(By Dan Turbiak, NightLight Bangkok) On the surface, NightLight Bangkok and NightLight Missouri look very different. They’re in different countries, with different cultures, on opposite sides of the world. While that may be true, there are striking similarities between the work in both locations. Both NightLight branches work to assist women who have experienced sexual exploitation and violence — women who have complex trauma and circumstances that affect multiple areas of their lives. Teams...

By Shauna Storey, COO of NightLight International I didn’t set out looking for anti-trafficking work. Like many people, my introduction to human trafficking struck as something that was both heartbreaking and hard to comprehend. I remember (way back in 2009!) sitting in a breakout session at a conference in Waco, TX, hearing a team of people talk about their work with human trafficking victims. I didn’t have language for it yet, but I was shocked that something so deeply unjust was happening....

Throughout the month of February, particularly around Valentine’s Day, love is often presented through a familiar cultural lens. In much of Western culture, it looks like plush teddy bears, extravagant bouquets of roses, chocolate-covered strawberries, and candlelit dinners. Television and film reinforce this narrative with portrayals of love that are dramatic, volatile, or purely physical—images many are taught to equate with romance and affection. While these expressions are not universal...