Great Decisions Lecture Series: Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
Event Date:
February 26, 2020 – 6:30 PM to February 27, 2020 – 7:59 PM
Location:
International House- 1817 Central Ave #215, Charlotte, NC 28205
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
Dr. John Cox, Associate Professor of Global Studies and History,
Director of Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies, UNC Charlotte
The Office of International Programs at UNC Charlotte, in collaboration with Charlotte Country Day School, International House of Charlotte, and the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, annually coordinate the Great Decisions Lecture Series. The lecture series is an opportunity for citizens to meet, discuss and learn about some of the issues facing our world. Each week a local expert from nearby colleges and universities provide additional perspective on the topic of interest and answers questions regarding the information presented in the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions Briefing Book and through the lecture.
Dr. John Cox, Associate Professor of Global Studies and History and Director of Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies at UNC Charlotte will present his research and discuss Ronald Weitzer’s article “Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking” describing how “almost every nation has enacted laws criminalizing human trafficking, and international organizations, governments, and NGOs sponsor a large variety of projects to curb trafficking and slavery. Billions of dollars have been allocated to these efforts. What is the international community doing to combat slavery and trafficking? What are the experiences like for those being trafficked?”
The term “slavery” evokes images of the long-abolished trade in African slaves. Yet slavery is thriving in new as well as old forms in the twenty-first century. Experts and human-rights advocates estimate that between twenty-five and forty million people in the world today who can be classified as slaves—a greater number than at any time in history. In today’s world slavery takes such forms of forced labor, debt peonage, and human trafficking—often for sexual exploitation, the form of slavery endured by several million girls and women and for which Charlotte is a major center. We will discuss the causes of this terrible blight and highlight efforts to expose and combat it.
For more information on the series, including online registration, parking, and venue information, please visit the Great Decisions webpage and or contact the Office of Global Education and Engagement at globaleducation@uncc.edu or 704-687-7755.