In you live in South Florida, this event next Thursday is for you!
In recognition of National Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Broward College, in partnership with Free the Slaves, will host a day-long conference titled “Human Trafficking: Exposing the Crisis, Devising Strategies and Solutions.”
It’s on Thursday, January 30th, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Broward College’s Bailey Hall, 3501 S.W. Davie Road, Davie.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will bring awareness to the magnitude of human trafficking in Florida, the United States and around the world, while promoting discussion on effective responses and encouraging participants to join the movement to end modern slavery.
“This conference will educate and engage community leaders, Broward College students and faculty, law enforcement professionals, and members of the community at-large by discussing issues and increasing awareness of a problem that is rampant in Florida, the United States, and around the world,” says FTS board member Gregory A. Haile, who is general counsel and vice president for public policy and government affairs for Broward College. “We are pleased to be partnering with Free the Slaves in an effort to put an end to human trafficking, and we encourage everyone to attend so they can not only learn of the problem, but learn how to identify it and solve it.”
Speakers attending the event include U.S. Representative Ted Deutch; U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (by video); Maurice Middleberg, executive director, Free the Slaves; Sara Gilmer, U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; Dawn Thompson, assistant executive director, Kristi House; Ed Potter, director, Global Workplace Rights, Coca-Cola Company; Guerda Constant, director, Fondasyon Limye Lavi, Haiti; Leonardo Sakamoto, president, Reporter Brasil; Detective Nick Masters, Strategic Investigations Division, Broward County Sheriff’s Office; and many others.
Topics of discussion will focus on state and local law enforcement issues, the scope of human trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the role of multinational businesses in the effort to remove slavery from product supply chains.
“Modern-day slavery is one of the greatest human rights challenges of our time, but it is an evil we can overcome if governments, corporations, academic institutions and members of the public all get involved. The Broward College conference will help people learn what they can do to bring human trafficking to end,” says FTS Executive Director Maurice Middleberg.
Registration is required to attend the event. For more information, visit endtraffickingsymposiumfl.eventbrite.com.
