Good Morning! And in case I don't see ya- Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Good Night.

I am Mamie Coffey. I am in my 20th year of marriage to this guy:

Geoff and Mamie Coffey
January 1, 2014

I have two daughters. Usually, they get along like this:

Sisterly Love

But, sometimes it is more like this:

Sibling Rivalry

I am a returning student from being a stay-at-home mother for 16 years. My first semester back to school was Fall 2013. This semester, Spring 2014, I will apply to the Accelerated MPA program at ASU Downtown.

Several years ago, a couple of books I read with my book club impacted me like very little else has.

Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

&

SHANTARAM, by Gregory David Roberts

 As I researched and read more on the topic of modern-slavery, exploitation, rape as a weapon of war in many conflict countries and violence against women, I learned how prevalent these forms of exploitation and other types of human trafficking are worldwide. It is rampant in developing nations; these places are homes to the most vulnerable populations on the globe. But, it doesn't stop there; it is a problem everywhere. I know what you are thinking; "Except America. We abolished slavery in the 1800s." Well, yes. Slavery was abolished in the 1800s. In fact, slavery is illegal in all countries on earth. Yet, slavery exists in every single country on this planet. 

I came to the conclusion that I could not know about the vile exploitation of others in this way and not do something to help. I felt compelled to return to school to get a degree that I can use to help advocate for victims of modern-day slavery. After much consideration, I decided the best direction for me was to work at the "macro" level- working to change public awareness, public policy and legislation. This lead me to the School of Public Affairs- Public Service and Public Policy.

This semester, I am very grateful to have an internship working with a coordinating and collaborative anti-trafficking non-profit organization. TRUST AZ- Training and Resources United to Stop Trafficking has the mission to unify and coordinate efforts among all stakeholders in the anti-trafficking movement. Among TRUST's partners are law enforcement, research (STIR here at ASU), other non-profit organizations, government, victim care and service providers and interfaith organizations. The goal is to reduce overlap and make efforts and resources go as far as possible to further the anti-trafficking movement.

My 3 goals for my internship this semester are:

1) Expand my knowledge and understanding of the various aspects of the anti-trafficking movement.

2) To make meaningful contributions to raise awareness of this issue.

3) To expand my network in the anti-trafficking community so that I will be positioned to make the most impact once I have finished my studies.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, so I will have lots to share with you over the next couple of weeks!