Marian Miner Cook
Athenaeum

Cristian Eduardo is a prominent advocate, speaker, and educator dedicated to advancing the rights of immigrants, 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, and those affected by human trafficking. As a queer immigrant from Mexico, a survivor of human trafficking, and a person living with HIV, his advocacy is profoundly shaped by his lived experience, fueling his fight against hate and stigma across all sectors. Eduardo serves as a member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, where he leverages his expertise to advise the President’s Interagency Task Force on federal anti-trafficking policies. His work centers on ensuring these policies are survivor-led, trauma-informed, and focused on holistic recovery. Eduardo partners with non-profit organizations and legislative stakeholders nationwide, providing training and technical assistance at the intersection of human trafficking, immigration, the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and trauma related mental health challenges. Eduardo is a Survivor Leader at New Yorkers for the Equality Model, co-chair of the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition, and serves on various advisory boards and committees, including the Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking. Additionally, he is a key collaborator in HIV prevention efforts, serving on the NYC HIV Planning Group to inform the city’s Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan. Eduardo has received numerous honors, including the Advocate of New York City award from the NYC Office to End Gender-Based Violence, the 2023 NJ Freedom Award, and the 2025 Liberator Award Survivor of the Year.

Yasmin Z. Vafa is co-founder and Executive Director of Rights4Girls, a national human rights organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence against young women and girls in the U.S. An award-winning human rights lawyer and advocate, Vafa's work focuses on the intersections of race, gender, violence, and the law. She has successfully advocated for several laws at the federal and state levels, testified before the U.S. Senate, state legislatures, and international human rights bodies, and co-authored multiple reports detailing the over-criminalization of girls and young women of color, particularly, survivors of sexual violence.  Vafa and her work have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, ABC News, and more. She currently serves on the U.S. Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth, serves as adjunct faculty for the National Judicial Institute on Child Sex Trafficking— an intensive judicial training she co-designed and leads with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and previously served on both the Department of Justice National Girls' Initiative Advisory Committee as well as the DOJ National Task Force on the Use of Restraints on Pregnant Women and Girls Under Correctional Custody. She has received numerous awards for her work including the Lois Haight Award for Excellence and Innovation for her legislative advocacy from Congress. 

This conversation will be moderated by Vivienne Arndt '28 and introduced by Macy Puckett Scripps '28.