Prayers for the Stolen: Books

Slavery and Human Trafficking by Noah Berlatsky (Editor) This timely and essential volume addresses controversies related to the U.S. Libertarian Movement. Essays are arranged in a pro versus con format so that readers are exposed to more than one opinion. Across four chapters, essays debate issues surrounding contemporary slavery, whether sex trafficking is a serious problem, how legal policy toward sex work affect sex trafficking, and how immigration policy affects human trafficking. Is sex trafficking a worldwide problem? Does sex trafficking spike during the Super Bowl? Does the Nordic Model protect trafficking victims? This book will give your readers the answers to these questions and many more.

Breaking Free by Abby Sher Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery, by award-winning author Abby Sher, explores the global issue of human sex trafficking from a survivor's point of view. It recounts the harrowing stories of three courageous women--Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez--who were all forced into sexual slavery as children. After escaping their captors, these three women could easily have become voiceless victims, lost to the horrors of their own histories; instead, they have each become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement. With help from Somaly, Maria, Minh, and many other survivors and counselors, Sher tells the riveting story of what it means to be liberated from sexual trafficking and find the trust and conviction to help educate new survivors. Told with breath-taking honesty and simplicity, Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery sends the message that, even in the most tragic circumstances, the unwavering hope and compassion of the human spirit can and will shine through. A Note from the Author and Publisher of Breaking Free: June 3, 2014 Dear Readers, Students, and Educators: Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery recounts the harrowing stories of three women--Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez--each of whom have become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement. Within a few weeks of the book's release, Newsweek Magazine published an article (May 30th, 2014 issue) reporting that Somaly Mam had fabricated and embellished her life story. As a result, Somaly Mam has resigned as president of her Foundation. To say the least, this news came as a complete surprise to us. These accusations are extremely disturbing and disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for any alleged fictitious content in our book regarding Somaly's story. Nonetheless, we continue to believe that the work of Minh, Maria, and other human rights activists and organizations should not be tarnished as a result of these revelations concerning one individual. The work they do to rescue girls who have fallen victim to the scourge of human trafficking can and should be respected, even in light of this recent development. The author and staff of B.E.S. Educational Series hope that you still find this book to be an informative and thought-provoking call-to-action for all those committed to ending human trafficking. Sincerely yours, Abby Sher The Staff of B.E.S. Educational Series, Inc.

Human Trafficking by Kathryn Cullen-DuPont Despite the fact that the United Nations officially abolished slavery and the slave trade almost 60 years ago, millions of human beings live in slavery today. Human trafficking - the official term for modern-day slavery - consists of buying and selling people with the intent of exploiting them through forced labor or sexual acts. ""Human Trafficking"" provides a thorough and much-needed examination of this controversial and timely topic. It describes the suffering caused by human trafficking as well as the financial, cultural, and other conditions that make trafficking within national borders and between far-flung 'origin' and 'destination' countries possible. The efforts of the United Nations, national governments, and non-governmental organizations to combat human trafficking are thoroughly discussed, as are efforts to provide direct aid to the individual victims of human trafficking. This new title examines how human trafficking is conducted in the United States, the Netherlands, Nigeria, India, and Belize. Each case study analyzes the patterns of trade and types of exploitation, the reasons countries have failed to halt human trafficking, and the steps taken by governments and organizations to reduce trafficking.

Human Trafficking Around the World by Stephanie Hepburn; Rita J. Simon This unprecedented study of sex trafficking, forced labor, organ trafficking, and sex tourism across twenty-four nations highlights the experiences of the victims, perpetrators, and anti-traffickers involved in this brutal trade. Combining statistical data with intimate accounts and interviews, journalist Stephanie Hepburn and justice scholar Rita J. Simon create a dynamic volume sure to educate and spur action. Hepburn and Simon recount the lives of victims during and after their experience with trafficking, and they follow the activities of traffickers before capture and their outcomes after sentencing. Each chapter centers on the trafficking practices and anti-trafficking measures of a single country: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Niger, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Syria, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Examining these nations' laws, Hepburn and Simon reveal gaps in legislation and enforcement and outline the cultural norms and biases, societal assumptions, and conflicting policies that make trafficking scenarios so pervasive and resilient. This study points out those most vulnerable in each nation and the specific cultural, economic, environmental, and geopolitical factors that contribute to each nation's trafficking issues. Furthermore, the study also highlights common phenomena that governments and international anti-traffickers should consider in their fight against this illicit trade.

