PROJECT FUTURES global brings together a network of passionate volunteers, activists and young professionals through the partnership and ‘best-practice’ models of SMF’s Young Professionals with the Australian-led PROJECT FUTURES Ltd.
United by their desire to support the Somaly Mam Foundation, SMF’s Young Professionals Network is a socially responsible group of New Yorkers from a wide range of professions including fashion, finance, technology and martial arts. Their events have raised over $100,000 for the Somaly Mam Foundation and have reached thousands of young professionals, and they continue to broaden their network throughout the United States.
PROJECT FUTURES Ltd was established as a non-profit organization in Sydney, Australia in 2009 by young activist Stephanie Lorenzo to raise awareness in the local and international community about the global issue of sexual exploitation and trafficking. The organization is run voluntarily by a network of young professionals dedicated to combating the illegal practice of sex trafficking. With a network of over 10,000 supporters and volunteers, PROJECT FUTURES has raised over AUD$320,000 for the Somaly Mam Foundation and has reached over 30,000 Australians through awareness initiatives.
In January of 2011, five of the Sydney team members flew to New York City in the darkest week of the winter to plan their partnership with SMF and their Young Professionals network. In the first meeting, the groups realized that they were mirror images of one another in how they started (one founder reading Somaly's book) to how they planned their events (an events team with individual jobs and roles).
From this week of brainstorms, conference calls, arguments, laughter and very little sleep came a plan for the SMF's new volunteer activist program, entitled PROJECT FUTURES global. By merging the branding and best-practices of the Australian FUTURES platform with existing Young Professionals' own network and events model, and the widsom of both groups for guidelines for grassroots events and activities, campaigns and media outreach, PROJECT FUTURES global empowers a passionate network of socially-engaged volunteers, activists, and young professionals to raise awareness and funding to combat human trafficking and sex slavery worldwide.
To learn more, visit PROJECT FUTURES global.
