National Park College (NPC) will host “Mobilizing Communities Against Human Trafficking” in partnership with the Human Trafficking Task Force of Garland County and the Ouachita Area Youth Council Thursday, January 11, 2018 in the Frederick M. Dierks Center for Nursing and Health Sciences.
Human Trafficking is a global problem in both cities and small towns across the nation. Polaris notes that forced labor and human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide, according to the International Labor Organization. They estimate one in every six endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were likely child sex trafficking victims in 2016. 86 percent of which were in the care of social services or foster care at the time.
The conference will feature keynote speakers Matt Osborne and Jessica Mass from Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), an organization that exists to free child sex slaves and break the cycle of exploitation. They locate the exploited children, connect with law enforcement, rescue the children and either reunite them with their parents or take them to safe havens for rehabilitation.
Breakout sessions will be geared to law enforcement, those in the judicial system, counselors, teachers, medical personnel, first responders, students, parents, the faith-based community and general community members.
Registration will open at 8:15 a.m. and the conference will begin at 9 a.m. A Call to Action will conclude the conference at 4:15 p.m. Attendance is free and complimentary lunch will be provided. To guarantee lunch, attendees are encouraged to register online at https://cal.np.edu/event/mobilizing-communities-against-human-trafficking/.
Event sponsors include Hot Springs RC Flying Club, ID SEVEN, Freedom United Foundation, Ouachita Speaker Series, Merritt Wholesale, Coca-Cola Company, Simmons First Bank, Wal-Mart, All Things Arkansas, Courtyard Marriott, Special Touch Catering, Lake Hamilton Assembly of God, Edwards Sign Company, and Materials Testing of Arkansas.
