California Transparency in Supply Chains Act

"On October 18th, 2010, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 657, titled “California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010.”

By January 2012, major manufacturers and retailers within the state of California must fully disclose the efforts made to ensure their products have not been tainted by slavery or forced labor at any point within the supply chain.

In an attempt at complete transparency, these companies will be required to post their policies on their own websites, allowing consumers to see for themselves if their purchases are slavery-free.

The California law isn’t only a step forward in the fight against human trafficking; it sets an example for the rest of the nation and the world to follow.

Most importantly the bill gives you, the consumer, the choice and power to be a part of the solution."

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/05/how-california-fights-trafficking/

CSU Channel Islands!

I'm having a great time so far presenting at Cal State Channel Islands. First of all, the campus and region is BEAUTIFUL. I could not believe I was driving to a college campus as I passed by huge stretches of farm land, the Topa Topa Mountains to my left, and the ocean to my right. Just REMARKABLE.

I want to thank Dr. Sunghee Choi and Pilar Pacheco for inviting me to come to CSUCI. I've presented in a Sociology of Gender and Sexuality course and a Sociology of Social Problems course. Both classes were engaged and participatory - I love that! One more Sociology of Gender presentation and a documentary screening tonight, and I'm heading home tomorrow.

Here's a great reflection one of the students wrote to me yesterday: "Saying that 'just because your story is so extreme, others then to think their story is less severe, or less important, and you don’t want that to happen' made me feel like my own experience with child abuse, is very real and valid. I have a lot to think about. Thanks for sparking that within me."

I love it. That's what I hope to have happen.

Onward.

Japan

We might assume that everyone knows about Japan, but just imagine...if you are enslaved in a brothel, your home, or anywhere else, you might not be concerned with or have access to news!

As we talk about and think about supporting Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake, remember that times of crisis are perfect for predators.

Find out about Polaris Project's work to raise concern about sexual exploitation at evacuation centers:

"Less than a week after the worst natural disaster in Japan’s history, Polaris Project Japan staff and fellows began to conduct outreach and to raise awareness on preventing sexual violence at the sites of earthquake evacuation centers. Shihoko was concerned because there was already a report of a girl who was molested on her way to the bathroom at the evacuation center in Ofunato City. In response, the city began to post prevention warnings:

Polaris Project Japan’s outreach was also prompted by lessons learned from the sexual violence reported immediately after the Kobe earthquake in 1995. Outreach and prevention activities include distributing posters and cards in collaboration with shelter managers and local medical staff at evacuation centers. Click here to support this effort!"