URI North America hosts
Vaccinating Our Communities Against Human Trafficking
a webinar to discuss
Interfaith Approaches to Human Trafficking Education
When: Wednesday, May 27 from 10 - 11 (PDT)
Human trafficking is the 2nd largest criminal industry in the world1 and nearly 300,000 youth are at risk of being sex trafficked in the U.S. alone.2
You can protect your community.
Our panel of seasoned grassroots organizers will share practical steps you can take:
- Pastor Troy Martinez: Producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary Trafficked No More; member of the Interfaith Council of S. Nevada Cooperation Circle
- Gail Hambelton: National Director of the Safe Haven Campaign; Vice President of Global Peace Foundation-USA
- Beatrice Kahn: Vice-president of National Council of Jewish Women, Inc. and chair of Exodus, NCJW’s Anti-Sex Trafficking Initiative
- Elisa Morales: New York New Abolitionist and spokesperson to the Central New York Anti-Trafficking Task Force
Speaker Information:
Pastor Troy Martinez is a community leader with a strong passion for human trafficking prevention and awareness. He is the Executive Director of Nevada's Sex Trafficking Awareness Campaign and Producer of Emmy Nominated Trafficked No More documentary. He founded the nonprofit organization 10,000 Kids Partnership in 2005 in Las Vegas and has been actively working with at-risk youth, victims of sex trafficking and gang members for over 20 years in California. To fight trafficking in his community, Martinez partners with law enforcement, local and federal government agencies, faith based partners, services and treatment centers and other community leaders to develop services and best practices tools to reach our community. He feels compelled to invest in this work because of his six young but growing grandchildren who will soon be youth in our community. He is also the Pastor of East Vegas Christian Center and a member of the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada Cooperation Circle.
Gail Hambelton is the Vice President of the Global Peace Foundation-USA. She works specifically as the Director of Interfaith Partnerships, and the National Director of the Safe Haven Campaign, Interfaith Alliance to Abolish Human Trafficking. Hambleton has worked for decades in various International NGOs, many of which were involved in interfaith peace efforts. She lived and worked in Africa for eight years serving in the mission and humanitarian aid fields. Her passion for peace is rooted in her difficult experiences during the war in Zimbabwe, the military coup in Kenya, and the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda. She was instrumental in establishing the humanitarian aid organization “Women for Women” in Rwanda, in 1997. Hambleton started the Safe Haven Campaign in 2013 which is now active in 10 states. Gail is the mother of three beautiful children, and lives with her husband in Virginia.
Beatrice Kahn is vice-president of National Council of Jewish Women, Inc. and chair of Exodus: NCJW’s Anti-Sex Trafficking Initiative. She has served in numerous other positions at NCJW focusing on advocacy, education, strategic planning and governance. Beatrice has also worked as an attorney and business owner. Inspired by Jewish values, the National Council of Jewish Women is a grassroots organization that strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. Since 1893, NCJW has been empowering Jewish women to speak out about the issues that affect their lives and the lives of women and children throughout North America, and to be change makers within their communities.
Elisa Morales is domestic violence and sexual abuse survivor. For over 10 years she’s dedicated her life personally and professionally to social justice and human rights activism. In addition to working a full time job, she volunteers up to 30 hours a week to various local, state, national and international causes, primarily those that raise awareness of and combat human trafficking. She is one of New York’s New Abolitionists and spokesperson for both the Central New York Anti-Trafficking Task Force, and the Safe Harbor Initiative of Onondaga County.
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1 Source: UNICEF
2 Source: FBI. Data for Canada is unavailable.
