AAI’s Anti trafficking program was highlighted again on November. 23 on CNN. See Link here
Feature piece on airline initiative followed news of three women released from bondage for over 30 years. AAI president Nancy Rivard pointed out that more people are subject to human slavery than at any time in history. Less than 1% were rescued in 2012 – so public education is critical. She share Airline Ambassadors initiative to involve airlines around the world so that fight crew can recognize and report human trafficking as it occurs.
The AAI “Recognize It – Report It” initiative was was also featured in Saber Magazine’s ASCEND Magazine for Airline Executives – November issue in two articles STOP Human Trafficking – Training of Travel and Tourism Professionals Can Save Lives as well as a follow up article Keep Your Eyes Open, by Patty McPeak, AAI’s former Chair
We applaud the commitment and leadership of Saber Holdings on the most important human rights issue of our time.
Teaching Plane Etiquette for Kids
Flight attendant pens children’s book about airplane safety and good manners –
During a book signings across the U.S. author and flight attendant M.L. Murray introduced travelers to her new children’s book, Plane Manners. A beautifully illustrated, delightful story that features a cast of zoo animals each conveying good manners and tips on airplane safety is a little book with a big heart and a lofty goal. Volunteers needed to join book-signings in the following cities:
Available in Heritage bookstores located in 12 U.S. airports, Plane Manners ($14.95) was written by a veteran flight attendant who has seen first-hand how rewarding it is for children who travel that have displayed good manners and how contagious it is to other passengers. M.L. Murray began her airline career flying for major international airlines in 1968. An active member of Airline Ambassadors International (AAI), Murray has pledged to donate $1.00 from the purchase of every Plane Manners book to AAI’s efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance, escort children in need of medical care and advocate and educate for children protection – particularly human trafficking in children, a global epidemic.
“My wish is every adult will read Plane Manners to their child before they fly and both will be reminded how important ‘plane manners’ and child safety are wherever your flight takes you,” said M.L. Murray during the first of 18 book signings she’ll participate in across the country. “Equally important to me is raising awareness around the prevention of human trafficking, particularly the trafficking of children. Child safety takes many forms and as flight attendants, we have a unique opportunity to observe warning signals among travelers and report suspicious activity to the authorities. My hope is to raise significant funds from the sale of Plane Manners to enhance the training and education efforts led by Airline Ambassadors International. We can help rescue a child’s life by ensuring every flight attendant is aware of human trafficking warning signs and takes action to stop this crime.” Click HERE for Radio Interview with Travel Talk Media
“Plane Manners” a Children’s Book with Lofty Goals
The book’s inflight adventure features a number of unlikely travel companions who practice good manners in spite of close quarters and unique cabin mates. Kids experience good plane etiquette and safety lessons through memorable characters like paparazzi-hounded celebrity Zoe the Zebra, too-tall Geoffrey the Giraffe, and the well-manned Michael the Chimp Gentleman. Plane Manners is first in a series of books to teach children good manners in every life situation.
Illustrated by Paul Tuller with rhyming by Nancy Huether, Plane Manners is available for bulk purchase at a discounted price, visit www.magicmomentbooks.com for details. Book signings before the Christmas holidays include: Washington National, New York, Dallas, Washington Dulles, Baltimore, Detroit, Atlanta, Orange County, Philadelphia, and Fort Myers airports.
About Human Trafficking
Approximately 18,000 persons are trafficked into the United States from over 50 countries every year. Over 300,000 children are trafficked within the United States annually. U.S. children are trafficked to large urban centers such as Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles, as well as to tourism destinations including Las Vegas and Florida. The American girls and women that are trafficked come from big cities and small towns. They come from affluent, middle class, and lower income families and from many ethnic backgrounds and recruited from malls, schools, youth centers, theme parks, neighborhoods, and online.
The Facts:
– Human Trafficking is a $32 billion industry annually for organized crime
– Each year over 2 million women and children are sold into slavery and within the U.S. over 300,000 annually
– Human Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, second only to the drug trade
– The money from this illicit industry fuels organized crime and terrorist networks worldwide
– Victims of sex trafficking can be girls or boys, women and men
AAI President, Nancy Rivard and trainers Sandi Fiorini and Naomi Van Duin will participate at the 3rd INTERPOL Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings in Lyon France November 2014.
“ What an honor to be invited to present our airline initiative to the Interpol Conference with top human trafficking experts from around the world”. said Sandi Fiorini, after AAI’s presentation last year.
Purpose of the 3rd INTERPOL Trafficking in Human Beings Conference is to promote and enhance international police cooperation and support member countries in understanding new trends within THB and is made possible due to support by the AbuDhabi Judicial Dept.
Secretary General Ronald K. Noble and the French Minister for Women’s Rights, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, opened the event in 2013, which brought together 150 law enforcement and non-governmental experts from nearly 50 countries.
