Ensuring Justice in Argentina

The Global Center for Women and Justice (GCWJ) traveled to Argentina for eight days this past June to present on anti-trafficking best practices. Nestled between Paraguay and Brazil, the Misiones province in northern Argentina is reported as especially vulnerable to human trafficking due to the tri-border region. Ten team members prepared for weeks in advance to go abroad and educate law enforcement, health care professionals, students, social workers, and educators about the signs and vulnerabilities of human trafficking.Community TrainingLive2free coach and adjunct professor for the Human Trafficking course at Vanguard University, Ruthi Hanchett, kicked the trip off with her presentation to a group of 150+ students on the team’s first day in Argentina. Local students from Oberá were given an introductory overview of human trafficking and modern-day slavery, peer-to-peer intervention, and how to become a modern-day abolitionist. With the help of two students from our team, students in Oberá were informed on how influential they could be on their peers to bringing awareness to human trafficking through events, clubs, and building a community dedicated to protecting the youth. At the end of the talk, students lined up to sign their name, declaring themselves an abolitionist against modern-day slavery.Asegurar Justicia ConferenceModeled after the Global Center’s annual Ensure Justice Conference, our team of students and professors collaborated with local partners in Argentina to train law enforcement, health care professionals, students, and leaders from Argentina. Four expert practitioners—who also serve as adjunct professors with GCWJ training professionals in the Anti-Human Trafficking Certificate—presented on anti-trafficking best practices and solutions from their personal experiences in the field. The topic of discussion at the Asegurar Justicia Conference was the intersectionality between drugs and substance abuse and human trafficking.Topics of discussion at the Conference conducted by the GCWJ team:

1. A General Overview of Human Trafficking
   • Nicole Johnson, MA – Federal Law Enforcement Agent
   • Stephanie Taylor, MWS – Program Coordinator, Anti-Trafficking Services Program (TSA-ATS) of the Salvation Army
2. Intersections of Drug Trafficking and Human Trafficking
   • Derek Marsh, MA, MPA – Assistant Director, Global Center for Women & Justice
3. The Addicted Brain
   • Sandra Morgan, PhD, RN – Director, Global Center for Women & Justice
4. Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
   • Alicia Zayas, MSW, LCSW - CSEC Clinical Social Worker
5. Partnering with Youth to Combat Human Trafficking
   • Ruthi Hanchett, MA – Live2free coach, VU Adjunct Professor
6. Vicarious Trauma
   • Stephanie Taylor, MWS – Program Coordinator, Anti-Trafficking Services Program (TSA-ATS) of the Salvation Army
7. Labor Trafficking
   • Derek Marsh, MA, MPA – Assistant Director, Global Center for Women & Justice
8. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience
   • Sandra Morgan, PhD, RN – Director, Global Center for Women & Justice

Following the conference, our team provided training for educators and those in direct contact with youth to address Prevention. Special training was provided for teachers, counselors, and school administrators, that included topics such as complex trauma, resilience, and adverse childhood experiences.The Global Center’s study abroad trips are traditionally designed as a student focused team. As the neared, Dr. Morgan and Derek made the decision to remodel the study abroad program into a professional development opportunity for the two Vanguard students going on the trip. Instead of a student focused trip, our students were provided with a professional development opportunity with the chance to learn in depth and hands on with professionals in the field of anti-trafficking.—Idalis Moscoso