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American Military University to Co-host 2014 International Human Trafficking Summit

By Staff | Jun 27, 2014

American Military University (AMU), part of American Public University System (APUS), today announced that it will co-host the second annual International Summit on Combatting Human Trafficking, “Widening the Net: Together Let’s Stop Traffick.” Registration is now open for the conference, scheduled for Nov. 17-20 at the APUS Finance Center in Charles Town, W. Va. in collaboration with the International Police Training Institute (IPTI).

The event, which will offer a variety of collaborative workshops and best practice information-sharing sessions, is expected to draw nearly 200 representatives of the international law enforcement, human-trafficking prevention, victim support and business communities, among others. Leading experts and sex and labor trafficking survivors drawn from agencies working in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, and Asia will share their first-hand experiences of an illegal global trade which delivers profits of around $150 billion to its criminal overlords, according to the latest estimates from the International Labour Organization.

The summit is intended to drive the strategy to create the world’s first International Resource and Coordination Center to combat human trafficking, building on the needs identified by delegates attending the inaugural 2013 summit. The conference is also designed to develop skills and contact networks to help enhance the effectiveness of those actively engaged in combatting human trafficking.

“American Military University is pleased to bring together industry leaders who can address the problem of human trafficking on a global scale,” said Jeffrey Kuhn, associate vice president of strategic relations for public safety and national security at AMU. “Just as we work with these types of experts to ensure we offer the most up-to-date and relevant curriculum, we want to be part of the process to find lasting solutions to the key geopolitical issues facing today’s public safety professionals.”

The event is part of a larger IPTI plan that also includes facilitating development of a broad-based, multi-pronged, educational and operational approach to country and community strategies. Participating countries will share needs and identify opportunities geared towards tailored responses which are appropriate to their respective home territories.

“The 2014 Summit is the second of three events through which we plan to, collectively, build a world-leading borderless center to combat human trafficking, which countless law enforcement and border agencies, non-governmental organizations, and victim-support groups advise is desperately needed. With that resource center and coordinating strategies in place, we can accelerate bringing an end to the untold suffering endured by our world’s poorest and most vulnerable individuals,” said Kim Derry, IPTI co-chair and event founder.

The event location was selected in part due to the area’s historical roots in anti-slavery issues. It was at nearby Harpers Ferry, W.Va. in 1859 that abolitionist John Brown attempted to start a liberation movement among enslaved African- Americans. Summit attendees will have an opportunity to explore this and other aspects of the area’s history.

“Charles Town’s history is a backdrop for the slavery story in the United States and today it is home to a university that plays a leading role in training the professionals who combat human trafficking, through its specialized online programs and a resource library dedicated to the issue,” added Derry.