It was about three years ago I was introduced to the most horrific lifestyle I have heard. Men buying children for sex, for pleasures, for fun. I was sickened by the thought. What can I do? What is there
to be done? These questions have been in my thoughts ever since. I had done research and learned even more than I wanted to at the time. Kids even at the age of 2 and 3 being sold! I had learned to much to not do anything, I now know to much to not do anything. It was a few months back that I found The Sold Project and was introduced to the Rachels. From the time I met them I knew this was a place where I needed to get connected. I moved to L.A. for other reasons but soon knew I must do something to bring awareness of Human Trafficking. I started talking to people and letting them know about the issue. So many didn't want to hear it, many told me I just ruined their day. I kept fighting to
spread the word. I found a group of guys and we decided we were going to get together with the Sold Project crew and film each of their hearts and hear their stories. I feel that this short film can help
spread their vision and let outsiders hear their hearts. We are now in the process of finishing up this short and hope to share it with all who will listen. I thank The Sold Project and the Rachels for letting
me be apart of their dreams, and helping make mine come true. If we all work together, and fight this issue, something can and will be done.

SOLD: Thailand to Debut in Pasadena This Tuesday at Fuller Theological Seminary

Pasadena, CA - The screening will take place on Tuesday, July 29, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fuller Seminary's Travis Auditorium (180 N. Oakland Ave at E. Walnut), with a focus group discussion to follow. This will be the only public screening before the film's Los Angeles premiere in late September. For the full please release, please click here:
download-press-release

To read more, visit indystar.com.

The actress appeared in front of the United Nations committee.

Ashley Judd spoke out against the unspoken human trafficking that is going on around the world, Tuesday.

She explained at the United Nations that approximately 2.5 million people worldwide (mostly women and children) are trafficked in the world today.

The industry, according to Judd, is worth around $32 billion.

"I know that the unheard are helped when they are heard," the actress said at a press conference afterwards. "I know that compassionate listening helps me, and my goal was to help the U.N. help them."

The way Judd became interested in human trafficking was actually somewhat of an accident when she was promoting public health on a 12-nation tour. During this time, she saw slums, hospices, brothels and other poor medical facilities.

This isn't the only cause the 40-year-old is interested in. She also serves as a global ambassador for YouthAIDS, which is a prevention and education program that attempts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS to young adults across the globe.

The crew has been in Thailand now for a week... for some it's their first time diving into this issue, for others its a revisit to an all too familiar subject. Our first few days were spent in Pattaya which is where Thailand became a sex tourism industry during the Vietnam War when US soldiers were sent there for R&R. Images of beautiful Thai girls lining the streets, middle aged western men holding their hands, taking them to dinner, and frequenting the go-go bars that are a dime a dozen are standard sights to be seen. It is a destination for sex, with the beaches and tourist attractions as an added bonus. The men buying say it's paradise on earth, but for us it felt like the edge of the world, and we left hoping we'd never have to go back.

Then on to Kat's village, a sweet 11-year old that the crew befriended last year and who's story you will soon be familiar with as the films come to completion. Her story is a story of hope and prevention: 90% of the girls from her village are sent to cities such as Pattaya for sex work. Last year the crew was moved to begin a scholarship program with the goal of keeping the children in her village in school rather than on the streets or sent to cities. Our time with her brought us back to the heart of this project: to continue fighting for the innocence of children, as her story reminded us that prevention, and hope, is possible.

Now, we are in Chang Mai: a favorite stop for all of us. It's beautiful scenery, deep history and breath of fresh air from Pattaya has continued to press us forward to keep finding our story. Our time here has been interviewing street kids who come here to sell their bodies in order to survive. Understanding their stories gives us a greater look into this complex issue. The heroes we have met along this journey inspire us: men and women giving up their lives to serve these children in hopes of changing even one life.

This is a journey of discovery for all of us: each day the crew is working through the emotions of what it means to prevent this horrible exploitation of children, and our hope is to bring these stories home to you in a way that inspires and empowers you to continue fighting for the innocence of children.

Always searching for hope...

The Rachel's.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Indianapolis, Indiana -The 7th annual Independent Music + Art Festival will be held in the courtyard of the Harrison Center for the Arts on Saturday June 14, 2008. This FREE, one-day event will showcase 18 local bands on two stages and continuous music from 11 am to 10 pm. The festival includes updated outdoor gallery pieces by Matt Hale, as well as artwork from 20 local artists. IMAF was created in 2001 to encourage the expression and promotion of independent artists and musicians.

