Edward Smart from O U R

Most people don’t know there are more slaves today than at any point in history. Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart, is merging his efforts to fight human trafficking through the Elizabeth Smart Foundation with those made by Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) (http://www.ourrescue.org/), a non-profit organization that specializes in rescuing children held by traffickers around the world and arranging for their captors’ arrests by local law enforcement agencies. The merger has been a no-brainer, Smart says, considering what O.U.R. has done in a short amount of time.•More than 265 enslaved victims of sex trafficking, mostly minors, are free due to O.U.R.’s rescue efforts.•One hundred and twenty-three of these victims were liberated in three highly dangerous, simultaneous rescues in Colombia in a one-hour period in October 2014.•These numbers are actually much higher when you consider that O.U.R. has dismantled several trafficking organizations and created a deterrent effect.•More than 50 traffickers have been arrested, preventing the suffering of thousands of children who would have been subjugated by their captors.“I work with a number of nonprofit organizations designed to protect children; teaming up with like-minded protectors enables us to pool our resources for greater impact,” says Smart, Program Director of Rehabilitation and Prevention of the newly merged organizations.“Their rescue missions not only entail a strike force of experts that include some of America’s best; they also focus on the long-term recovery of victims – a vital part of this issue, as I’ve witnessed in Elizabeth.”In just the last three weeks, O.U.R.’s rescue missions have taken place in four countries across Latin America and Asia. More than 40 victims were rescued and13 traffickers arrested, and lots of follow-up work is being conducted, Smart says.“These guys are impressive, with additional efforts including a new training project we have in place to train local governments, a DNA system and a strategy to help police forces track down and stop traffickers after a mission is been completed,” he says.“What can you do to help? – You can go to O.U.R.’s site and donate anytime.”ABOUT OPERATION UNDERGROUND RAILROADOperation Underground Railroad (O.U.R) is a non-profit organization that rescues kidnapped children from slavery. O.U.R rescue teams are comprised of highly skilled ex-Navy Seal, CIA and other operatives. These teams work in conjunction with and in full cooperation with local police forces and governments to liberate children around the world. The O.U.R mission is straightforward: Using cutting-edge computer technology and human intelligence, O.U.R rescue teams go into the darkest corners of the world to help local law enforcement liberate enslaved children and dismantle the criminal networks.Before dawn on June 5, 2002, Ed’s daughter Elizabeth Smart, age 14, was kidnapped from her bedroom. She was found alive nine months later on March 12, 2003, just a few miles from her home, with her captors, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Lleen Barzee (spelling???). Her abduction and recovery were widely reported in North American media and internationally. Ed Smart has become a nationally renowned spokesperson for child protection, advocating for legislation and non-profit organizations that focus on the prevention and recovery of missing children.Ed is a world renowned child safety advocate and President of the Surviving Parents Coalition, and is internationally recognized as About Ed Smartan advocate for children's safety with particular focus on prevention, protecting children from “abduction, bullying, abuse and sexual assault.” Elizabeth's abduction motivated him to advocate for change in the safety of our children and families.Since beginning his fight for children, Ed along with other children’s safety advocates tirelessly and successfully lobbied Congress and the Senate seeking passage of the National Amber Alert plan, the Adam Walsh Act, The Protect our children Act of 2008 and currently working cooperatively with other organizations on state felony arrestee DNA legislation.He believes that “It is more important than ever to empower our children to know they have choices to options and to remove their fears and feel safer in their world today.” He is currently program director of rehabilitation and prevention for Operation Underground Railroad OUR.Ed received his Masters Degree in Business Administration, specializing in Urban Planning as well as his Bachelor Degree in Finance from George Washington University. He and his wife Lois are parents of six children and currently reside in Salt Lake City.