In the tradition of “Silkwood”, “Erin Brockovich” and “The Insider”, a new whistleblower movie is coming soon to a theater near you. Despite its unoriginal title, “The Whistleblower” caused quite a stir last week at its Toronto International Film Festival premiere, where it reportedly caused one overwhelmed audience member to faint.
The new drama is based on the real-life experience of Kathryn Bolkovac, who approximately 10 years ago uncovered a massive sex trafficking operation in the Balkans involving United Nations and U.S. contractor personnel. Bolkovac was hired by DynCorp International to work on a UN-administered program to train local police in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bolkovac and another DynCorp employee, Ben Johnston, reported to the company that their colleagues and UN staff were visiting brothels, aiding in human trafficking and paying for sex with underage girls. Both Bolkovac and Johnston were fired by DynCorp. Both filed retaliation lawsuits against DynCorp: Johnston reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement, and Bolkovac won $173,000 from a British employment tribunal. Even though DynCorp fired several employees in Bosnia for “unacceptable behavior,” no one was ever criminally charged in the matter.
POGO, which has worked on human trafficking issues, is looking forward to the general release of “The Whistleblower”. It has an all-star cast, including Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn, and Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz as Kathy Bolkovac, who also has written a book (“The Whistleblower: Sex Trafficking, Military Contractors, And One Woman’s Fight For Justice”) about her experience.
POGO also works with the DC Labor FilmFest, which features whistleblower movies among the multitude of work and worker-themed movies it showcases every year. Click here to see this year’s lineup.
-- Neil Gordon
Image by Flickr user Far0_RC1, used under Creative Commons License.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
September 20, 2010
Presidential Memorandum--Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act Delegation of Authority
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Delegation of Waiver Authority Pursuant to Section 107(a) of Public Law 110-457
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to you the functions conferred upon the President by section 107(a) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-457).
You are hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/09/20/presidential-memorandum-trafficking-victims-protection-reauthorization-a
Posted by: Neil Redux | Sep 21, 2010 at 04:10 PM