If you’ve ever wondered how girls can fall victim to sex trafficking, a newly released government report from Britain provides a harrowing glimpse into a world in which men who are supposedly "boy friends" of young teens are, instead, coercing the girls into forced sex, all for the purpose of generating quick cash.

According to a report in the Guardian newspaper , as many as 33 girls between the ages of 12 and 15 were involved in a case uncovered in Sheffield last year. Only one, a 15-year-old, was willing to give evidence in court, but following that a 23-year-old man was jailed for 10 years for serious sexual offenses which included rape of a child. Five other men faced deportation procedures.

What’s the scope of the problem? British police estimate that as many as 18,000 trafficking victims — many from China, southeast Asia and eastern Europe — are brought into Britain and then forced to work as prostitutes.

Mr. Westmoreland interviews guests Malcolm and Beverly McCoy from Lima Ohio. In light of the Independence Day celebrations Mr. Westmoreland and the McCoy’s discuss independence as it relates to the civil rights movement.

Click here to listen to the archive of this show.

Listen to the inspiring voice of host Carl Westmoreland, “Carl”, Doctor of the Underground Railroad, on the Freedom Station Radio Show every Tuesday from 2:00pm to 4:00pm Eastern Standard Time.

Submit a question or comment during the show by using the comment form below.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights defines the foundation of freedom as being “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.”

Freedom has many manifestations: Freedom of speech…freedom from fear…freedom of movement and residence…freedom of thought, conscience, and religion…freedom of opinion and expression…freedom for peaceful assembly and association…freedoms to which everyone is entitled, without distinction of any kind.”

Yet around the globe, many people are denied essential freedoms and basic human rights. To raise awareness of the importance of freedom, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, in cooperation with Apple Inc., is asking college students across the United States to participate in a national video essay competition on the subject of “Freedom Is . . .”

Here’s how the contest works:

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The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center announced today that it has received a major grant from the New York City-based Skirball Foundation. The gift of $1,500,000 will support Freedom Center programs and exhibits and also support the Partnership for Human Freedom, an initiative to raise public awareness of slavery in the world today.

The museum’s third-floor changing exhibit space, totaling 3,000 square feet, will be permanently designated the “Jack H. Skirball Gallery,” in honor of Jack H. Skirball (1896-1985), an ordained rabbi turned award-winning Hollywood movie producer and distinguished philanthropist. A graduate of Cincinnati’s Hebrew Union College in 1921, Jack and his brother William established the Skirball Foundation in 1948. It has grown into a major philanthropic institution supporting education, culture, the arts, and other causes.

“This is a momentous day for the Freedom Center,” said Donald W. Murphy, CEO and President. “The Skirball Foundation’s extraordinary gift will enable the Freedom Center to create dynamic, relevant programming and new exhibits, many of which will be presented in the Jack H. Skirball Gallery.”

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The Cincinnati Enquirer often reports on issues related to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Its latest article, published online on Friday and scheduled for the Sunday paper on June 15, is perhaps the most comprehensive assessment since the Freedom Center opened in 2004.

Judge for yourself , and let us know what you think about the article and the Freedom Center.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is counting down to Family FreedomFest, a day-long festival featuring free live music, indoor and outdoor family activities and ice cream on Saturday, July 26 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Guests who visit the Freedom Center during Family FreedomFest will be able to register for a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. The prize will be awarded at the end of the day. See official rules for complete details.

“The Freedom Center is a perfect location to host Family FreedomFest, a family event planned to celebrate the importance of freedom - in the past - and today - and in the future,” said Donald Murphy, CEO of the Freedom Center.

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The U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report was released this week, but if you blinked, you probably missed hearing about it.

That’s a shame because the report — despite its flaws and allegations of political influence impacting its data — does give the general public an overall look at the nature and extent of human trafficking around the world. Neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post, for example, have yet run stories on the report, and broadcast news has been largely silent.

The 2008 report, released by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, concludes that while progress in combating human slavery is being made, the lack of enforcement of anti-trafficking laws in many nations is enabling perpetrators to escape punishment. The focus on prosecutions, Rice said, was a new emphasis of this year’s report.

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Paul Hemmer recently shared his vision of planting 4 millions trees commemorating the lives of those who struggled for freedom with Fifth Third Business Beat host, Brian Patrick.

Watch Fifth Third Business Beat, Cincinnati’s weekly on-line and on-demand business program.

There’s an interesting post over at Matador Volunteer with some interesting facts about modern human trafficking:

2008 witnesses the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in America. Amidst the celebrations, what many people fail to realize is that slavery persists today in the modern world on an enormous scale.

In spite of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948 stating that “slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms,” the figures accompanying the modern slave trade seem inconceivable in a global society that prides itself upon its modern-day values and emphasis on human rights.

1. There are more people in slavery now than at any other time in human history.
2. The value of slaves has decreased.
3. Slavery still exists in the US.
4. Slavery is hidden behind many other names, thus disguising it from society.
5. The least known method of slavery is the most widely used.

Continue reading 10 Shocking Facts About Global Slavery in 2008

Mr. Westmoreland speaks for the full two hours with Karen Campbell historian and Gen. Librarian for The Mary L. Cook Public Library in Waynesville Ohio.

Ms. Campbell and Mr. Westmoreland discuss the conflict among the Abrahamic relgions from a hisotrical perspective evaluated against current events. Ms. Campbell’s comments were inspired by “The Tent of Abraham” by Joan Chittister, OSB; Murshid Saadi Shakur Chishti; and Rabbi Arthur Waskow.

Click here to listen to the archive recording of this show!

Go is a documentary produced by Invisible Children about a group of American high school students who travelled through northern Uganda during the summer of 2007 attempting to help facilitate the end of the 22 year long war in which Uganda has been entrenched . The documentary asks the simple question of how far you’d be willing to go to help make a difference in the world.

September 23, 2008

Harriet Tubman Thearter

6:30 p.m.

FREE

BBC News has a story about a British Good Samaritan named Stan Brock, who recently flew in much needed dental and health care supplies — not to some impoverished country in the developing world, but to Tennessee!

The account will cause you to scratch your head in amazement. Piloting a World War II DC-3 that helped land American troops in France on D-Day, Brock delivered dental chairs and other medical equipment to rural people who struggle to survive without health insurance to cover their basic health care needs.

Hard to imagine, isn’t it, that in the wealthiest nation on earth, some of its citizens have to rely on the charity of foreign nationals to get their teeth pulled, their eyes checked, or that lump in their chest X-rayed. The economic disparity in the U.S. between the haves and have-nots — the two worlds of wealth and poverty — can sap the human spirit and limit a person’s horizons. It’s an issue that cries out for informed, bold leadership in this year’s Presidential campaign

At the Freedom Center, we talk about the struggle through history of people to achieve freedom. Articles like this one are a stark reminder that true freedom also means having the ability to live a life of dignity and purpose, where access to health care is widely available and individuals don’t have to wait for an angel of mercy to descend from the sky.

Click on this link to read the entire article on the lack of health care in rural Tennessee.