47-" Help Them Heal Themselves"- Interview with Utah Therapist Jacob Ostler Part 1
We are excited to welcome Jacob Ostler to the Libertas International Podcast!
Jake is a therapist from Utah who works with human trafficking survivors, survivors of torture, and survivors of ritualistic abuse.
In this podcast, Jake details his vast educational background at the University of Utah and Vanguard University as well as his travels fighting human trafficking across Africa, Nepal, Thailand, Mexico and here in the United States.
Additional Notes
Human Trafficking in Utah - https://www.standard.net/police-fire/2024/jun/22/human-trafficking-in-utah-happens-daily-and-local-police-are-under-equipped-investigators-say/
Dangers of Voluntourism- https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/17/learning/high-on-helping-the-dangers-of-voluntourism.html
Human Trafficking in Nepal-https://freedomcollaborative.org/newsletter-archive/ngos-drive-efforts-to-improve-on-nepals-tier-2-status
Human Trafficking in Thailand-https://ecpat.org/story/trafficking-in-thailand-the-demand-fuels-child-trafficking-for-sexual-purposes/
What is Ritual Abuse?- https://www.rasasc.org.uk/ritual-abuse/
Child Marriage in the United States- https://www.unchainedatlast.org/child-marriage-in-the-u-s/
November 18, 202454 min
46-"The World's Oldest Oppression" feat. Benny Yu, Founder of El Pozo de Vida.
We are back with another episode of the Libertas International Podcast!
This time, we are back with Benny Yu, the Founder of El Pozo de Vida and 27 Million. He holds a Masters Degree in Theology and has spoken all over the world about the life saving work he does at El Pozo de Vida.
Based in Mexico City, Benny details in this story his history of abuse, how he deals with organized crime, and how faith plays a key role in what he is trying to do at EPDV.
He is also the author of Painful Miracles, a book about his life and the works of God in El Pozo de Vida.
We are grateful for Benny for being a true pioneer in this field and for sharing his time with us!
Links Below
https://27million.com/our-team/
https://www.elpozodevida.org.mx/
https://www.amazon.com/Painful-Miracles-Walking-Miraculous-Breakthrough-ebook/dp/B095BXMDXV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZFA2VFZ1SZ4G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.05mjlXGU340mnmrm0B61Nefcu3hISPmDjBrpRjB2a_2KMN_lOQMibbPfDYZcyVBdTgG4W5mx2Yr7kkzsPMw7PH6PAlbTIlsUkWbs9KmdOpZYXUpxHhiGUz0_cqYGbpaLTgvvrb-3B_GUIXnFgTMwi5GfBb2xv8agCbqxikfbiaj_6oSWLZKO46Tf76I0AYtk.Bfwk2IatS_Xx1HBCfLP5vZ1V1nlOVFUoj5KoPcZCvpo&dib_tag=se&keywords=benny+yu&qid=1731895650&sprefix=benny+yu+%2Caps%2C350&sr=8-1
September 28, 20241 hr 16 min
45-"The Beauty of Prevention is That Everyone Can Get Involved." feat. Tyson Wright, Founder of International Coalition for Prevention and Empowerment
Welcome back to the Libertas International Podcast!
This week we talk with Tyson Wright, Founder of the International Coalition for Prevention and Empowerment.
Tyson talks about duty, and how he started this NGO due to promises he made to people who very much desired knowledge for prevention. During the interview he talks about how prevention matters, his work in Panama and Ecuador, his work with indigenous people, addresses some controversial topics regarding prevention, and how people can get involved in ensuring that prevention is something that is developed in communities over a long span of time.
As Tyson states, it really is a fight that everyone can be involved in.
