Human Trafficking

According to the United Nations, 2.5 million people are trafficked around the world from 127 countries. "The Whistleblower," which screened May 2 and 4 for the Newport Beach Film Festival, examines modern-day slavery in postwar Bosnia from the perspective of an American U.N. peacekeeper. The film is based on the true story of Kathryn Bolkovac while working under private military contractor Dyncorp (called Democra in the film). Bolkovac, a police officer lured by pay and the idea of taking time off with her daughter, comes to Bosnia to help transition the country.

Michael Miller For most students, a Fulbright scholarship is a chance to travel abroad for the first time. For Tatyana Martell, it's more like a homecoming. Last summer, the Armenian-born UC Irvine student interned at the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania, the country where she spent much of her childhood. While working for the State Department, Martell read reports about one of the worst crises facing the former Soviet Union: human trafficking. Hearing accounts of young women being bartered and sold in the economically depressed countries, Martell vowed to dedicate the next phase of her life to researching -- and, possibly, fighting -- the illicit trade.

When many people think of human trafficking, they picture anonymous faces in far-off countries, Rep. Loretta Sanchez said Friday. “When you think it’s not here, it can be in the house next door to you, and you don’t even know it’s going on. But we’re going to work to eradicate it,” said Sanchez (D-Garden Grove). She spoke at a town hall meeting on the issue at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa to a crowd of stakeholders, clergy, students and interested community members.

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church has been selected to preview a new video on human trafficking “At the End of Slavery: The Battle for Justice in Our Time,” and the public is invited to attend, according to Laura Weber, community outreach director at St. Andrews. The preview will take place at 5:30 tonight with dinner, a viewing of the new film at 6:45 and presentations by Howard Eisenberg, a retired Newport Beach police officer and head of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, and a testimonial by a human trafficking victim who was rescued locally.

There is no question that the United Nations has become enormously political and petty. But it still offers some hope for addressing and even resolving some disputes around the world, and it should be allowed to continue to exist — if only to keep that hope alive. One of the best ways for the U.N. to regain some positive status would be to find, focus upon and work to resolve a serious problem in the world, and it would be more likely to be successful if the actions that spawned that problem were condemned by every government in the world.

COSTA MESA — Seven massage parlors all within one business complex were accused of being fronts for prostitution and served search warrants Friday by police, prosecutors and immigration officials. "From the layman's perspective, it appears to be a commercial brothel," said Lt. Mark Manley. The businesses are bundled into a small facility at 440 Fair Drive, where there are also three marijuana dispensaries and a pizza parlor. The massage parlors served warrants Friday are Relax Zone, Super Day Spa Massage, Angel Massage, Fantastic Spa, Rainbow Spa, A1 Oriental Massage Inc. and Visage Spa. The complex is about 50 yards from the College Park neighborhood, and within half a mile of schools, the civic center and the Orange County Fairgrounds.

  Soroptimist join with community partners to STOP Trafficking at several Orange County awareness events. Please join us to learn more about what is it and how you can help.   Help Stop Human Trafficking Call 1-888-3737-888 for info/to report concerns   HUMAN TRAFFICKING:  MODERN SLAVE TRADE ALIVE IN ORANGE COUNTY Congress Declares January 11th “National Human Trafficking Awareness Day”   “Trafficking thrives in the shadows, and it can be easy to dismiss it as something that happens to someone else, somewhere else.

UC Irvine will host the eighth annual Women's Journey Conference on Saturday, a day full of inspirational speeches by leading women. Rep. Loretta Sánchez will lead a discussion on female empowerment, speaking with at-risk girls about issues she's faced, such as pay discrimination, human trafficking, sexual assault in the military and reproductive liberties. All proceeds from the conference go to fund the conference's Self-Esteem Program for at-risk girls. "For me, self-belief was learned over time, and I was fortunate in that, when I was encouraged to try things, I often succeeded," Sánchez said in her book "Dream in Color: How the Sánchez Sisters Are Making History in Congress," according to a press release.

Two men convicted in a 2005 human trafficking incident that resulted in a police showdown at the Travelodge in Costa Mesa face life in prison, while the woman and child held at the motel may be able to remain in the United States. Reynaldo Junior Eid, 48, of New York and Alaor Docarmo Oliveira Jr., 54, of Danbury, Conn., were found guilty Wednesday of two felony counts of kidnapping for ransom. The pair was arrested in November 2005 when, according to the Orange County District Attorney?

