What is BE THE HOPE Workshop

BE THE HOPE is a 1.5-2hr workshop designed to raise awareness of human trafficking. Specifically, it seeks to share 9 warning signs that someone may be endangered and to provide ways that ordinary heroes can help fight against human trafficking.

What led to the program’s development?

The research for Dance For Me. That story tells the story of Maelea, a young Cambodian girl. Nearly 1,000 readers have provided a review of this book on Amazon but the basic premise is that her family are sustenance farmers: they are very poor. When their youngest daughter falls ill with dengue fever, a potentially fatal disease, Maelea’s father sells her in exchange for a doctor. The next three years of Maelea’s life are torturous and soul-defining. To write this, I spoke with survivors, read books, watched shows, underwent certification training with Polaris and learned a lot. Once you learn something, I believe we’re meant then to share. That was the catalyst for this program. Its inspiration was from the book I wrote but its continuation is because I can’t pretend I don’t know, I want to do something.

What are the logistics of the workshop – it is virtual, or in person, how long is the program, what’s the format, how many people should others expect?

I’ve given this workshop mostly in person, but it is also offered virtually. It’s timeframe varies. It’s scheduled for 90 minutes but, depending on how many questions or testimonials there are at the end, it can stretch to 2 hours. I’ve given workshops with an audience of 2 and an audience of closer to fifty. The key thing to know about its format is that it is interactive: it’s centered around a conversation. The first fifteen-twenty five minutes are used for introductions, an icebreaker and then an overview of nine warning signs that someone may be in trouble. Once the warning signs are covered, there’s a group activity. Depending on the size of the group, sometimes the audience is split into groups and each group is given a scenario to work through; if the size of the overall group is small, we may work through it together as one large group. After that, we talk about what combatting human trafficking looks like and steps that you can take to be a voice for change, to BE THE HOPE.

For the virtual workshops, what system or software is needed to participate?

An internet connection. The workshop runs through Teams. When you register for the event, you’ll be sent a Teams link. When the workshop begins, you’ll click the link to join. If you have the Teams app on your phone or computer, clicking the link will open your app. If you do not have Teams app installed, you’ll be able to choose whether to download the app or click “Join on the Web.” If you select that option, you’ll enter the meeting ID and passcode to join. It is is an easy process.

Do I have to be on camera?

While it’s encouraged to be on camera, you certainly don’t have to be.

Is there a fee for the workshop?

No; it is completely free.

Some of your books have very difficult scenes that have been described as graphic scenes of abuse. For what ages are the workshops appropriate? And is there graphic language?

We are talking about human trafficking, which is humans being sold for sex and forced labor. So, the topic itself is sensitive. However, we do not go into details about what kinds of horrors are done to the victims of human trafficking. This is on purpose and for a lot of reasons: one, it varies a lot depending on the trafficker, depending on what stage the victim is in of being ensnared, depending on the type of trafficking. Words are so powerful. I don’t want to risk describing some things that have happened to some survivors and have folks leave believing that story is representative of all human trafficking stories. Occasionally, depending on the group’s size, I have read from the Dance For Me at the start of the workshop. When I do this, though, I read the Prologue which does not describe any abuse. I would say that, because of the subject matter overall, participants should be fifteen years old to join.

What is the group activity piece?

This varies. There are a couple of different activities and I really choose which one to use based on the audience. The one that I use frequently is where each group is given a scenario that involves someone participating in an activity that is questionable: the group’s goal is to first decide if the scenario is showing an endangered person and, if it is, what are some warning signs that could be gathered? In the workshop’s video, one such story or scenario, is given. The group will discuss each scenario and then, as a whole, we will work through them together. The purpose of this piece is multifaceted. First, it’s to show that it’s not easy sometimes to identify survivors of human trafficking. Second, it’s to show the importance of paying attention to our surroundings because, if we do, we’ll find that those ensnared in human trafficking are everywhere, in all walks of life, and they look just like us. Third, if we do run into a situation where we think someone is being exploited, what can we do to help? Another activity that we do together is create a Venn diagram comparing behaviors from survivors to behaviors that could be culturally appropriate and what the key component is in understanding the difference.

When is the next workshop and how can I sign up?

The next virtual workshop is July 31, 2023 and August 4, 2023. You can check the Engagement Opportunities page to keep up with when the next speaking engagement or workshop is taking place. If you want to sign up, please contact me and simply let me know which date you’d like to join: I’ll then send you a Teams virtual link to your chosen date.