Nicole Bernard Director of Shield North Carolina Shield North Carolina is dedicated to eliminating human trafficking at the community level. After serving in a Durham-based anti-trafficking organization, Nicole Bernard recognized a need in Wake County for community-level protection for individuals vulnerable to trafficking. Shield North Carolina educates people in direct-service work on how to identify and interact with victims of human trafficking. It also advocates for policy change on every level of government and seeks to reduce demand for human trafficking by reducing consumption of products that use trafficking as a labor source. The group disseminates information in many ways: By consulting with groups, public speaking events, research resources, podcasts and even Bernard’s young adult novel, “A War Against the Cowbird.” Bernard hopes other communities will build similar shield programs focused on grassroots prevention and awareness.
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