We are delighted to introduce you to Project Concern International (PCI), an amazing non-profit organization that recently joined the Employers Alliance.

In March of this year, our Executive Director and Program Manager, Mar and Ngoc, delivered training to this incredible organization on the risks human trafficking can pose for employers and how to mitigate those risks through BEST Practices. As an employer of over 700 individuals and leaders, PCI quickly saw how employers can make a positive impact in decreasing labor trafficking, sex trafficking, and sex buying. Not only did they join the Employers Alliance, they are also working diligently to launch the San Diego Business Alliance Against Trafficking.

Founded in 1961, PCI is an international non-profit organization headquartered in San Diego, California. They are dedicated to empowering communities to end hunger, enhance health and overcome hardship around the world. With an annual operating budget of nearly $65 million, PCI employs over 700 staff, serving more than 10 million people annually in 16 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Since its founding, PCI has maintained a continuous presence in San Diego through its U.S. & Border Programs office, implementing a broad range of community-based activities that improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations on both sides of the border.

PCI directly addresses the problem of human trafficking through its gender equality and prevention programming in San Diego County, including:

Youth Empowerment and Education- PCI’s Girls Only! program is designed to promote self-esteem, develop life skills and inspire positive motivation in girls, aged 8 - 15, who are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation. (Watch this two-minute video to learn more: http://ow.ly/ajMY30ecLkR). PCI is expanding its youth programming to include boys starting in January 2018. Activities and curriculum will focus on respect, integrity, self-worth, and gender equality as well as addressing social attitudes harmful to young males. Both programs aim to build the resilience of vulnerable San Diego youth through the provision of mentoring, peer support, and coping skills within a safe and trusted environment.
Demand Reduction- PCI is a collaborative partner of the CEASE Network, which represents 12 cities dedicated to fighting the demand for illegal commercial sex throughout the U.S. Each city is dedicated to innovating, testing and sharing strategies with a proven impact on deterring people from buying sex.
Public Awareness- PCI conducts “Human Trafficking 101” trainings to broaden community awareness of the issue and increase the number of sex and labor trafficking victims who are identified and rescued. The curriculum builds the capacity of community-based organizations (i.e. clinics, churches, and nonprofits) to identify victims and refer them to the appropriate resources.

We feel lucky to have found a partner like PCI. They have not only committed to implementing policies in their workplace to prevent trafficking, but are also leading the effort to ensure that employers in their area have the same opportunity. Welcome to the Employers Alliance, PCI!

For more information on PCI, please visit their website www.pciglobal.org. To learn more about their efforts to address human trafficking (and to check out their virtual reality video on the Girls Only! program), visit https://www.pciglobal.org/human-trafficking/. If you’re in the San Diego area and would like to join the San Diego Business Alliance Against Trafficking, learn more about PCI’s anti-trafficking work, or find out how you can support their efforts, please contact Bianca Morales-Egan at bmorales-egan@pciglobal.org or (612) 805-8043.

Project Concern International Joins the BEST Employers Alliance