Events
New York City 2008
The Emancipation Network (T.E.N) with the help of partner organizations needed help building their first production unit and independent living home for survivors of human trafficking in Calcutta, India. In order to help fund this mission, on Wednesday, May 14th, 2008, The Emancipation Network hosted their first Dreams of Freedom poker tournament at Touch Nightclub located at 240 West 52nd Street in mid-town Manhattan. The event showcased a ten-table Texas-Hold-Em style tournament, open bar, catering services and a silent auction.
Washington DC 2007
With the participation of several lounges, clubs and bars in the Washington D.C. area, Dreams of Freedom held a weeklong fundraiser from October 8th to October 13th, 2007. The week included a live performance by the band, The Speaks, an art exhibition as well as a speaker from a survivor. The mission was to raise awareness on the issue as well as raise funds for three anti-human trafficking organizations: T.E.N. Charities, Polaris Project, and Apne Aap.
Orlando 2007
Discovery Church hosted Dreams of Freedom, an anti-human trafficking event developed to educate on the real issue of modern-day slavery on October 12th, 2007. Speakers and authors from Internationally recognized human rights organizations presented the reality of the situation of living in 2007 with 27 million people still in slavery. Partners included International Justice Mission, Free the Slaves, The Emancipation Network and others presented a message of freedom, hope and justice. The event featured local artists, musicians and performers contributed their talent to raise awareness. Proceeds from the Silent Auction, ticket sales, donations and funds benefited the organizations directly rescuing and rehabilitating slaves.
Discovery Church is non-denominational Christ-centered Church in Orlando, Florida with three campus locations. Dreams of Freedom will take place at the Orange Avenue Campus at 4400 S. Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32806. For further information please visit www.discoverychurch.org or call the church office at 407-855-3140.
New York City 2007
The 2nd Dreams of Freedom event was held on April 20, 2007 from 9:00 pm to 12:00 midnight at Studio Mezmor, New York, NY. The event was a fund-raising benefit, art exhibition and concert dedicated to raising awareness on human trafficking. The NYC Dreams of Freedom group is a collection of young women from various ethnic, social and professional backgrounds aimed to build an empowered community, armed with the knowledge and tools to stop modern-day slavery. The art exhibition was a collection of local and international artists, totaling 50 pieces. Over 300 people attended and enjoyed musical performances by DJ Lance Jordan, BM Linx, and Unfinished Animal. The event raised $10,000- 100% of the proceeds were given to T.E.N.Charities, a 501(c)3 and ECPAT affiliated organization, Maiti Nepal.
Cape Cod 2006
The Emancipation Network held it’s first Dreams of Freedom Arts Event and Human Trafficking Conference on Oct. 21st in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Over 300 people from New England and beyond joined us for 6 hours of celebration and education about slavery and the modern abolitionist movement.
The event was truly a realization of our dreams – bringing together visual artists, dancers, musicians, actors, activists, interested local citizens, college students, teens, and slavery survivors. We also hosted Sompop Jantakra, the founder of DEPDC, our anti-trafficking partner agency in Northern Thailand, and his entourage of seven – staff members and kids from his program.
When Beatrice Fernando described her experiences as a domestic slave in Sri Lanka, and how out of sheer desperation, she escaped slavery by jumping out of a fourth story window, the audience was mesmerized. Later in the evening program, six teens from the Naomi Turner Dance troupe enacted in dance the journey from slavery and despair, through all the stages of fear, isolation, recovery and finally empowerment and transcendent joy. At the end of the piece, the dancers locked arms and began to whirl – then alternately dancers lifted their legs behind them and literally flew into the air, as the music soared. People were literally sobbing.
In between, we were moved and inspired by Tibetan dancing, survivor stories read by TEN’s youth volunteers, singer/songwriters, a procession of masked performers who reached into a giant bowl headpiece to hand everyone written words about justice and hope, poetry, invocations by religious leaders of numerous faiths, a fabulous and diverse art exhibit about slavery and empowerment, and slide shows and lectures which were informative and inspiring.
The proceeds from the event went to buy a new water filtration system for our partner organization, DEPDC!