OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Dr. Kari Johnstone, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Matteo Meccaci and Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration Ugochi Daniels at the opening session of the 24th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons in Vienna (OSCE). Photo courtesy of OSCE & its photographer.

Notwithstanding the significant investments in awareness initiatives, traffickers continue to bypass our prevention tactics, outpacing the resources directed toward ending exploitation. The 24th Alliance Conference against Trafficking in Persons analyzed the current prevention efforts in order to offer solutions to reshape approaches to prevention.

Grounded in the OSCE’s comprehensive prevention framework, the conference focused on:

– Delving into inherent and circumstantial vulnerabilities to trafficking and root causes of exploitation,

– Identifying gaps in the current prevention strategies to address existing and emerging forms of trafficking, including those that are often overlooked,

– Sharing lessons learned and discussing innovative policies, tools, and practices to reshape strategies for more impactful prevention.

The webinars emphasized the critical need for a driven-by-data and whole-of-society approach that involves governments, civil society, the private sector, and communities working together to create inclusive and innovative solutions.

To view three Livestreams of both days: https://www.osce.org/event/alliance24

To read an overview/review of the two days: https://www.osce.org/secretariat/566800 

Dani Wardman has been announced as the new CEO of Medaille Trust, a UK-based anti-trafficking organisation with links to RENATE. Wardman joins in the stead of outgoing CEO Garry Smith, who has gone onto a new directory role with the Salvation Army. Dani Wardman’s extensive previous experience includes her previous role as CEO at Survive, a sexual violence charity specialising in theraputic counselling and support for victims.

Medaille Trust runs ten safe houses across the UK, making it one of the biggest providers of supported accommodation for victims of trafficking and exploitation in the country.

195 young people in schools in the municipalities of Vlora, Berat, Durres and Diber about human trafficking and gender-based violence issues through 6 informative sessions on “Knowledge and information regarding the development of trafficking phenomena, including new forms of trafficking and exploitation, as well as the role of schools and advice for preventing trafficking.”

47 specialists of Health Centers in Klos and Mat were part of the meetings to increase the information and awareness of the medical staff about the phenomenon of human trafficking. The participants expressed the importance of such meetings for increasing the level of information and improving capacities for identifying trafficking victims and reporting cases to local structures for receiving specialized services.

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An employee of Vatra Center, together with 3 other young people from Albania, took part in the week of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, occurring from February 2nd to February 9^th, organized from Talitha Kum. A group of about 40 volunteers perform a promotional video, “flash-mob” style, in Rome’s central Santa Maria in Trastevere Square Feb. 6, 2024, with music, clapping and holding aloft handmade signs with words like, “Freedom,” “Hope,” “Stand together,” “Dignity” and “Respect” in different languages.  

In Albania, on February 8th, 2024, URAT Network honoured St. Bakhita Day with over 50 community members, youths, representatives from various religious congregations, and frontline anti-trafficking organisations joined forces at Famullia Shën Dominiku – Durrës, for an enlightening interfaith program.

St. Bakhita’s story is one of triumph over adversity. Originating from South Sudan, she endured the atrocities of slavery before emerging as a ray of hope for victims of human trafficking globally. 

Our event provided a platform to listen, dream, and act, echoing this year’s theme of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. 

Participating in the event offered valuable insights into the complexities of trafficking and various approaches to combatting it. Attendees gained a deeper understanding of the root causes of trafficking and its evolving forms. 

“Vatra” Center has joined the initiative of the Ministry of Justice, for the organization of the Week for the Protection of Victims of Crime in Albania. The specialized team of professionals has informed the public about the specialized support offered especially to victims of trafficking, victims of gender-based violence, victims of sexual abuse and their children in accessing integrated and multisectoral services. As part of this campaign, Vatra produced an informative brochure “Inform and Search” to inform the public about the criminal offenses of human trafficking, gender-based violence and sexual abuse.

In the framework of this initiative, Minister of Justice, Mr. Ulsi Manja, and Mayor of Vlora Municipality, Mr. Ermal Dredha, visited “Vatra” Center. The focus of the discussion with professionals and beneficiaries of the organization’s programs included: Strengthening the proactive response of justice authorities to fortify the defense system for victims of criminal acts; Ensuring the sustainability of integrated service models that cater to the needs of crime victims, particularly those affected by trafficking and their children.

