Survivors of Human Trafficking Among Speakers Exploring the Issue at Symposium, Sept. 24 & 25

On September 25 and 25 survivors of human trafficking and experts on the matter will be among the speakers at a symposium titled, “Human Trafficking: A Conundrum in the 21^st Century.”

The two-day symposium, which is free and open to the public, will be held on NSU’s main campus. Presentations on Sept. 24, from 7 – 9 p.m. will be held in the Faculty Study of the Shepard Broad Law Center. Presentations on Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. will be held in the Alvin Sherman Library.

In addition to the presentations, there will be a human trafficking traveling museum at the Shepard Broad Law Center. Visitors are invited to explore the multimedia exhibits and presentations through the eyes of victims.

An estimated 14,500 to 17,500 women and children are brought into the United States each year by human traffickers and forced into prostitution. The majority of human trafficking victims that enter the U.S. originate from Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Florida is one of the top four destination states for human trafficking.

The schedule for the symposium is as follows:

Friday, Sept. 24 (7 to 9 p.m.): Local Perspective

• The Landscape of Human Trafficking: George Andreopoulus, professor of political science at the City University of New York and the author of several books on human rights
• Worker Rights, Organizing, and Anti-Trafficking Advocacy: Jennifer Hill, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center
• Human Trafficking in the U.S.:  Is it in your Neighborhood?: Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D, chair of the Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, associate professor of conflict resolution and community studies, and the director of Community Resolution Services at NSU’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Human Trafficking in Florida:  A Local Problem: Regina Bernadin, statewide human trafficking coordinator for the Department of Children and Families
• Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Trudy Novicki, executive director of the Kristi House, Inc.
• The Essential Role of Social Work in Addressing Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking: Nan Palmer, Ph.D, professor at Washburn University and social worker with 40 years experience

Saturday, Sept. 25 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.): Global Perspective

• Modern-day Slavery & States’ Positive Obligations: The Case of Rantsev v. Cyprus and the Russian Federation before the European Court of Human Rights: Professor Roza Pati, executive director of the LL.M./ J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights at the St. Thomas University School of Law
• African Perspective on Human Trafficking: Florence Shu–Acquaye, professor of law at NSU’s Shepard Broad Law Center
• Child Soldiering in West Liberia: Saturday Zeegaye Lowe, former child soldier from Liberia
• A Day in the Life of a Restavek: C.F. Mariano Soriano, a native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti
• Immigration Relief for the Victims of Human Trafficking: Sara Elizabeth Dill, immigration and criminal defense lawyer
• My Human Trafficking Story: Katariina Rosenblatt Juliao, LLM, member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking for the State of Fla. Taskforce and a victim of human trafficking when she was solicited for sale at the age of 13

The symposium is being presented by the Inter-American Center for Human Rights at NSU’s Shepard Broad Law Center. More information on the symposium is available by calling 305-647-9607, emailing barbaa@nsu.law.nova.edu, or visiting http://www.nsulaw.nova.edu/orgs/iachr/index.cfm.