Centenary to Host Conference About Human Trafficking with Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle

Hackettstown, N.J. – Centenary College’s Global Politics course taught by Adjunct Professor Anjana Desai will be holding a conference entitled “Combating Human Trafficking: Victimization of Men, Women, and Children” at 10 a.m. December 4, 2012, at the George H. Whitney Chapel located at 400 Jefferson Street in Hackettstown.  This event is open to the public and is part of the Senior Thesis of Centenary College student, and Hackettstown High School graduate, Elena Volkava.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in New Jersey and in other states.

Human trafficking includes men, women, and children who are forced, coerced or deceived into different forms of ‘labor or services,’ such as sex labor, domestic workers or farm workers, as defined by the Federal law. It takes place in neighborhoods, homes, schools, businesses and truck stops. New Jersey ranks 8th nationally in human trafficking hotline calls, according to the International Labor Organization.

The keynote speaker, Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle (D-Bergen), will discuss her proposed bill the “Human Trafficking Prevention, Protection and Treatment Act (A-3352).

“Victims are often children and vulnerable women who are too afraid and dependent on traffickers to break their silence and seek help,” says Assemblywoman Huttle.  “Many times they are exploited for years and coerced into prostitution, labor and drug activity. When they finally have a chance to regain their freedom, they are prosecuted for the crimes they were forced to commit while enslaved, while the real perpetrators remain untouched by the law. With this bill, we hope to change all that.”

In addition, Captain Joseph Rampolla of the Park Ridge Police Department will talk about “Emerging Technologies, Human Trafficking, and Law Enforcement Challenges.” Captain Rampolla has been a law enforcement officer for 17 years for a suburban police department in the N.Y./N.J. metropolitan area. He teaches about the positive uses of emerging technologies while raising awareness to the potential downside of innovation.

Jennifer Holdsworth, the Director of Policy and Communication for Assemblywoman Huttle, will be teaching about advocacy and the power of individuals to work in partnership to identify and combat human trafficking.

According to the International Labor Organization, it is estimated as many as 27 million people are enslaved in the world and 800,000 people are trafficked across the international borders annually. Human trafficking is a massive criminal enterprise yielding 32 billion dollars a year.

“I hope that this event will open people’s eyes to this pervasive problem,” says Desai.  “I hope members of the Centenary community and beyond come to learn about the initiatives related to issues that are designed to stop human trafficking locally.”

If you are interested in attending, please R.S.V.P. to desaia@centenarycollege.edu.

Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary College’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary College’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County).  The Centenary College School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in three locations: Hackettstown, Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey.  The School of International Programs recruits international students for study at Centenary and Centenary students for study abroad.

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