Child Trafficking in Ghana Expert Lecture Series

On October 17th, 2023, Dr. Daniela Peterka-Benton, Academic Director of the Global Center on Human Trafficking, in collaboration with the Department of Justice Studies and the Department of Information Management & Business Analytics, welcomed Mr. Kingsley Nana Kwame Gyamera Abrokwa, Regional Child Labor Expert from Africa for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to our campus.

Mr. Abrowka has a wealth of experience in the field of human trafficking and child protection through his work with the United Nations and also possesses research expertise with blockchain and Geographic Information Systems to monitor and prevent child labor in Ghana’s cocoa sector. During his short 2-day stay on our campus, Mr. Abrokwa gave three lectures sharing his expertise.

His research methods workshop “Doing Research with Semi-Literate Study Populations – Experiences from the Field in Africa” introduced the audience to research methodologies for work with study populations with limited reading and writing abilities.

“The Future Dynamics of Child Trafficking and Child Labor in Ghana– Obstacles and Opportunities Within the Future of Work Discourse” addressed child labor in the context of changes in job roles with the emergence of AI and the future of work.

Lastly, “Digitalization and Child Labor in Agriculture: Exploring Blockchain and Geographic Information Systems to Monitor and Prevent Child Labor in Ghana’s Cocoa Sector” introduced the audience to how technology can help to identify high-risk areas of child labor in cocoa growing areas and possibly other sectors of agriculture.

For more information about the speaker or his lectures, please contact peterkabentd@montclair.edu. Dr. Peterka-Benton would like to thank the College of Humanities and Social Sciences for supporting this expert lecture series through the CHSS Interdisciplinary Groups fund.