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Nov 11, 2009
CONTACT
Tina Malave
(818) 982-1789
tina@shatteredglass.tv

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Former Child Sex Slave and Anti-Slavery Advocate,
Maria Suarez Finally Finds Freedom

Press Conference For Maria Suarez, Thursday, November 12th at 11 AM

  LOS ANGELES, CA (November 10, 2009) - After decades of captivity and imprisonment by her trafficker, the state of California, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, human trafficking survivor Maria Suarez finally found freedom on August 11, 2009 when she was granted a long awaited US green card.

  Two weeks after arriving in California from Mexico, 15-year old Maria was lured from her home by the promise of employment and sold for $200. Her captor enslaved Maria and repeatedly raped, battered, and tortured her for over five years.

  In 1981 she was unjustly implicated in the homicide of her captor and spent 22 and a half years in prison before the California Board of Prison Terms reinvestigated her case and determined that Maria was the victim of extreme violence, abuse, and torture at the hands of her captor, and recommended her release. Though she was a legal resident before the crime took place, immigration laws amended in 1996 provide for the deportation of legal permanent residents convicted of certain crimes. As a consequence, Maria was released from prison only to be detained for deportation by the Department of Homeland Security.

  Four lawyers, Jessica Dominguez, Charles Song, Brigit Alvarez and Andres Bustamante came together to fight for Maria's release. Then California Representative, Hilda Solis -- now Secretary of Labor -- rallied 31 other members of Congress to sign a letter to Tom Ridge and Undersecretary for Border and Transportation, Asa Hutchinson, urging them to help Maria stay in the US. She was released with a T-Visa for victims of Human Trafficking, which expired in 2007, and until now, she remained in danger of deportation.

  Since her release from prison and immigration custody in 2004, Maria works as a counselor and educator for domestic violence victims and offenders. Her joyful presence and loving nature has made her a compelling and dynamic advocate of rights for survivors of trafficking and battered women.

  Maria has served as a speaker at national conferences and legislative hearings including the XXVI Border Governors Conference – “Fight Against Human Trafficking” forum, where she was personally invited by moderator Maria Shriver the UC Berkeley Conference on Human Trafficking and the UCLA Speaker Series. She has appeared on countless television programs such as Dr. Phil and El Show de Cristina, and is featured in several trafficking documentaries, including an upcoming feature documentary about her life.

  This inspirational and charismatic survivor will speak at a press conference on Thursday, November 12th, along with part of her legal team, Charles Song and Brigit Alvarez to announce her plans to now travel the world as an educator on the crimes of slavery and abuse, speaking out against this abomination to humanity. Miss Suarez is calling for the continued support and attention from our country’s leaders to help aid in abolishing the worldwide crime of human trafficking. Requests for speaking opportunities with Miss Suarez may be booked through Free the Slaves.

ABOUT FREE THE SLAVES
Free the Slaves is an international organization that liberates slaves around the world, helps them rebuild their lives, and researches real world solutions to eradicate slavery forever.

WHEN:       Thursday, November 12, 2009

WHERE:     National Council of Jewish Women Los Angeles | NCJW/LA
                    543 N. Fairfax Avenue
                    Los Angeles, CA 90036
(Parking available in NCJW lot on Clinton St)

TIME:          11:00 AM

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
Maria Suarez (English/Spanish), Legal Team – Charles Song, Brigit Alvarez (English/Spanish). A short video about Maria’s story will be shown at 11 AM followed by the press conference, and a written statement by Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis. An EPK of the video will be available for media usage. Please credit attached Photo: Courtesy Brenda de River.

English Speaking Press Contact:            Spanish Speaking Press Contact:

Tina Malave                                                 Chelo Alvarez-Stehle
(818)982-1789                                             (310) 457-7353
tina@shatteredglass.tv                                achelo@me.com


To book Maria Suarez for speaking engagements (not media requests)

Free the Slaves
Peggy Callahan
Callahan@freetheslaves.net

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Posted: Nov 11, 2009 3:52pm
Aug 6, 2009

I wanted to thank all my friends here at Care2 for all the Birthday wishes and beautiful birthday cards you all took the time to send.

