Annual sex trafficking conference brings heavy hitters to McAllen April 6 through 9
They have appeared on “Oprah,” written numerous books and helped set national and global policies to combat global sex and human trafficking issues. And this year, they are coming to the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas to shed light on a growing problem impacting the local border community.
The Women’s Studies Committee at South Texas College in McAllen, Texas will host its fourth annual Sex Trafficking Conference and Human Rights Art Exhibit, allowing these heavy-hitting thought leaders to share their vision for a future where all are free from modern-day slavery.
“We have secured speakers from around the globe who work every day to end sex and human trafficking, which impacts every nation on earth,” said Jenny Clark, women’s studies chair at STC and a conference organizer. “Our region has become a focal point in the fight, with the exploitation of women and children rampant in the drug and sex trades, as well as victims being forced into terrible labor situations.
“We are also witnessing increases in horrifying cases of ‘coyotes’ dumping unknowing immigrants to fend and, in some cases, die in our Valley,” added Clark. “We hope that bringing in big speakers will open more minds up to the reality of what is going on in our region and recruit more hands in the fight against modern-day slavery. We as citizens of South Texas can no longer remain blind to this issue.”
The conference takes place April 6 through 9 at STC’s Pecan Campus Cooper Center for Communication Arts, located at 3201 West Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Attendees will hear from two keynote speakers, including Siddharth Kara, one of the world's foremost experts on human trafficking and modern-day slavery, and Somaly Mam, whose personal experiences have brought enormous international recognition to the issue and served as a source of inspiration for fellow victims.
Kara is the first Fellow on Human Trafficking with the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a founding member of Harvard’s Advisory Collective on Human Rights. His book, “Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery,” is the first of three books providing his groundbreaking new approach to the subject of contemporary slavery.
Kara first encountered the horrors of slavery in a Bosnian refugee camp in 1995. Subsequently, he traveled to 18 countries across five continents to further investigate these crimes. During his journeys, he witnessed firsthand the sale of human beings into slavery, interviewed more than 400 slaves, and confronted some of those who trafficked and exploited them. Kara speaks and consults extensively on contemporary slavery and human rights around the world. He advises several governments on antislavery policy and law, as well as several private and non-governmental organizations, including the Clinton Global Initiative and the American Himalaya Foundation.
Mam was born in a tribal ethnic minority family in Cambodia, and struggled through poverty and limited opportunities during her childhood. Mam was sold into a life of sexual slavery many times by a man who posed as her grandfather. Eventually she escaped the cycle and made it her mission to help young children and women who have become victims of sex slavery and human trafficking. For her courage and passion, she has been featured on “Oprah,” honored as a “CNN Hero” and been a guest for various TV specials on CBC, CBS, NBC and MSNBC.
A variety of featured speakers will share observations and action plans on a wide range of issues related to human trafficking. Denise Donnelly and Kaye Woodard-Hotz from the Texas Attorney General's Office will speak about the State Wide Anti Human Trafficking Task Force and upcoming workshop on establishing a Valley Human Trafficking Taskforce.
Some of the other featured speakers include Laura J. Lederer, president of Global Centurion, which is dedicated to fighting child sex trafficking; Melissa Snow, director of programs for Shared Hope International, a non-profit organization providing rescue and restoration to sex trafficking victims; and Marisa Ugarte, executive director of the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition.
One-day passes to the conference are $60 and $150 for three-day passes. The conference is free to STC students and faculty. For an added fee, social workers, legal professionals and law enforcement professionals can earn Continuing Education Unit’s for attending the conference.
A complete list of speakers, the conference agenda, information on CEU’s, as well as registration information, can be found at http://www.southtexascollege.edu/humantrafficking/. Clark can be contacted at 956-872-3510 or jclark@southtexascollege.edu.