Band Line-up:

Mudkids (11:00-11:30am)
Highway Magic (11:35am-12:05pm)
Pillars and Tongues (12:10-12:40pm)
Resting Rooster (12:45-1:15pm)
Nowlin-Mulholland Quintet (1:20-1:50pm)
Jascha (1:55-2:25pm)
The Way it Is (2:30-3:00pm)
The Lord of the Yum-Yum (3:05-3:35pm)
Tin Cup Gypsy (3:40-4:10pm)
Rob Dixon and Triology (4:15-4:45pm)
Mandy Marie and the Cool Hand Lukes (4:50-5:10pm)
HenriHenrietta (5:15-5:45pm)
TBA (5:50-6:20pm)
Missing Six (6:25-6:55pm)
Wolfy (7:00-7:30pm)
The Impossible Shapes (7:35-8:05pm)
State (8:10-8:40pm)
Mardelay (8:45-9:30pm)

This year, visit the SOLD Project booth at IMAF. The SOLD Project is a grassroots movement dedicated to exposing the truth behind child prostitution through multi-media and the collaborative response of individuals striving to make a change.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/imaf

With support from Old National Bank, Ratio Architects, Ice Miller LLP, Duke Energy, Joe Everhart, the SOLD Project, Penrod Society, NUVO, Indy's Music Channel, ACS Sign Systems, Arts Council of Indianapolis, Indiana Arts Commission, Amy McAdams Graphic Design.

So, the point of this trip? Last summer the first SOLD crew traveled to Thailand for three months to uncover the truth behind child prostitution. What they found broke their hearts, and inspired them to create a movement. Much has been accomplished in the last six months: pending for our non-profit status, establishing a wonderful Board of Directors, not to mention all the networking and help that has come our way, building up to a strategic plan for story: hence this trip being to fill in the gaps of the story.

We are ready to be broken, we are ready to continue unveiling the truth, and we are constantly, constantly, searching for hope.

[photo by katie basbagill]

Arriving in Thailand... a bittersweet feeling sets in. A country that has stolen my heart due to its beauty and culture, yet a country that breaks my heart due to the extreme injustice that occurs here. Round two of filming begins in one short week and there is much to do to prepare for the crew to arrive. I have mixed emotions as I prepare to enter back into the world of child prostitution and exploitation. Am I ready to enter into a place of brokenness again? As I sit and ponder this question only one answer rings true... I must. I must not be afraid of having my eyes opened, my heart left broken, and my head spinning with questions. I must. I must return home with stories that will tell the truth of these children's struggles and with answers to help end it. I must. I must remain hopeful.
I will be broken and I will be inspired. I know no other way...

I had been searching for ways to use my skill to support organizations that I believe in: organizations that are making a difference in the world, and the idea of a cut-a-thon was perfect.

My name is Alana Downey and I'm a hairstylist in Danville, CA and I heard about Sold from my dear friend Rachel Goble. I had heard about other hairdressers and salons doing fundraisers called "Cut-A-Thon's" so I thought 'why not, I could do that'. I had been searching for ways to use my skill to support organizations that I believe in: organizations that are making a difference in the world, and the idea of a cut-a-thon was perfect. I would be able to do what I was good at, donate the money to SOLD, and at the same time educate my clients about the issue of child prostitution and create awareness for The SOLD Project.

On the day of the cut-a-thon we set up my kiosk to represent information about SOLD. I brought my computer and showed on repeat the Sold teaser and $14 for 14 Days video while people got their hair cut. People are genuinely interested in helping and now I think I've gotten a little momentum to do it again and possibly with another coworker!

There are so many ways that people can help even if it's something small like a cut-a-thon. The opportunities are endless if I let go and let God. Thank you for letting me be a part! Love...always love.

This time I didn't pick the issue: it picked me. Everyone involved in SOLD, including myself, wants more than just a finished film. We want the world to connect with the stories of trafficking. I can't outrun this issue any longer and I hope others can't either.

I still remember my first day of real paid documentary film work. My friend Nate was editing a documentary for a production company in Pasadena called Chronicle Project. Nate had hours and hours of interviews that he needed transcribed and he came to me for help. What happened next changed my life. I began to watch an interview of a young Indian girl forced into prostitution. In her interview she explained how she had been coerced by a boyfriend to move and work in a brothel. She went into great detail about her emotional sickness and told of the beatings she faced if she didn't hand over all of the money she earned to her boyfriend, now turned pimp. I realized the importance of her story, but I managed to convince myself that I couldn't really help this girl.

For some reason I flashed back to the interview with the Indian girl and I thought, "Sex trafficking is a crazy thing, but what can I do to stop it?"

Several months later, after I had transcribed my life away, I found myself in the Chronicle Project office. This time I wasn't there to transcribe, I was there to create short documentary content on social issues. The approach for these documentaries was to show practical ways that people could get involved in social issues. For some reason I flashed back to the interview with the Indian girl and I thought, "Sex trafficking is a crazy thing, but what can I do to stop it." I went on to create a short piece highlighting groups and organizations fighting to stop sex trafficking. What ended up happening was once I finished the piece, I let my newfound passion fizzle away with the busyness of everyday life.

