BGSU to host event to increase awareness and understanding of labor trafficking

Free public event commemorates the 10-year anniversary of Eyes Open International and its work to combat labor trafficking

Bowling Green State University is hosting an educational event on labor trafficking featuring former Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost as part of the 10th-anniversary celebration of Eyes Open International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing human trafficking and empowering survivors.

The Eyes Open International 10th Anniversary Celebration and Labor Trafficking Education Event will be held Thursday, Aug. 27, from 5-8 p.m. in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. Registration is available through Aug. 20. The event is free, but registration is required to attend.

Yost will highlight anti-trafficking efforts throughout Ohio and the legacy of Harold D’Souza and his wife, Dancy, labor trafficking survivors who co-founded Eyes Open International.

“We want everyone to understand that labor trafficking can happen in communities like ours and others across Ohio,” said Lara Wilken, DNP, RN, who helped establish the BGSU Labor Trafficking Education and Research Initiative. “Education is key to combating human trafficking. The more people who know how to recognize the signs and ask the right questions, the better equipped we are to identify trafficking and help those who may be experiencing it.”

The event is organized by the BGSU Labor Trafficking Education and Research Initiative, which the University established in 2024 to broaden the public’s understanding of labor trafficking while advancing research, education and partnerships.

In addition to the keynote address, Woodrow “Woody” Keown Jr., president and chief operating officer of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, will provide a historical perspective on understanding human trafficking. Attendees will also participate in a labor trafficking simulation and hear from members of the D’Souza family, as well as state leaders during panel discussions.

Harold and Dancy D’Souza came to the United States from India in pursuit of the American dream, but instead became victims of labor trafficking and debt bondage for more than 11 years. 

Harold D’Souza has since become a survivor advocate and public speaker whose work has received international recognition. The United Nations honored Harold D'Souza for his contributions to human rights, and he served on the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking from his appointment in 2015 until July 2020.

He also serves as an expert consultant to the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

“Harold has also partnered to uphold BGSU’s commitment to public good by helping us to better educate our students and understand human trafficking through a lived perspective,” said Tracy McGinley, co-founder of the BGSU Labor Trafficking Education and Research Initiative. “It is an honor to be able to host this celebratory event due to the contributions he has made to the education we provide.”

The BGSU Labor Trafficking Education and Research Initiative was established by Wilken, an associate clinical professor and RN to BSN program coordinator, and McGinley, a teaching professor and criminal justice program coordinator at BGSU Firelands.

Wilken and McGinley have spent more than a decade researching, working with survivors and providing awareness and prevention education throughout Ohio.