World Childhood Foundation USA’s Post

As we celebrate 25 years of Childhood, we are grateful for our longtime supporters who help us protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. At a dinner Consul General of Sweden to New York City Erik Ullenhag hosted in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Silvia and Princess Madeleine, we also had the opportunity to introduce our important work to new friends and colleagues. Together, we can be champions for children! #protectourchildren #WorldChildhoodFoundation #ChildhoodUSA Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D. Janet Purtell O'Connell, MSW, LSW Consulate General of Sweden in New York Sabrina Potterpin

Together with the Swedish Police Authority and key global stakeholders, World Childhood Foundation is backing a global initiative, aiming to speed up investigations into child sexual abuse, enabling faster victim identification and reducing the strain on law enforcement personnel through artificial intelligence. The week-long INTERPOL DevOps gathering, focused on child protection, united 20 participants from 9 countries, representing 16 organizations with one mission: to disrupt and mitigate the harm caused by child sexual exploitation. HRH Princess Madeleine visited the initiative in Stockholm, underscoring its importance to Childhood's mission and commitment to investing in scalable technological solutions and collaborations to prevent child sexual abuse. “We must use the full potential of technology to protect children,” said HRH Princess Madeleine after visiting the INTERPOL DevOps event. "What this group achieved by collaborating in just one week shows how quickly we can move forward if we commit—and we must." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dSU_AWHH This gathering was made possible by @Stella Polaris - Childhood. World Childhood Foundation's hub that unites children's rights and AI to coordinate and intensify AI-related initiatives to combat child sexual abuse. Stella Polaris is funded by the Swedish Postcode Lottery (Svenska Postkodlotteriet). Global Emancipation Network (GEN), Magnet Forensics, FORENSIK.IT GmbH, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Aylo, Google, ACCCE (Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, Australian Federal Police), North Florida ICAC, Web-IQ and Child Rescue Coalition, Inc. Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D.

“We must come together now, more than ever, to ensure that every child is protected from harm. What we have achieved is the result of tireless advocacy, collective efforts, and the dedication of individuals and organizations across the globe. To continue this momentum, we must push for even stronger efforts and more substantial investments in child protection,” said Princess Madeleine last week during a dinner hosted by the Consul General of Sweden to New York City, H.E. Ambassador Erik Ullenhag, in honor of Her Majesty Queen Silvia and Princess Madeleine at the Swedish Residence. Sixty guests were welcomed to help commemorate Childhood’s 25th anniversary and learn about the achievements the non-profit organization has led and the advancements still to come. Together, we aim for a world where children are safe from harm. #WorldChildhoodFoundation #ChildProtection Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D. Janet Purtell O'Connell, MSW, LSW World Childhood Foundation Consulate General of Sweden in New York 📷: Agaton S.

Thank you to People Magazine for the excellent coverage of Her Majesty Queen Silvia and Princess Madeleine’s visit to New York City to commemorate the 25th anniversary of World Childhood Foundation! We appreciate highlighting our mission of ending child sexual abuse and exploitation and ensuring every child can grow up in a safe and loving environment. https://lnkd.in/eqqFFb_6 Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D. Polsinelli Verizon Heat Initiative Sarah Gardner Jim Cole Elizabeth Letourneau Paula Guillet de Monthoux Consulate General of Sweden in New York World Childhood Foundation Janet Purtell O'Connell, MSW, LSW Charles Mingo Bennström Petra Engström Alexander

In honor of Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and Princess Madeleine’s visit to New York City to commemorate the World Childhood Foundation’s 25 anniversary, Childhood USA organized a pivotal summit of experts, leaders and advocates who are passionate about solving the biggest issues challenging online child safety today, specifically how technology has created even more complex and prolific avenues for offenders to reach children. The summit, “Digital Guardians: Combating Online Child Sexual Abuse,” was held at the Polsinelli law firm and hosted by Childhood USA Board Member Daniel Flanigan and Verizon. Emmy Award-winning journalist Jeff Glor moderated the panel of experts, which included Jim Cole, the Chief of Law Enforcement Enterprise & Technology at Operation Light Shine and retired Supervisory Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations; Elizabeth Letourneau, PhD, a Professor and Director at the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Sarah Gardner, the Co-Founder and CEO of Heat Initiative; Camille Cooper, the Vice President of Anti Human Trafficking & Child Exploitation for the Tim Tebow Foundation.  Childhood USA’s Executive Director Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D., encouraged guests to engage and use the summit as a platform for action. “We must harness this energy and knowledge and be committed to holding technology companies and governments accountable, giving parents tools to have informative conversations with their children, and supporting organizations, like Childhood and others, that are at the forefront of this fight.” Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D. World Childhood Foundation #WorldChildhoodFoundation #ChildProtection From L to R: Jeff Glor, Elizabeth Letourneau, Mary Pulido, PhD, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, Sarah Gardner, Camille Cooper, Jim Cole

