HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Course Tweet (200 characters or less)
Different manifestations of trafficking in human beings with a special emphasis on trafficked women and children through real life examples.

Facilitators
I (Marija Dimitrijevic) will facilitate the course. The co-facilitator is Danilo Zivanovic.

Course Description (no more than 500 words)
Human trafficking is modern-day slave trading. In fact, the slave trade today is more global and greater than the African slave trade during the 1700's and 1800's. Traffickers use violence, coercion and deception to take people away from their countries and homes. People and children are trafficked between and within countries and are used as domestics, manual laborers, factory and agriculture workers, boy soldiers, and sex slaves. Is modern-day slavery something that can be eradicated? Is this an opportunity for our generation to make history? Will we be judged by future generations if we choose to do nothing?

As Edmund Burke presented the challenge two centuries ago, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good man and women do nothing.” We will gain knowledge of the issue of trafficking, including its scope, relation to other criminal activities, victims and perpetrators. Examine the “supply side” of the transaction – the women and children who are pushed into service and the “demand side” - the men who rent them. Furthermore, the course explores the current legal responses to human trafficking in legislation, policy and practice at the international, US and national levels with focus on legal action: TVPA (federal trafficking victim protection act), T-visa, U-visa, and Commission of the status of women.

Prerequisites
This course does not require any prerequisite skills or knowledge.

Audience
This course is intended for everyone interested in learning about trafficking in human beings and labor exploitation. I know that there are many people interested in stopping the modern-day slavery and providing help for victims. This is a great place to educate ourselves about this brutal crime and start making first steps towards better tomorrow. Everyone who is interested in learning about human trafficking would make a great audience for this class.

Experience
Yes, I am already teaching this course for 3 years at New Mexico State University, Criminal Justice Department. The course is taught as an online course. I was working with victims of human trafficking in Eastern Europe and have conducted several trainings in law enforcement about this crime. I am currently working with the Human Trafficking Task Force in NM and TX.