Listening to Survivors of Human Trafficking Ft. María Juliana Prieto Gracia w/Anita Nowak - Purposeful Empathy

Human trafficking is one of the world’s darkest injustices. In this special series devoted to widening our circle of empathy for people who often feel marginalized or misunderstood, watch this powerful episode featuring María Juliana Prieto Gracía, a Colombian human rights lawyer and refugee advocate.As a survivor of sexual violence, María Juliana has transformed her trauma into a powerful force for systems change. Shaped by Colombia’s armed conflict and her family’s refugee journey, she now works tirelessly to end gender-based violence and defend human rights.Together, we discuss:The importance of listening to survivors without judgmentWhy armed conflict and forced displacement shape cycles of traumaHow to confront the structural causes of sexual and gender-based violenceHow resilience and advocacy can drive justice and healingHaving empathy for refugees, whose humanity has too often been deniedIf you’ve ever wondered about human trafficking and how to support refugees, this conversation will open your heart and mind.00:00 Preview01:16 Introduction 00:11 About Maria Juliana Prieto Gracía 02:36 Maria Juliana’s backstory07:58 How Maria Juliana became a human rights activist?14:03 A message to survivors of sexual violence16:40 Moments that inspired Maria Juliana to become an advocate21:51 Maria Juliana’s fight to end sexual exploitation23:15 What makes Maria Juliana a staunch refugee advocate30:48 Maria Juliana’s message to those who have experienced sexual violence37:00 Maria Juliana’s message to communities that tolerate “red zones”39:39 Seeing humanity through equity, not power43:02 The biggest misconceptions about refugees50:08 How Trump’s policies violate human rights58:18 Why refugee lived experience matters at the border01:00:14 What role does empathy play in human trafficking?01:04:27 Maria Juliana Prieto Gracía’s  Purposeful Empathy storyCONNECT WITH ANITA✩ Email [email protected] ✩ Website https://www.anitanowak.com✩ Buy a copy of Purposeful Empathy http://tiny.cc/PurposefulEmpathyCA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanowak/✩ Instagram https://tinyurl.com/anitanowakinstagram✩ Podcast Audio https://tinyurl.com/PurposefulEmpathyPodcast✩ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/anitanowak.bsky.socialCONNECT WITH MARIA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maría-juliana-prieto-gracia-008446158/ Video edited by Jad Misri,  Green Horizon Studio