“I am very pleased to have opened this conference as INTERPOL is highly mobilized and committed to fighting human trafficking, a transnational challenge confronting all countries and human rights, women’s rights in particular, are at stake.” said Minister Vallaud-Belkacem.
A key theme at the conference is how through new technology, human trafficking has become a multi-billion dollar industry, with the Internet, social networks and mobile phones providing new avenues for sexual exploitation and abuse, and used by traffickers to recruit and sell their victims, or to attract potential customers.
INTERPOL Secretary General Noble said that these same technologies hold equal opportunities for law enforcement to access intelligence and raise awareness, to help identify victims and take preventative measures.
“To take advantage of this, we need to change our habits, to break out of isolation, to share and exploit any piece of information available, anywhere in the world,” said Mr Noble. “
Airline Ambassadors was acknowledged in the official press release and report on the event which was a huge acknowledgement of our innovation in educating airline and transportation personnel.
AAI has provided public awareness training’s at over 20 airport and other locations so far. See story here: ttp://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=8728128
Bravo to the NGO Terre des Hommes whose amazing work with the computer animated “Sweetie”, identified 1,000 perpetrators in just two months. Their files were turned over to Interpol on Nov. 4th,with amazing potential for global law enforcement response in 2014. http://andrewazzopardi.org/2013/11/09/stop-webcam-child-sex-tourism-watch-video/
Join us for another amazing Holiday Mission Dec 3, 4 and 5th to brighten the lives of children at Orphanage “Rompiendo Cadenas” in Bogota, Colombia.
Dec 5 is check out for those who need to go back and for those who wishes to stay we can do a trip to the Salt Cathedral.!!!
Please confirm me your intention to join me on this mission so that I can arrange vans and pre-reserve hotel rooms. For information email Alex.Restrepo@airlineamb.orgSee video from the spring mission to get a sence of the magic – Thanks to Beyond Measure Media!Here’s some more pics from last year’s mission:
On last year’s mission it was especially inspiring to interview director of the orphanage Marta Betancourt and learn how she had been on the streets in Medellin, when she decided to join her brother in Bogata and dedicate her life to helping others. Her work now is to care for 70 children (35 boys and 35 girls) The kids are not adoptable as they have parents, who are prostitutes , drug addicts, or who simply don’t care about them. She has not sustainable funding to provide for food, medical care, or even school uniforms and supplies for the kids. She needs to raise $7,000 by early next year to make sure all the kids can stay in school, so we are looking for support for this orphanage as education is the only key for the future for these kids. If you can help financially or by making school kits email Alex.Restrepo@airlineamb.org
Our team got to site-see in this beautiful city, go shopping, eat some great meals, and even ride a “Chiva Party Bus” as part of a Colombian tradition! Please join us for a mission in 2014!!!!
Here is email follow up from Masako (Bunny) Doi after escorting a little girl from the mountains of Nepal for medical treatment for scoliosis in New Jersey. Check the response email as well as Bunny is indeed one or our “hero’s”
Thanks to everyone in HTC for your confidence in me to escort children for Healing the Children. I hope Kabita is adjusting to her new environment. We couldn’t do this without Rijen Shahi who took Kabita, her mother, and brother to meet me in Kathmandu. I didn’t know that they didn’t have a consent letter for Kabita to travel without parents that we needed to for immigration in Nepal. He didn’t know what “notarize” meant, but he helped beyond his call of duty. Discussing what to do that evening, Kabita’s facial expression was getting darker, thinking she was being rejected. I made the decision to have her stay with me since they missed their bus and had to stay another night in Kathmandu. I also could see that her mother was uncomfortable and worried about money. The bus ride to Kathmandu for 3, lodging, food, and other expenses must have cost her a lot. I assured her that she didn’t need to worry about money.
I think “life” works out in mysterious ways, and that there are reasons for everything. Rijen talked to his boss but the lawyer was hesitant to have his name on the paper as Kabita’s mother didn’t have anything to identify herself as Kabita’s mother…. but he saw we were working for a good cause and decided to help us.
I’m sure it was a life changing experience for Kabita’s mother as well. This was her first time in a lawyer’s office to sign her name as she can’t write or read… and got her fingers printed. We found a taxi to get them to the bus for their 18 hour bus ride home. Later, we heard that they couldn’t believe that strangers would do this for them without asking anything in return. As taxi drove off, her mother cried and I cried too. We couldn’t communicate by language, but I was certain that she trusted me that her child is safe with me. I promised her that I will bring Kabita home to her.
And here we are… we made it. I always knew we would. I’m like a bulldog, I won’t let it go until I accomplish what I’m there for. All of us worked together for Kabita to get to USA to have her surgery so that she can have healthy normal life.
This is indeed a life changing experience for Kabita, not just her health, but all the experience she will have in USA, kindness and love that she is receiving from people around her.
