Gobal Forum on Human Trafficking Report

By Glenn & Rebecca Fadner

You'd think that an event about Human Trafficking would be a "downer", wouldn't you? Well, nothing could be further from the truth. No, it certainly wasn't an occasion for partying, and there were plenty of sobering and somber statistics, but the prevailing mood was one of hope and optimism, mixed with a dogged determination that slavery MUST be wiped out and CAN be in our generation.

When the folks at Not For Sale Campaign conceived of this Forum, they were hoping that 250 people would attend. Oops! As of the first session, over 750 were expected.The final number pushed 800! That posed a few logistical challenges, but the staff an NFS and North Coast Calvary Chapel did a great job of accommodating everyone.

It was amazing to see people from around the world, from a wide variety of political and religious backgrounds, all united in the belief that there MUST be an end to global slavery in all its forms.

Speakers such as Lou de Baca (US Ambassador-at-large for issues of Human Trafficking) and David Arkless (Manpower President for Global and Corporate Affairs) were among the keynote speakers. US representatives and a Canadian MP sent video greetings and encouragement. Breakout sessions covered topics ranging from changing justice systems to the use of entrepreneurial models as means of combating trafficking.

There's a great recap of the Forum online. Click here to access it.

Living the Fair Trade Life - KVI Fun Fridays

By Marita Greenidge

DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL FRIDAY OCTOBER 30 11:59 PM

It's that time again! Yup, you guessed it, "It's Fun Friday Time!!"

We're asking you to leave a fun, witty caption for the above photo. And, we'd also like you to tell us how many KVI products are in this picture.

The best caption with the correct number of products wins!!! Your prize is a FREE KVI pen and 20% discount on any 1 KVI product of your choice. (The holiday season is coming up so why not give a gift that gives two smiles - one to one of our suppliers so they are that much further away from falling victim to human trafficking and one to the great person you gave the gift to.)

To enter leave your response in the comments section of this post. On Saturday we'll announce the winner and we'll repost the picture with your caption.

Have a fabulous Friday!!

*disclaimer: This competition is for retail customers only. Because we want to give EVERYONE a chance to win, you can only win once each month. But don't quit entering! We love to see everyone's creativity. Also we can only send the pen to US addresses but fear not we can send the coupon anywhere in the world so there's still something for our international readers!

Slavery? Today?

By Rebecca and Glenn Fadner

Slavery ended in 1863 when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, right? Guess again! Slavery is "alive and well" throughout the modern world!! Oh, it's illegal in over 80% of the countries, but it still exists. In fact, estimates range from as "low" as 4 million to as high as 27 million people enslaved, with the US State Department settling on around 12 million. Contrast that with an estimated 4 million slaves in the US immediately before the Civil War.

Trafficking in human beings is "tied for second" (with illegal arms) as the second largest criminal activity in the world (after the drug trade). And if you think it only happens "over there", think again! The US is both a destination and an origination point for victims of trafficking.

Because combating the trauma of those rescued out of trafficking is central to the mission of our supplier STOPStart, we are taking the opportunity to become more informed about the scourge of human trafficking and how to combat it. We will be attending the first Global Forum on Human Trafficking in Carlsbad, CA on October 8-9.

We'll have more to share from what we've learned, but we want to encourage YOU to become more informed as well. Here are several resources to assist you:

• "Not For Sale" - David Batstone A look at examples of human trafficking worldwide AND how a number of organizations are working to combat it.

• www.notforsalecampaign.org - Up-to-the-minute information on how people are organizing to combat modern-day slavery

• The Salvation Army Human Trafficking site

We encourage you to become informed and involved!

Big Decisions, Big Developments & Big Balloons!

By Glenn Fadner

Gershwin wrote, "Summertime, and the livin' is easy..."

The month of August has had a "slower" pace for us if you measure it in miles travelled. This month we've only done one "show" and it was close to home. It has nevertheless been an extremely eventful month for KVI.

Probably the most significant event for us was Hagar International's decision to "spin off" Hagar On-Time! (H-OT!), their textile business that manufactures all of our Hagar Design products.

I'm not going to go into all the details here because it will make this too lengthy. You can click this link to get all those details. The condensed version is that in order to conserve finances for their social programs, Hagar International sold H-OT! to a group of like-minded Australians who will operate it under the name STOPStart. Look for our products to begin carrying the STOPStart logo in the near future.

Hagar's decision and the "challenging" economic climate provoked us at Kingdom Ventures to examine our own business model. The picture that I got as I reflected over the past four years was that when we first started out, it was somewhat like duck-hunting - we used a shotgun with scatter-shot which is bound to hit SOMETHING if you sent it into a flock of ducks. That technique worked well in bringing us to where we are, but it won't take us any further. We need to be thinking much more strategically if we're going to grow KVI. It's going to take a "rifle" rather than a "shotgun".

So with several big gulps, we took the steps of applying to exhibit at two more trade shows: Another one in Boston in September and (BIG gulp) one in San Francisco in February. The costs involved are scary. However, it does give us opportunity to be in front of more people who understand and promote Fair Trade.

Finally, we just made the decision to attend the Global Forum on Human Trafficking being held in California in early October. In addition to the opportunity to become better equipped to speak to issues around human trafficking, we will be able to meet face-to-face with the new Executive Director of STOPStart, who will also be in attendance.

Yes, August has been a significant month ~ one filled with change, flexibility, adaptations and preparing for growth. Now it's off to the Festival of Balloons in Dansville, NY this weekend. If you are anywhere in Central New York, stop by and say hello! It's a GREAT time with terrific weather and a view of those balloons in flight that truly IS out-of-this-world!

The World of Sex Trafficking – Modern Day Slavery

Many of us have been very lucky; we have been brought up in homes and societies where we have numerous opportunities. It’s often our choice how we take advantage of those opportunities. For example, in Barbados, education and healthcare are free, available to everyone at any echelon of society. I was able to gain a scholarship to come to US to pursue my MBA degree.

While many of us are lucky, many are not so lucky. There is no free education; there is no access to free healthcare and day to day survival is extremely difficult. These places are the hunting grounds of modern day slave traders who prey on the innocent. The US State Department’s “Trafficking in Persons” 2008 report estimated that at any given time around 12.3 million are in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor and sexual servitude. The most rampant of these is sex trafficking.

Children as young as 4 are forced to work in brothels catering to the sick cravings of the men who visit. According to HumanTrafficking.org, women and children from rural areas are often tricked into sexual exploitation. Many believe that they are going to the urban part of the country for domestic employment but then are often coerced into the sex trade. The reasons these horrendous incidents occur can usually be linked to poverty and lack of education. Many have no idea of the dangers and risks of the international sex trade.

In Cambodia human trafficking is big business and, according to a recent article in the Phnom Penh Post, the economic crisis is fuelling trafficking as jobs dry up at home. The US State Department reports that women and children account for the greatest percentage of those exploited through the sex trade.

This is what our supplier Hagar Designs, works hard at preventing. The company promotes social development and economic empowerment for those most at risk for human trafficking. It is a proud advocate of the social enterprise model, teaching women and children skills they can use to be economically self-sufficient. This is very important because even those who manage to escape their captors find themselves back in the slave trade as a means of survival.

All our products from Hagar Designs are made by women who are striving for a better life for themselves and their families, one that is free of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. When we say your purchase makes a difference in the lives of others, we truly mean it.