The International Labor Organization estimates that there are about 20.9 million victims of human trafficking worldwide. Last February a palm beach post report claimed that human trafficking was on the rise, particularly in the sunshine state. The Florida Department of Children and Families counted nearly 1,900 reports of human trafficking statewide in 2016, a 54 percent increase from the previous year.
Human Trafficking includes but is not limited to sex trafficking, forced labor, and labor trafficking and is unique because the crime can be committed in plain sight; the results live on as tank tops in our closets, the food in our pantries, and in our hands and pockets as our electronic devices.
The Center for the Advancement of Human Rights at FSU works to provide immigration legal services, asylum assistance, and visa information for human trafficking victims, torture survivors, and domestic violence survivors. This weekend and for the first time ever, The Center is hosting its Evolving Promising Practices in the Anti-Trafficking Field Conference. It will take place over three days, beginning on January 31st and ending on February 2nd. Conference activities on Wednesday will be from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and consist of basic human trafficking training including recognizing the signs of human trafficking and learning how and where to combat the crime. The next two days will last from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and are called Evolving Promising Practices in the U.S. Anti-Trafficking Field days. During this time there will be panels of experts in various topics discussing human trafficking.
Throughout the conference, the hope is to distill lingering human trafficking myths, learn to recognize the signs of human trafficking, and discuss emerging practices in addressing the human rights violations related to trafficking.
The event is free and open to any interested community member, student, or service provider. Other organizations that will be represented in the attendees include Amnesty International at Florida State University, Advocates for Immigrants and Refugee Rights, and the Big Bend Coalition Against Human Trafficking. All three days of the conference will take place at the Augustus B. Turnbull Conference Center at 555 W Pensacola St, Tallahassee. Parking is available for free at the Civic Center for the February 1st and 2nd days, and available for reservation at the Turnbull Parking garage on the 31st of January.
The Conference this week is FREE, but CAHR asks that interested individuals register through this Google form.
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