RENATE member Marie Helene Halligon, olcgs, represented RENATE at the recent gathering of the Council of Europe World Forum for Democracy, held in Strasbourg, 19-21 November, 2018.

This year’s theme ‘’Gender Equality: Whose Battle?’’ which was mediated through storytelling, Labs and Keynote speakers, created quite a stir during an action-packed three days.

The Forum focused in particular on women’s public, political and economic participation and on combating violence against women in the wake of #MeToo.

Human Trafficking and exploitation was given full airtime. In Lab 9, the focus was on ways to stop human trafficking as well as helping and empowering survivors to ensure their reintegration and rehabilitation. Topics covered were ‘’Women’s rights without borders: cross-border areas in Europe facing prostitution;’’ ‘’Red Tra Sex, Argentina’’ (promotion of human rights of sex-workers) and ‘’Bagel Bejgl,’’ (an economic empowerment programme).

Under the Storytelling sector, Gabriella Gillespie, Child bride, survivor, mother of five, author and activist from the UK shared about how at the age of 13, she was trafficked from the UK to Yemen together with her sisters where they were sold as child brides. Hers is a story of victim; survivor and mentor and was an inspiration to all at the Forum.

Full details of the Forum at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/world-forum-democracy

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/WFDemocracy

Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.

The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares every person’s entitlement to Human Rights. Claiming these rights begs co-responsibility of all people.  Our responsibilities to combat human trafficking can be achieved through a myriad of ways, many of which call for simple changes in lifestyles and attitudes. For example, our demand for cheap goods, cheap clothing, cheap foods such as seafoods etc. in turn has fed into the human trafficking and exploitation arena in sourcing cheap labour- each of us can make a difference by minimising our consumerism and ‘possession obsession!’

In the face of increased displacement of people due to global warming and climate change, most of whom are vulnerable to traffickers who promise them a means of escape and the possibility of a better quality of life, we can redress the harm done to our planet.

We can also take more positive action with those living in poverty, by not turning a blind eye and sharing our own abundances, be they food, material wealth, practical belongings and capacities to volunteer, advocate and campaign.

The Future We Need is a Faith-based group who together with MercyWorld.org have prepared a series of leaflets to guide us through the season of Advent.

Please find below resources for the forthcoming fortnight, more will feature next week.

Advent Week One Rights of Nature final

Advent Week Two Consumerism final

Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.

Human Trafficking is a form of violence. Let’s end human trafficking.

The 16 Days of Action against Gender-Based Violence take place annually from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). During the 16 Days of Action, we are invited to campaign to end violence against women and girls.

The Future We Need Group (FWNG), of which some RENATE colleagues are members of, have prepared a series of resources to assist us in participating in the campaign.

Join the conversation and spread the message- Let’s end human trafficking.

Please find the 16 sets of resources in the following links:

DAY 1 – 16 Days Leaflet Elimination of Violence Against Women, Oct 2018

DAY 2 – 16 Days Leaflet FGM, Oct 2018

Day 3 – 16 Days Leaflet Sexual Harassment, Oct 2018

Day 4 – 16 Days Leaflet Child Sexual Exploitation, Oct 2018

Day 5 – 16 Days Leaflet Cyber Bullying, Oct 2018

DAY 6 – 16 Days Leaflet Girls Not Brides, Oct 2018

Day 7 – 16 Days Leaflet Harassment and Violence in the Work Place, Oct 2018

Day 8 – 16 Days Leaflet – Education, Oct. 2018

Day 9 – 16 Days Leafet Human Trafficking Oct 2018

DAY 10 – 16 Days Leaflet – Rape as a Weapon of War Oct 2018

Day 11 – 16 Days leaflet – Widows & Property Oct 2018

DAY 12 – 16 Days Leaflet – Climate Change & Women’s Vulnerability Oct 2018

Day 13 – 16 Days Leaflet – FEMICIDE

Day 14 – 16 Days Leaflet – Objectification of Women Oct 2018

Day 15 – 16 Days Leaflet – Does Patriarchy in the Church Play a Role in Abuse

Day 16 – 16 Days Leaflet – UN HR Day

Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.

