Picture this -

• a college campus of close to 30,000 students,
• a week long 58th Conference on World Affairs,
• a sunny windy day,
• crowded parking facilities, and
• four dedicated Zontians intent on hearing a Project Director of a Zonta Int'l Service Project speak.

One had to be impressed at the breadth of experience and knowledge expressed by these four speakers. In addition to Selma (see her bio below), there were:
        Jensine Larsen - started a magazine, World Pulse, two years ago, after journalistic endeavors for many years covering indigenous movements and ethnic cleansing in SA and Southeast Asia. She holds a degree in comparative international studies, and has written many articles while maintaining a healing practice.
        Judith Morrison -Executive Director of Inter-Agency Consultation on Race in Latin America. She has extensive experience working on issues and social development in Latin American, and has unique expertise in development programs for communities of African descent. Morrison has a master's degree in income distribution and poverty alleviation.
        Kimberley Thachuk - Senior fellow at the Center for Technology and National Security Policy in the National Defense University. Her research focuses mainly on transnational threats to national security - which includes trafficking. Thachuk has a PhD in criminology, political science, and Latin American studies.

It was very meaningful when the three women above made the point that only one of the four of them was in a personally dangerous position, that her life was in danger all of the time - that was Selma. Selma goes into many small communities helping women fill out grant forms (usually required to be in English) and bringing them knowledge and hope. There are many communities where the men, women and children cannot take a walk in woods, as there are landmines everywhere. There have been mass graves recently discovered near the waterways and water supplies are polluted. She is very concerned about the collateral damage that is brought about by foreign armies being in their country-flourishing trafficking and sex trades along with forced prostitution.

Zonta ranked very high in Selma's presentation. She has been most grateful for the financial support provided by Zonta through the Bosnia-Herzegovina International Service Project. She wanted to know about our members as she finds it important to tell the women of Bosnia-Herzegovina that there are possibilities for women beyond what they have right now. She enjoyed hearing about the different paths our individual Zontians had taken to be successful in business and in our charitable works.

The Zonta International Foundation had contacted Selma and told her we would be there so she was delighted to see us. Between sessions, we spent almost three hours visiting with her and enjoying a lunch together. I truly wish all Zontians could have been at the sessions and lunch, each of you would have felt as proud as we did that our dollars for International Service were being spent wisely!

Some things we learned about Trafficking and its effects:

• It's a National Security Issue - organized crime makes $1.8 trillion dollars a year and trafficking is the fastest growing segment. It's not just a woman's issue.
• It is estimated that 45,000 to 50,000 women are trafficked into the U.S. every year mainly for forced prostitution.
• Approximately 15,000 of the 50,000 women trafficked into the U.S. annually are from Latin America.
• In Brazil, 500,000 girls are forced into prostitution which generates $7 billion dollars profit.
• One can make $14,000 by trafficking one person.
• There are 2 million slavery victims worldwide.

• Listen to the survivors, they have been there and can provide vital information on what exactly is needed.
• Look at the economic issues. The powerful engine of the global economy is leaving women out. Women need to be invested in.
• Work at the grassroots levels. That is where seeds for regional and cross-border changes originate and take hold.
• Consumers need to be diligent when using their purchasing power. Who's making these goods?
• As it's a men's issue, men can ostracize others who are users of pornography, take a stand.

Selma Hadzihalilovic
Selma Hadzihalilovic is project director of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Anti-trafficking Community Mobilization Project, a joint initiative of the STAR Network of World Learning and ZONTA International Foundation. She has been a human rights activist since 1993 and has extensive training and experience in promotion and protection of human rights, women's human rights, women's social and political leadership, conscientious objection to the compulsory military service, policy making and advocacy, as well as democratic social changes. Hadzihalilovic's work on anti-trafficking includes training, capacity building, and partnering with community groups in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Balkan region as a way of initiating direct community response to the needs of vulnerable groups and designing appropriate prevention programs. Hadzihalilovic is a core member of Women Waging Peace (Hunt Alternatives and Harvard Kennedy School of Government) and of other various human rights networks on national and international levels.

-Betty

See more! - Pikes Peak Scrapbook Area 4 Meeting, Pueblo, Colorado

Gail P., Rita J., and Helen S.

May Birthdays Zontians and Friends* of Zonta 3 - Mary Louise Clay* 10 - Helen Smithwick

	Status of Women Status of Women - Around the World News from April 2006 Courtesy of Leee O., Status of Women Committee Don't miss this in-depth resource regarding current information about women around the world! Index of Status of Women Links

Installation Dinner New Location Margarita at Pinecreek 7350 Pine Creek Road Tuesday, May 16th 5:30pm Don't miss it!		Installation Dinner TUESDAY, May 16th Zonta Founders

	Featured Links of the Month! May Day - Wikipedia May Day in Europe CNN: Mexican Boycott on May Day
Click here for links from past newsletters!

Dates to Remember . . .

May 1st - 5:30pm	Board Meeting Montague's
Tuesday, May 16th	Installation Dinner & Awards Banquet
June 24-29, 2006	ZI Convention, Melbourne, Australia
January 20, 2007	First Annual Glass Slipper Ball!

All General Meetings, unless otherwise notified, are at:
Gold Hills Substation
705 S. Nevada
5:30 pm for social and food
6-6:45pm-Speaker
6:45-7:45-Meeting

Please send comments and suggested information for the newsletter to nulty@csdco.com.

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© 2006 Zonta International