Mexico Today by Ana Paula Ambrosi (Editor); Silvia Dolores Zárate Guzmán (Editor); Alex M. Saragoza (Editor); Silvia D. Zárate (Editor) Providing over 200 entries on politics, government, economics, society, culture, and much more, this two-volume work brings modern Mexico to life. Viva Mexico! Border sharer. Major trade partner. Exporter of culture and citizens. Tourist destination. Mexico has always been of the utmost significance to the United States, with the shared 2,000-mile border, historical ties in mutual territory, and history of Mexican labor coming north and American tourists heading south. Fresh, current information on Mexico, the North American hotspot and gateway to Latin America, is always in demand by students and general readers and travelers. This is the best ready-reference on the crucial topics that define Mexico today. More than 200 essay entries provide quick, authoritative insight into the Mexican politics and government, society, institutions, events, culture, economy, people, issues, environment, and states and places. Written mostly by Mexicans and Mexican Americans, this set gives an accurate and wide view of the United States's dynamic southern neighbor. Each entry has further reading suggestions; a chronology, selected bibliography, and photographs complement the text. Comprises information from approximately 100 contributors Provides a timeline of events of modern Mexico from 1968 to the present day Includes about 50 photographs that illustrate many aspects of contemporary Mexico Provides a helpful bibliography and subject index

Mexico by Ramon Ruiz Explicitly focusing on the malaise of underdevelopment that has shaped the country since the Spanish conquest, Ramón Eduardo Ruiz offers a panoramic interpretation of Mexican history and culture from the pre-Hispanic and colonial eras through the twentieth century. Drawing on economics, psychology, literature, film, and history, he reveals how development processes have fostered glaring inequalities, uncovers the fundamental role of race and class in perpetuating poverty, and sheds new light on the contemporary Mexican reality. Throughout, Ruiz traces a legacy of dependency on outsiders, and considers the weighty role the United States has played, starting with an unjust war that cost Mexico half its territory. Based on Ruiz's decades of research and travel in Mexico, this penetrating work helps us better understand where the country has come, why it is where it is today, and where it might go in the future.

Narcoland by Anabel Hernández; Roberto Saviano (Introduction by); Iain Bruce (Translator); Lorna Scott Fox (Translator)

El Narco by Ioan Grillo The world has watched stunned at the bloodshed in Mexico. Thirty thousand murdered since 2006; police chiefs shot within hours of taking office; mass graves comparable to those of civil wars; car bombs shattering storefronts; headless corpses heaped in town squares. And it is all because a few Americans are getting high. Or is it? The United States throws Black Hawk helicopters and drug agents at the problem. But in secret, Washington is confused and divided about what to do. Who are these mysterious figures tearing Mexico apart? they wonder. What is El Narco? El Narco draws the first definitive portrait of Mexico's drug cartels and how they have radically transformed in the last decade. El Narco is not a gang; it is a movement and an industry drawing in hundreds of thousands from bullet-ridden barrios to marijuana-growing mountains. And it has created paramilitary death squads with tens of thousands of men-at-arms from Guatemala to the Texas border. Journalist Ioan Grillo has spent a decade in Mexico reporting on the drug wars from the front lines. This piercing book joins testimonies from inside the cartels with firsthand dispatches and unsparing analysis. The devastation may be south of the Rio Grande, El Narco shows, but America is knee-deep in this conflict.

Murder City by Charles Bowden Ciudad Juárez lies just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. A once-thriving border town, it now resembles a failed state. Infamously known as the place where women disappear, its murder rate exceeds that of Baghdad. Last year 1,607 people were killed-a number that is on pace to increase in 2009.In 'Murder City', Charles Bowden-one of the few journalists who has spent extended periods of time in Juárez-has written an extraordinary account of what happens when a city disintegrates. Interweaving stories of its inhabitants-a raped beauty queen, a repentant hitman, a journalist fleeing for his life-with a broader meditation on the town's descent into anarchy, Bowden reveals how Juárez's culture of violence will not only worsen, but inevitably spread north.Heartbreaking, disturbing, and unforgettable, 'Murder City' establishes Bowden as one of our leading writers working at the height of his powers.