Cut to about a month ago. I was back in the Chronicle Project office editing for the guys when some people walked into the office and identified themselves as The SOLD Project. They were looking to finish their film about child sex trafficking and I was out of work. Before I knew it I had an offer from The SOLD Project to come on and edit the film. It seemed very odd that once again the issue was presenting itself and this time I couldn't say no. In two weeks I leave for Thailand to help with shooting and when I return I begin editing the film.

I guess "us" filmmakers like to think that we have a lot of control over what issues are going to move us and how then our filmmaking abilities are going to reach out to audiences. This time I didn't pick the issue: it picked me. Everyone involved in SOLD, including myself, wants more than just a finished film. We want the world to connect with the stories of trafficking. I can't outrun this issue any longer and I hope others can't either.

Patrick (Ron Livingston), an American card shark and dealer of stolen artifacts, has been 'comfortably numb' in Cambodia for years, when he encounters Holly (Thuy Nguyen), a 12-year-old Vietnamese girl, in the K11 red light village. The girl has been sold by her impoverished family and smuggled across the border to work as a prostitute.

Holly's virginity makes her a lucrative prize, and when she is sold to a child trafficker, Patrick embarks on a frantic search through both the beautiful and sordid faces of the country, in an attempt to bring her to safety. Harsh, yet poetic, this feature forms part of the 'K-112 Project, dedicated to raising awareness of the epidemic of child trafficking and the sex slavery trade through several film projects. The film's producers endured substantial harships in order to be able to shoot in Cambodia and have also founded the RedLight Children Campaign, which is a worldwide grassroots initiative generating conscious concern and inspiring immediate action against child sexploitation.

Please visit our friends at Holly and learn about the wonderful work they are doing and to catch a showing when they come through your area.

One of those surveyed in the study said about a third of those selling sex in the Spokane area had been sold into prostitution by their mothers.

To read this article please visit seattlepi.

Artists Shannon and Erik Newby share with SOLD their passion for the visual arts and how they are using their art to fight for justice...

I used to cry sometimes at night when I was a kid, just from watching the news. I would lie in bed and pray that God would make the newscasters tell only good stories, and that God would take all the "bad guys" away. Over the years, I've changed those prayers. Now I ask God to show me the ugly stories, and to show me how I can be a part of turning them into beautiful ones.

These prayers have led me to step into full time Christian mission work, where I am using my paintbrush as my megaphone. As an artist, I believe in the power of images, the power of media, and the power of art. After all, it was vivid imagery through a television that brought me to my knees as a child. What power a film or a painting can have also!

Visit The SOLD Project's Etsy Store to purchase art from artists wanting to make a difference... all proceeds go to benefit The SOLD Project.

My husband and I just recently moved to Atlanta, and were quick to discover that sadly, Atlanta is the no. 1 city in the US for sex trafficking, largely due to our international airport. We began to ask God how we could use our skills as a painter and a photographer/ graphic designer to fight this social injustice. We have talked to friends, family, and church groups. We have begun an artists group (www.goodforart.etsy.com), and are constantly infusing the good, the bad and the ugly into our art to communicate to the world around us that sex trafficking has to stop.

I'm excited to endorse a group that's willing to fight to make a difference. I believe in the Sold Project Film and the message of hope: that we can be part of the solution.

[photo by katie basbagill]

There is power in our stories. A face, raw emotion, personal experience. A story can't be argued with - a person's journey is their truth. It is what the world has presented to them, brought them through, and it is the eyes in which they have chosen to perceive the experiences of that which we call life. A story has the power to break the hardest of hearts, and to bring humanity to a situation that maybe once had been part of a different realm than that which you and I live in.

I believe in the power of stories. I believe that change begins by telling our stories. I believe that behind our stories lies a common ground in which we are all eager to meet one another. A place of discovery, of identity, and of belonging. We learn from each other's stories, we are inspired by each other's stories, and we are introduced to new worlds and ways of thinking through the power of story.

The SOLD Project is exactly this: a story. Many layers of story, actually, piled up on top of one another. Stories are never simple, are they? SOLD is the stories of women and children who's lives have been exploited. Children who have watched their family members and friends sold into lives of prostitution. Children who themselves have been forced to the street because they were parentless and vulnerable. Stories of women driven to work in the red light areas of cities to provide an income for their family. SOLD is the story of hope found in the lives of people broken by these stories who have dedicated their lives to fighting for change. It is the story of healing in recovery, and hope in prevention. It is the story of people like you and I, inspired by the stories of women and children stuck in lives of exploitation, wanting to advocate and give a voice to those who are vulnerable. To read the stories of people reacting to this issue... visit our Re:Act page, and be inspired.