Your friendships all mean so much to me!

Much Love,

~Barb~

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Posted: Aug 6, 2009 1:52pm
Jul 15, 2009

Child was found... 12 noon CHILD PHOTOGRAPH

 

Suspect still on the run: Mathew Nash

ABDUCTOR PHOTOGRAPH

 

 

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Posted: Jul 15, 2009 9:14am
Jul 15, 2009

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT: Virginia Beach Police Department at 1-888-562-5887 or Virginia State Police at 1-800-822-4453.

MISSING: Naomi HilelGender : femaleRace : WhiteDate of Birth : 02/28/2008Height : 2 feet 00 inchesWeight : 20 LbsHair: Short Blonde Eyes: BlueDate and Time of Abduction: Jul 15, 2009Circumstances: Child was last seen at 201 S. Witchduck Rd., Virginia Beach, Virginia. Child was last seen wearing a Blue Short Sleeve shirt, Multi-colored stripes Long pants.Additional Significant Identifiers or Conditions of Child: Child is passenger in a green/gray 2009, Honda Odyssey mini-van with Florida license HASHEM1. She is in a blue and beige car seat. CHILD PHOTOGRAPH

No Photograph available ABDUCTOR: Unknown UnkownWhite male, 5 feet 10 inches, Medium Lbs, Long Light hair, Unknown eyes, wearing Plaid shirt, Dark Shorts pants, Dark Tennis shoes, Ballcap. ABDUCTOR PHOTOGRAPH

No Photograph available May be traveling in a 2009 Odyssey Mini-van Honda , Grey-Green , Florida tag HASHEM1. North on Newtown Rd..

http://www.vaamberalert.com/ 

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Posted: Jul 15, 2009 8:28am
Jun 16, 2009
Focus: Civil Rights
Action Request: March
Location: Pennsylvania, United States

Adoptee Rights Demonstration

11 am July 21, 2009

Philadelphia, PA

All Americans, adopted or not, have a right to access government records about their own lives. That’s why we are organizing an Adoptee Rights Demonstration, a rally and protest in Philadelphia, PA, at 11 AM on July 21, 2009. This rally will coincide with the opening day of the Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislators.

Adult adoptees in most of the advanced, industrialized nations of the world have unrestricted access to their original birth records as a matter of right. In contrast, adult adoptees in all but six states in the U.S. are forbidden unrestricted access to their own original birth certificates, due to archaic laws that are a legacy of a culture of shame that stigmatized infertility, out-of-wedlock birth and adoption.

Adult adoptees and their supporters have worked diligently in different states for decades to overturn these laws, but have been opposed by well-funded lobbies representing certain adoption agencies and lawyers who have a vested interest in keeping adoptee records closed. Their unsupported claims that access violates dubious privacy rights or will increase abortions and decrease adoptions have been categorically refuted by data from states with laws recognizing the rights of adoptees, by studies such as the recently published paper from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and by court decisions affirming the constitutionality of access laws.

Please join us in Philadelphia as we fight to restore our dignity and equality! If you can’t attend the demonstration, you can still help. Participate in our writing campaign to inform all state legislatures of the urgency of unsealing our records to restore the equality of adoptees in the United States. Help spread the word about the protest on your blog, or to any groups or mailing lists you belong to.

Make a difference, be a part of history and get involved today!

Adoptee Rights Demonstration 2009 Your Rights -- Your Protest

 

 

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Posted: Jun 16, 2009 9:05pm
Jun 2, 2009

http://www.care2.com/news/member/978912919/1158004

Society & Culture  (tags: hate speech, violence, society, rights, safety, law, freedoms, abuse, crime, culture, death, education )

Barb
- 7 minutes ago - splcenter.org

Experts Discuss the Role of Propaganda. Can reading violent, racist material online make one more prone to commit a violent act? Or is a person who behaves violently after exposure to this kind of material somebody who already has those propensities?
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Posted: Jun 2, 2009 8:45pm
Jun 1, 2009
Focus: Children
Action Request: Various
Location: United States

Entertaining. Educational. Exhausting. Empowering. CARE's National Conference & Celebration was all of that and more! I really wish you could have joined us. It was a jam-packed two days, full of learning, meeting fellow CARE supporters and most importantly bringing a clear message to Washington, D.C.: Americans are invested in the fight against global poverty!

As busload after busload of CARE advocates arrived on Capitol Hill, we fanned out to engage in more than 290 meetings with policymakers. We talked about some of the most important issues poor communities face: hunger, climate change and opportunities for all children.

And our leaders heard us. How do we know? Because just days later, 26 new co-sponsors signed onto the child marriage prevention act in the House and another nine in the Senate! After one day of meetings on the Hill, CARE supporters helped mobilize elected officials to fight poverty and defend the dignity of all people. Just imagine what we can do together over the next year!

Building on the conference’s success, our goal now is to make sure every member of Congress becomes a supporter of the child marriage law. Please, send a quick note to your elected officials encouraging them to stand up for girls’ rights. That simple action can help stop the practice that pushes 25,000 girls into marriage everyday!

To celebrate this year's conference theme, ''Many Voices, One Movement,'' we created a photo mosaic. We think it's the perfect representation of the conference: Each of us is a powerful figure on our own, but together we can be so much more!

NCC Mosaic

Meet up with us at www.careconference.org and browse more photos, videos and stories. (The highlight reel with a Michael Franti soundtrack is my favorite!)

Again, thank you for all you are doing to support CARE. We hope you'll stay engaged with CARE as we strive to create lasting change and build a better world for all. See you in Washington next year!

With sincere appreciation,

Helene Gayle

Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH
President and CEO, CARE

 

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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 10:06pm
May 17, 2009
Focus: Human Rights
Action Request: March
Location: United States

Register for the Philadelphia Adoptee Rights Demonstration at AdopteeRights.net

Adoptee Rights Demonstration

11 am July 21, 2009

Philadelphia, PA

 

 

All Americans, adopted or not, have a right to access government records about their own lives. That’s why we are organizing an Adoptee Rights Demonstration, a rally and protest in Philadelphia, PA, at 11 AM on July 21, 2009. This rally will coincide with the opening day of the Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislators.

 

Adult adoptees in most of the advanced, industrialized nations of the world have unrestricted access to their original birth records as a matter of right. In contrast, adult adoptees in all but six states in the U.S. are forbidden unrestricted access to their own original birth certificates, due to archaic laws that are a legacy of a culture of shame that stigmatized infertility, out-of-wedlock birth and adoption.

 

Adult adoptees and their supporters have worked diligently in different states for decades to overturn these laws, but have been opposed by well-funded lobbies representing certain adoption agencies and lawyers who have a vested interest in keeping adoptee records closed. Their unsupported claims that access violates dubious privacy rights or will increase abortions and decrease adoptions have been categorically refuted by data from states with laws recognizing the rights of adoptees, by studies such as the recently published paper from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and by court decisions affirming the constitutionality of access laws.

 

Please join us in Philadelphia as we fight to restore our dignity and equality! If you can’t attend the demonstration, you can still help. Participate in our writing campaign to inform all state legislatures of the urgency of unsealing our records to restore the equality of adoptees in the United States. Help spread the word about the protest on your blog, or to any groups or mailing lists you belong to.

 

Make a difference, be a part of history and get involved today!

