DAPHNE PHUNG
DOB: January 1975
Birthplace: Vietnam
Ethnicity: Chinese
Occupation: Activist
Residence: San Diego, California
Dina’s Thoughts
In an era when child and human trafficking are at an all time high, few citizens of the world have the courage and dedication to tackle these horrifying issues. Child trafficking activist Daphne Phung is part of an elite group of leaders around the globe working hard towards eradicating this ugly aspect of humanity. Several years ago she decided to rise above what most people do- feel terrible about a situation they think they can do nothing about.
Daphne founded California Against Slavery- an NGO that focuses on educating the citizens of California about human trafficking with an emphasis on protecting children, and is active in changing laws surrounding the issue. With her team, Daphne has succeeded in giving a voice to survivors of trafficking, even playing a crucial role in placing children in loving and appropriate foster care homes. With a systematic method of fighting against the perpetrators of human trafficking, Daphne and her team are slowly but surely making a dramatic impact on destroying the underground network fueling the loss of innocent lives.
Bio
Daphne Phung is the Founder and Executive Director of California Against Slavery, President of CAS Research and Education and a co-proponent of Proposition 35 to stop human trafficking.
Daphne’s work to end human trafficking began in the Fall of 2009 when she started California Against Slavery with the vision that stopping this human rights abuse is the duty of every person.
Daphne loves children and is angered by injustice. To her, nothing robs a child’s innocence and future as violently as the crime of human trafficking. After watching a documentary, Daphne was devastated to learn that trafficked victims suffer further injustice through our legal system. She believes that our laws must reflect the atrocity of human trafficking and that it’s time for the American public to recognize that slavery still exists in our great nation. God uses people to change the world. And the idea of an initiative came about to organize citizens like herself to action.
Daphne became the co-proponent of the CASE Act or Proposition 35, a historic California ballot initiative to stop human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Passed in November 2012 with over 81.3% approval, Prop 35 is the most successful ballot initiative since Californians began the process in the 1914 election. Prop 35 is also the first initiative to pass with over 80% of the vote. With more than 10 million votes, it also represents the most votes casted for an initiative in California history.
Prop 35 has already been used by law enforcement throughout California to apprehend traffickers and rescue victims.
To pay her bills, Daphne works in finance & accounting. She took a break from her finance career to volunteer full time during the Prop 35 campaign. She has a BA from Reed College and an MBA from Mills College.
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