Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SANJOSE40
2009-01-26 15:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy San Jose
Cable title:
COSTA RICA - NOMINATION FOR 2009 TIP HERO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHSJ #0040/01 0261508 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 261508Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0436 INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000040
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC SMiller, G/TIP BFleck.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KTIP CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA - NOMINATION FOR 2009 TIP HERO
REF: SECSTATE 132759
UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000040
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC SMiller, G/TIP BFleck.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KTIP CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA - NOMINATION FOR 2009 TIP HERO
REF: SECSTATE 132759
1. (U) Embassy San Jose is pleased to nominate Mariliana Morales
Berros, founder and Executive Director of the Rahab Foundation
(Fundacisn Rahab) as a 2009 TIP Hero, per reftel.
--------------
NOMINEE DATA
--------------
2. (U) Nominee: Mariliana Morales Berros.
3. (U) Title and Institution: Founder and Executive Director of the
Rahab Foundation (Fundacisn Rahab).
4. (SBU) Date of Birth: December 25, 1956.
5. (SBU) Contact Information: Phone: (506)2257-7785 or
(506)2222-1054; mobile (506) 8858-0589; personal email -
mariliana777@hotmail.com.
6. (SBU) Passport Number and Citizenship: 8.011.896-1, Chile.
7. (SBU) Personal Background: Mariliana Morales was born in the
northern Chilean Atacama desert. She is married to Chilean Tomas
Goi Cortes, and they have three children. While she lived in Chile,
her boyfriend at the time (now her husband) became a political
prisoner at age 16. When he was freed from prison, the two married
and left Chile for Costa Rica in search of a better life. They
arrived in February 1982. Mariliana studied Sociology and received
her masters degree in Social Work from the University of Costa
Rica.
--------------
JUSTIFICATION
--------------
8. (U) Since 1997, Morales has steadfastly, and at times under
direct personal threat, built and maintained a faith-based framework
to help victims of commercial sexual exploitation and their
children. Her efforts have helped train and sensitize thousands of
judicial and law enforcement personnel to trafficking and sexual
exploitation issues, and more importantly, provided direct
assistance to hundreds of women and their families in San Jose, Jaco
and Limon, Costa Rica. Her Rahab Foundation is the leading NGO
working with international organizations, local embassies and the
GOCR to stop commercial sexual exploitation and related trafficking
in persons in Costa Rica. Morales has made an enormous, positive
impact on the way the GOCR deals with these issues, and on the
victims themselves.
--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------
9. (U) After what Morales describes as an existential crisis that
led to her belief in God, she prayed to be shown a way in which she
could serve. In answer, she received a vision of the word
"prostitution" across the sky and knew she was meant to help empower
women who wanted to leave prositution. On November 12, 1997, she
created the Rahab Foundation (Fundacisn Rahab) by helping one woman.
Within a month, 30 victims of commercial sexual exploitation and
their children had sought her help. To accomplish its mission, the
Rahab Foundation relies on Morales, two to three
psychologists/social workers, and volunteers.In fact, Rahab and
Morales have become so well known for their dedicated work that
international interns and volunteers, as well as Costa Ricans, have
been assisting the Foundation.
10. (U) With the creation of the Rahab Foundation, Morales became a
pioneer in Costa Rica in assistance to victims of commercial sexual
exploitation and trafficking. Currently, Rahab is also helping male
victims of commercial sexual exploitation, including transvestites.
Morales' efforts have helped these victims find a new life with
their families.
11. (U) Morales' task has not been easy. She has struggled every
step of the way to find funding to keep the program going, often
operating only on faith that resources would appear. For example,
even when she could not pay salaries, she moved ahead with a new
$100,000 building project to provide facilities for vocational
training, a daycare, and space where the program beneficiaries would
be able to run micro businesses, such as a hair salon. She, her
staff, and their families have been threatened and/or attacked for
trying to help women and children escape from their exploiters.
12. (U) Mariliana and her family often receive direct threats by
telephone at home. Also, while operating an anti-trafficking
project funded by the International Labor Organization in Limon (see
para 15),one of the Foundation's staff psychologists was threatened
in order to stop her from rescuing child victims of sexual
exploitation. When the staffer did not back down, her two younger
sisters were successively kidnapped and raped. Although that
psychologist ultimately resigned, threats of this nature have not
deterred Mariliana and others in the Foundation from continuing
their work.
--------------
THE FOUNDATION
--------------
13. (U) Rahab assists victims through a socio-educational program
that provides spiritual attention, education, nutrition,
psychological assistence and vocational training to the victims.
Morales created a job pool by networking with private companies,
thereby providing opportunities for reintegration and medical/legal
attention. (Social medical benefits are coordinated through
workplaces in Costa Rica). Rahab provides educational scholarships,
and victims can complete their primary school education at Rahab's
facility.
14. (U) Since its creation, Rahab has helped more than 600 families,
usually headed by a single mother, with an average of five children
each (for a total of 3000 persons served) in the San Jose area
alone, and many more outside of San Jose. The organization has
given 11 houses to victims through a partnership with the Costa
Rican government, and it hopes to provide 44 more residences in the
coming months - all free to the recipients.
