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Human trafficking initiative unites researchers, policymakers, advocates
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Forsythe Family Program on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs is launching the Human Trafficking and Migration Initiative.
This fall, the initiative will create spaces where students, teachers and researchers at Nebraska and the public can join the robust conversation about how to prevent and eradicate human trafficking and protect the vulnerable.
The initiative will consist of two events: the Human Trafficking and Immigration Forum, and the International Human Trafficking Research Symposium. The events will create opportunities for students, teachers and researchers at Nebraska to connect to researchers, advocates, educators, policymakers, members of law enforcement and survivors. The forum is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Nebraska Union. The symposium is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 3 in the union.
The forum will feature Carissa Phelps, founder and CEO of Runaway Girl, and a leading voice in the fight against human trafficking. She helps communities respond to human trafficking and inspires survivors to pursue their dreams. The forum will also feature a panel discussion with human trafficking survivors and advocates, and breakout roundtable discussions on combating human trafficking.
The symposium will feature Melissa Farley and Leah Jonet Albright-Byrd. Farley is a leading researcher of violence against women and the founder of Prostitution Research and Education. Albright-Byrd is a nationally recognized human rights educator and the founder of Bridget’s Dream, a survivor-led organization that serves and advocates for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.
The forum and symposium are $10 each for students and $40 each for everyone else. Register here.
The Forsythe Family Program on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs is one of the country’s leading programs for human rights teaching and research. Helmed by Courtney Hillebrecht, it is an interdisciplinary program with 25 affiliated faculty from a diverse array of fields. Faculty collaborate on research, and the program sponsors human rights programming on campus. The program also offers an undergraduate minor, which more than 100 students at Nebraska are currently pursuing.
