[SPACE International, New York, 16 October 2014] Former President Jimmy Carter has publicly endorsed the global launch of SPACE International (Survivors of Prostitution-Abuse Calling for Enlightenment), a group of sex-trade survivors working to abolish the global sex-trade.
In his address to SPACE International, President Carter stated, “I commend you for sustaining your moral obligation to improve the condition and lives of those women and girls around the world who are suffering the abuse in the sexual exploitation industry.”
Coinciding with its inaugural summit this week, SPACE was awarded a prize for best international organization by the Emma Humphrey’s Memorial Prize which recognizes the outstanding contribution of women’s organizations that combat sexual violence.
“SPACE aims to raise the public’s consciousness of the violence of prostitution and to encourage governments to address the world’s oldest oppression,” says Norma Ramos, human rights lawyer and SPACE board member. We call for enlightenment because before we can expect social change, prostitution must be recognized for the abuse that it is.
“The Nordic Model recognizes prostitution as a human rights violation, and that the demand for commercial sex drives sex trafficking,” says founding SPACE member Rachel Moran. This law aims to end prostitution and sex trafficking by criminalizing the purchase of sex while decriminalizing its sale and offering the prostituted a way out. President Carter noted that when “victims come in contact with law enforcement, they should not be treated as criminals and thus further victimized. Their cases should instead be investigated vigorously so as to capture and prosecute those exploiting them, specially the brothel owners, pimps and customers.”
Proven successful in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, the Nordic Model is currently being considered by the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Israel, and South Korea.
The inaugural summit convenes SPACE members and abolitionist allies for a four-day series of meetings and strategy sessions designed to work towards the realisation of our political goals. The countries represented at the summit are England, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Canada, and four U.S. States – California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.
A press conference will be held on Friday, October 17th at 11 AM in the Clarke Room of The Strand Hotel, 33 West 37th Street, where SPACE members will be available to answer questions.
For more information, please visit www.spaceintl.org, follow @SPACEintl.
