Fighting Exploitation Hidden in Plain Sight: Professor Scarpa’s Human Trafficking and Contemporary Slavery Class
In her Human Trafficking and Contemporary Slavery course, Professor Silvia Scarpa fosters an environment where every student feels empowered to tackle the problems around contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking. By utilizing international law, international relations, sociology, and history as tools, Professor Scarpa has built a transdisciplinary course, based on discussing and examining specific forms of exploitation in the world, which permeate modern supply chains in the global economy.
The course is designed to introduce students to the contemporary and often concealed realities of slavery, forced labor, child labor, human trafficking, and other forms of exploitation, prompting students to understand why these problems have remained largely unresolved and invisible in our society.
In her class, Professor Scarpa analyzes the existing international legal frameworks surrounding various forms of exploitation and their application by global governance actors. The course covers chattel slavery, religious slavery, bonded labor/debt practice, sexual exploitation, child labor and forced labor. With this knowledge, students are then able to build their research and advocacy projects, proposing strategies to address these problems.
Students consider the role that structural issues such as the lack of development and poverty, migration and forced displacement, war and humanitarian crises, climate change, human rights violations may have in determining severe forms of exploitation.
Professor Scarpa believes that everyone can contribute to finding a solution, and that every goal can be reached, if one approaches it with a clear, well-structured and informed plan. Scarpa’s inspiration stems from her extensive experience in working with students in academic institutions, doing research in this field, training police forces and peacekeepers and evaluating programs and projects.
Human Trafficking and Contemporary Slavery: A Student’s Perspective
“Before each class, Professor Scarpa consistently encouraged us to engage in class discussions, and she provided numerous real-world examples, in order to assess whether these practices truly represent forms of exploitation,” said International Affairs major Luca Melina. “This approach not only deepened my understanding of the complexities involved in these practices, but it also enhanced my ability to analyze the ambiguity of international law in addressing these issues effectively.”
Luca also said: “The course not only shaped my perspective on how international law deals with such urgent global challenges, but they have also inspired me to pursue a master’s degree and career in international human rights law, with a particular focus on advocacy for marginalized populations.
The debates and research projects throughout the course have had a lasting impact, encouraging me to think critically about the effectiveness of current strategies and the long-term solutions needed to tackle the exploitation on a global scale. Today, I interpret the world with a stronger understanding of the hidden injustices that persist under the surface, and I feel more compelled than ever to contribute to meaningful legal reforms and human rights initiatives that aim to eradicate these practices.”