 

Adoptee Rights Demonstration 2009 Your Rights -- Your Protest

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Posted: May 17, 2009 8:46pm
May 11, 2009

When I get a "Help Message" in my NetMessaging... I open them expecting my friends to send me messages about a cause they have... not forwards full of gossip and drama of peoples love life, or personal issues I have no part of.

Believe it or not many of us come here because we believe in our causes and strive to make the world a better place.

If you are being harrassed, then please report it to Care2 through the proper channels... Forwarding gossip and slander only stirs up the shyt, you really are not helping anyone that way!

~Barb~

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Posted: May 11, 2009 7:02pm
Apr 25, 2009
Focus: Women
Action Request: Various
Location: United States

PLEASE PASS ON....




1) Download, post, distribute, link, post on blogs — this video http://...com/IndiVid

2) Link to this article from your website or post links from this article on online websites, blogs etc. http://...com/StopTheMA

3) Write or fax your member of Congress.

Bullet points here http://...com/StopMAReasons

Senate fax/phone list here http://...com/HELPSenate

PDF here http://...com/PDFdownNo2MA

4)  Forward to your friends http://...com/StopTheMA

***

Click on MOTHERS ACT PAGE to read the Reasons The MOTHERS Act Must Not Pass http://...com/StopMAReasons

 

You can read the TEXTS OF MOTHERS ACT - PAST AND PRESENT (111th Senate bill 1375 compared to 110th Senate bill 324 language) here: http://...com/MAlanguage

Other related links for The MOTHERS Act:

ACTION CENTER: Information on Taking Action Now, All in One Little Link (Phone, Fax, Online Invitation Campaign)

Contact Congress and President To Oppose The MOTHERS Act

 

Facebook: Promote Our Cause to Save Lives and Preserve Liberty! (Share the link http://www.causes.com/stopthemothersact)

Attend the Launch of the Stop The MOTHERS Act Action Campaign (http://...com/StopMALaunch)

Sign Our Online Petition

Follow the Coalition on Twitter

Videos

FDA MedWatch Reports on Prenatal and Neonatal Exposure to Psychopharmaceuticals

Groups Opposed To The MOTHERS Act

Melanie Stokes

Conflicts of Interest & Shocking Names of Groups Supporting The MOTHERS Act

Mothers Subjected to Police & Social Worker-Forced Escort (in the back of police cars) to Hospitals Under New Jersey’s Mandatory PPD Screening Law; Law Deprives Informed Consent, Degrades Medical Privacy Rights

Study: Depression “Awareness” Campaigns = Increase in Antidepressant Prescriptions

“Stop The MOTHERS Act” Blog

Legislative History: Changing Wording To Hide Motives From Year To Year

MOTHERS Act Archives From Old UNITE Website

 

Updates on Business Cards and Flyers, Twitter, Etc.


Quick Stats:

Literally thousands of letters sent to Congress OPPOSING The MOTHERS Act via Byron Richards’ website (http://www.wellnessresources.com/) during the 110th Session


Nearly 10,000 Individual Public Signatures on our Public Petition on Care2

Tens of Thousands of Views on Our YouTube Videos

Coverage Across The World Regarding Opposition On Radio, TV News, in Major Newspapers and Online

Number of Mothers & Babies Saved By Increased Awareness of Dangers of Drugs: Unknown

Number of Babies Killed by Antidepressants: Easily Thousands or Tens of Thousands in the Past Few Years (Reports Increasing Lately, FDA Estimates Actual Reports In the 1-10% Range)

 

Rate of Suicide on Antidepressants: At Least TWICE That On Placebo or No Drug

Number of Women Who Need The Government To Tell Them They Might Be Depressed: Zero

Funding from Pharmaceutical Companies of Organizations OPPOSED to The MOTHERS Act: $0.00

Funding Dollars from pHARMa Funneled To Organizations PUSHING THE MOTHERS ACT: Millions or more

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Posted: Apr 25, 2009 10:02pm

 

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Author

Barb PL
female , married, 2 children
Franktown, VA, USA
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