Advocates, Lawyers, Survivor Explore Labor Trafficking During Human Trafficking Symposium

Provided by RSO (Courtesy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

The American Constitution Society invites students to attend "The Future of Human Trafficking: Contemporary Approaches to Combating Labor Trafficking" starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, in the E.J. Ball Courtroom at the University of Arkansas School of Law. No tickets are required. Lunch will be available to students who present a valid university ID.

Human trafficking has gained widespread notoriety in recent years. However, much of the attention and many resources are focused on sex trafficking, leaving the problem of labor trafficking largely hidden. Labor trafficking continues largely unabated, unnoticed and misunderstood. The symposium will introduce attendees to the nature and scale of human trafficking in the United States. Experts, including advocates, lawyers, and survivors, will explore labor trafficking, its impact and strategies to address it.

Schedule

• 10-10:50 a.m. – Human trafficking and legal strategies to end it, Martina Vandenberg
• 11-11:50 a.m. – A survivor's perspective on combatting labor trafficking, Fainess Lipenga
• Noon to 12:50 p.m. – Lunch, provided to students with valid University ID
• 1-1:50 p.m. – Understanding human trafficking in agriculture, Kristi Graunke
• 2-2:50 p.m. – Removing human trafficking from the supply chain, panel discussion

Presenters

• Martina Vandenberg is a human trafficking expert and attorney who has represented numerous trafficking survivors. She founded The Human Trafficking Legal Center in Washington, D.C.
• Fainess Lipenga is a survivor of forced labor. Her mission is to prevent other survivors from being re-victimized and to give them hope and the courage to heal, become leaders and achieve their dreams. She has testified before Congress as part of her advocacy.
• Kristi Graunke is a longtime farmworker advocate and senior supervising attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Third-year law student Ricky Nolen organized the event on behalf of the American Constitution Society. He became interested in the important role awareness-raising has in confronting human trafficking after enrolling in a course on the subject.

"My primary goal is to improve awareness of labor trafficking locally," said Nolen. "I hope sharing this knowledge will encourage reporting by private individuals and action by local law enforcement and prosecutors."

"I have been very impressed by Ricky's initiative in conceiving and planning the symposium," said Annie Smith, associate professor of law and director of the University of Arkansas School of Law Human Trafficking Clinic. "This is an exciting opportunity to learn from national experts about this extreme form of labor exploitation."

"The Future of Human Trafficking" is supported by the Student Activities Fee as a funded event by the Associated Student Government and is free to all currently enrolled University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, students who pay the student activities fee. For questions about the event or for accommodations due to disability please contact Ricky Nolen at rlnolen@email.uark.edu or call 479-575-3056.