Thank you so much for giving me a wonderful and extraordinary experience again.
These experiences are my treasures.
Sincerely,
Bunny Doi
From: denise@htcnj.org
To: grifflee@frontiernet.net
CC: yellowfatcat59@hotmail.com; htchildren@qwestoffice.net; Mmwhitehead3@aol.com
Subject: RE: Kabita is HERE! Thank you – thank you!
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2013 05:25:19 -0700
Thanks Wayne for all your efforts! The family texted me last night to let me know all was well.
Airline Ambassadors receives IIPT Ambassador for Peace Award
at the Platinum Suite Stage of World Travel Market on 5 November 2013
London, England – 5 November 2013 – Airline Ambassadors International today was awarded an “Ambassador for Peace Award” by the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) for promoting a “Culture of Peace through Tourism.” The award was presented on the Platinum Stage at the World Travel Market in London, England, as Sandy Dhurvetter, Executive Producer/Host TravelTalkMEDIA and member of the AAI Board, accepted the award from IIIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore. [photo available].
Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, UNWTO Secretary General; David Scowsill, President, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC); Mok Singh, Immediate Past President, Skal International; Geoffrey Lipman, President, International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP); Martin Craigs, President, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Peter DeWilde, CEO of Visit Flanders all spoke at the event to support the important role of travel and tourism as a vehicle for peace.
Eight organizations were recognized at the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) 25th anniversary commemoration of its First Global Conference, Tourism: A Vital Force for Peace, Vancouver 1988. The event took place at World Travel Market’s Platinum Suite stage on Tuesday, November 5 from 1400–1500.
IIPT Presented Ambassador for Peace Awards to:
Airline Ambassadors International, www.airlineamb.org
Airline Ambassadors International began in 1996 when Founder Nancy Rivard, with a small group of airline personnel, used their travel benefits to help orphans and vulnerable children.
Global Volunteers, www.globalvolunteers.org
Works in special consultative status with the United Nations and in partnership with U.N. agencies UNICEF and the World Food Programme to engage short-term volunteers on long-term projects to create, nurture and sustain the well being of the world’s children – so they can realize the full promise of their human potential.
Alex Harris, www.generaltours.com
In 1954, after requesting special permission from the U.S. State Department and Eisenhower Administration, he was granted the authority to operate the first scheduled tours to the Soviet Union for American travelers. His story is an inspiration to all who face seemingly overwhelming odds and proof that even the greatest obstacles can be overcome.
Hostelling International, www.hihostels.com
The Hostelling International mission, defined in 1932, is one of the earliest examples of sustainable tourism by encouraging a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the social and cultural values in all parts of the world.
IUCN – UIAA Summit Team, www.rogerpayne.info/
Honoring the first time that mountaineers from India and Pakistan had formed a joint climbing team, the first time the flags of the two nations had flown together from a Summit, and the first time that any of the climbs were made by a quadruple amputee.
Peace Boat, www.peaceboat.org/english
For thirty years, Peace Boat has been promoting people-to-people communication across borders and building a culture of peace.
PeaceTrees Vietnam, www.peacetreesvietnam.org
For their work alongside the Vietnamese people to transform the destructive consequences of war into a safe and healthy environment for the children of Quang Tri Province by removing land mines and replacing them with trees.
READ Global, www.readglobal.org
READ (Rural Education and Development) Global believes that empowering rural communities is critical to alleviating global poverty. READ partners with rural villages to build Community Library and Resource Centers (READ Centers) that offer knowledge, information and opportunities to villagers that lack the most basic educational resources.
IIPT will end its 25th anniversary year with a Global Summit in September 2014. The event will begin and end with two global media events: On September 21, the UN International Day of Peace, the IIPT/Skal 500 Peace Towns and Villages will be dedicated in countries throughout the world. On September 27, World Tourism Day, IIPT will launch its “Great Falls Peace Parks” initiative sending a message of peace, friendship and hope for the future circling the earth.
IIPT Founder and President said, “As one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries, the collective voice of travel and tourism leaders can be a powerful force for peace and justice in the 21st century – for without peace, there is no tourism.”
The event was co-moderated by Fiona Jeffery OBE – Former Chairman, World Travel Market and Founder and Chairman, Just a Drop, and Anita Mendiratta, Founder & Managing Director CACHET Consulting.
A highlight of the ceremony was Alston Koch, a Sri Lankan-born Australian singer-songwriter sang an original song on a theme of climate change.
About IIPT
IIPT is dedicated to fostering and facilitating tourism initiatives that contribute to international understanding and cooperation, an improved quality of environment, the preservation of heritage, poverty reduction, and the resolution of conflict – and through these initiatives, help bring about a more peaceful and sustainable world. IIPT is dedicated to mobilizing travel and tourism, the world’s largest industry, as the world’s first “Global Peace Industry,” an industry that promotes and supports the belief that “Every traveler is potentially an Ambassador for Peace.”
