Dear Friends, 

It is a privilege to share this inaugural letter with you, as I mark my first week as Executive Director of ECPAT-USA.  What a difference a week makes — just before joining ECPAT-USA, I had traveled to Guatemala for some restorative yoga and hiking.  At the time, I thought of it as a quick break from my 13+ years of representing victims of human trafficking, enhanced by the prospect of taking in some truly breathtaking scenery.

The surroundings were even more beautiful than I had imagined, but if I had expected to be shielded from the issue of human trafficking, I was in for a surprise.  While waiting to be cleared by the Guatemalan immigration authorities, I was confronted by a large poster warning against the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adolescents. Reminders surfaced again during the Day of the Dead festivities when I visited Sumpango, a town renowned for its display of massive kites, some measuring over 40 feet in height. Constructed with bamboo and tissue paper, the kites celebrate Mayan culture and traditions while frequently conveying social justice messages.

My first week at ECPAT-USA has been exhilarating. After meeting with our talented New York team, I traveled to Washington, DC, where I met with the U.S.’s top official on anti-trafficking matters, Ambassador John Cotton Richmond. I joined our Director of Development Linda McLaughlin at an IBM conference sponsored by the law firm of Jones Day on technological innovations. I accompanied Joe Huang-Racalto, our Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, to meet with colleagues who share our interest in protecting LGBTQ+ youth. I attended an eye-opening panel discussion on the Hill about the accessibility of pornography on our children’s cell phones, as well as the impact it has on their social development. And throughout the week, I found myself thinking back to that kite festival. The exploitation of children is so pervasive that it seems there is no place in the world that has not felt its impact. At the same time, the will to push back, to write in bold and brilliant colors the right to a safe and healthy childhood, was literally uplifting.  

No matter how challenging the fight, we at ECPAT-USA are inspired by the thousands of you who have joined with us to protect children across the country. I am honored to continue ECPAT-USA’s mission. This Friday, November 15, please join me at a panel at Fordham University, moderated by ECPAT-USA board member Rev. Adrian Dannhauser, on the topic, “Decriminalizing Prostitution:  How Far is Too Far?”  For more information about the event and registration, please click here. Additionally, as we start this journey together, please feel free to email me and follow me on Facebook and Twitter to see all the ways that we’re building structures that are helping kids soar. 

Sincerely,



Lori L. Cohen