Tomorrow at Washington Square Park in New York City seven large shipping containers will open to the public and document true life stories of sex trafficking victims.  The exhibition titled, “The Journey” highlights the gruesome, heartbreaking conditions victims of the sex trade are forced to endure every day.  British actress Emma Thompson, who co-curates “The Journey” became involved in the project after meeting a young Moldovan teen named Elena, in 2006.  Elena’s story is similar to that of other young women who are trafficked; she was promised a job as a receptionist in London but when she entered the country her passport was taken away and she was forced into the sex trade.  The exhibit is based on the testimony of Elena and other survivors. The exhibition’s opening in New York City will be the first presentation of “The Journey” in the United States.

“The Journey” has undoubtedly had a searing impact on all who have seen it.  The aim of the exhibition is to show visitors the reality of human trafficking – a crime that happens every day, all around the world – and to encourage the public, politicians and especially consumers to take action.  Each container shows a different stage in the trafficking process, starting with “Hope” that reflects the aspirations of young women planning to leave their home countries. The containers “Uniform”, “Bedroom” and “Customer” offer a graphic and disturbing insight into the daily ordeal of women forced to work in the sex industry.

“The Journey” also contains a message of hope. “It reveals — as I have learned from Elena and other survivors — the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit. It shows how, with support and care, these courageous women can rebuild their lives,” Emma Thompson wrote.

“The Journey” will be on display at Washington Square Park in New York City from Tuesday, November 10 – Sunday, November 15, 2009.  For more information on this exhibition click on the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFBznfVdtpc

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Entertainment/emma-thompson-speaks-human-trafficking/Story?id=9030723&page=1

http://www.ungift.org/ungift/en/stories/journey.html

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2008-02-06-2.html