Columbia Basin College To Host 4-Day Shine The Light On Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign -01/27/25
PASCO, WA - January 21, 2025 - Columbia Basin College (CBC) today announced the College is hosting the Shine the Light on Human Trafficking 4-day awareness campaign on campus to call attention to human trafficking, a grave and real problem impacting our region. All activities are open to the public and coincide with Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
The events include:
- Tuesday, January 28, 11 am- Noon: a human chain of 108 people stretching from SWL to the HUB to represent the number of trafficked victims in our region.
- Wednesday, January 29, 8am - 6 pm, Gjerde Center Atrium: a series of interactive educational exhibits on Human Trafficking hosted by SARC and Mirror Ministries experts.
- Thursday, January 30, 8 am -- 1:40 pm, Planetarium: Human Trafficking in Film, featuring Rebecca Bender, a nationally recognized human trafficking authority and former trafficking survivor.
Human trafficking disproportionately impacts some of the most vulnerable and underserved members of our society. 28 million people are trafficked worldwide, with an estimated 14,500 and 17,500 people trafficked in the United States each year, according to the Department of Justice. In fact, it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world today. Traffickers prey on people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, exploiting them for their own profit.
As a passionate advocate for combatting trafficking, Rebecca Bender will discuss the factors that lead to trafficking and ways we can work together to raise awareness about this widespread crime.
Rebecca was appointed to the U.S. National Advisory Council and regularly testifies as an expert witness in court. Her specialized training has equipped well over 100,000 professionals including FBI, Homeland Security, regional law enforcement, community leaders, and medical personnel. She is CEO and founder of the Rebecca Bender Initiative.
The events are a collaboration between the Associated Students of CBC Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society, SARC, and Mirror Ministries.
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Columbia Basin College (CBC) is a public community college serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities since 1955. CBC's mission is to inspire, educate, and support all students in an environment of academic excellence leading to the completion of degrees, certifications, and educational transfers, while fostering meaningful employment, engaged citizenship, and a life-long joy of learning. CBC offers both two and four-year degrees and one-year Certificates. Bachelor of Applied Science degrees are offered in Applied Management, Applied