New Program to Strengthen the Capacity of Women NGO Leaders in Fight Against Trafficking
MCLEAN, Va. - Thursday, June 27th 2013 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS
WIRE)-- Today, Hilton Worldwide and Vital Voices Global Partnership
announced that they have joined forces to help end child trafficking.
Together, they have launched the Global Freedom Exchange, an innovative,
multi-faceted educational and mentoring program targeting emerging and
established women leaders. Program participants are on the forefront of
global efforts to prevent and respond to the crime of child trafficking.
Global Freedom Exchange is intended to create an international network
of activists.
As a fundamental element of the Global Freedom
Exchange, Hilton Worldwide and Vital Voices have brought together a
select group of 26 women leaders from 13 countries, to participate in a
two-week interactive learning and networking program. This event spans
three U.S. cities - areas that have strong national and international
resources focused on addressing human trafficking – Washington, DC, New
York City, and Dallas, Texas. Activities include opportunities to meet
with government officials and NGO leaders to provide donors with
knowledge about funding and other support needs and to learn about
collaborating with local law enforcement.
“Hilton Worldwide takes
an aggressive stance against child trafficking, and we continually seek
innovative partnerships that will enable us to make a real difference
on such an important issue,” explained Kristin Campbell, EVP and general
counsel, Hilton Worldwide. “We are very proud to support Vital Voices
and invest in the crucial efforts of these amazing women. We believe
that each can make a vast and deep impact, and we are fully committed to
helping them realize their full leadership potential.”
Program
participants are established or emerging leaders recognized for their
passion and commitment to ending human trafficking and their innovative
approach to this global issue. They include founders, advisors, legal
counsels and program managers from non-governmental organizations. The
women come from:
Ethiopia
India
Macau
Mexico
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Russia
South Africa
Thailand
Turkey
United States
“The
goal of this program is to provide participants with specific
knowledge, skills and relationships that will benefit their professional
development, their respective NGOs and the communities they serve,”
explained Alyse Nelson, president and CEO of Vital Voices Global
Partnership. “The program will also develop an ongoing international
network of activists working together to prevent and respond to the
scourge of child sex trafficking throughout the world.”
This
multi-year partnership between Hilton Worldwide and Vital Voices is part
of Travel with Purpose™, Hilton Worldwide’s promise to providing shared
value to its business and communities around the globe. It is an
extension of the organization’s existing work to address child
trafficking worldwide. Hilton Worldwide is the second U.S. multi-brand
hospitality company to sign the ECPAT Code of Conduct and is signatory
of the UN Global Compact. In addition to child trafficking awareness and
training programs for hotel employees, the company also supports the
capacity of non-governmental organizations to increase their programs to
reach trafficking survivors.
Together, Hilton Worldwide and
Vital Voices will provide a network of support, connecting each
participant with Hilton Worldwide hotels in their communities to explore
partnerships that will enhance their on-the-ground work. Five $10,000
grants will be awarded to the most collaborative and innovative projects
addressing the Global Freedom Exchange’s mission to end child
trafficking worldwide. Participants will also become members of the
Vital Voices Global Leadership Network, which includes over 14,000
innovative change agents in more than 140 countries.
For more
information about the Global Freedom Exchange and to learn more about
program participants, visit
http://www.vitalvoices.org/blog/2013/06/global-freedom-exchange-working-end-child-sex-trafficking.
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton
Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging
sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay
suites and mid-priced hotels. For 94 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered
business and leisure travellers the finest in accommodations, service,
amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its
tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global
brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare
properties, with 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories and
include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels &
Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy
Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by
Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company
also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit
www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton
Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide,
www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide,
www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and
www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
About Vital Voices Global Partnership
Vital
Voices Global Partnership is a leading non-governmental organization
that identifies, invests in and brings visibility to remarkable women
around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform
lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities. Founded
by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 1997, the organization
trains and mentors women leaders as agents of transformative change in
economic development, human rights and political participation. The
Vital Voices Global Leadership Network includes more than 14,000 leaders
representing 144 countries who have trained and mentored 500,000
additional women and girls in their communities. Visit
www.vitalvoices.org to learn more.
Contacts
Astrid Egerton-Vernon, Hilton Worldwide
703 883 5696
Astrid.Egerton-Vernon@hilton.com
or
Margaux Bergen
Vital Voices Global Partnership
202.333.1928
MargauxBergen@vitalvoices.org
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