Speeches, songs and dance informed students and Upper Valley residents about human trafficking in New England at a symposium on Thursday. The event was part of Dartmouth's inaugural Human Trafficking Awareness Week, organized by the Modern Abolition Initiative, which culminates Friday with a discussion led by survivor Lisa Williams.
"We really want to raise awareness to the same level as hazing or sexual assault because it really is a local, as well as international, issue," Modern Abolition Initiative president Liz King '13 said.
Richard Lopez, a Tucker Berthold Faith and Service Fellow and a PhD candidate in psychology, led Thursday's showcase and panel. Lopez said he was inspired to learn more about human trafficking as an undergraduate at Princeton University after watching the film "Call and Response."
"There's no right or wrong way to respond to learning about human trafficking, so long as you do something," Lopez said. "Coordinating this event is my response. I want to break down the sense of complacency and create a sense of urgency."
The event featured specialists who have dealt with cases in the Upper Valley, including Erin Albright, the anti-trafficking coordinator at the International Institute of New England, Kate Semple Barta, coordinator of the Welcoming All Nationalities Network of the Upper Valley, Grafton County attorney Lara Saffo and former assistant U.S. attorney in the District of New Hampshire Mark Zuckerman.
The panelists emphasized that modern slavery is both a domestic and international problem, and shared statistics about human trafficking in the Upper Valley and political leaders' positions.
Before speaking on the panel, Albright searched Backpage, a classified advertising website known for including prostitution listings, and found 54 New Hampshire advertisements for sexual and labor services that included photos of people who appeared to be minors.
The stigma associated with human trafficking often prevents victims from seeking help.
"They are known as the prostitutes, the illegal immigrants, the problem children who run away," Albright said. "We need to create a space for them to come forward and realize they are victims."
During the showcase portion of Thursday's event, the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble, Rockapellas, X.ado and student poets centered their performances around themes of human trafficking and violence.
Members of the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble choreographed an original dance for the showcase after extensive research.
"We didn't really know a lot about sex trafficking in the Upper Valley, so we wanted to approach the issue from a very neutral standpoint and not put a judgment on it or have it end happily," Genevieve Mifflin '14 said.
The group enjoys performing when their choreography can spark discussion of a social message, Suzanne Kelson '12 said.
Jonathan Sigworth '12, Racquel Bernard '13, Grace Johnson '11 and Susan Edwardson '12 performed poems about trafficking victims.
The Tucker Foundation, Dartmouth's Year of the Arts, the Agape Christian Fellowship and various Greek organizations sponsored Thursday's event.
The Modern Abolition Initiative held a discussion Tuesday about child trafficking with Jesse Eaves, a senior policy advisor for Christian non-profit World Vision, and presented a documentary Wednesday about international sex trafficking called "Sex and Money."