The SAGE Handbook of Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery by Jennifer Bryson Clark (Editor); Sasha Poucki (Editor) Millions of people around the world are forced to work without pay and under threat of violence. These individuals can be found working in brothels, factories, mines, farm fields, restaurants, construction sites and private homes: many have been tricked by human traffickers and lured by false promises of good jobs or education, some are forced to work at gunpoint, while others are trapped by phony debts from unscrupulous moneylenders. The SAGE Handbook of Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and global look at the diverse issues surrounding human trafficking and slavery in the post-1945 environment. Covering everything from history, literature and politics to economics, international law and geography, this Handbook is essential reading for academics and researchers, as well as for policy-makers and non-governmental organisations  

Human Trafficking by Alexis A. Aronowitz Offering an up-to-date and comprehensive resource for students and general readers investigating human trafficking, this book examines the phenomenon in its many forms, the factors contributing to its existence, the victims it affects, and those who perpetrate this horrific crime. The horrific reality is that millions of human beings are bought and sold every year worldwide. Human trafficking is not an obsolete practice, and these crimes are not rare in occurrence. Recent examples of human trafficking such as the abduction of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls by the terrorist organization Boko Haram and depictions of trafficking in films such as Taken have brought human trafficking squarely into the public eye. This book offers a comprehensive understanding of human trafficking in its many forms. It examines the traffickers who range from single operators to large, transnational organizations and investigates how they coerce, deceive, and exploit their victims in the domestic service, farming, construction, and sex industries as well as in the harvesting of organs. The coverage includes common practices of human trafficking like sexual exploitation of women in Western and Central Europe, labor exploitation in the Middle East, and the exploitation of children in Western and Central Africa. Readers are introduced to various experts who have rescued and worked with victims, prosecuted cases, and conducted research to gain more insight into this crime and serious abuse of human rights, and they will gain insight into how a number of people and organizations are working to combat human trafficking and protect victims. Primary source documents that include reports by government, international organizations, and NGOs serve to aid readers in acquiring more knowledge on the topic. Provides readers with a greater understanding of the complexities of human trafficking--from lack of clarity in the definition to the problem of identifying victims--and how human trafficking differs from human smuggling Enables a greater appreciation for the social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors that contribute to human trafficking and suggests how these crimes should be addressed Suggests measures that have been introduced and must be applied more extensively to combat trafficking and protect potential victims

Human Trafficking and Prostitution by Jacqueline Simmons During the last decades, sociologists and urban geographers developed a substantial corpus of studies on the spatial organisation of sex markets in the city, as well as on urban conflicts and exclusionary policies implemented by public authorities. So far, not as much has been done towards analysing how political communication and mass media construct the public figure of "prostitution" and the "prostitute" in order to support repressive and exclusionary urban policies. The first chapter intends to analyse the representations of street prostitution, and particularly of streetwalkers' bodies, produced by public discourses fueling conflicts around the visibility of sex commerce in the urban space. It aims to show how, in post-modern "space wars" on urban battlefields where communities' social, ethnic as well as sexual identities are at stake, sex workers are often targeted as a major source of concern and depicted as foreign bodies to be eradicated from what is perceived as a socially, ethnically and culturally homogeneous collectivity. There are a handful of programs that help women exit prostitution, but few have any rigorous outcomes. The authors of chapter two present the need for such programs and introduce a therapeutic intervention for women seeking exit from prostitution that assesses prospective outcomes. The book includes a commentary on the difficult assessment of prostitution from a German perspective.

The Cartels by Professor Emeritus, George W Grayson An up-to-date examination of Mexico's version of the "War on Drugs" that exposes the evolution of major cartels and their corruption of politicians, law-enforcement agencies, and the Army. What can President Enrique Peña Nieto do to curb the narcotics-induced mayhem in Mexico, and what would be the consequences to the United States if he fails? This book analyzes Mexico's transition from a relatively peaceful kleptocracy controlled by the Tammany-Hall style Institutional Revolutionary Party/PRI (1929_2000) to a country plagued by rural and urban enclaves of grotesque violence. The author examines the major drug cartels and their success in infiltrating American and Mexican businesses; details the response from the Obama administration; assesses the threat that the continuing bloodshed represents for the United States; and emphasizes the constraints on America's ability to solve Mexico's crisis, despite U.S. contributions of intelligence, military equipment, training, and diplomatic support. Documents the origins of Mexico's drug industry to explain today's situation involving a graft-ridden Army, suborned police, ruthless capos, unethical office-holders, and U.S. security forces Emphasizes the threat that the widespread criminality represents to the United States, as well as the constraints on Washington's ability to solve its neighbor's crisis Exposes the linkages between elected officials, particularly governors, and the underworld Illustrates the challenges that will remain, even if the cartels were shattered, by the presence of a human infrastructure of 500,000 men, women, and children skilled in kidnapping, extortion, torture, murder for hire, human smuggling, and dozens of other crimes