Who are the victims and perpetrators of human trafficking crimes, and what can be done to spread awareness and stop these human rights violations?
Survivors, advocacy groups, scholars and law enforcement officials will gather at Loyola Marymount University Jan. 24-26, 2017, for a multi-faceted symposium on issues surrounding sex and labor trafficking, including which populations are most at risk, how to be vigilant and report suspected abuse, and what steps human rights groups are taking to influence anti-trafficking laws and policies.
“Hidden in the Crowd: Human Trafficking Locally and Globally” will also explore the religious, theological and ethical dimensions of human trafficking in Asian countries, and what universities and religious congregations can do to assist survivors.
“In light of the fact that human trafficking has become the third-largest industry in the world, it is time we look at the issues and explore solutions,” said Judith Royer, C.S.J., director of LMU’s CSJ Center for Reconciliation and Justice.
The center is sponsoring the event with LMU’s Office of Intercultural Affairs, Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts and the Theological Studies, Political Science and International Relations programs, the College of Communication and Fine Arts, Loyola Law School and the service organization Espérer.
Speakers include survivors aided by the nonprofit Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking; officials from the state Department of Justice, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department and Orange County District Attorney’s Office; and professors from LMU, Loyola Law School and Notre Dame Law School.
Terry Coonan, a practicing human rights and immigration attorney who serves as executive director of Florida State University’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, will open the symposium with an introduction to trends and cases nationwide, along with a discussion of state and federal trafficking laws.