About World Travel Market
World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. Almost 48,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL – London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM. WTM, now in its 34th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals.
You can download the PDF of the press release here.
Note from Cheryl Oct. 30. 2014
” I would like to say thank you for joining the trip this year, it was truly the best trip yet. As most of you know these children are very close to my heart. Sharing this experience with you was quite an honor… I hope I get to do it again…. Soon
Each and everyone of us brought something different to trip.. I don’t want to single anyone out but what amazing memories we all have from this trip. All the extras everyone provided were priceless. The children were very happy with the Christmas party and all their gifts… It was really special. When the AAI group goes it’s usually a first for something, this time it was the overnight stay at the beach and the Christmas party. Sometimes things that we are used to means so much to them. Before the Christmas party the children were all saying that it was going to be a catered event… I didn’t quite realize what a grand party it was going to be. I think it really made them feel very special. I think Santa Claus was a big hit!!!
The children will always have a special place in their hearts for each and everyone of us. Every time I go back they always ask how their Aunties are doing!! Please keep them in your prayers and thoughts… And let me know if there is anything I can do for you. Keep in touch, and have a wonderful holiday season.
My last day there I found out that 7 boys did not get any sneakers…. So I found a place that gave me a really good deal on the shoes that were a little bit damaged… You could hardly tell… So of course I bought them. I found out the reason they really needed those shoes was because when they play basketball in Manila they can’t play without sneakers.
All my love,
Cheryl
Hi Ladies, This trip was absolutely fabulous! Thank you Cheryl for all the preparation, many hours of planning, reservations and all the love you shared with everyone. This is most definitely your calling! I felt like we had a true “sisterhood” with our team. The amount of clothes, toys, gifts, shoes, just blew my mind~We really blessed all the kids at the dump and at Shepherds. And all the contributions from team members, friends and family made it so special. I want to put together a lg hygiene box for families at the Abetax dump and Shepherds to donate for April team to take. Again, thank you Cheryl and team!
Kim Bird
Cheryl Robinson led her third unforgettable mission to Shepherd of the Hills Children’s Home with 11 Airline Ambassadors in October 20-30 2013.
65 children received a new outfit, shoes and a toy, and the team provided funding to build two small houses on the property. The volunteers participated in daily activities, taking kids to the zoo, to the beach, making pizzas (from scratch), playing games, baking cookies, doing craft projects and swimming in the new pool. The older boys gave a tour on outrigger boats, island hopping through gorgeous terrain. The stay was topped off by a very special CONCERT with dancing, music fit for a New York stage; followed by a bonfire and dancing.
“AAI has been visiting Shepherd of the Hills since 1999, but this was my first time it felt like coming HOME. In this place, Divine Love is a palpable reality – you can see it shine in the faces of the children, in their respect, honesty, enthusiasm and boundless love. I cannot wait to return, as I now feel as though these are my children too.” Nancy Rivard
Many thanks to Maria Amor from We Care for Humanity for bringing a diagnostic machine to provide medical testing for the kids, sharing her project helping families near the dump in Montalban, as well as arranging for transportation from one of the largest development companies in the Philippines – Megaworld Corporation. We plan to work with them both to strengthen education at the children’s home and in the community of Zambales and provide livelihood projects supporting women and children in the Philippines.
We need to raise $26,000 to send the graduating class to college next year. Thank you for your tax deductible donations HERE.
Come and join us next March for the kids graduation…..and you will be hooked too! Watch the website for dates.
Here are some video logs of the Humanitarian Trip to the Philippines October 2013. We hope you enjoy them.
Cheryl Robinson shares from the field:
John Anthony thanks AAI
It’s more fun…!
AAI Board member and AAI trainer, Sandy Dhuyvetter, is also the host of Travel Talk Media. Here she discusses the important issue of protecting children in tourism from exploitation.
Read more and listen to the interview here.
Join this rewarding trip to bring Holiday Cheer to children in Panajachel, Guatemala Dec. 9-13, 2013!
You will stay on the breathtaking Lake Atitlan and provide Christmas celebrations for pre-schools, and see numerous community development projects of Mayan Families.
Contact Deanna Frieze deannafrieze@sbcglobal.net for more details. Postponed
Anna Maldonado was featured in the Malibu Chronicle on September 10, 2013. You can read the article here.
Anna will soon bring Marcella and Lizette back to their families in El Salvador after donated surgeries in LA by Mending Kids International.
She has fallen in love with the country and its people. This picture is of her distributing gifts to children recently at the dedication of a new well and solar system for San Antonio School, El Salvador.
Thanks, Anna, for the wonderful work that you do, sharing your time and love to help make these children’s lives better.
