PRESS RELEASE
March 25, 2021 Chicago, USA | Bucharest, Romania
Freedom Center visit inspires advocacy campaign combatting Modern-day Slavery for Women in Romania
Dr. Aurora Martin was the featured special guest of the Virtual World Café, an International Institute for Human Security (IIHS) advocacy program, an international peacebuilding non-governmental organization (INGO) headquartered in Chicago with representatives in ten countries around the world. Dr. Martin’s discussion with participants worldwide was a unique feature for Women’s History Month. It centered on combatting human trafficking, a plight that has gripped her native European country of Romania.
Her mission began with a visit to the Freedom Center in the United States and $2K
While touring the United States as a Professional Fellow of the State Department, Dr. Martin visited the Freedom Center in Cincinnati and left on a mission to further her advocacy efforts for the voiceless. She reflected on the museum’s impact and the stark reminder of how fortunate visitors are to experience history’s storytelling. As a renowned anti-discrimination and gender expert, Dr. Martin’s comfort zone is advocacy work for those without a voice. She serves as Senior Advisor of International Relations within the Romanian Government and Parliament (on behalf of the National Agency for Equal Opportunity, Ministry of Labor and Social Justice, and National Council for Combatting Discrimination).
Upon her return to Bucharest, Dr. Martin secured a small grant won in a competition intiated by the American Councils to create a mobile bus museum and named her project The Mobile Museum of Modern-Day Slavery. Her mission was to take the out-of-reach museums to the rural villages to tell the story of human trafficking to those most vulnerable to fall prey and become as a statistic. Dr. Martin loaded a minibus with paraphernalia to liken it to the real-life experience of the captured and abused. She used striking photos, mannequins and the words of victims to convey her message. She started alone, moving from village to village, and soon found herself with the support of local educators, artists and law enforcement, all eager to support her endeavors. Her efforts were silently implementing the principles of community organizing she received training for during her fellowship in the United States.
Like countries in Europe and around the globe, Romania struggles with human trafficking as women are often targeted as potential victims of modern-day slavery at ages as young as nine years old. Due to Dr. Martin’s advocacy efforts, prevention measures are being shared with the most vulnerable in the country’s most rural areas. More information on the Mobile Museum of Modern-Day Slavery Project can be found here.
The Virtual World Cafe Series focuses on topics related to the IIHS’s six key human security priorities: food security, good governance, indigenous rights, climate protection, women, migrants, and victims of modern-day slavery. The virtual platform provides a welcoming and informal ‘drop in for lunch, dinner, or late dinner’ atmosphere, depending on the attendee’s time zone. Hosted by Curator Tiffany Hayes, each Café features insight and remarks from a high-level expert in the field of peacebuilding.
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