A Halifax conference dedicated to exposing the culture of tolerance surrounding the marketplace of commercial sexual exploitation.
Victor Malarek, journalist/author speaks to a captivated audience in his opening address at the 2019 Buyer Beware Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Our goal was to shine the light on the 3rd person of sex trafficking; who despite causing the most harm, pays little to no consequences. Without sex buyers, there would be no sex trafficking.
Halifax, NovaScotia has the highest rate of police-reported human trafficking in Canada with rates 7.5x higher than the national average (see, here). Yet, according to Halifax Regional Police Department (HRP) records, only two sex-buyers have been arrested in Halifax since 2014. In response to learning of HRP's refusal to arrest sex buyers, Cheyenne Jones and co-organizer, Leah Renaud, partnered with Saint Mary's University Criminology Department and launched this 2019 flagship event to start to change this reality.
The Beginning of the End (of Trafficking)
We were thrilled to educate 120+ attendees from across the province, each of whom play a key role in addressing local sex trafficking. Police forces (including Halifax Vice Unit), healthcare practitioners, educators, social workers, parents, Board of Police Commissioners and politicians, were among the guests. The event saw great support both from local leadership as well as leaders in the anti-human sex-trafficking movement from across the country including Cornerstone Dignity Founder/Survivor Caroline-Pugh Roberts in London, ON and Ottawa, ON based Voice Found, Founder/CEO Cynthia Bland.
Halifax Mayor Mike Savage gave the opening address. Victor Malarek, world renowned Investigative Journalist and Author, was the Keynote Speaker. Guest speakers included:
Shawna Davidson, Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate/ Family Voice
Dr. Heather Thompson, MD
Cheyenne Jones, Survivor of Prostitution/Abolitionist
and Conference MC, Will Njoku, Mental Health Advocate
Because of the Buyer Beware conference, the Nova Scotia region is more equipped and motivated to end the demand and demand action from municipal, provincial and federal policing departments to arrest and charge sex buyers and is aware of the damage caused by these ruthless and perverted male sex buyers.
This shift in mindsets take us a giant step closer to ending local sexual exploitation in our cities and communities. See below for media footage on the conference. To learn more about Cheyenne Jones Consulting visit www.cheyennejones.ca.