Promoting Human Rights Values Around the World
The Protection Project is a human rights research institute based at the Foreign Policy Institute at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. Founded by Laura Lederer in 1994 to address the issue of trafficking in persons as a human rights violation, The Protection Project focuses on the promotion of human rights values throughout the world. Of particular importance to The Protection Project is the protection of human security, especially women’s and children’s rights; fostering of civil society and NGO development through capacity building and coalition building; enhancement of the rule of law by encouraging citizen participation in the political process; advancement of human rights education; and elimination of trafficking in persons. - Development of a human rights-based approach to trafficking in persons and advocacy for the protection of the rights of victims of trafficking against all forms of exploitation
- Contribution to the drafting and implementation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
- Collaborating with academic institutions, policymakers, legislative bodies, governmental agencies and international organizations in the development and implementation of solutions to the problem of trafficking; advising such institutions on the status of domestic and international trafficking
- Assistance in the drafting of model anti-trafficking legislation in coordination with the United States Department of Justice to be adopted by countries that wish to strengthen existing laws regarding the prevention, control, and criminalization of trafficking in persons
- Identification of victims of trafficking in persons through field research and data collection in countries throughout the world; includes study and documentation of trafficking routes, cases, contributing causes and policy as well as the social implications of trafficking and trafficking related issues such as public health, immigration, and law enforcement practices
- Publication of The Annual Human Rights Report on the Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, reporting on the status of trafficking in persons in foreign countries, along with the new Journal of Human Rights and Civil Society and several other academic publications
- Contribution to public awareness and prevention of human rights violations through regular seminar series and workshops as well as participation in national and international conferences on human rights, including trafficking in persons, women's rights and religious freedom
- Provision of training and technical assistance to service providers working with victims of trafficking; development of curricula designed to serve as guide for legal service providers including the certification process, prosecution of cases and the process of applying for immigration status in the U.S.
- Encouragement of international scholarship and exchange for the advancement of human rights and civil society through the International Human Rights Fellowship Program
- Development of a comprehensive online database including extensive legal documentation, survivor stories, and regular press updates on trafficking arrests, prosecutions and convictions around the world
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