Here are some more information about human trafficking prevention and Tyson's NGO.
https://preventempower.org/our-story
https://cdapress.com/news/2024/sep/27/run-for-human-trafficking-victims/
https://panama.iom.int/en/news/panama-committed-fight-against-trafficking-persons-0
https://www.oas.org/ext/en/security/crime-prevention-network/Recursos/Multimedios/shame-silences-ecuadors-indigenous-people-trafficked-for-sex
https://www.alaskachildrenstrust.org/blog/unraveling-the-stories-of-sex-trafficking-innbspalaska
August 29, 20241 hr 21 min
43-Facing Evil and Working with Law Enforcement with Steve Murphy, Former DEA and Subject of the Hit Netflix Series "Narcos"
We are honored to welcome DEA Agent Steve Murphy to the Libertas International Podcast!
Steve Murphy is a retired DEA agent renowned for his pivotal role in the pursuit and eventual capture of the infamous Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar. Born in the United States, Murphy joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the 1980s and was stationed in Colombia during the height of Escobar's reign of terror. Alongside his partner, Javier Peña, Murphy worked tirelessly to dismantle Escobar's Medellín Cartel, which was responsible for a significant portion of the cocaine trafficked into the United States during that era.
Murphy's efforts, often at great personal risk, contributed significantly to the DEA's operations in Colombia and the eventual downfall of Escobar in 1993. His experiences during this tumultuous period were later dramatized in the popular Netflix series "Narcos," where actor Boyd Holbrook portrayed him.
Following his retirement from the DEA, Murphy has become a public speaker, sharing his experiences and insights on law enforcement, international drug trafficking, and the challenges of combating organized crime. He also co-authored a book titled "Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar," which provides a detailed account of his and Peña's roles in the high-stakes operation against the Medellín Cartel.
Steve joins the podcast to talk about the search for Pablo Escobar but also to talk about working with law enforcement in a different country and how to avoid the appearance of the "ugly" American. He also talks about how to stay brave in the fight vs. evil in the modern day as he did when he was facing one of the most evil men that has ever walked the earth.
Trailer for Narcos-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl8zdCY-abw
Link to the Game of Crimes Podcast-https://gameofcrimespodcast.com/
Additional Articles about Steve Murphy
https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/from-small-town-cop-to-narcos-legend-ashburn-resident-talks-about-his-career/article_eaceac5e-e799-11ea-a341-4fdb96bfe979.html
https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/meet-the-dea-special-agents-who-helped-bring-down-pablo-escobar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4C17dgJ6eQ
August 6, 20241 hr 6 min
41-"We Aren't Saviors, We are Instruments" with the Founder of My Sister's House, Rochelle Sellers
We are back with another episode of the Libertas International Podcast!
This weeks guest takes us to Africa, multiple countries in Africa with the Founder of My Sister's House Rochelle Sellers.
Rochelle has been fighting poverty for over 20 years working all over Africa to empower women and children. Her journey takes her to Ethiopia, Uganda, Sierra Leone, etc.
In this episode she talks about a personal tragedy that occurred when she was a young girl that left her orphaned. And how that experience has shaped her and the work that she continues to put forth this day.
She also talks about her faith, and what it means to her when serving the most vulnerable in Africa.
For more information on what we discussed in this podcast please visit the following links.
A short summary of child sacrifices in Uganda
https://www.worldvision.org/blog/5-things-need-know-child-sacrifice-uganda
Link to Libertas International
libertasinternational.org
Human Trafficking in Ethiopia
https://www.unodc.org/easternafrica/en/Stories/new-ethiopian-law-on-human-trafficking-and-migrant-smuggling.html
Organ Harvesting
https://worldhope.org/blog-combating-the-evils-of-organ-harvesting/
May 3, 202436 min
34-"My Daughter Lead Me to the Fight" feat. Steve Adams, Founder of the National Center for Child Safety and Awareness.
We are happy to welcome Steve Adams from the National Center for Child Safety and Awareness! Steve spent 35 years in law enforcement and has been with the National Center for over 20 years. The center provides assemblies for children parents and teachers to offer training and education to keep kids safe from sexual abuse.
*Trigger warning- this episode contains details of sexual abuse and can be disturbing to listeners.
Here is the link to the Center's website-https://protectrkids.net/
Here is an interview between Steve and Tyler on Steve's radio program in the Sacramento area- https://www.therundown.org/show-recordings
April 11, 202450 min
32-"Exploit Others? You're Going to Lose your Liberty and We're Going to Take Your *Stuff"- The Healing Power of Justice with Alessandra Serano
Libertas is honored to be welcoming Alessandra Serano to the Libertas International Podcast!
*Content warning. Contains strong language.
Alessandra Serano rejoined the United States Department of Justice and currently serves as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division for the Eastern District of Virgina where she handles child exploitation cases and cyber related matters.
Ms. Serano was previously employed by the United States Department of Justice in various roles for over 18 years. From 2003-2017, Ms. Serano served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California where she prosecuted child exploitation and trafficking cases as well as organized crime and gang-related cases involving narcotics, human and sex trafficking. She litigated numerous immigration and border related crimes, firearms offenses, and national security cases. From 2017-19, she worked at Main Justice as the Department of Justice's National Project Safe Childhood Coordinator in Washington D.C. where she served as a subject matter expert on child exploitation, human and sex trafficking involving minors, and other federal child sexual exploitation offenses. Ms. Serano also served as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy where she worked on human trafficking policy for the Department. From 2020-21, Ms. Serano served as the First Assistant United States Attorney and Criminal Chief for the U.S. Attorney’ s Office – District of the Virgin Islands. Ms. Serano received numerous individual awards relating to her work and expertise in human trafficking including the U.S. Attorney General’s Award, the Federal Bar Association’s Hon. Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award, and Women in Federal Law Enforcement’s “Top Prosecutor” Award. She has received several team awards including the Commissioner’s Award from the San Diego County Juvenile Justice Commission, Meritorious Unit Citation from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for Operation “Stolen Souls,” Investigative Team of the Year Award by the California Narcotic Officers’ Association, and Outstanding Overall Partnership Award by the U.S. Department of Justice. Since 2014, Ms. Serano serves as an Adjunct Law Professor at the University of San Diego where she teaches an upper division class on human trafficking and child exploitation and guest lectures at the California Western School of Law and Georgetown Law. Ms. Serano graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami, School of Law in 1999, and received her B.A. in Political Science/Law & Society from the University of California, Riverside in 1993. She is currently working on her Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Ms. Serano is a licensed real estate broker in California and earned her private pilot's license.
Mr. Serano's work achieved over 150k in restitution for the survivors of Project Bat Bridge.
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/former-aisd-teacher-sentenced-to-7-years-in-prison-for-paying-for-sex-with-columbian-girls-minor-children-federal-court-austin-isd-us-department-of-justice-attorney-medellin-columbia-round-rock-sadler-means-ywla-garcia-ymla-navarro-echs-indictment
A past case of her's when she was with the Department of Justice
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-1m30child235650-ex-teacher-37-arrested-child-porn--2008dec30-story.html
April 5, 202423 min
31-Guatemala's Most Famous Ring
Welcome back to the Libertas International Podcast!
Today, Tyler talks about one of his personal heroes and the most famous ring in Guatemala. A ring that represents not only education and empowerment but also represents a date where all of that as well as her freedom was made possible.
This wonderful survivor is named Desi. She was featured in an earlier podcast and is part of the survivor leadership counsel at Libertas International 2024. And today, you will hear a version of that story in English similar to what she shared in Spanish episodes earlier.
She is the "ring bearer" and we love her for it!
For more information on Libertas International visit the following links.
libertasfreedom.org
Facebook- Libertas International
Instagram @libertasinternational
X @libertasfreed
TikTok- Libertas International
LinkedIn- Libertas International
March 30, 202450 min
30-"Basada en Los Derechos Humanos" feat. Betty Pedraza Lozano, Heroe de TIP y fundadora de Espacio de Mujeres
Bienvenidos al podcast de Libertas International! En este programa, exploramos el impacto del trabajo incansable de mujeres inspiradoras en la sociedad. Hoy, nos honra presentar a Betty Pedraza Lozano, fundadora de la Corporación Espacios de Mujer en 2003 y directora de la organización desde entonces.
