- 150 attendees to hear from local, federal officials; learn about international trafficking and working with foreign governments -

(Fresno, CA) – International trafficking cases in the Central Valley will be one of the hot topics discussed during the 2^nd Annual Human Trafficking Conference being held Friday, February 18, 2011, at Children’s Hospital Central California’s Starlight Conference Room located at 9300 Valley Children’s Place in Madera. The conference, sponsored by Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission’s Sanctuary and Youth Services’ Central Valley Against Human Trafficking Project and Central Valley Freedom Coalition, begins at 8:30 a.m.

In the past 11 months, Central Valley Against Human Trafficking and Central Valley Freedom Coalition have identified and assisted 25 victims of human trafficking in the greater Fresno area, including one international case.

“We’ve come a long way since our inaugural conference and have worked hard to shed light on human trafficking and cases in the Valley," says Ronna Bright, Project Coordinator for Central Valley Against Human Trafficking and Central Valley Freedom Coalition. “We have launched an awareness campaign – Look to Liberate – that helps every day citizens identify potential human trafficking cases and have assisted multiple victims obtain the supportive services to escape their traffickers and begin the process of rebuilding their lives. It is my hope that this conference will educate the community and help eliminate the myths that often affect the perception people have of victims of human trafficking."

Attendees will hear from Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Landau, Sergeant Curt Chastain with Fresno Police Department’s Human Trafficking Task Force, and a panel discussion that includes representatives from Mexican Consulate, Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, and Sacramento’s Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking Coalition. They will also hear the stories of local human trafficking survivors via a brief video presentation and have the option to screen The Dark Side of Chocolate between 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. The documentary focuses on the illegal labor trafficking of young children in Mali, Africa, to the cocoa fields in Ivory Coast; there, children face deplorable working conditions while performing dangerous duties such as cutting cocoa and carrying heavy loads without the benefit of pay or being allowed to attend school.

Established in 2009 and administered by Fresno County EOC, Central Valley Freedom Coalition strives to bring to light the issue of human trafficking in the Central Valley through education while helping victims break away from their imprisoned lifestyles, access services, and ultimately gain independence.

NOTE: Due to the sensitive nature of the topic and confidentiality of attendees and human trafficking survivors in attendance, panelists and event coordinators will only be available for interviews from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and again from 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. The conference cannot be videotaped, photographed, or recorded. If members of the media are interested in interviewing a panelist, participant, or coordinator, and shooting b-roll of the resources tables prior to the conference's start, please contact Yahaira García-Perea at 263.1024.