Fighting Human Slavery from the Skies: (Short Article on AAI)

Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) was established in 1996 as a non-profit organization begun by flight attendants using flight privileges to help vulnerable children. Volunteer teams have provided 3,000 medical escorts and hand delivered humanitarian assistance to over 500,000 children. Membership expanded to include members of all ages and professions – traveling to make a difference.

AAI is an ECOSOC NGO with the United Nations and each year measure’s effectiveness addressing – education – maternal health – poverty, food security child welfare and more based on the UN Sustainable Development goals.

Every month members saw vulnerable orphans and children on our missions, but knew nothing about Human Trafficking until we rescued a little girl in Cambodia and correctly identified human trafficking on four airlines in 2009. The first “tip” we submitted led to the bust of a human trafficking ring in Boston that saved 86 children. This began our third major program, raising awareness of human trafficking in the aviation industry – and combatting one of the great human rights issues of our time.

Working with Congressional members and government agencies AAI developed the first “industry specific” training which has been provided to 6000 personnel at 65 airports in the U.S. and around the world. This training is provided by volunteer flight personnel and survivors of human trafficking and is consistent with the “Blue Lightning Protocol” of the Department of Homeland Security.

Our efforts have saved hundreds of victims. The story of an Alaska Airlines flight attendant, Shelia Fedrick, who saved a little girl with a note in the airplane lavatory, went viral in February 2017 with over 2,000 media citations. Shelia is an AAI trainer and this is one of dozens of stories of victims who have been saved as a result of these prevention efforts.

We commend the leadership of the U.S. Congress in passing the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S.2658) which includes the requirement that flight attendants be trained to identify and report potential trafficking aboard flights. Since the new legislation, most airlines have implemented a minimum level of training for flight attendants, but more work is needed.

Funding is needed for global prevention efforts such as improved training, data sharing and strengthening of law enforcement’s ability to receive data rich information. The TIP Line App AAI established last year is a critical reporting tool. It is free on Google or ITunes which we encourage everyone to download.

The critical infrastructure of our transportation system can no longer be used as a tool to implement modern day slavery. This is the fastest growing crime in the world, linked to drug trafficking, human smuggling, arms trafficking and terrorism.

Many of us travel frequently for business and pleasure. We can be more aware in our travels of and noticing suspicious indicators:

• Do fellow travelers seem frightened, ashamed or nervous?
• Are they afraid of uniformed security?
• Are they under the control of a traveling companion?

With these tools to Recognize and Report Human Trafficking. Your action can save a life!

BLOG POSTS FOR UNA:

• Can you tell us a little about yourself and what motivated you to create Airline Ambassadors International?

When my dad died suddenly at age 54, it was a wake up call for me.  I was a supervisor of flight attendants at American Airlines and rising the corporate ladder. I looked closely at those ahead of me in the corporation….they were nice people, but their life was not about a purpose larger than themselves.  It prompted me to take a step backwards professionally to take a step towards my Soul. I returned to a flight attendant position to embark on a deep and profound search for meaning that lasted 7 years and took me all over the world. During those travels I saw  many children who lacked basic needs (in the developing world) and people in the developed world who wanted to make a difference but didn’t know how to get involved.  I had the idea that flight attendants could bring love into action by directly helping vulnerable children, inspiring the traveling public to do the same.  I made a personal commitment in 1993 to take one action personally every month.   I could only get two flight attendants to join me on our first mission to Bosnia, where we brought soaps, shampoos. lotions (from our layover hotels) to the refugee women and children…..our gifts were received like “gold”. The next month I escorted a child back to Cali, Colombia who had received donated surgery in the U.S. Flight attendants began to ask me to put them on my “list”, and by 1995 we had 500 names on the “list” and started a non profit corporation in the office of the late Congressman Tom Lantos.

• UNA-NCA supporters are avid travelers; what are some things we should be aware of when we travel, and what should we do if we think we see an individual who may be at-risk of being trafficked?

All of us who travel frequently should be aware that human trafficking is the fastest growing critical industry and that according to the 2017 report from the ILO and Walk Free Foundation, there are estimated to be over 40M trafficking victims.   Traffickers move their victims frequently and often use the speed and convenience of commercial air travel.  Travelers can notice children and who they are traveling with, young women or men traveling alone.  Does the person seem frightened, ashamed or nervous? Are they under the control of a traveling companion? Are they unsure of their destination? Do they have wounds or bruises?   If something seems not right, it is the traveler’s duty to report it to law enforcement.  They may be wrong, but this action can save a life.

• What should we know about human trafficking survivors?

Sister Imelda Poole , fellow panelist – with Donna Hubbard.

This is why we work with survivors for all our trainings, which makes the issue come alive, and helps trainees understand that this can happen to anyone, young, old, male, female, who are lured through promises of romance, a better life, or threats (through force, fraud or coercion.) by someone willing to exploit them for profit.   Many times trafficking victims do not realize they are a victim, and will not or can’t self identify.   Some say the lifespan of a person that enters into to “life” averages about 7 years…..and even if a person is rescued, the psychological scars can remain a lifetime .  This is why we need to “see” them and be willing to recognize and report potential trafficking situations as soon as possible.

