What if you were a victim of human trafficking but had no voice to tell your story? Marci works with "Strawberry Girls," Moroccan women recruited each year to pick "red gold" in the strawberry fields of Spain. The shocking reality is that many of these vulnerable women are lured into sex trafficking through lies, deception, and empty promises. Once they step foot in a brothel, they are trapped, and it will take a miracle for them to get out. But miracles do happen! One day, a safe house called and asked Marci to translate for a Moroccan woman who had just been rescued. This woman was a Strawberry Girl. In Marci’s continued work with these women, she began to identify a sex trafficking line between Morocco and Spain. Unwilling to stay silent, Marci began writing and telling their stories. Marci's poetic words invite you to step into the shoes of the Strawberry Girls and journey with them on the road from slavery to freedom. Marci demonstrates how leveraging the power of storytelling can build a bridge directly to the heart of the listeners, triggering their emotions, and moving them to action. Marci explains the neuroscience of what is happening inside the storyteller and the listener, as well as the importance of ethical storytelling. Marci will encourage attendees to consider writing and telling their own stories of freedom to inspire people in their own communities and around the world to action.
Trigger Warning: This presentation contains information (written, spoken, or visual) that may be triggering or (re)traumatizing to attendees.
Marci Renée is the founder and director of The Strawberry Girls, a non-profit, anti-trafficking organization, advocating for Moroccan women who are recruited to pick strawberries in Spain and then lured into sex trafficking. Marci is an author, speaker, coach, certified narrative therapist, and storyteller, giving voice to “The Silent Ones” by sharing their stories of freedom and inspiring others to action.