A capacity crowd heard of the horrors of human trafficking and its global and local impact. Included in the presentation was a video entitled “Human Trafficking: The Unspoken Truth,” created by Felician College students who participate in the United Nations Fellows Program (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWFxBxWHKTo).

Felician College President Dr. Anne Prisco said, “Our institutional motto, In Veritas Felicitas — in truth is happiness — is difficult to accept after today’s session on human trafficking. While the facts are indeed disturbing, the efforts of those who are embracing the need to do something about this are examples of the power of individual and collective action.”

Guest speaker Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, a proponent of anti-trafficking legislation in the New Jersey, applauded the College’s initiative in tackling such a strong issue. “This is not just happening in some remote corner of the world. This is modern day slavery that is happening right here in our backyards,” she said.

The human trafficking is of particular interest as the New York/New Jersey area prepares to host the Super Bowl in February. Statistics show that an estimated 10,000 children and adults were trafficked into the Miami area before and during the Super Bowl Game in 2010. Authorities estimate that the number of victims can be as high as 25,000 over the next few weeks in the New York City metropolitan region.

Dr. Mary E. Norton

Vice-Chair, NGO/DPI Executive Committee

Associate Dean and Professor

Global Academic Initiatives

Felician College

The Franciscan College of New Jersey