UPDATE: Now that the event has passed, you can watch it here on the blog.
In October 2000, Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. It was a watershed moment giving rise to a movement to combat human trafficking across the U.S. and around the world. The nearly two decades of activism since have yielded major legislative changes and resulted in countless lives restored.
But as we head into 2018, where does the movement to abolish sex trafficking stand? Has enough progress been made? What major obstacles remain to freeing the world from sexual exploitation?
As we head into 2018, where does the movement to abolish sex trafficking stand? Has enough progress been made? #sextrafficking #enddemand #notachoice #HumanTraffickingAwareness Click To TweetTo discuss these and other questions, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s Vice President of Research and Education, Lisa L. Thompson, will be joined by Ms. Autumn Burris,  Founder and Director of Survivors for Solutions, and Ms. Christine Raino, Senior Director of Public Policy for Shared Hope International. Â
You won’t want to miss this engaging conversation examining how far we’ve already come and the next frontiers in the fight for freedom!
Date: Friday, January 12, 2018
Time: 11:00am-12:00pm EST
Lisa L. Thompson serves as the Vice President of Research and Education for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, where she oversees NCOSE’s strategic planning for increased public understanding of sexual exploitation related issues. To this end Lisa conducts analysis, develops research initiatives, and liaises with a wide-range of public officials, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher learning, and academics to generate collaborative action to combat the full spectrum of sexual exploitation especially as pertains to the harms of pornography, stripping, prostitution, and sexual trafficking.
Autumn Burris, a dedicated and passionate leading subject matter expert with over twenty years experience combating sexual exploitation in all forms. As the Founding Director of Survivors for Solutions, an international speaker and a survivor of sexual exploitation and multiple forms of violence against women, Ms. Burris utilizes her lived experiences and expertise as an influential and invaluable force in effectuating public policy reform, delivering training and presentations, best practices consultation. She fosters positive change and social recognition to prostituted and exploited individuals.
Autumn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science/Public Policy with minor Human Rights from the University of California, San Diego. As a activist and survivor of sexual exploitation, Autumn’s public policy advocacy experience includes the United Nations, British Parliament, legislative advocacy at the federal level, testifying on California legislation and expert testimony in federal trafficking cases.
Christine Raino joined Shared Hope International in 2011 as part of a new domestic policy initiative, and helped draft the legal analysis of the 50 states and District of Columbia that laid the foundation for the annual Protected Innocence Challenge Report Cards. Currently, as Senior Director of Public Policy, Christine leads the Center for Law & Policy’s research and advocacy on state and federal laws pertaining to protections and services for juvenile sex trafficking victims. She directs legislative advocacy efforts to further the protection of child victims and provides technical assistance to legislators.
Christine is a licensed attorney and obtained her J.D. from American University. Prior to obtaining her law degree, she worked with refugees, asylees and victims of trafficking through federal and state resettlement programs at the International Institute of Boston.
