This weblog is a part of our Folks Behind Goal at Cisco collection that focuses on staff driving Cisco’s objective to Energy an Inclusive Future for All. Every weblog highlights a unique 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 income, per the 2021 Nationwide Motion Plan to Fight Human Trafficking White Home report. In line with UNICEF, greater than 1.2 million youngsters are trafficked throughout worldwide borders annually. Greater than 17,000 persons are trafficked into america annually. Many are youngsters. These are very sobering statistics that solely proceed to develop annually.
The Basis for a Slavery Free World (SFW) is one group that has partnered with Cisco by Cisco’s Neighborhood Affect to finish human trafficking by public outreach through training 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 may be an advocate for this vital matter.
Inform us slightly about your self and what introduced you to Cisco?
Scarlet: I used to be born in Venezuela and commenced my profession with Chevron, working a number of completely different analyst positions in each Venezuela and California for slightly 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 flexibleness to boost my younger youngsters on the time.
I additionally held positions as a high quality engineering assistant, communications coordinator, and consumer companies account coordinator for various corporations.
By the years, I stored in contact with many colleagues within the company world. A pal 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 can be useful to the workforce. I interviewed, acquired the job, and commenced my Cisco profession in November 2018.
What’s your present position 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 chargeable for consultants’ enablement in addition to program growth. We accomplice with renewals groups to make suggestions for companies 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 objective is to serve and I’m at all times searching for a greater, less complicated approach to do issues. Folks typically come to me when they need somebody to clarify why issues are taking part in out a sure approach and to select up on the hidden complexities of a state of affairs. On daily basis I try to make a distinction and drive impactful outcomes for our CX group and Cisco. Working at Cisco gives nice flexibility, interacting with individuals worldwide day by 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 group and their points.
How did you first develop into concerned within the Basis for a Slavery Free World?
Scarlet: I first realized concerning the Basis for a Slavery Free World by 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 muse.
In between film takes, I had the chance to find out about 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 have been rescued within the Caribbean. Studying about this, and the way it impacts individuals from my dwelling nation, motivated me to assist discover a approach 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 baby predators, in addition to liberating quite a few girls and kids. And her ardour, training, and advocacy for this vital and international disaster moved me to assist safe a grant by Shiny Funds to help SFW’s work.
Why is volunteering with Slavery Free World vital to you?
Scarlet: As a mother, you’re involved to your youngsters’s wellbeing, particularly on this digital age the place it is rather simple for on-line predators and dangerous actors to get to weak youngsters. 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) information exhibits a 35% enhance 12 months over 12 months in on-line baby sexual exploitation experiences. Sadly, it occurs in Canada as predators can attain youngsters on-line anyplace on the planet. I’ve needed to defend my youngsters 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 optimistic distinction to stop trafficking from occurring is vital to me.
What inroads has Slavery Free World made to fight trafficking?
Scarlet: Slavery Free World (SFW) has reached hundreds of thousands by the web site, Marisol’s podcast, and on its social media platforms.
It has multiplied its podcast subscribers and reached 10’s of hundreds of thousands from its training 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 discuss exhibits, together with Entry Hollywood, KTLA, and Immediately Further.
In addition to talking at quite a few authorities occasions such because the AG’s Alliance, assembly with regulation enforcement, and persevering with authorized training occasions on human trafficking to debate tips on how to forestall it, SFW and Marisol are additionally captivated 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 may be a part of the answer to save lots of girls and kids from this rising crime, and in educating and spreading consciousness about this most critical concern.
Marisol herself by her undercover work together with her basis has personally assisted within the rescue of quite a few girls 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 baby predators and traffickers to justice in partnership with key organizations. The second season of her podcast, which shall be launched quickly, contains an episode with Meta on the know-how aspect of this concern.
What are some methods individuals 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 together 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 youngsters and group on the hazards and warning indicators of trafficking by SFW’s quite a few sources.
- Should you discover one thing harmful on-line or in your group that might be associated to trafficking, contact your native regulation enforcement immediately. In america, you may also 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 find out about it. However for something to be achieved to repair this, we want good individuals pay attention to it. In order that actual change can happen, and kids may be free.” - Marisol Nichols
Please additionally try this podcast episode on the rescuing of Venezuelan girls and kids.
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