This event has been postponed.
You are cordially invited to attend a lecture on the topic of
The Intersection of Human Rights Crimes and National Security
with
Ms. Heather Fischer
Senior Advisor for Human Rights Crimes at Thomson Reuters Special Services
Monday, October 31, 2022
10:00-11:00 AM EDT
The Institute of World Politics
1521 16th St. NW
Washington D.C. 20036
Marlatt Mansion, Commodore Barry Room
Getting to campus
About the Lecture: This lecture will illustrate the interconnection of national security and human rights crimes, such as forced labor, sexual exploitation, and war crimes. Further, this lecture will examine the gaps in our current approach to addressing human rights crimes and consider the opportunities for national security and economic stakeholders to counter human rights risks.
About the Speaker: Heather C. Fischer is the senior advisor for human rights crimes at Thomson Reuters Special Services. In this capacity, Fischer serves on the Executive Leadership Team and advises on the company strategy to protect human rights and combat crimes of exploitation.
Previously, Fischer served as the White House special advisor for human trafficking. During her detail assignment to the White House from the U.S. Department of Justice, she served as the human trafficking coordinator for the Executive Office of the President and the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to prevent and address all forms of human trafficking. Prior to her role in the White House, Fischer was the special advisor to the Ambassador-at-Large in the Office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) at the U.S. Department of State.
Before joining the U.S. State Department, Fischer served as a subject matter expert on human trafficking at the McCain Institute for International Leadership. While at the McCain Institute, she implemented a national prevention action plan in partnership with key federal, state, and non-profit stakeholders. Additionally, Fischer instituted a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and co-authored a nationwide Justice Sector report with community-based solutions to address human trafficking in the U.S.
Prior to her time at the McCain Institute, Fischer was the mobilization and partnership strategist at Love146, where she managed government, major corporations, and community partnerships to combat child trafficking and exploitation globally.
Fischer is the co-chair of the public-private Financial Crimes Working Group to Prevent Human Trafficking through the Knoble network. She serves on the National Child ID Program Human Trafficking Advisory Team and is currently a board member of the Freedom Collaborative and RecollectiV. Fischer is a current member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Institute Society of Fellows.
Fischer previously served on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-led Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Forced Labor Ad Hoc Work Group, the Washington D.C., New York Capital Region and Southern Tier Anti-Trafficking task forces, Connecticut Bar Association Special Committee on Sex Trafficking of Children, Department of Justice Civil Rights Community Working Group, and the Twitter Trust & Safety Council.
Fischer is currently in the Executive Master of International Relations program at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
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