Photo by: Rosie Wilmot
Claude d’Estree attended Catholic schools all his life, yet at 10 years old, d’Estree began to identify with Buddhist philosophy. Since then, Buddhism has served as a tool from which d’Estree draws from in his work.
“Buddhism lays out a foundation for which I do my work,” said d’Estree.
D’Estree, a professor in the Korbel School of International Studies and chair for the Task Force on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, is also the University’s Buddhist Chaplain. D’Estree has taught law, philosophy, religion and international studies, but is most passionately committed to making students aware of human trafficking issues.
Born in New York, d’Estree jokes that he’s not from anywhere, and has lived in many places. D’Estree attended Harvard University, The Divinity School, and was appointed the University’s first Buddhist Chaplain by the Dali Lama. D’Estree then traveled to the University of Arizona and George Mason University where he served as the Buddhist Chaplain, before moving to Washington D.C. to serve in the U.S. Attorney’s office.
It was in Washington that d’Estree stumbled upon the reality of human trafficking, while dealing with ship seizures.
“I was like anyone else,” said d’Estree. “I thought slavery ended with the Civil war.”
D’Estree asserts that he is one of six people considered senior in the matter of human trafficking, even though he has only been working on it for about 10 years. According to d’Estree, people were unaware of slavery’s existence until the fall of the Soviet Union.
There are 23 to 27 million slaves worldwide, which is more than any other time in history, according to d’Estree. The largest concentration of slaves lies in India, where bonded slavery has made 10 to 12 million people working slaves.
D’Estree said it’s not untypical for a 20-year-old woman in Moscow to be intrigued by a bride purchase agency that can get her out of a cold-water flat and into the U.S. with a marriage and green card. Instead, she is shipped to the U.S. and put in a brothel to endure rape and maltreatment.
“The worst part is that it’s hard to spot, They are a hidden population,” said D’Estree.
Traffickers are a big part of the silence, making slaves fear for their safety and the safety of their families if they try to escape. According to d’Estree, people are unwilling to pry into their neighbors’ lives, or question the relationship between the person mowing their lawn and the company they work for.
This is d’Estree’s reality, and even though he deals with the darkest areas of human behavior, he doesn’t lose sleep. D’Estree suggested he may have a natural appetite to handle crisis, but more likely he contributes his calm demeanor to his Buddhist practices.
“Practice and meditation and philosophy gives me a bed rock foundation that allows me to do work,” said d’Estree.
A colorful Buddha poster hangs in front of d’Estree’s desk as a reminder of what he should be doing and for whom. The Buddha is not to be worshipped; rather it serves as a mirror for d’Estree to truly see himself.
“It’s a reminder to check motivations,” said d’Estree. “You can do good things for the wrong reason.”
Buddhism reminds d’Estree why he wakes up every morning, besides his three kids calling for him; it’s the fact that he has another day to help others. As an academic, d’Estree informs students about human trafficking issues and motivates others into action.
“It’s the best way I know to serve humanity,” said d’Estree.
