With the tenth class of Periclean Scholars soon to be inducted, Crista Arangala, Periclean class adviser, and Tom Arcaro, program director, decided to make a bigger celebration of the class’s induction that could also benefit the entire Elon community.

A full week has been created to discuss the issue of human trafficking. The induction speaker, Kevin Bales, former president and co-founder of Free the Slaves, has a special relationship with the Periclean Scholars because he was the speaker at the first class’s induction in 2003.

[box]Week of Reflection on Human Trafficking

Tuesday, April 10 Special College Coffee Periclean Scholars Induction, 5:30 -7:70, Oaks Commons

Wednesday, April 11 GST 110 PODS, 9:25-10:35 and 12:15-1:25 Symposium on Human Trafficking, 5:30-7:30, KOBC Digital Theater

Thursday, April 12 Movie night, unveiling of winning videos from contest, 7:00-9:00, Irazu.

Friday, April 3. Benefit Concert featuring Twisted Measure and Vital Signs, 7:00-8:00 ,Oaks Commons. [/box]

The week will begin Tuesday, April 10 at a special College Coffee that will focus on human trafficking. The induction of the 15 students in the 2012 class will also be inducted on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Oaks Commons.

On Wednesday, April 11, there will be a symposium on human trafficking held in the KOBC Digital Theater, where a panel will speak on the issue. The panel will include Bales; Helen Grant, professor and clinical director of Elon School of Law; Tony Williams, director of World Relief’s Affiliate Office in North Carolina and Richard Smith, PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Arcaro said having a panel session just made sense.

“One of the goals of the Periclean Scholars program is to connect with the local community and to connect meaningfully to other partners across the country and around the world,” Arcaro said.

Arangala said having speakers from different areas will also allow the panel to show the different takes on human trafficking. Grant is very connected to the law side of trafficking, while other speakers such as Smith work exclusively with one group from the Philippines.

“The group (Smith) works with, the government sees as slaves and the locals see as slaves, but the people themselves don’t see themselves as slaves,” she said. “So, do you prosecute the people holding them if they don’t see themselves as slaves?”

Arcaro wanted to stress there is a lot for people to learn from this week of reflection. Even he admits he has been surprised by some of the information he has learned through preparing for this week.

“One of the things I learned personally by being exposed to this topic more intensely is that human trafficking is second only to drug trafficking in profit made around the world,” Arcaro said. “Everyone knows how big drug trafficking is and human trafficking is not that far behind. So this is a huge issue that not a lot of people know about it.”

Human trafficking is not solely an issue abroad. It is happening in North Carolina as well, according to Arcaro.

Arangala said this is why this issue is pertinent to all Elon students, faculty and staff.

“I think more than anything else we don’t want this to be exclusive,” she said. “It’s happening just next door. There are people who are slaves in our country, so we really want people to be involved.”