University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications assistant professor of practice Sriyani Tidball began her work in human trafficking 18 years ago. This work has led to the seventh annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking to be held Oct. 1-3 at Embassy Suites in Lincoln.
“I am always so impressed with the quality of abstracts and presentations that make it into the conference each year,” Tidball said. “As this is an academic and research conference the level of work presented is always very exciting and new, and that is why our conference is so successful and different every year. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln team of professors who have been organizing this conference is all committed to making a difference as we counter human trafficking.”
The conference is hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and welcomes researchers from non-governmental organizations, academia and governmental organizations. In addition to the CoJMC, this conference is a collaboration of faculty from the College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Law, University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Public Affairs and Community Service, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the Nebraska Family Alliance, Women’s Fund of Omaha, The Forsythe Family Program on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, Journal of Human Trafficking and United Methodist Women of Lincoln.
CoJMC student organization Nebraska University Students Against Modern Slavery (NUSAMS) will also be hosting Siddarth Kara’s lecture on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Nebraska Union Auditorium.
Kevin Bales, Ph.D. is the co-founder of Free the Slaves and a contemporary slavery professor at Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation at the University of Hull. Bales has written extensively on modern slavery and is the author of eight books. His best-known work is “Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy,” which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Bales has been awarded many honors, including being named one of “100 world-changing discoveries of the last 50 years” by the Association of British Universities. He received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University for “outstanding service on behalf of human rights and social justice.”
Siddharth Kara, awarding-winning author of “Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery and “Bonded Labor: Tackling the System of Slavery in South Asia,” will also be presenting as a keynote speaker. He is Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy and Director of the Program on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and also a Visiting Scientist on Forced Labor at the Harvard School of Public Health. His previous experience as an investment banker enhances his understanding of trafficking, allowing him to analyze the financial vulnerabilities of human trafficking industries. He’s currently co-producing a film based on his first book.