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Organised by the Bakhita Centre for Research on Slavery, Exploitation and Abuse at St. Mary’s University Twickenham and Medaille Trust, this Shared Learning Event offered a wonderful opportunity to share information, approaches, and thoughts on the Human Trafficking Protection Programme as put forth by National Anti-Trafficking Coalition Shelters in Albania.

Members of URAT Albania joined as distinguished guest speakers to share their insights on the Protection Programme and future steps. Since 1999, over 9800 victims and/or potential victims of human trafficking and their children have been supported by NATCS members.

Congratulations to all of our colleagues at Medialle Trust, The Bakhita Centre, St. Mary’s University and URAT Albania, for such a connective and important meeting.

Read more here: https://www.freedomunited.org/news/romeo-effect-lure-victims/?category=undefined

On behalf of RENATE member Dr. Mary McHugh, please find the following invitation to join next month’s ISHWRA (International Scholars of the History of Women Religious Association) seminar taking place on Wednesday 13 March at 12:00 noon (GMT/London time). 

Dr Giacomo Ghedini (Sciences Po Paris, France) will deliver a paper entitled ‘From slaves to nuns: stories of Afro-European women in the nineteenth century’. If you would like to attend this virtual session, registration is via the following link: Meeting Registration – Zoom.

From slaves to nuns: stories of Afro-European women in the nineteenth century

During the nineteenth century, Sub-Saharan children victims of the Trans-Saharan slave trades were frequently ransomed by Catholic missionaries and sometimes brought to Europe to receive a Catholic education and become ‘indigenous missionaries’. These African children were termed ‘moretti’ by the European missionaries, which literally means ‘little Moors’ or ‘young Blacks’. Though the scale of this phenomenon remains unknown to this day, it is conceivable that over 2,000 ‘moretti’ were brought out of Africa by Italian and French missionaries, with more than half of them being girls. How were they selected by missionaries: was it based on their skin colour, ethnic origin, sex, age, and so on? What was their education to become religious? This paper will endeavour to answer these and other questions by analysing two case studies of former slaves who became nuns: Giuseppina Bakhita (ca. 1869-1947) and Bakhita Quascé (ca. 1845-1899). The first one became a nun in Venice and lived her life in Italy, and today she is well-known, having been canonized as a saint in 2000, the first African woman in the modern age. The second one, after being educated in Verona, returned to Sudan, where she became a religious and a teacher in the missions, but is now long forgotten. Through a comparison of the two, this paper will also show what the European missionaries’ expectations of them were and how these expectations played a role in the preservation or oblivion of their memory.

Giacomo Ghedini is affiliated to the Centre d’Histoire de Sciences Po Paris and is currently Teaching assistant at Sorbonne Université.

Since December 2022, SOLWODI HUNGARY has participated in an ongoing awareness raising project with a small-town secondary school in Dombovar, Hungary. Over the past two years, multiple awareness raising programs and other activities have been run in the school, which is under the patronage of the Order of Malta. 

As part of the school’s awareness raising activities, SOLWODI HUNGARY was invited on the 9th February to talk about prevention and all other related issues of human trafficking. SOLWODI HUNGARY was represented by Sr. Judit Knab and Dr. Agnes Martony, who participated in a long and informal, but very fruitful conversation with the pupils (between age 16-18). 

As a present from SOLWODI, they gave away pocket mirrors, wrist bands, numerous leaflets and other awareness raising materials. The event was followed by a very interesting presentation on how to combat human trafficking for the teaching and educational team of the school. Both facilitators remarked on the excellent experience and that they strongly believe they will be back for more soon! 

The Conference of INGOs hosted an event to celebrate World NGO Day on 27 February in Strasbourg and online on the topic  “The Civic Space, Democracy and Artificial Intelligence: how do they intersect?”

You can consult the final programme with the guest speakers and watch the full video recording in replay at the following link:

Watch online : World NGO Day – 27 February 2024- talk on “Civic Space, Democracy and Artificial Intelligence: how do they intersect?” – Conference of INGOs (coe.int)

Comme annoncé précédemment, la Conférence des OING a organisé un événement pour célébrer la Journée mondiale des ONG le 27 février à Strasbourg et en ligne sur le thème “L’espace civique, la démocratie et l’intelligence artificielle : comment interagissent-ils?”

Vous pouvez consulter le programme final avec les orateurs invités et visionner l’enregistrement vidéo complet en replay sur le lien suivant :

Visionnez en ligne : Journée mondiale des ONG – 27 février 2024 – débat sur “L’espace civique, la démocratie et l’intelligence artificielle: quelles interactions ?” – Conférence des OING (coe.int)