Houghton College and the Center for Faith, Justice, and Global Engagement presented the second annual Faith and Justice Symposium, titled “Human Trafficking: Abolishing Supply and Demand.” The symposium, featuring speakers from around the world, took place on Thursday, September 27 through Monday, October 1, 2012.
“What made this year’s theme especially interesting is that it focused on the demand side of human trafficking”, said Houghton College President, Shirley Mullen. “Our students recognize that it is not enough to take pity on the victims of this great evil. We must deal with the conditions that create the demand for human trafficking”.
Featured speakers included Chris Heuertz, international director of Word Made Flesh and Commissioner Christine MacMillan of World Evangelical Alliance.
Commissioner MacMillan recently retired from a 37-year officer career with the Salvation Army, and has served in numerous organizations, most notably The Homestead, a treatment center for women with addictions; the Kate Booth House, a haven for battered women and children; and the London Homelessness Project. MacMillan has poured herself into issues of homelessness, substance abuse, violence against women, trafficking and many other social issues, while retaining her passion for creative expressions of sharing the Gospel. She is currently the senior advisor for social justice for the World Evangelical Association.
Chris Heuertz lived in India after studying at Asbury University and was mentored for three years by Mother Teresa. Subsequently, he helped launch South Asia's first pediatric AIDS care home, creating a safe haven for children impacted by the global pandemic. Most recently, he and his wife Phileena have served with the Word Made Flesh community, working for women and children victimized by human trafficking into the commercial sex industry.
Additional keynote speakers included Nicole Chere’ Wood of U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Sergeant Blake Carlson of the Phoenix Police Department, Renan Salgado of the Worker Justice Center (Rochester, NY), Kerry Battenfeld of the International Institute of Buffalo, and husband-and-wife pair Jose Miguel and Luz Stella De Angulo of MAP International (Bolivia)
The Faith and Justice Symposium is a time of dialogue among a diverse community of learners who are committed to addressing issues of injustice. The mission of the Center for Faith, Justice, and Global Engagement is to challenge individuals to explore the intersection of faith and justice, to engage with issues of global concern, and to work for human flourishing in local, national and international contexts.