BEIJING (Reuters Life!) – One of China’s most sought-after actors is starring in an animated short-film about human trafficking and sexual exploitation, issues that have plagued the country, and Asia, for decades.

Zhang Hanyu, who won the Chinese equivalent of an Oscar at the Golden Horse awards in Taiwan last year, lends his voice to the Mandarin version of “Intersection,” will be shown on Music Television (MTV) China this weekend.

More…

A 65-year-old author from Pound Ridge is accused of forcing into sexual slavery young women he hired as international “au pairs.” A Tomkins Cove man is accused of organizing sex tours to the Dominican Republic. Around the region, prostitution raids have turned up young women who cannot produce paperwork and are in this country under mysterious circumstances, terrified to talk, terrified to return to their “employer…..(more)

http://www.netsquared.org/projects/slave-free

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Angelina Jolie sat in a courtside booth Tuesday at the International Criminal Court and watched the trial of a Congolese warlord charged with using child soldiers.

Craigslist, the Web’s largest classified advertising site, said on Wednesday that it would close its “erotic services” category, which critics have said is a forum that facilitates prostitution and other illegal activities.

Child traffickers are targeting the UK because of the ease with which they can move victims through British ports and local authority care homes, the chairman of a parliamentary inquiry into human trafficking has warned.

Saturday April 25, New York City

Justin Dillon will be speaking to a crowd up of socially conscious world changing under 25 year old’s at DoSomething.orgs BOOT CAMP this saturday.  If you live in the area and fit the bill, there is still time to sign up.

Social Action Boot Camps bring together a diverse group of young community leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs for a day of networking and training dedicated to giving each attendee the tools to grow and sustain their community action ideas, projects and organizations.

Find out more at:

http://www.dosomething.org/training/bootcamp

http://www.content-magazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74:article-05-slavery&catid=35:issue-05&Itemid=102

 http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090416005190&newsLang=en

Of the various projects implemented through the Call+Response website, Chain Store Reaction (www.chainstorereaction.com) gives consumers a chance to email and ask the producers of their favorite products to pledge to join them in the flight for justice against human trafficking. The letters force these companies to investigate slavery in their product chains and to clean it up where they find it. Companies can then respond to their consumers explaining to them the polices they have in place, or pledge to put in place, to ensure that none of their products are tainted by forced slave labor.

 SHENZHEN, China — The thieves often strike at dusk, when children are playing outside and their parents are distracted by exhaustion….

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/world/asia/05kidnap.html?_r=1