COSTA MESA — The room could have passed for Santa's Workshop. Bright red stockings stuffed with goodies and neatly stacked presents of all sizes, many with bright ribbons, were piled high in the nursing building at Vanguard University. On Monday, some presents were receiving final touches before being sent across Orange County and beyond. Like all holiday gifts, they were destined for someone special. Labeled with numbers to protect the recipients, the gifts will be distributed to families where at least one member is a victim of human trafficking.

UC Irvine will host the eighth annual Women's Journey Conference on Saturday, a day full of inspirational speeches by leading women. Rep. Loretta Sánchez will lead a discussion on female empowerment, speaking with at-risk girls about issues she's faced, such as pay discrimination, human trafficking, sexual assault in the military and reproductive liberties. All proceeds from the conference go to fund the conference's Self-Esteem Program for at-risk girls. "For me, self-belief was learned over time, and I was fortunate in that, when I was encouraged to try things, I often succeeded," Sánchez said in her book "Dream in Color: How the Sánchez Sisters Are Making History in Congress," according to a press release.

According to the United Nations, 2.5 million people are trafficked around the world from 127 countries. "The Whistleblower," which screened May 2 and 4 for the Newport Beach Film Festival, examines modern-day slavery in postwar Bosnia from the perspective of an American U.N. peacekeeper. The film is based on the true story of Kathryn Bolkovac while working under private military contractor Dyncorp (called Democra in the film). Bolkovac, a police officer lured by pay and the idea of taking time off with her daughter, comes to Bosnia to help transition the country.

TODAY Toastmasters Open House The Toastmasters Highway to Success Club holds a meeting for new members from 12:05 to 1 p.m. at the Caltrans offices in Irvine. The club helps its members with public speaking and leadership. Call Dorothy Morris at (949) 786-0030 for exact directions to the meeting. Business Finesse Workshop Theresa Thomas leads a workshop from noon to 2 p.m. geared to perfecting the social and entertainment aspects of conducting business deals outside an office environment.

COSTA MESA — Seven massage parlors all within one business complex were accused of being fronts for prostitution and served search warrants Friday by police, prosecutors and immigration officials. "From the layman's perspective, it appears to be a commercial brothel," said Lt. Mark Manley. The businesses are bundled into a small facility at 440 Fair Drive, where there are also three marijuana dispensaries and a pizza parlor. The massage parlors served warrants Friday are Relax Zone, Super Day Spa Massage, Angel Massage, Fantastic Spa, Rainbow Spa, A1 Oriental Massage Inc. and Visage Spa. The complex is about 50 yards from the College Park neighborhood, and within half a mile of schools, the civic center and the Orange County Fairgrounds.

COSTA MESA — Bundled up and wearing a price tag that read "How much does a human cost?", about three dozen people gathered Tuesday evening at Vanguard University to pray for the end of modern slavery. Vanguard's Global Center for Women and Justice Department hosted a candlelight vigil at the private school's Needham Chapel Courtyard on National Freedom Day. The vigil aimed to raise awareness for human trafficking locally and globally. "It is against every aspect of human dignity," said Sandra Morgan, the department's director.

COSTA MESA — Two men convicted of kidnapping and holding an illegal immigrant mother and her child in a Costa Mesa motel for ransom in 2005 will get a retrial after a panel of judges ruled jurors were not given proper instructions before reaching their verdict. Reynaldo Eid Jr. of New York and Alaor Oliveira Jr. of Connecticut were granted a new trial Thursday by a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal in Santa Ana. They had been sentenced to life in prison in March 2009.

There is no question that the United Nations has become enormously political and petty. But it still offers some hope for addressing and even resolving some disputes around the world, and it should be allowed to continue to exist — if only to keep that hope alive. One of the best ways for the U.N. to regain some positive status would be to find, focus upon and work to resolve a serious problem in the world, and it would be more likely to be successful if the actions that spawned that problem were condemned by every government in the world.

With the leadership of event planner and member Lauren Reeves, the Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will hold its first fundraiser in many a year Feb. 27 at the Tee Room. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with complimentary welcome champagne, no-host bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, music and dancing, casino games, a poker tournament and silent auction. President Marc Aarons notes the event is open to Rotary Club members, club alumni and their friends and neighbors. Proceeds will help fund the club’s charitable activities both locally and around the world.