Caritas Slovakia  within the STOP Trafficking Project has been providing care to victims of trafficking for 10 years. By running the helpline it takes on another important role in terms of prevention as well as working with the potential victims of trafficking.

Since September we managed to identify 3 victims of trafficking through the National Trafficking Victims Helpline. Their family members called the helpline and a quick intervention was needed. Immediately we contacted a police deputy in England, who then contacted the local police. In a short time, they made the raids and rescued the victims. We secured their safe return to Slovakia, currently they are back home and entered the Programme for Support and Protection of victims of Human Trafficking that entitles them to be provided with complex, long-term care in the hands of Caritas Slovakia.

About the National Helpline.

The main task of the National Helpline is to provide help and information once contacted by people who have or could have been in a risky situation. When identifying and assisting in such cases, the helpline provides contact with organizations providing professional assistance to victims of trafficking in human beings.

Helpline services are further focused on preventing and eliminating the risks of working abroad. Helpline serves as a tool to prevent the risks associated with labor migration and the unprotected work of vulnerable groups of the population.

The main helpline activities are:

• First contact with potential victims of trafficking in human beings;
• Identification of victims of trafficking in human beings;
• Professional advice on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings;
• Assisting institutions and organizations in identifying cases of trafficking in human beings and on any issues related to the issue of trafficking in human beings;
• Providing information on the possibilities of assistance under the Programme for the Support and Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings;
• Consultancy and verification of agencies for jobseekers abroad;
• Providing relevant contacts and information available to combat trafficking in human beings.

Operating hours:

week days – 08.00 to 20.00In addition, continuous monitoring of incoming calls is ensured by the answering machine where the caller has the option to leave a message and be contacted back.

The helpline is toll free within Slovakia.

The main partners of the helpline are the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic and Slovak Telekom, a.s.

More at:  http://www.charita.sk/

Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.

On the occasion of the 18 October, 2018, our RENATE colleagues at Caritas Slovakia share the wonderful news they have officially opened their new shelter, named ‘Bakhita House.’

The refurbished house has been transformed into a warm, bright and inviting space where Human Trafficking survivors can access a wide range of supports as they recover and try to regain their independence.

Full report at: https://obchodsludmi.sk/mame-dom-sv-bakhity/

The Netherlands has continued to make progress in the area of combating trafficking in human beings, says the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) in a report published today, whilst calling on the Dutch authorities to take further action in several areas.

The positive steps taken by the Netherlands include the setting up of a national network of regional co-ordinators of assistance provided to victims of trafficking and the increased funding for police and prosecution services dealing with trafficking cases, as well as for the labour inspectorate SZW which is competent to detect and investigate cases of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. The creation of the Victim Identification Board, an independent multidisciplinary body tasked with the identification of victims of human trafficking, is another welcome development. Further, the report commends the awareness-raising campaigns concerning trafficking for different forms of exploitation and the steps taken to strengthen co-operation in the field of labour migration. Particular attention has been paid in the Netherlands to victim compensation and there have been many decisions by courts ordering perpetrators to pay compensation to victims of trafficking.

However, GRETA notes that some issues continue to give rise to concern. GRETA urges the Dutch authorities to ensure that assistance provided to foreign victims of trafficking is not dependent on investigations or prosecutions carried out, and to make sure that all possible foreign victims are consistently offered a recovery and reflection period during which they are allowed to stay in the country. Moreover, GRETA calls upon the Dutch authorities to adopt a new National Action Plan against trafficking in human beings, following the expiry of the previous one in 2014.

GRETA notes with concern the decreasing number of prosecutions and convictions for human trafficking offences in recent years and asks the Dutch authorities to proactively investigate such offences and ensure that they are prosecuted and result in proportionate and dissuasive sanctions.

Moreover, GRETA considers that the Dutch authorities should make further efforts to improve the identification of and assistance to child victims of trafficking, in particular by developing a National Referral Mechanism for child victims of trafficking.

https://www.coe.int/en/web/anti-human-trafficking/home?desktop=true

Complete Report: https://rm.coe.int/greta-2018-19-fgr-nld-en/16808e70ca