The Need for a Modern-Day Abolitionist Movement
What: Rob Morris, president of Love146, will speak on the national and international trafficking of children. The program is co-sponsored by Trinity’s Women & Gender Resource Action Center and the state Permanent Commission on the Status of Women.
When: Wednesday, February 19 at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Rittenberg Lounge, Mather Hall on the Trinity campus.
Background: Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery. About 2.5 million people are involved in forced labor as a result of trafficking and 161 countries, including the United States, are affected by the crime. Most victims are between the ages of 18 and 24, and an estimated 1.2 million are children, according to the United Nations. The estimated annual profits from trafficked labor are roughly $31.6 billion, says the U.N.’s Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking.
Love 146 considers the trafficking of children “one of the darkest stories on the planet. The physical, mental and emotional trauma leaves children broken and scarred for life.” The organization works toward the abolition of child sex trafficking and exploitation through prevention and aftercare. Love146 trains workers, finds safe homes, aids socio-economic development programs in high-risk communities and provides a voice for victims of modern-day slavery.
Connecticut is among 32 states that have enacted anti-trafficking laws. In January 2007, a Trafficking in Persons Council was established. It consists of 26 members and is chaired and convened by the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. The Council’s mission is to help develop recommendations to strengthen state and local efforts to prevent trafficking, protect and assist victims, and prosecute traffickers.
The program is open to the public. The suggested donation is $2 for students and $5 for non-students. For more information, contact Laura Lockwood at 297-2408 or Laura.Lockwood@trincoll.edu.