• Your organization does so much to help vulnerable people, especially children. Can you tell us more about your humanitarian and medical programs?

Yes every month our teams volunteer their time to escort children to the U.S. for donated medical care and we have been able to provide 3000 of these life changing journeys so far. We also  hand deliver food, clothing, school supplies, hygiene items and more to children in children’s homes or orphanages world wide on missions every month and have helped 500,000 children in 62 countries.   We make a long term commitment to children at our projects and have been successful in getting all 75 children at our Philippines project sponsored and are working on this for Haiti as well. AAI also works with disaster relief.   We have moved 47 entire airplanes of aid and hand delivered $60 million worth of humanitarian assistance directly to children and families.

• How has your partnership with the United Nations affected your work?

The United Nations conference series inspired me even before I founded a non profit organization. Participation at the Earth Summit, Social Summit, Human Rights, Women’s Summit and Habitat 11 helped to shape my understanding that global solutions were needed for the problems we face as humanity.  Airline Ambassadors is honored to be affiliated with the United Nations Department of Information and also the Economic and Social Council.   We maintain UN Representatives in New York and participate at meetings and conferences there.  As an ECOSOC NGO we were able to call a Side Event at the recent Commission on Crime Prevention Global Meeting of UNODC, drawing global attention to our work in the prevention of human trafficking  resulting in an MOU with UNODC. We also measure our effectiveness each year based on the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Which of the new Global Goals, as they relate to Human Rights, is most important to you personally and why? 

In the past few years Airline Ambassadors work has expanded with the prevention of human trafficking, the most important human rights issue of our time. SDG’s, 8.7, 5.2 and 16.2 relate to this specifically:

                   8.7 Decent work and economic growth: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.                    5.2  Gender Equality  Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. 

 16.2 Peace, justice and institutions  End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence agains and torture of children. 

Airline Ambassadors supports all of these goals as human rights is the basis of all our efforts, and have taken the initiative to reach out to CEO’s of the travel industry to provide jobs for trafficking victims as a way to support Goal 8.7, to provide education to vulnerable young women on our missions as a way to support Goal 5.2 and have tirelessly advocated in governmental, non-governmental and private sector entities on the prevention of trafficking  in support of Goal 16.2

• You are being honored with the Perdita Huston Award, named after a woman who dedicated her life to supporting the rights of women and girls around the world. How has your work helped promote gender equality?

The empowerment of girls has been pivotal to our work and still is as we strive to bring human rights, education, job training, and support for women and girls to each of the projects we supportv.Gender equality is a core principle of what our work is about.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said that unless human rights have meaning locally, they have little meaning anywhere, and that “without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” What are your reflections on that, and on what that means for action and prioritizing action? 

I think Eleanor Roosevelt was a brilliant and inspired visionary and agree with her entirely that we have to “walk our talk”- have the courage to speak out for injustices we see in our own neighborhood, or (as a flight attendant), to report a potential trafficking case on an airplane.   Many individuals, governments and companies think it is easier to close our eyes, and not get involved, not make waves, but in the long run that does not serve us, or our world.  As the late Tom Lantos said “The veneer of civilization is paper thin, we are its guardians, and we can never rest.” 

• What would surprise your peers to learn about you?

That my main interest is spiritual growth

• In your opinion, what has been your greatest impact on trafficking and humanitarian issues?

Oh that is a hard question.   No doubt our selfless humanitarian flying angels have made a difference in the lives of countless children through our medical escort and humanitarian programs. Airline Ambassadors gives ordinary people a chance to match their unique skills and interests to actual world need form relationships outside the ordinary context. We have these children’s pictures in our wallet, we communicate with them and love them.   It meets a need for them helping to provide the physical things they need, but they meet a need in us too, giving us a chance to express our fundamental kindness, compassion and generosity.  More recently our work advocating for human trafficking awareness, is more about educating airport/airline personnel.   We saw an opportunity to make a difference that would impact thousands of victims and we knew we had to take a stand. I do believe our efforts helped in the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016, requiring that flight attendants be trained on human trafficking.

Nancy’s speech when accepting Human Rights Award

“It is such an honor to receive this award, especially from the Lantos family, as AAI was born in their office in 1996 and they have been a fountain of inspiration and support ever since.

Secondly because my late uncle, Ambassador Jonathon Dean, was president of this United Nations Association, he also was one of my great inspirations and one of the world’s foremost authorities on nuclear disarmament.

All of us want to harvest the fruits of a life well lived, but how do we do that?

By searching for a way that we, uniquely can serve.

My search began when I was 29 and my father died suddenly. This was the wake up call that caused me to take a step towards my Soul

I gave up my corporate job at American Airlines to become a flight attendant again, to embark on a profound search for meaning that took me all over the world, visiting

remote communities in Peru, Thailand, India, S. Africa & more.

I also participated at global conferences starting with the UN Earth Summit, Women’s Summit, Social Summit Human Rights Summit and Habitat 2

where I met some of the best and brightest minds on the planet.

