Survivor-centered approaches to human trafficking are essential to anti-trafficking efforts, but what do these approaches look like in practice? This research team conducted interviews with members of 27 organizations employing survivor-centered approaches, including survivor leadership. They sought to better understand how these organizations were communicating their mission, programming, and impact both internally among members of the organization and externally to the public. Before launching their full academic research project, they developed a preliminary white paper summarizing the key themes that emerged from our interviews. To foster dialogue and transparency among the community interviewed, the short document was shared with all 27 interview participants. This presentation will share key insights from the white paper, including how organizations communicate their survivor-centered mission, programming, and impact both internally and externally. They will share organizational communication strategies, best practices, and lessons learned. In addition to the white paper, they will also discuss the broader research project, including initial website analysis of organizational communication before the white paper as well as their in-progress analysis of interview data applying the communication theory of resilience after the white paper. They will discuss gaps in the current research as well as areas for future exploration. This session is ideal for practitioners, researchers, and community advocates looking to deepen their understanding of survivor-centered approaches in anti-trafficking work, especially organizational communication. Attendees will leave with practical insights which can be applied in organizational communication and individual activist communication.
Dr. Alex Rister is Assistant Professor of Communication and Program Chair of BS Communication at ERAU. Her research, service, and community volunteer work center on communication for social change. As a prior University of Central Florida Francis Bok Human Trafficking Awareness Fellow, much of her work focuses on human trafficking awareness.
Dr. Iuliia Hoban is Assistant Professor and Program Chair for MS in Human Security & Resilience at ERAU. Her research focuses on human security and critical security studies and human rights. She applied research skills in NGOs and think tanks, including Denver, Colorado’s Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking.
Maya Adkins is an ERAU student pursuing a BS in Homeland Security with minors in Global Conflict Studies, Psychology, and Geographic Information Systems. Maya has an international studies background, participating in exchange programs and traveling to over 24 countries. Maya is committed to addressing global security challenges, including human trafficking.