Whitworth to host Not For Sale Campaign's Stop Paying for Slavery Tour Nov. 16-17

Tour to feature Not For Sale president David Batstone, and Spokane native, San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt

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Although Americans often think slavery was abolished more than a century ago, millions of people are still trapped in the slave trade. To raise awareness about modern-day slavery and to empower members of the Whitworth and Spokane community with practical ways they can be part of the movement to abolish it, Whitworth is hosting the Not For Sale Campaign's Stop Paying for Slavery Tour Nov. 16-17. The tour will include a free seminar for Spokane's business leaders about the risks of forced labor in the global economy, as well as a keynote presentation by the Not For Sale Campaign's president, David Batstone, and Spokane native Jeremy Affeldt, a pitcher for the World Champion San Francisco Giants. Affeldt recently was nominated for baseball's prestigious Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Award for his work with Not For Sale and his Spokane nonprofit, Generation Alive!

According to the U.S. State Department, 27 million people are enslaved worldwide, and human trafficking is now the world's second-largest criminal industry, raking in $32 billion a year. More than 1 million children are exploited by the global commercial sex trade every year. While the number of trafficking victims in the U.S. is largely unknown, a study funded by the Department of Justice in 2000 found that a quarter-million American children and youth were estimated to be at risk of child sexual exploitation.

In 2008, a report prepared for the Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Safety found that human trafficking, including sex slavery, farm labor and domestic servitude, poses a significant problem for the Spokane region. The report said that Spokane has a considerable teen prostitution problem and serves as an entry area for child prostitutes who are initiated here and then transported to larger metro areas such as Seattle and San Francisco.

David Batstone, a professor of ethics at the University of San Francisco, co-founded the Not For Sale Campaign in 2007, after traveling the world documenting slavery and sex trafficking and compiling his findings in Not For Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade and How We Can Fight It (HarperOne). He also has authored Saving the Corporate Soul (Jossey-Bass), was a founding member of Business 2.0 magazine and served as executive editor of Sojourners magazine.

Jeremy Affeldt and his wife, Larisa, became involved with Not For Sale after he signed with the Giants in 2008. The left-handed reliever, who recently competed in his second World Series in three years, looks for ways to use his influence to help those in need. He has donated money toward medical clinics that Not For Sale has built for former child slaves in Thailand, and he also donates $100 for every strikeout he logs to Not For Sale's "Free2Play" project.

The following events will be part of Not For Sale's Stop Paying For Slavery Tour stop at Whitworth:

• Monday, Nov. 8: A documentary, "The Dark Side of Chocolate," which examines Africa's cocoa industry, will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Science Auditorium.
  


• Tuesday, Nov. 16
  
  11:45 a.m.: Not For Sale representative Brant Christopher will conduct a workshop, "Slavery Map 101," in the Science Auditorium to teach students how to identify and track slavery.
  
  4 p.m.: Christopher will conduct a workshop, "Supply Chain 101," for students. He will cover supply-chain responsibility, making informed purchasing decisions as a consumer, and Not For Sale's "Free2Work"project. The workshop will take place in Weyerhaeuser Hall, Room 111.
  
  9 p.m.: Christopher, an award-winning singer and songwriter, will share music from his latest CD, "Beautiful Imperfection," during a coffeehouse performance in Duvall Hall.
  


• Wednesday, Nov. 17
  
  4 p.m.: A free seminar, "Business Without Slavery: Understanding and Addressing the Risks of Forced Labor for Companies," in Weyerhaeuser Hall's Room 111, sponsored by Whitworth's School of Global Commerce & Management and Manpower, Inc., and led by Batstone and Affeldt. The seminar is open to Whitworth business students and business faculty, as well as to Spokane business leaders. Refreshments will be served and baseballs will be available for Affeldt to sign. RSVP by calling (509) 777-4703 or e-mailing eproffitt@whitworth.edu.
  
  7 p.m.: Keynote presentation, featuring live music, interactive videos and stories about abolitionists around the globe, presented by Batstone, Affeldt and Christopher. Located in Weyerhaeuser Hall's Robinson Teaching Theater. Free and open to the public.
  
  9 p.m.: Batstone and Affeldt will be available to talk with students about human trafficking issues during Duvall Hall's Prime Time, located in Duvall's second-floor lounge.

Also during the week of Nov. 15-19, Whitworth's student-run International Justice Mission Club will host several events to mobilize students to join the fight against human trafficking. On Monday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., in the Hixson Union Building's Multipurpose Room, Azra Grudic, an anti-trafficking specialist for Lutheran Community Services, in Spokane, will talk about trafficking issues specific to this region. On Thursday, Nov. 18, the IJM Club will have information available in the HUB about practical ways students can get involved in ending modern-day slavery. A representative from the Spokane office of World Relief will also be present.

Founded by David Batstone, Mark Wexler and Kique Bazan, the Not For Sale Campaign, based in Montara, Calif., works to link law enforcement, business leaders, universities, government officials, social service organizations, and faith-based groups to launch and coordinate effective actions on behalf of those living in slavery. For more information about NFSC and the "Stop Paying for Slavery" Tour, visit http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contact:

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.