This weblog is a part of our Folks Behind Goal at Cisco sequence that focuses on workers driving Cisco’s goal to Energy an Inclusive Future for All. Every weblog highlights a special Cisco worker whose work positively impacts folks, communities, or the planet. The sequence was previously referred to as folks behind Company Social Duty (CSR) at Cisco.
July 30 is World Day Towards Trafficking in Individuals. Globally, an estimated 24.9 million persons are subjected to human trafficking, which generates an estimated $150 billion yearly in illicit income, per the 2021 Nationwide Motion Plan to Fight Human Trafficking White Home report. In response to UNICEF, greater than 1.2 million kids are trafficked throughout worldwide borders every year. Greater than 17,000 persons are trafficked into the US every year. Many are kids. These are very sobering statistics that solely proceed to develop every year.
The Basis for a Slavery Free World (SFW) is one group that has partnered with Cisco by means of Cisco’s Neighborhood Impression to finish human trafficking by public outreach by way of schooling and occasions, supporting regulation enforcement’s efforts to rescue victims, and collaborating with the IT trade to develop new applied sciences. Cisconian Scarlet Estrada, CX enablement program supervisor, shares about her involvement with SFW and the way all Cisconians will be an advocate for this essential subject.
Inform us slightly about your self and what introduced you to Cisco?
Scarlet: I used to be born in Venezuela and started my profession with Chevron, working a number of totally different analyst positions in each Venezuela and California for slightly over ten years.
I then moved to Canada to start out a brand new life with my younger household, beginning with Boston Pizza as a neighborhood relations coordinator, which allowed me to start out a brand new skilled community and afforded me the pliability to lift my younger kids on the time.
I additionally held positions as a high quality engineering assistant, communications coordinator, and shopper providers account coordinator for various firms.
By means of the years, I stored in contact with many colleagues within the company world. A buddy who was at Cisco reached out to me in 2018 to let me find out about a renewals supervisor place inside Cisco’s Buyer Expertise (CX) group, stating that my background in account coordination, buyer expertise and advertising and marketing can be useful to the workforce. I interviewed, obtained the job, and started my Cisco profession in November 2018.
What’s your present function at Cisco, and the way do you incorporate Goal into your on a regular basis work?
Scarlet: I’m a part of CX IB Methodology core program workforce liable for consultants’ enablement in addition to program growth. We associate with renewals groups to make suggestions for providers and software program renewals, simplifying the renewals panorama and aligning on gross sales motions to assist Cisco optimize buyer options. My ardour is to translate complexity right into a easy buyer’s lens. I’ve at all times sought out roles the place my major goal is to serve and I’m at all times in search of a greater, easier solution to do issues. Folks typically come to me when they need somebody to elucidate why issues are enjoying out a sure method and to select up on the hidden complexities of a scenario. Every single day I attempt to make a distinction and drive impactful outcomes for our CX group and Cisco. Working at Cisco provides nice flexibility, interacting with folks worldwide every day. For me, on prime of this, I really like to make use of my Time 2 Give hours (T2G) to assist with the migrant neighborhood and their points.
How did you first turn into concerned within the Basis for a Slavery Free World?
Scarlet: I first realized in regards to the Basis for a Slavery Free World by means of my daughter in late 2021. She is an actor and had a task on a film with fellow actor Marisol Nichols, who’s the founder and government director of the inspiration.
In between film takes, I had the chance to study Marisol’s work as an secret agent to take down traffickers and he or she shared about an operation the place a number of girls from Venezuela had been rescued within the Caribbean. Studying about this, and the way it impacts folks from my dwelling nation, motivated me to assist discover a solution to become involved with Slavery Free World.
Marisol has been part of quite a few undercover stings resulting in the profitable arrest of dozens of traffickers and youngster predators, in addition to liberating quite a few girls and youngsters. And her ardour, schooling, and advocacy for this essential and international disaster moved me to assist safe a grant by means of Vivid Funds to assist SFW’s work.
Why is volunteering with Slavery Free World essential to you?
Scarlet: As a mother, you might be involved in your kids’s wellbeing, particularly on this digital age the place it is rather straightforward for on-line predators and unhealthy actors to get to weak kids. They’re much more uncovered to the world on the market than any earlier generations.
The Nationwide Middle for Lacking and Exploited Kids’s (NCMEC) information exhibits a 35% improve 12 months over 12 months in on-line youngster sexual exploitation reviews. Sadly, it occurs in Canada as predators can attain kids on-line anyplace on the earth. I’ve needed to shield my kids personally from suspicious folks and groomers making an attempt to attach with them on-line.
Additionally, the connection to my birthplace Venezuela and the publicity dangers and vulnerabilities of ladies and youngsters as they attempt to migrate to different international locations for higher alternatives is very near me. Any alternative I’ve to assist make a optimistic distinction to forestall trafficking from occurring is essential to me.
What inroads has Slavery Free World made to fight trafficking?
Scarlet: Slavery Free World (SFW) has reached tens of millions by means of the web site, Marisol’s podcast, and on its social media platforms.
It has multiplied its podcast subscribers and reached 10’s of tens of millions from its schooling campaigns. Marisol has additionally been invited to converse on the prestigious Yahoo Makers convention on her work in anti-trafficking, appeared on quite a few speak exhibits, together with Entry Hollywood, KTLA, and In the present day Additional.
In addition to talking at quite a few authorities occasions such because the AG’s Alliance, assembly with regulation enforcement, and persevering with authorized schooling occasions on human trafficking to debate how you can stop it, SFW and Marisol are additionally keen about educating dad and mom and youngsters on risks of kid traffickers on-line.
SFW can be assembly with social media platforms in regards to the methods expertise will be a part of the answer to avoid wasting girls and youngsters from this growing crime, and in educating and spreading consciousness about this most critical concern.
Marisol herself by means of her undercover work together with her basis has personally assisted within the rescue of quite a few girls and youngsters and introduced dozens of pedophiles and traffickers to justice.
The Marisol Nichols podcast is a real crime present the place she talks about her undercover work to convey youngster predators and traffickers to justice in partnership with key organizations. The second season of her podcast, which shall be launched quickly, consists of an episode with Meta on the expertise facet of this concern.
What are some methods folks can become involved in serving to with Slavery Free World?
Scarlet: There are a number of methods anybody can become involved with serving to Slavery Free World unfold consciousness and advocacy.
- Try the SFW web site and educate your self.
- Join and share Marisol’s podcast along with your social networks.
- Donate to https://cisco.benevity.org/en-ca/campaigns/609
- Invite Marisol to come back converse at an upcoming group occasion.
- Educate your kids and neighborhood on the hazards and warning indicators of trafficking by means of SFW’s quite a few sources.
- In the event you discover one thing harmful on-line or in your neighborhood that may very well be associated to trafficking, contact your native regulation enforcement straight away. In the US, you can even attain out to Nationwide Middle for Lacking & Exploited Kids – 24-Hour Hotline – 1-800-843-5678 and the Nationwide Human Trafficking Hotline – Name 1-888-373-7888 ( TTY: 711) | *Textual content 233733.
“This can be a darkish topic and good folks don’t often find out about it. However for something to be completed to repair this, we’d like good folks pay attention to it. In order that actual change can happen, and youngsters will be free.” - Marisol Nichols
Please additionally take a look at this podcast episode on the rescuing of Venezuelan girls and youngsters.
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