Recent Developments in Combating and Preventing Human Trafficking: Facts, Myths, Challenges
Brownbag colloquium by Dr. Helga Konrad
Thursday, January 19, 11:45am-1:15pm, CMU #104
Sponsored by the UW Department of Communication
Overview: In recent years hundreds of anti-trafficking recommendations have been formulated, checklists crafted, standards developed, training material produced, and countless conferences, symposia, meetings have been organized. Despite of all these activities, there is no tangible evidence that we have come to grips with this complex, multifaceted, multidimensional global problem. If we wish to make meaningful headway against the traffickers and provide the lifeline needed for the victims of trafficking, we need to test the assumptions on which we have been conducting this fight so far.
Bio: Helga Konrad is the Head of the Austria Regional Initiative to Prevent and Combat all Forms of Human Trafficking. She has been working on the issue of human trafficking for more than 20 years at local, national, regional and international levels in various functions – as expert, advisor, manager, coordinator, parliamentarian and politician.
In her capacities as Special Representative, Chair of the Stability Pact Task Force for South Eastern Europe and International Consultant she has provided assistance to governments and State authorities in developing national and transnational anti-trafficking strategies and in order to help improve their capacities to act on their own and in cooperation with others. From 2004 to 2006, she served as Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of the OSCE – Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. From 2000 to 2004, she served as Regional Co-ordinator and Chair of the EU Stability Pact Task Force on Human Trafficking for South Eastern Europe.