This weblog is a part of our Individuals Behind Objective at Cisco collection that focuses on staff driving Cisco’s function to Energy an Inclusive Future for All. Every weblog highlights a special Cisco worker whose work positively impacts individuals, communities, or the planet. The collection was previously referred to as individuals 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 earnings, per the 2021 Nationwide Motion Plan to Fight Human Trafficking White Home report. Based on UNICEF, greater than 1.2 million kids are trafficked throughout worldwide borders every year. Greater than 17,000 persons are trafficked into the USA 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 via Cisco’s Group Influence to finish human trafficking by public outreach by way of schooling and occasions, supporting legislation 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 could be an advocate for this necessary subject.
Inform us a bit of 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 completely different analyst positions in each Venezuela and California for a bit of over ten years.
I then moved to Canada to begin a brand new life with my younger household, beginning with Boston Pizza as a group relations coordinator, which allowed me to begin 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 corporations.
By means of the years, I saved in contact with many colleagues within the company world. A good friend who was at Cisco reached out to me in 2018 to let me learn about a renewals supervisor place inside Cisco’s Buyer Expertise (CX) group, stating that my background in account coordination, buyer expertise and advertising can be useful to the workforce. I interviewed, bought the job, and started my Cisco profession in November 2018.
What’s your present function at Cisco, and the way do you incorporate Objective into your on a regular basis work?
Scarlet: I’m a part of CX IB Methodology core program workforce chargeable for consultants’ enablement in addition to program growth. We accomplice 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 function is to serve and I’m at all times in search of a greater, less complicated approach to do issues. Individuals typically come to me when they need somebody to clarify why issues are taking part in out a sure method and to select up on the hidden complexities of a scenario. On daily basis I attempt to make a distinction and drive impactful outcomes for our CX group and Cisco. Working at Cisco provides nice flexibility, interacting with individuals worldwide each day. For me, on high of this, I really like to make use of my Time 2 Give hours (T2G) to assist with the migrant group and their points.
How did you first turn out to be concerned within the Basis for a Slavery Free World?
Scarlet: I first realized concerning the Basis for a Slavery Free World via my daughter in late 2021. She is an actor and had a job on a film with fellow actor Marisol Nichols, who’s the founder and govt 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 ladies from Venezuela have been rescued within the Caribbean. Studying about this, and the way it impacts individuals from my residence nation, motivated me to assist discover a approach to get entangled 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 ladies and kids. And her ardour, schooling, and advocacy for this necessary and international disaster moved me to assist safe a grant via Shiny Funds to help SFW’s work.
Why is volunteering with Slavery Free World necessary to you?
Scarlet: As a mother, you’re involved to your kids’s wellbeing, particularly on this digital age the place it is vitally simple for on-line predators and unhealthy actors to get to susceptible kids. They’re much more uncovered to the world on the market than any earlier generations.
The Nationwide Middle for Lacking and Exploited Youngsters’s (NCMEC) knowledge reveals a 35% improve 12 months over 12 months in on-line youngster sexual exploitation experiences. Sadly, it occurs in Canada as predators can attain kids on-line wherever on the planet. I’ve needed to shield my kids personally from suspicious individuals 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 girls and kids as they attempt to migrate to different international locations for higher alternatives is very near me. Any alternative I’ve to assist make a constructive distinction to stop trafficking from occurring is necessary to me.
What inroads has Slavery Free World made to fight trafficking?
Scarlet: Slavery Free World (SFW) has reached thousands and thousands via the web site, Marisol’s podcast, and on its social media platforms.
It has multiplied its podcast subscribers and reached 10’s of thousands and thousands from its schooling campaigns. Marisol has additionally been invited to communicate on the prestigious Yahoo Makers convention on her work in anti-trafficking, appeared on quite a few speak reveals, together with Entry Hollywood, KTLA, and Right this moment Additional.
In addition to talking at quite a few authorities occasions such because the AG’s Alliance, assembly with legislation enforcement, and persevering with authorized schooling occasions on human trafficking to debate the right way to forestall it, SFW and Marisol are additionally obsessed with educating dad and mom and kids on risks of kid traffickers on-line.
SFW can be assembly with social media platforms concerning the methods know-how could be a part of the answer to avoid wasting ladies and kids from this rising crime, and in educating and spreading consciousness about this most critical subject.
Marisol herself via her undercover work along with her basis has personally assisted within the rescue of quite a few ladies and kids 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 might be launched quickly, consists of an episode with Meta on the know-how aspect of this subject.
What are some methods individuals can get entangled in serving to with Slavery Free World?
Scarlet: There are a number of methods anybody can get entangled with serving to Slavery Free World unfold consciousness and advocacy.
- Take a look at 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 return communicate at an upcoming group occasion.
- Educate your kids and group on the risks and warning indicators of trafficking via SFW’s quite a few assets.
- In case you discover one thing harmful on-line or in your group that could possibly be associated to trafficking, contact your native legislation enforcement instantly. In the USA, it’s also possible to attain out to Nationwide Middle for Lacking & Exploited Youngsters – 24-Hour Hotline – 1-800-843-5678 and the Nationwide Human Trafficking Hotline – Name 1-888-373-7888 ( TTY: 711) | *Textual content 233733.
“It is a darkish topic and good individuals don’t normally learn about it. However for something to be finished to repair this, we’d like good individuals pay attention to it. In order that actual change can happen, and kids could be free.” - Marisol Nichols
Please additionally take a look at this podcast episode on the rescuing of Venezuelan ladies and kids.
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