Shawnee Cooper and Rotary Action Group Against Slavery
l-r Dennis Cooper, Sharmin Moody with the Conway Morning Rotary Club, Shawnee Cooper, Haley Turney with the Satellite Club of Conway Morning Greenbrier
This subject is near and dear to my heart for a couple of reasons. First of all, Tim and I are also involved with Rotary and are very proud of Shawnee and this Action Group and the work they are doing!
Secondly, our parent company, the N2 Company, started our own fight against Human Trafficking 20 years ago and has donated over 23 million dollars to the cause. So every business that partners with us is also contributing to the fight, so be sure to support them!
What organization do you volunteer or work with? I have been a member of Rotary International since September 2014. Rotary International has a number of Action Groups. One is the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) which I became an Ambassador for the state of Arkansas in 2021.
What types of tasks do you perform for this group? I speak to organizations, clubs, churches, etc. to promote awareness and prevention of modern slavery/human trafficking.
Tell us about this organization. We are a global, action-driven network of Rotarians dedicated to freedom fighting, justice-seeking, problem-solving, and advocating for basic human rights working together to abolish modern slavery. RAGAS was formally recognized as a Rotary Action Group in 2013. The Rotary Action Group Against Slavery is committed to connect, empower, and equip Rotarians to engage their communities to eradicate all forms of Modern Slavery/Human Trafficking locally and around the globe. There are 15 thousand members around the world and in 70 countries.
Why did you choose this particular project or what drew you to volunteer for this organization? I am a grandmother to 10 beautiful children. The oldest 13 and the youngest 2. After reading statistics such as 1 in 5 children will be approached by a trafficker online before age 18; every 30 seconds a child is sold for sexual purposes in the US; the average age of a child to be sold into prostitution is 12-14 years young (that is a 6th grader); Modern Slavery/Human Trafficking is a $150 billion annually business (second only to drug trafficking- drugs are sold once, a human can be sold over and over); if a victim survives their average life span is seven years; less than 1% of trafficker are ever prosecuted.
In most cases victims are lured by lies, false promises. The trafficker will normalize the abuse by acting like they love them. Victims can be hidden in plain sight and too scared to speak out.
What benefits do you get from volunteering with this organization? If I only save one life, it is worth it!
Who are the members of your family? My husband Dennis has been a Rotarian since 1998. He was District Governor 2018-2019.
How can others get involved with this organization? If interested in joining the fight against slavery visit RAGAS website at www.ragas.online or contact Shawnee Cooper at shawneecooper13@gmail.com. You do not have to be a Rotarian to be a RAGAS member. Membership is only $30 a year or $75 for five years.