Written by Meg Demarsh
Even from a short conversation with sophomore Sophia Skelly, it is clear she has found her niche. As the founder of the new club Not for Sale, Skelly reflects on her initial interest in the issue of human trafficking and subsequent founding of the organization.
As the club’s mission statement professes, she hopes to “elevate students’ understanding of the issue and effect change in our community.” Although a self-proclaimed novice on the subject, Skelly’s authenticity and passion have attracted the support of Colorado Springs and Colorado College communities. The Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado, which holds meetings in downtown Colorado Springs the second Tuesday of each month, is a collaborative coalition of local officials and speakers. With their support, Skelly felt confident moving forward.
When asked to comment on her initial interest in the subject, Skelly stated, “it was one of those things when you see the issue, you’re outraged, but then you don’t do anything about it.” Skelly’s hometown of Houston, TX is a local hub for human trafficking. Calling upon her previous interest, Skelly searched for an applicable internship to the topic.
In collaboration with a local law organization in Houston, Skelly spent her summer increasing her knowledge and systematic understanding of human trafficking and other human rights violations. The organization focused on driving policy changes for children’s issues. As many survivors are arrested under charges of prostitution, Skelly worked with experts in the field to create innovative approaches to targeting pimps and traffickers. Although unable to communicate directly with survivors, Skelly was able to sit in on conference calls to other national leaders. Upon hearing from a Denver coalition, Skelly recognized the possible need for a similar awareness of the issue on CC’s campus.
Although Skelly’s focus is primarily on raising awareness in the Colorado Springs community, she hopes to expand the club’s impact and breadth of influence in the following years. “I do have some ambitions to go to Denver and participate in driving policy change,” she stated of her future plans. “In addition, we are working on some fundraising efforts to support local NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in the Colorado Springs area.”
With this in mind, Skelly commented on her plans to collaborate with other local human trafficking awareness institutions. Her plans include participating in traffic watch training from a local NGO, Exodus Road. In addition, Skelly is interested in working in coalition with the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado’s Art Reach program. In order to prevent re-traumatization of survivor’s, interaction is often prevented. Therefore, the artwork created during a survivor’s process of their trauma can provide a direct connection to the issue of human trafficking.
As an intended Political Science major and Feminist and Gender Studies minor, Skelly is committed to aligning her studies with similar forms of social justice and policy change. For now, Skelly commented on her continued effort to improve a difficult issue. “The majority of these individuals don’t identify as victims, which makes it such a hard problem to tackle. The people you’re trying to save don’t want to be saved.” Skelly emphasizes the importance of terminology as a viable mechanism of change. “This next meeting we are focusing on language, being super cognicent on what the words you are using actually mean.” As a feminist herself, Skelly is particularly interested in the conversation surrounding the illicit sex industry and the often misinterpreted vocabulary associated with it.
“My goal last year was to just go to an event every day, a speaker, a club meeting, a sporting game,” she said. “I feel like there is such a culture to spread yourself thin. It’s great to just go to class, make some friends, and then find something you are super passionate about and pursue it.” Skelly’s authenticity is a refreshing take on social justice and policy change.
If interested, “Not for Sale” meets first and third Mondays at 12:30 p.m. in Palmer 25A.