nBHLyc_nyvjF6z-DVg (YouTube)
​​https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-for-the-silenced-podcast/id1593402136)
Connect with us on Social Mediahttps://twitter.com/thehvspn?lang=en (@theHVSPN)
Sources:
https://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/winter-2005-2006/child-soldiers
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1174andcontext=stander_posters#:~:text=Child%20soldiery%20can%20be%20a,sexual%20exploitation%20by%20armed%20forces.
https://www.unicef.org/protection/children-recruited-by-armed-forces