It became clear that we had to shift public consciousness to an understanding of our common humanity if we were going to solve the global problems that faced us.

but how? I deeply pondered this and how I could use my life to be of service.

I noticed two things in all my travels:

There were millions of children in the developing world who lacked basic amenities. Clean water, food, medical care, access to education or a comfortable place to lay their heads at night.

I also noticed my colleagues in the developed world with too many things…that weren’t really making them happy.

Many wanted to make a difference, but they didn’t know how.

A way was needed for ordinary people to not only write a check to a charity…….but get involved themselves to bring Love into Action.

I also noticed that when I traveled I was more open to new experiences, more willing to open to a new point of view.

What if there was a way for ordinary people to match their unique interests and skills to actual world need?

Two things would happen:

Children in the developing world would receive humanitarian assistance they desperately need,

& it would meet a need in the travelers themselves to express their fundamental kindness, selflessness and generosity.

The travel industry could play a more fundamental role building sharing, understanding & goodwill between peoples and cultures.

Helping generate political will to solve our common problems.

I had seen unused seats on the airplanes I flew, empty overhead bins and room in the cargo hold,

Why not use that space to transport humanitarian aid and mobilize flight attendants to hand deliver it?

They could become a role model for the traveling public!

I reached out to every airline CEO I could think of Inviting them to support my idea….

There was no response

I asked my flight crews

“would you join me hand delivering aid to children in need?

They looked at me as if I was from Mars, rolled their eyes and continued talking about shopping

Dejected, I went back to my apartment and inwardly said to God

“ No one is the least bit interested in any of my ideas. How can I influence the travel industry, the largest industry in the world?

I’m just a flight attendant!”

I heard a response from deep within

“Stop talking about it, Start doing it”

 And so I did. That month I traveled to Bosnia, and hand delivered soaps, shampoo’s and lotions

collected from layover hotels….to refugee women and children. These small gifts were received like gold…..

The following month I escorted Maria Jose from Guatemala to New York for donated heart surgery.

The crew asked me what I was doing

“I have this idea that we can use our pass privileges to help children” and inspire others to do the same”,

“Add me to your list”, they said.

And once I made the first step, providence intervened,

and I even met my husband who provided our first major humanitarian shipment of supplies to Bolivia.

By 1996, there were 500 names on the “list”.

We officially launched Airline Ambassadors as a non profit organization, (in the office of the former Congressman Tom Lantos),

providing a way for ordinary travelers to be a living link between world resource and world need.

We have accomplished far more than we ever dreamed escorting over 3,000 children for needed medical care and hand delivering over 60M in aid directly to 500,000 children

Every month we saw vulnerable children, but it was not until 2009 after saving a little girl in Cambodia, we learned of a dark reality in our world,

As president of Airline Ambassadors, I knew

we had to get involved in the fight against human trafficking.

Amazingly, the following month,

our team correctly identified trafficking on 4 different airlines. One of those cases led to the bust of a pornography ring in Boston, saving 86 children.

Our efforts following this event led to the establishment of our third major focus as Airline Ambassadors –

Raising awareness of Human Trafficking and how all travelers can put a stop to it.

Thousands of victims are trafficked across intl. borders annually. Traffickers move victims frequently to keep them powerless and exploit them for labor or sexual slavery.

We worked closely with Congress, Homeland Security and Customs Border Protection to develop the first industry specific training which we have given at 65 airports in the US and abroad.

In September a new study was released by the International Labour Organization, Walk Free Foundation and IOM estimating over 40M slaves in the world today!

Victims are being auctioned off publicly in Libya for $400 – we cannot stand by and do nothing.

This is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and a crime linked to drugs, arms and terrorism generating 150B in profits.

We appreciate the support of Congressman Chris Smith in helping us get the word out, as well as 12 other members of Congress. And are thrilled with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 requiring the mandatory training of flight attendants in the US.

But there is more needed:

We cannot let the critical infrastructure of the transportation industry be used to facilitate trafficking.

As the late Tom Lantos said   “The veneer of civilization is paper thin, we are its guardian’s, and we must never rest. ‘

My husband is presenting for us today at the Interpol Conference in Doha Qatar on the global reporting tool we developed the TIP Line App (free on Google and ITunes) which you can download to your phone to report suspected trafficking anywhere in the world.

Many of us in this room travel frequently for business or pleasure.  We can be more aware of children and who they are traveling with, or young women traveling alone.

• Are they frightened, ashamed or nervous?
• Afraid of uniformed security?
• Are they under the control of a traveling companion?

Each of us can be alert to the world around us and have the moral imperative to report suspected incidents.

Your action can save a life.

I want to share a poem taught to me by one of my great mentors – Millard Fuller founder of Habitat for Humanity

A drop in the bucket is only a drop

A minor and moist detail

One drop can’t change the color and taste

In a 10 quart watering pail

But if that drop has the color of love

And the taste of tears divine

One drop dropped into the vessel of life

Can change the water to wine.”