Just north of Australia is Papua New Guinea, a country that is rife with the practices of human trafficking, from forced labor to the sexual exploitation of women and children. Since the already ill-equipped police forces are busy battling it out with armed bandits and gangsters in the urban areas, efforts to address and stop human trafficking are practically non-existent. Law enforcement officers who are dedicated enough to investigate these heinous crimes risk becoming targets themselves, along with their families. With so much going on, and a lack of media coverage on the part of agencies all over the world, an effort to confront the tragedies in PNG is urgent.
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
My plan is to go to PNG next year after I arrive in Australia in December. As a freelance journalist, I have spent a lot of time in dangerous cities (including Mexico's Ciudad Juarez) so I feel I can compile some key information on the human trafficking practices and what needs to be done to stop it. My goal is not only to write articles, but to make an hour long documentary that will zero in on the causes of the human trafficking plague, the victims, the perpetrators, and the police/politicians who have either failed to stop it or are lobbying to do more. My request to you is if you would be willing to provide me with financial support – even the smallest amount – that I will use for travel to and throughout PNG and toward a plane ticket from the US to Australia, my base of operations for the trip. I already have a place to stay, thanks to the kindness of a good friend in that country, which leaves me with a goal of raising $5,000 within the next 5 months. If you can provide any assistance, or if you know anyone who can, I would be forever in thanks.
If my fundraising is successful, I would like to have the documentary completed, edited, and ready for presentation to a worldwide audience by April or May 2013. At that point it will be available for public viewing online -- anyone will be able to see this film, but by supporting the effort you can become a part of it.
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