The Nov. 1 event was organized by the �鶹ԭ�� Global Perspectives Office as part of the 2012-2013 theme of “The Changing Face of Freedom in Today’s Turbulent Times.” It was also a featured event for The India Center at �鶹ԭ��. More than 125 people attended.

Although he had some previous awareness of human trafficking, Addison said, it was the movie Trade that personalized the subject for him in a significant way. In fact, he added, he was inspired to write a book that would similarly draw attention to modern slavery. Addison described the problem as “profoundly ugly,” and stressed that the issue cannot be ignored, despite its repugnance. He noted that “we miss the fact that slavery has a human face.”

Addison described the difficult process of researching the book, saying that it was often disheartening to learn that “you can buy a girl like you can buy a pizza.” Research for the book took him undercover into the brothels of Mumbai, but Addison warned that human trafficking is a universal challenge affecting millions of people, and that it is “happening on our own doorstep.”

The victims and the captors are often the focus of discussions on human trafficking, he stated, but he suggested more attention be paid to the consumers – the people who buy slaves. Those people, he said, are police officers, politicians and even neighbors. Until recently, he noted, average Americans had viewed human trafficking as a non-issue because “we don’t want to look at the enemy in the mirror.”

When asked what could be done to counteract this growing scourge, Addison responded that a combination of culture change and education will be crucial, that “we need to talk with children and address the underlying roots and fundamental conceptions men have of women.”

Addison said inspiration can be found in the leadership of survivors—those who have lived through horrid human trafficking experiences and managed to move on with their lives. Those examples leave him with a sense of optimism regarding solutions.

“Hope is a local and global phenomenon; it is happening every day,” he said.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office and The India Center, sponsors and partners included The India Group, Anil and Chitra Deshpande India Program Endowed Fund, �鶹ԭ�� Human Trafficking Awareness Program, �鶹ԭ�� Diplomacy Program, Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, CliftonLarsonAllen, Restoring Human Wellness at �鶹ԭ��, �鶹ԭ�� Women’s Studies Program, �鶹ԭ�� International Services Center, �鶹ԭ�� Political Science Department, �鶹ԭ�� LIFE, �鶹ԭ�� Book Festival 2013 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center and the Global Connections Foundation.

The event, organized by the �鶹ԭ�� Global Perspectives Office, is part of the 2012-2013 theme of “The Changing Face of Freedom in Today’s Turbulent Times.” The event is free and open to the public.

Addison’s novel, “A Walk Across the Sun,” is a fictional account that portrays the horrors and ills of modern-day slavery. To research the global trade in human beings, he journeyed to India, Europe and Washington, D.C. He spent time with experts and activists, and went to the brothels of Mumbai to meet trafficking victims firsthand so that he might tell their stories.

“I am haunted by the truth of slavery, because I have seen it with my own eyes,” he said. “I wrote A Walk Across the Sun to bring that truth alive for people like me, people who might prefer to believe that slavery is dead, or at least confined to dark alleys in the developing world.”

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners include The India Center at �鶹ԭ��, The India Group, Anil and Chitra Deshpande India Program Endowed Fund, �鶹ԭ�� Human Trafficking Awareness Program, �鶹ԭ�� Diplomacy Program, Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, CliftonLarsonAllen, Restoring Human Wellness at �鶹ԭ��, �鶹ԭ�� Women’s Studies Program, �鶹ԭ�� International Services Center, �鶹ԭ�� Political Science Department, �鶹ԭ�� LIFE, �鶹ԭ�� Book Festival 2013 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center and the Global Connections Foundation.

The presentations are part of the office’s mission to sharpen �鶹ԭ��’s international focus. Global Perspectives recently celebrated 10 years of advancing global initiatives at the university and is entering its second decade with a robust programming schedule.

Each event connects to the office’s annual theme for 2012-2013, “The Changing Face of Freedom in Today’s Turbulent Times.” The theme is a natural development from last year’s: “People Power, Politics and Global Change.”

Kicking off the season are two speakers who soften serious observations about political crises with a bit of humor. Doug McMarlin and Jason Recher will share their experiences as conservative political strategists and former White House aides. Drawing from their inside look at how the White House handles national and global crises, the duo will discuss lessons for political leaders.

The event will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.  4, in the Cape Florida Ballroom of the �鶹ԭ�� Student Union.

This semester’s other highlights, which are free and open to the public, include:

For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit .