Full membership to the National Survivor Network (NSN) is open to any US-based survivor of human trafficking, regardless of race, ethnicity, indigenous identity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (transgender and cisgender women, non-binary and genderqueer people, and transgender and cisgender men), religion, age, disability/injury, veteran status, political ideology, substance use history, sexually transmitted infections, genetic information, pregnancy/abortion, marital status, socioeconomic status, education, language, physical appearance, work in informal economies, conviction history, incarceration, or any demographic legally protected from discrimination.

Membership is open to any individual who:

1. Has experienced force, fraud, or coercion in any form of labor, to include the sex trades or other criminalized economies;
2. Was commercially sexually exploited as a child;
3. Engaged in commercial sex while a minor.*

*Why do we say both “was commercially sexually exploited as a child” and “engaged in commercial sex while a minor”? Both of these fit the definition of the TVPA but reflect the diversity of ways our members describe their experiences. Some, especially those who were sex trafficked as small children, do not identify as being a “youth in the sex trades” due to the unique circumstances of their experiences. And others prefer to describe their experiences as being a “youth in the sex trades” due to the extenuating circumstances that necessitated their sex trading (such as homelessness, fleeing family abuse, etc.). We honor the self-descriptions of our members, and recognize that this definition or explanation does not capture the full diversity of experiences of trafficking.

Types of Membership:

Provisional Member:

Any members (in the US or otherwise) who have been accepted but not yet completed orientation or submitted signed membership documents.

Junior Member:

US-based members who have completed orientation and submitted signed membership documents.

Full Member:

Junior Members are eligible for full membership once they have maintained a full year of junior membership with either no grievances or demonstrated effort in resolution of grievances.

Associate Member:

Non-US Based Members who have completed onboarding and submitted signed membership documents. This category of membership is not intended to exclude anyone from participation, but rather to make our educational and peer mentoring opportunities available to survivors outside the US who align with our values. Note: We are not designed to be a global network; currently our membership activities are US-focused.

Membership Application Process

Please note: Membership applications are currently open. If you applied in a previous round and did not hear back, please check your spam folder first. If you do not have an email inviting you to schedule an interview there, email the Survivor Leadership Program Manager to inquire.

Q: Why isn’t the membership process faster?

A: Because we are building an intentional community with values that aren’t always reflected in the dominant society or other anti-trafficking spaces, we want to take time to make sure people understand who we are and what kind of container we can provide.

• Applicants must complete the NSN Membership Application. In general, full membership is limited to survivors living in the United States, although members in other countries can apply for Associate Membership if they align with our goals and community agreements.
• NSN staff will reach out via email within four to six weeks (timeline may be a little slower when we are processing a high volume of applications) to schedule a phone or Zoom conversation with the prospective member. During the interview, the following topics will be discussed: the NSN mission, activities, current goals, and policies, as well as expectations, interests, concerns, and goals of the prospective member.
• NSN staff will review the potential member’s application with the NSN leadership at the next monthly working group meeting.
• If the applicant is approved for membership, the new member will then have access to member benefits and activities.

Membership Activities

Can access without membership:

• Stakeholder newsletter “Network News”
• Public webinars
• Apply for microgrants and scholarships when we have them (US-based survivors only)

Members can access before or without attending the 1-hour orientation:

• Member Newsletter “The Hub” (Provisional, Junior, Full, and Associate Members)
• Mentoring and TA (Provisional, Junior, Full, and Associate Members)
• Members-only webinars (Provisional, Junior, Full, and Associate Members)

Members can access after attending a 2-hour orientation and submitting signed membership documents via Docusign:

• Slack private discussion group (Junior, Full, and Associate Members)
• Monthly meetings (Junior and Full Members Only)
• Members-only interactive trainings and professional development (Junior, Full, and Associate Members)
• Passing along job or contract opportunities – some external and some with the NSN (Typically Only Full Members)
• Working groups, voting, and NSN leadership roles (Full Members Only)

Group Agreements for Meetings

As part of our commitment to hosting a safer, braver, emergent space, we have group agreements that guide our meeting times together. The list below is current as of November 20, 2022, and will be updated at our website quarterly as needed.

1. USE THE PARKING LOT FOR FUTURE MEETING TOPICS: Be respectful of our limited time together and the agenda; you can always suggest things for future agendas.
2. NOT A TRAUMA-PROCESSING SPACE: Limit trauma details and know your “why” for story-sharing.
3. CONFIDENTIALITY: take the lessons, leave the stories
4. ENSURE SPACE FOR ALL VOICES: Make space, take space; Be conscious of privilege and power, including movement power; Who is often heard in our movement?
5. MUTUAL EMPOWERMENT: When one of us shines we all shine brighter. Lift each other up. There is no scarcity of opportunity for us to fill the movement.
6. NOBODY OWNS KNOWLEDGE: Different kinds of expertise have value; Formal education isn’t the only or the most valuable education; Have personal and professional humility.
7. COMPASSION AND KINDNESS: Hold each other with gentleness and compassion while we norms-set; Speak your truth, and hold different truths from your own with grace; Bravery and safety in balance with each other.
8. RECOGNIZE AND COMMIT TO LEARNING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT ACCESS NEEDS AND DISABILITIES OF OTHER MEMBERS: We each have important, valid, and unique differences in our access needs, communication styles, capacities, and approaches to our work.
9. ROOM FOR GENERATIVE CONFLICT AND REPAIR: Create a space for repair and generative conflict without fear of retaliation.
10. MANAGE YOUR OWN BOUNDARIES AND NEEDS: Prioritize self-care and give yourself permission to participate, check out, or opt out as needed. We are all healing our trauma, and it’s okay to say when things are overwhelming.
11. RESPECT OTHER PEOPLES’ BOUNDARIES: Acknowledge that we all have different expectations and boundaries around time, social space, communication, and availability.

Expectations for How We Show Up (formerly “Code of Conduct”)

Members are encouraged to access our library of Wellness Resources and Crisis Resources to ensure they are well-supported to be in this space without causing harm to themselves or others.