--------------
NATIONAL IMPACT
--------------
15. (U) Rahab developed two very important projects in rural areas
with USG funding - one in Limon and one in Jaco. Drugs,
prostitution and trafficking in persons are common crimes in these
two areas. In 2003, Mariliana instituted a pioneer two-year project
in the port city of Limon called "Prevention, Protection and Direct
Assistance to Child Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation." The
project, which served as a model for Central America, Panama and the
Dominican Republic, directly served 464 minors and their families;
it reached 3000 more indirectly.
16. (U) In addition, Rahab trained government institutions that
worked with children such as: the Child Welfare Agency (Patronato
Nacional de la Infancia, in Spanish),the Fuerza Pblica (national
police),the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the
federal investigative police, indigenous communities, tourism
companies, judges and prosecutors, among others, on the topic of
child sexual exploitation. The project was funded by the U.S.
Department of Labor; management support for the grant was provided
by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
17. (U) From 2006 to 2008, Morales and Rahab ran a program called
"Prevention, Protection and Assistance to Victims and Potential
Victims of Trafficking in Persons in the Central Pacific Region" in
the seedy tourist area in and around the resort town of Jaco. The
program was funded by State's G/TIP with management support from the
International Organization for Migration (IOM). This was a true
pioneer project in the country to assist both national and foreign
victims of labor and sexual exploitation.
18. (U) The project directly served 347 victims and their families,
and reached 5000 people in the community. As in the Limon project,
Morales implemented a "train the trainer approach" to teach the same
government institutions, local police and mayors, tourism companies
and minors about trafficking in persons, for a total of 5191
trained. During the Jaco project, Rahab filed several official
complaints against traffickers and sexual exploiters, leading to
threats and attacks against Morales and her staff.
--------------
REGIONAL EFFORTS
--------------
19. (U) Since 2006, Morales has served as coordinator of the Latin
American and Caribbean International Christian Alliance on
Prostitution. In that capacity, Morales is organizing a conference
for March 2009 to train 150 organizational leaders and individuals
to work in the "restoration" of victims of commercial sexual
exploitation.
--------------
RECOGNITION
--------------
20. (U) For her outstanding work, Morales received the 1999 Gandhi
Foundation and Martin Luther King Foundation "Builder of
Non-Violence" award, and she is the two-time recipient of the Costa
Rican National Ombudsman's award for contributing to bettering the
lives of victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
--------------
EMBASSY POC
--------------
21. (U) Embassy San Jose's contact until April 8 is PolOff Cheryl
Neely; phone: 506-2519-2256; email: NeelyCL@state.gov. After April
8, 2009, Embassy contact is Tyler Sparks, same phone,
SparksTK@state.gov.
CIANCHETTE
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC SMiller, G/TIP BFleck.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KTIP CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA - NOMINATION FOR 2009 TIP HERO
REF: SECSTATE 132759
1. (U) Embassy San Jose is pleased to nominate Mariliana Morales
Berros, founder and Executive Director of the Rahab Foundation
(Fundacisn Rahab) as a 2009 TIP Hero, per reftel.
--------------
NOMINEE DATA
--------------
2. (U) Nominee: Mariliana Morales Berros.
3. (U) Title and Institution: Founder and Executive Director of the
Rahab Foundation (Fundacisn Rahab).
4. (SBU) Date of Birth: December 25, 1956.
5. (SBU) Contact Information: Phone: (506)2257-7785 or
(506)2222-1054; mobile (506) 8858-0589; personal email -
mariliana777@hotmail.com.
6. (SBU) Passport Number and Citizenship: 8.011.896-1, Chile.
7. (SBU) Personal Background: Mariliana Morales was born in the
northern Chilean Atacama desert. She is married to Chilean Tomas
Goi Cortes, and they have three children. While she lived in Chile,
her boyfriend at the time (now her husband) became a political
prisoner at age 16. When he was freed from prison, the two married
and left Chile for Costa Rica in search of a better life. They
arrived in February 1982. Mariliana studied Sociology and received
her masters degree in Social Work from the University of Costa
Rica.
--------------
JUSTIFICATION
--------------
8. (U) Since 1997, Morales has steadfastly, and at times under
direct personal threat, built and maintained a faith-based framework
to help victims of commercial sexual exploitation and their
children. Her efforts have helped train and sensitize thousands of
judicial and law enforcement personnel to trafficking and sexual
exploitation issues, and more importantly, provided direct
assistance to hundreds of women and their families in San Jose, Jaco
and Limon, Costa Rica. Her Rahab Foundation is the leading NGO
working with international organizations, local embassies and the
GOCR to stop commercial sexual exploitation and related trafficking
in persons in Costa Rica. Morales has made an enormous, positive
impact on the way the GOCR deals with these issues, and on the
victims themselves.
--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------
9. (U) After what Morales describes as an existential crisis that
led to her belief in God, she prayed to be shown a way in which she
could serve. In answer, she received a vision of the word
"prostitution" across the sky and knew she was meant to help empower
women who wanted to leave prositution. On November 12, 1997, she
created the Rahab Foundation (Fundacisn Rahab) by helping one woman.
