Panel on human trafficking to be held in Chicago (08/22/04)

Panel on human trafficking to be held in Chicago

CHICAGO - "For Sale or Rent? The Captive Daughters of Ukraine: A Public Colloquium on Human Trafficking" will feature three panelists discussing human trafficking in Ukraine. The event is scheduled for Friday, September 10, at 7 p.m. at Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. The Kyiv Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities International is presenting a panel discussion followed by a reception and a book signing.

The panel will feature three experts in the field: Victor Malarek, author of "The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade"; Melanne Verveer, chair, Vital Voices Global Partnership and former chief of staff to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Amy Heyden, Winrock International and former director of the Trafficking Prevention Program in Ukraine.

It will be moderated by Dr. David E. Guinn, executive director and adjunct professor of law, International Human Rights Law Institute, DePaul University School of Law. Dr. Guinn is the author and editor of nine books, including "In Modern Bondage: Sex Trafficking in the Americas."

"The sheer magnitude of human trafficking in today's world may be this century's most painful failure to protect its most vulnerable citizens," said Marta Farion, Kyiv Committee Chair, Chicago Sister Cities International Program. "In organizing this program, the Kyiv Committee hopes to further dialogue and awareness that will lead the global community to identify and implement an effective policy response to human trafficking."

The statistics of sexual enslavement of young Ukrainian women and girls trafficked to other countries is alarming. Thousands of women leave their villages and cities seeking job opportunities as servants, housekeepers or child care workers, but are tricked into sexual enslavement instead. The basis of Ukrainian women's involvement in prostitution is involuntary and is controlled by the criminal international sex trade through intimidation, brutality and exploitation.

The United Nations has declared international trafficking of women for the purpose of sexual exploitation as the biggest violation of human rights in today's world. It has been called "the paramount moral challenge we will face in this century: to address the brutality that is the lot of so many women in the developing world."

Women are trafficked to the United States, Western Europe, the Middle East and Russia from all corners of the globe: from Asia, Africa, Latin America and now from Ukraine. Ukraine is Europe's third top supplier of the "live commodity" to world markets. According to the Ukrainian Parliament's Committee to Fight Organized Crime and Corruption, the past few years have seen some 7 million Ukrainian nationals traveling abroad to earn money - about 2 million of them women under age 30.

The fate of Ukrainian women and girls ensnared in the trafficking trade can be improved significantly through legal, social and community policies and practices. Being informed about agencies working in the field, legal remedies, international initiatives that raise barriers to the practice, and the challenges that still remain is vital to bringing an end to human trafficking, say organizers of the Chicago event.

This colloquium is presented in collaboration with the Chicago Group of Professionals and Businesspersons; Ukrainian National Women's League of America, Women's Association for the Defense of Four Freedoms of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Gold Cross.

Chicago and Kyiv have been sister cities since 1991. Under the auspices of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Chicago Sister Cities International Program is dedicated to promoting economic, educational and cultural exchanges between Chicago and its 24 sister cities. For more information about the Chicago Sister Cities International Program, readers may call (312) 744-8074 or visit www.chicagosistercities.org.

The Chicago Business and Professional Group is an organization of Ukrainian Americans and their friends that encourages personal and professional understanding and growth through informational presentations, educational seminars, news alerts and social events. Members broaden their understanding of contemporary issues in the Ukrainian American community, enhance their knowledge of leading-edge topics and enrich their network of community contacts.

Admission to the September 10 events is free, but reservations are required, as seating is limited. RSVPs should be directed to [email protected] or call (312)-742-5320.

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