We are newly funding a pilot program called “Building Public Will to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse in Texas” at Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas (CACTX) to normalize proactive child sexual abuse prevention conversations using trusted, diverse voices. The campaign targets adults, caregivers, and those interacting with children professionally or personally. The pilot runs in four diverse Texas regions, with the goal of a statewide launch and eventual national rollout. Find out how CACTX is harnessing the power of public will-building to collectively end child sexual abuse in Texas by visiting:  https://lnkd.in/esUGHa5g Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D. Janet Purtell O'Connell, MSW, LSW #ProtectChildhood #WorldChildhoodFoundation #ChildhoodUSA #ChildAdvocacyCenters

For the third year, Childhood USA supported SafeBAE’s Summer Activist Institute in Maine, where 20 high school students from all over the country learned from top educators about stopping sexual violence. During this transformative three-day session, these amazing teenagers showed incredible dedication and growth. They are now returning to their communities with the knowledge and tools to address sexual violence prevention and response. Whether they are starting clubs that promote healthy relationships and boundaries, mentoring younger kids, or meeting with legislators, we applaud these young activists who are leading the way in the response to / prevention of CSAE! Together, we are building a safer future for children. For more information, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eVQczi6M “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” - John F. Kennedy, Jr. #SafeBAE #YouthActivism #SummerActivistInstitute #EndSexualViolence #EmpowerYouth #ProtectOurChildren #SafeRelationships #FutureLeaders SafeBAE Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D. Janet Purtell O'Connell, MSW, LSW World Childhood Foundation

Inspired by a landmark sweatshop case in El Monte, Calif., a new film called “City of Dreams” chronicles the journey of a Mexican boy whose dreams of becoming a soccer star are shattered when he’s smuggled across the border and sold to a sweatshop in downtown Los Angeles. "City of Dreams" is an inspiring story about a boy's courageous battle to free himself and others from the brutal grasp of slavery. We applaud the filmmakers of this new movie for bringing awareness to the issue of child labor trafficking. In an effort to bring out trafficking survivors and individuals from anti-trafficking organizations, as well as schools, churches, municipalities, and people who might not otherwise be able to afford a screening, they are offering complimentary advance preview passes on August 28 and 29 in major cities. For more information about the film and for free tickets until August 30, please visit: cityofdreamsmovie.com Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D. World Childhood Foundation Janet Purtell O'Connell, MSW, LSW

We are pleased that The New York Times printed an op-ed that our Executive Director, Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D., wrote responding to an article about San Francisco moving to lead the fight against AI deepfake pornography. The lawsuit seeks to shut down the 16 most popular websites used to create deepfake pornographic images that digitally “undress” children and teenagers without their consent. We applaud these leaders' advocacy and encourage more people to join this crucial mission in protecting our children from harmful CSAM. Read the original article and her op-ed below: To the Editor: Re “San Francisco Moves to Lead Fight Against Deepfake Pornography” (news article, Aug. 17): Brava to Yvonne Meré, the chief deputy city attorney in San Francisco, for rallying her co-workers to fight against so-called nudification apps, which enable users to turn ordinary photos into pornography. This is a battle they must win. There is simply too much at stake, and the websites must be taken down. Innocent children and teenagers, whose photos are used by perpetrators to produce nude images, can experience long-lasting psychological and emotional harm. They can develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and fear for their physical safety and often feel shame that the images cannot be stopped. These apps, which are producing child sexual abuse material, contribute to a culture of exploitation. It is upsetting and perplexing that our country has allowed artificial intelligence to progress unabated to the point where it is a weapon harming our children. It is terrifying to imagine what dangers could come next. As the article states about A.I., “The issue of deepfake pornography has highlighted one of its dark sides.” It is a dire situation, and our government must get it under control now. Mary L. Pulido New York The writer is executive director of the World Childhood Foundation USA. https://lnkd.in/dJWqsfGa https://lnkd.in/ekq4nVHd (scroll down) Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D. World Childhood Foundation Charles Mingo Bennström Petra Engström Alexander Janet Purtell O'Connell, MSW, LSW