Panel to discuss human trafficking in Minnesota

Three young women from the Philippines were rescued from the sex industry where many end up after they are trafficked. They are now living in a shelter where they are provided an education and counseling so they can regain their childhoods.

Human trafficking occurs in every Minnesota county, and the Twin Cities are one of the 15 largest trafficking centers in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

On Nov. 13, a panel of experts from throughout the state will gather at Saint Mary’s University’s Winona campus to discuss “Sold: Human Trafficking in Minnesota and Beyond” including:

•    global aspects of trafficking;

•    human rights, especially women’s and children’s issues;

•    impact on rural and urban Minnesota;

•    how to talk about the issue; and

•    initiatives underway to combat trafficking.

Panelists will include Dennis Cusick, Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute; Sister Marlys Jax, Sisters of Saint Francis at Assisi Heights; Michele Garnett McKenzie, Advocates for Human Rights; and Grant Snyder, Minneapolis Police Department. The moderator will be Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the Under-Told Stories Project at Saint Mary’s University and a correspondent for PBS NewsHour.

The event will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Figliulo Recital Hall. The public is invited, and refreshments will be provided. Register online at www.smumn.edu/SOLD.

The same event will be held on SMU’s Twin Cities campus Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Saint Mary’s University Center, 2540 Park Ave., Minneapolis.

This event is made possible by the Under-Told Stories Project as seen on the PBS NewsHour, and is sponsored by the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.