Building a Human-Centered Community: Empowering Human Trafficking Survivors and Fostering Non-Violence

The Big Bend Coalition Against Human Trafficking (BBCAHT) and The Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center (STAC) invite you to participate in BBCAHT’s Monthly 3rd Friday Community Training Program:

Building a Human-Centered Community: Empowering Human Trafficking Survivors and Fostering Non-Violence

This free webinar is one of the “Third Friday” community training events hosted by BBCAHT and STAC to inform and engage the North Florida community and beyond. We are happy to extend this invitation to friends and colleagues.

Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking webinar that explores the critical topic of creating a community where nonviolence becomes the answer to human-centered action. In this webinar, we will explore the interconnectedness between anti-trafficking services and the creation of a better community, recognizing that focusing solely on the former exposes individuals to continued violence and retraumatization in various systems and circumstances.

To understand the implications of violence within our society, we will draw upon the words of Coretta Scott King, who powerfully stated, “I must remind you that starving a child is violence. Neglecting school children is violence. Punishing a mother and her family is violence. Discrimination against a working man is violence. Ghetto housing is violence. Ignoring medical need is violence. Contempt for poverty is violence.” These words will serve as a foundation for our exploration of the ways in which systems can perpetuate violence and harm.

We will delve into the experiences of survivors who have navigated these systems despite the inherent violence within them. By centering survivors in our work, we can gain valuable insights into creating systems that do not subject individuals to repeated violence, trauma, and retraumatization. Throughout the webinar, we will emphasize the importance of collective action in dismantling violent systems and creating social safety nets that protect and support vulnerable populations. By fostering nonviolence through people, places, and policies, we can build a community that prioritizes the well-being and dignity of all its members.

Whether you are an advocate, a survivor, a community leader, or someone passionate about human rights and social justice, this webinar will provide valuable insights and practical strategies for effecting positive change in your community. Join us as we embark on this important journey toward a more compassionate, inclusive, and nonviolent society.

Presenters:

Kristin Murray is a native of Jacksonville, Florida and is the creator of Authentic Witness. Kristin graduated from Florida A&M University with a BS in Journalism and an MA in Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy from the University of Oklahoma. She has always been fascinated with the life stories of other people and believes that people sharing those stories (giving witness) is a way to spread knowledge and healing. Kristin has worked as a teacher, journalist, and has spent almost a decade in the non-profit sector. During that time she has worked on several certifications around trauma, narrative storytelling and healing centered approaches. Most recently, Kristin has completed her journey as a certified breathwork practitioner to help people soothe their somatic systems and reconnect with their inner most self.

Across all of her career paths, three things have remained consistent for Kristin-the value of human connection, the power of the human narrative and the ability for each individual to live embodied. Kristin works with individuals, non-profits and corporations to deepen connection with self and build relationships with others. In every place she steps into, Kristin believes in giving witness. She gathers people to connect over food, stories and personhood. She wants people to remember, “Be you, here. We’ll love you-even the broken bits. This is a place where your innermost self gets illuminated, nurtured and loved. It’s a place where you can give witness-authentically.”

Jamie Rosseland is a consultant in the field of anti-trafficking work with expertise in the program development and implementation for victims and survivors of sexual exploitation, trauma-competent and survivor-centered digital marketing and outreach strategies, and most recently, working on policy guides and research projects. She has been active in local government and statewide level policy advocacy. Through sharing her lived experiences and unique perspective, Jamie is committed to change the cultural view of the sex trade, addressing systems that drive demand, and confronting gender inequality.

Jamie has experience providing mentorship, court advocacy, and care coordination to youth impacted by sexual exploitation as part of the Open Doors Outreach Network with the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center. She has presented at countless community events, statewide summits, and national conferences. Currently, Jamie serves on the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice’s State Advisory Group. She is a Social Science Scholar at Florida State University, where she is working on earning her undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary social science.

In 2018, Jamie won the Survivor Advocate of the Year award presented by the Florida Attorney General for her outstanding work with exploited youth. In 2021, the United Nations published the Delta 8.7 Justice Policy Guide, which Jamie contributed to as a working group member. Additionally, Jamie recently guest appeared on the New York Times podcast, The Argument, addressing the intersection of anti-trafficking work and pro-sex work technologies.

Download the slides from the presentation

STAC needs your support to sustain these important webinars. Will you donate today? Each gift helps to bring this vital information to the many people who are empowering survivors and preventing human trafficking. The only way we can maintain these programs and this work is with YOUR help.

Suggested donation: $20