Desde su fundación, Betty ha liderado una lucha implacable contra la trata de personas en Colombia, transformando políticas y conciencias. Co-fundadora de la Alianza Colombiana de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil contra la Trata de Personas, representa a esta alianza en la Alianza Global contra la Trata de Mujeres (GAATW).
A través de su organización, Betty ha llevado a cabo campañas de concientización pública, enfocadas en prevención, identificación de víctimas y servicios de apoyo. Ha establecido una "escuela" de formación para mujeres vulnerables, brindándoles conocimientos sobre sus derechos y cómo protegerse contra la trata de personas y otras formas de explotación. Además, su trabajo se centra en la capital colombiana, Medellín, y en el departamento de Antioquia.
Betty Pedraza Lozano ha sido fundamental en la integración del derecho internacional de los derechos humanos en Colombia, colaborando con organizaciones internacionales y el gobierno colombiano. En 2015, fue reconocida como Heroína en la Lucha contra la Esclavitud Moderna por su dedicación incansable en la lucha contra la trata de personas. Además, recibió el premio TIP (Trafficking in Persons) Hero Award del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos, el más alto honor que puede recibir un defensor en contra de la trata de personas.
Únanse a nosotros mientras exploramos el legado y la labor continua de Betty Pedraza Lozano en la defensa de los derechos humanos y la lucha contra la trata de personas en Colombia. ¡Bienvenida, Betty!
http://www.tipheroes.org/betty-pedraza-lozano/
https://www.gaatw.org/resources/e-bulletin/815-interview-with-betty-pedraza-lozano-from-espacios-de-mujer
https://www.espaciosdemujer.org/
March 23, 202453 min
29-Helping Families Find Hope, Justice, and Healing"- Utah Homicide Survivors with Brandon Merrill
Libertas International is proud to have Brandon Merrill, the founder of Utah Homicide Survivors, a nonprofit based in Provo, Utah that serves surviving families of homicide victims.
Under Brandon's leadership, UHS has grown to become a leading advocate for homicide survivors in Utah, offering a wide range of services to help families navigate the aftermath of tragedy. With years of experience working in the field of victim services, Brandon is dedicated to helping survivors heal and find justice. His passion for helping others and his commitment to making a difference in the lives of those affected by homicide are a driving force behind the success of Utah Homicide Survivors.
Brandon graduated from Utah Valley University in 2013, with a degree in International Politics. He moved to Vermont to attend Vermont Law School and study environmental law later that year. After taking his first environmental law class he decided that it wasn't the path for him. In order to graduate from law school he found an internship with the Never Again Foundation in Arizona, which sadly closed their doors in 2019. This organization taught him the importance of legal services for families of homicide victims and how to navigate the family through the numerous civil legal processes. After graduating from Vermont Law School in January 2016, Brandon worked as a divorce and custody mediator and a money laundering analyst while also continuing to volunteer for the Never Again Foundation. In August 2017, he took a staff position with the Never Again Foundation. In 2018, Brandon and his wife Karleigh moved to Utah to open a Utah chapter of the Never Again Foundation. In early 2019 the Never Again Foundation was hit hard with financial troubles and had to close their door permanently in March 2019. Brandon did not want to see the gap for homicide survivors re-open so he started Utah Homicide Survivors that same month where he serves as the Founder and Executive Director.
Brandon details how he got started in this work, how he keeps himself sane in the work that he does and what are the factors that can lead to homicide.
Here is an event that Brandon puts on every year that honors victims of homicide-https://ksltv.com/589460/families-of-utah-homicide-victims-gather-to-support-each-other-for-national-day-of-remembrance/
A case Brandon was involved in involving a road rage homicide in Utah-https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/families-grieve-over-loved-ones-killed-in-road-rage-incidents
List of homicide victims in Utah-https://www.ksl.com/article/50567570/grim-tally-a-look-at-each-of-utahs-homicide-victims-of-2022
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