User:SekaiCenturion/Global Centurion
Global Centurion is a United States non-governmental organization working on issues regarding global human trafficking, especially sex trafficking and child slavery. The organization's main focus in combating human trafficking is in trying to reduce the demand for sex trafficking, stating in their mission statement that their "mission is to assist communities, states, and countries in eradicating child slavery by focusing on the demand side of the slavery".[1]
History[edit]
The organization was founded in 2009 by Laura Lederer, after she departed from her position of Senior Adviser on Human Trafficking at the U.S. State Department. Her intention in founding Global Centurion was to create a group parallel to the Protection Project, another institute that she founded in 1994. Unlike the Protection Project, whose purpose was to compile research on international law regarding human trafficking in countries all over the world, Global Centurion's goal was to focus on researching the demand side of human trafficking, including an effort to compile a database of applications of these laws (e.g. arrests, investigations, prosecutions, and convictions). Particular focus is placed on legal actions regarding prostitution, pimping, and solicitation. The organization was also founded alongside the Triple S Network, a Washington, DC area organization that serves as a network for multiple organizations combating human trafficking.
Current Projects[edit]
International Case Law Database[edit]
Global Centurion is working to compile a comprehensive database dating back to 1995, an effort to catalog every single instance of legal action around the world related to human trafficking. However, because many nations either lack a legal statute regarding human trafficking explicitly, or have lacked such a statute in 1995 or later, the database focuses on legal actions regarding other crimes that are believed to be derivatives of human trafficking, such as pimping, pandering, child labor, prostitution, and solicitation. Any legal action by any level of government by any sovereign or autonomous body is up for inclusion in the database. When completed, Global Centurion hopes that the database will answer the question "Who are the traffickers and customers?” “Where are these crimes being committed?” “Where is law enforcement most active and what approaches are most successful in addressing these crimes?” “How many cases opened actually result in successful prosecutions and convictions?"[2]
Norma Hotaling Awards[edit]
Beginning in 2010, Global Centurion will host the Norma Hotaling Awards, named for the woman who founded Standing Against Global Exploitation (The SAGE Project) in San Francisco. Ms. Hotaling, herself a survivor of human trafficking, founded a number of ventures towards combating human trafficking, such as the First Offender Prostitution Program (FOPP) as well as the SAGE Project.[3] Hotaling died on December 17th, 2009, and the awards are held in memory of her and her work. The awards will be granted to those individuals who best emulate her work in combating human trafficking.[4]
John's School Study[edit]
Global Centurion is also working on a study to determine the validity of various "John's School" programs around the world, though mostly focused on programs in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The study will compare the curricula of the various programs, as well as roughly gauging their effectiveness through recidivism rates, though this is controversial as the ways in which recidivism rates are assessed are not comprehensive.