International: Symposium on US Trafficking Victims Protection Act & UN Trafficking Protocol: Call for papers

On November 2, 2010, The Protection Project will host the Fifth Annual Symposium on “The US Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the UN Trafficking Protocol: Ten years Later” at The Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, in Washington, D.C., USA. The Protection Project is now calling for scholarly papers describing and analyzing the lessons learned in the legal, political, cultural, social, or economic fields since the enactment of the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children in the year 2000. Scholars and professionals are encouraged to apply. The authors of the selected papers will be invited to present the findings of their study at The Protection Project Fifth Annual Symposium. Following the Symposium, selected papers will be published in The Protection Project Journal of Human Rights and Civil Society, 4th ed.  

Terms and Conditions: Since the enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in the United States and the UN Trafficking Protocol in 2000, governments, international organizations, NGOs, the private sector, the media, and citizens from around the world have seen a gradual but constant development of an multidisciplinary strategy to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and internationally. Among the recent developments are the introduction of a fourth P - that of Partnership – that complements the three P (Prevention, Protection and Prosecution) anti-trafficking approach, the need to address demand for sex and labor trafficking, especially in the destination countries, the strengthening of the reporting mechanisms, the importance of education in the prevention efforts, and the gender-based aspect of any comprehensive anti trafficking effort. However, the anti-trafficking movement has also seen a long series of set backs due to political opposition, and cultural and religious traditions. With these premises in mind, The Protection Project at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies is now seeking scholarly papers that investigate the prelude to the enactment of either the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the UN Trafficking Protocol and the subsequent developments in the legal, political, economic, social, and cultural arenas that shape today’s theory and practice of the global fight against trafficking in persons.

Possible themes to explore may include, but are not limited to:

· Legal, cultural, political developments in the responses against trafficking, both globally and/or domestically;

· Best practices from around the world on new strategies to combat trafficking;

· New international and national legal frameworks to protect victims of trafficking; 

· Access to justice for victims of trafficking;

· Reporting mechanism on trafficking in persons; 

· The role of NGOs in protecting victims of trafficking;

· The role of religion in combating trafficking in persons;

· The role of the private sector and corporate social responsibility;

· International mechanisms and enforcement;

· The gender-based approach to fighting trafficking in persons;

· Trafficking as a human rights violation. 

The abstracts should not exceed the 3 pages, including a brief bibliography.

Deadlines and expenses: Abstracts must be received by August 20, 2010. Successful candidates will be notified by August 27, 2010. Submissions for full papers will be accepted until September 17, 2010. Panelists will be invited to speak at the Annual Symposium by October 1, 2010. Travel and lodging expenses will be fully covered by The Protection Project.

The Protection Project: The Protection Project is a human rights research institute based at the Foreign Policy Institute at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.  The Protection Project focuses on the promotion of human rights values throughout the world.  Of particular importance to The Protection Project is the protection of human security, especially women’s and children’s rights; fostering of civil society and NGO development through capacity building and coalition building; enhancement of the rule of law by encouraging citizen participation in the political process; advancement of human rights education; and elimination of trafficking in persons.

Contact information: For more information, please contact Elaine Panter, Director of Programs and Planning, at epanter2@jhu.edu or by phone at +1 202 663 5894