Within a month, 30 victims of commercial sexual exploitation and
their children had sought her help. To accomplish its mission, the
Rahab Foundation relies on Morales, two to three
psychologists/social workers, and volunteers.In fact, Rahab and
Morales have become so well known for their dedicated work that
international interns and volunteers, as well as Costa Ricans, have
been assisting the Foundation.
10. (U) With the creation of the Rahab Foundation, Morales became a
pioneer in Costa Rica in assistance to victims of commercial sexual
exploitation and trafficking. Currently, Rahab is also helping male
victims of commercial sexual exploitation, including transvestites.
Morales' efforts have helped these victims find a new life with
their families.
11. (U) Morales' task has not been easy. She has struggled every
step of the way to find funding to keep the program going, often
operating only on faith that resources would appear. For example,
even when she could not pay salaries, she moved ahead with a new
$100,000 building project to provide facilities for vocational
training, a daycare, and space where the program beneficiaries would
be able to run micro businesses, such as a hair salon. She, her
staff, and their families have been threatened and/or attacked for
trying to help women and children escape from their exploiters.
12. (U) Mariliana and her family often receive direct threats by
telephone at home. Also, while operating an anti-trafficking
project funded by the International Labor Organization in Limon (see
para 15),one of the Foundation's staff psychologists was threatened
in order to stop her from rescuing child victims of sexual
exploitation. When the staffer did not back down, her two younger
sisters were successively kidnapped and raped. Although that
psychologist ultimately resigned, threats of this nature have not
deterred Mariliana and others in the Foundation from continuing
their work.
--------------
THE FOUNDATION
--------------
13. (U) Rahab assists victims through a socio-educational program
that provides spiritual attention, education, nutrition,
psychological assistence and vocational training to the victims.
Morales created a job pool by networking with private companies,
thereby providing opportunities for reintegration and medical/legal
attention. (Social medical benefits are coordinated through
workplaces in Costa Rica). Rahab provides educational scholarships,
and victims can complete their primary school education at Rahab's
facility.
14. (U) Since its creation, Rahab has helped more than 600 families,
usually headed by a single mother, with an average of five children
each (for a total of 3000 persons served) in the San Jose area
alone, and many more outside of San Jose. The organization has
given 11 houses to victims through a partnership with the Costa
Rican government, and it hopes to provide 44 more residences in the
coming months - all free to the recipients.
--------------
NATIONAL IMPACT
--------------
15. (U) Rahab developed two very important projects in rural areas
with USG funding - one in Limon and one in Jaco. Drugs,
prostitution and trafficking in persons are common crimes in these
two areas. In 2003, Mariliana instituted a pioneer two-year project
in the port city of Limon called "Prevention, Protection and Direct
Assistance to Child Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation." The
project, which served as a model for Central America, Panama and the
Dominican Republic, directly served 464 minors and their families;
it reached 3000 more indirectly.
16. (U) In addition, Rahab trained government institutions that
worked with children such as: the Child Welfare Agency (Patronato
Nacional de la Infancia, in Spanish),the Fuerza Pblica (national
police),the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the
federal investigative police, indigenous communities, tourism
companies, judges and prosecutors, among others, on the topic of
child sexual exploitation. The project was funded by the U.S.
Department of Labor; management support for the grant was provided
by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
17. (U) From 2006 to 2008, Morales and Rahab ran a program called
"Prevention, Protection and Assistance to Victims and Potential
Victims of Trafficking in Persons in the Central Pacific Region" in
the seedy tourist area in and around the resort town of Jaco. The
program was funded by State's G/TIP with management support from the
International Organization for Migration (IOM). This was a true
pioneer project in the country to assist both national and foreign
victims of labor and sexual exploitation.
18. (U) The project directly served 347 victims and their families,
and reached 5000 people in the community. As in the Limon project,
Morales implemented a "train the trainer approach" to teach the same
government institutions, local police and mayors, tourism companies
and minors about trafficking in persons, for a total of 5191
trained. During the Jaco project, Rahab filed several official
complaints against traffickers and sexual exploiters, leading to
threats and attacks against Morales and her staff.
--------------
REGIONAL EFFORTS
--------------
19. (U) Since 2006, Morales has served as coordinator of the Latin
American and Caribbean International Christian Alliance on
Prostitution. In that capacity, Morales is organizing a conference
for March 2009 to train 150 organizational leaders and individuals
to work in the "restoration" of victims of commercial sexual
exploitation.
--------------
RECOGNITION
--------------
20. (U) For her outstanding work, Morales received the 1999 Gandhi
Foundation and Martin Luther King Foundation "Builder of
Non-Violence" award, and she is the two-time recipient of the Costa
Rican National Ombudsman's award for contributing to bettering the
lives of victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
--------------
EMBASSY POC
--------------
21. (U) Embassy San Jose's contact until April 8 is PolOff Cheryl
Neely; phone: 506-2519-2256; email: NeelyCL@state.gov. After April
8, 2009, Embassy contact is Tyler Sparks, same phone,
SparksTK@state.gov.
CIANCHETTE