Spanner in the Works Theatre Company celebrates 20 years of creativity with the return of the internationally acclaimed play, DIABLO, in a new extended version.
Diablo is a play about human trafficking in Northern Ireland.  Set in Belfast, the action plays out in an ordinary house, in an ordinary street – it could be your street; it could be next door.  Be a fly on the wall as Helena from Poland, Olya from the Ukraine and locals Alannah and Cain fight for survival under the tyranny of Spaniard Reuben.
Martin Luther King Jr said, “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.  He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it”.
Human trafficking and labour exploitation are some of the fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world because there is relatively little risk with high profit potential.  Criminal organisations are increasingly attracted to human trafficking because, unlike drugs, humans can be sold repeatedly.
Contains strong language and scenes that some might find upsetting, including scenes of sexual violence. Suitable for 16+

• Witten and Directed By Patricia Downey, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Spanner in the Works Theatre Company; multi- award winning writer and theatre director; qualified and experienced drama workshop facilitator with reputation for writing and devising plays exploring hard-hitting contemporary social issues.

Venue: Eine Welt Haus
Schwanthalerstraße 80
80336 München,
Germany.
Date: Wed 19th Sept 2018
Time: 20:00/ 8 pm
Admission: €6.
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
 

 

 
‘’Everyone had their sleeves rolled up and quickly got into the details. It was unique to bring together these different expert perspectives from tech companies, civil society groups, and law enforcement from across the world. Those three days revealed real opportunities to make an impact and a strong willingness to collaborate to make it happen. We had to find a way to keep this going.’’ Thus said Eric Anderson, head of the Modern Slavery Programme at BT, following the establishment of a coalition of global technology companies, civil society organizations, and the UN having come together to launch “Tech Against Trafficking,” a collaborative effort to further support the eradication of forced labour and human trafficking.
Founding members BT, Microsoft, and Nokia have been advancing the dialogue sparked at a Wilton Park event in June 2017 on “The Role of Digital Technology in Tackling Modern Slavery” to formally explore how technology could be better utilized in finding solutions to stop human trafficking and modern slavery.
To read the full story by Peter Nestor, Dunstan Allison-Hope, and Hannah Darnton on BSR: https://www.bsr.org/en/our-insights/blog-view/announcing-a-new-collaboration-using-tech-to-combat-human-trafficking
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.

 
The participants were welcomed by Ms. Myria Vassiladou, EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, who introduced the content of the meeting and the guest speakers. The introduction was followed by Ms. Valeria Galanti who gave an update on the legal framework and implementation of EU Policy towards building coordination and coherence with EU Agencies.
Ms. Joëlle Milquet, the Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission for compensation for victims of crime, including victims of trafficking in human beings, lead a session on the topic of compensation: which included access to compensation, cross-border access to compensation and encouraging the use of criminal proceeds to compensate victims of THB access to compensation.
Ms. Mara Marinaki, Principal Adviser on Gender and on the Implementation of UNSCR 1325/WPS, European External Action Services and Fabienne van den Eede, Deputy Head of Unit DG DEVCO, joined the panel as well.
Civil Societies from countries in Europe were brought together and invited to have a voice in relation to this issue at three parallel workshops during the second day. The MWL and RENATE representative attended workshop 3.
Workshop 1, Priority A:  Stepping up the fight against organised criminal networks by whatever means including disrupting the business model and untangling the trafficking chain.
–      Conceptualising the EU-wide awareness-raising campaign on trafficking in human beings, targeting users, consumers, and vulnerable groups and high-risk sectors.
Workshop 2, Priority B:  Provide better access to and realise the rights for victims of trafficking.
–      Focus on access to compensation and referral mechanisms at national and transnational level to realize the rights of victims.
Workshop 3, Priority C:  Intensify a coordinated and consolidated response, both within and outside the EU.
–      Focus on enhanced joint efforts to address the root causes of vulnerabilities and the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative – eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls.
Around 100 representatives from civil societies from all over Europe attended this event, meantime new members were welcomed this year. An organized dinner took place with the participants, where it was good to socialize and be more familiar with their work and contributions in their own countries. The EU Civil Society Platform against THB also provided a good opportunity for networking as well.

Prepared by: Irena Kraja

ANDANTE STUDY DAYS STRASBOURG – APRIL 2018. Marie Helene Halligon, olcgs, RENATE Core Group member.
Fifty nine women from 13 countries in Europe gathered in the “Centre Culturel St Thomas” from the 20 – 24 April, to pray, link and work together as representatives of our European Organizations on the topic:
MIGRATION IN AND TO EUROPE FROM A WOMAN’S PERSPECTIVE.

 
“Coming to an international gathering like the Andante Study Days, one of the great benefits is meeting women from all parts of Europe and of different backgrounds. Our hope is that you will make new friends, renew old friendships, and form networks that will inspire you personally as well as the organization that you represent.”                                                                                 (ANDANTE Letter – March 2018)
 
Please click the link below to read full report: ANDANTE STUDY DAYS STRASBOURG – APRIL 2018.
 

RENATE member Natalja Kurčinskaja  sends us news of events planned by the Missing Persons’ Families Support Centre, Vilnius, in honour of all the children recorded as Missing in Lithuania.
Beginning on 24 May with a roll-call preceding the Plenary session in the Republic of Lithuania Parliament, the Missing Persons’ Families Support Centre will hold a series of public awareness-raising events at the specially commissioned sculpture for Missing Children in the square of the Lithuanian Children and Youth Centre at Konstitucijos pr. 25, Vilnius. The day’s events will conclude with creative sessions for children and a musical programme at the Missing Persons’ Families Support Centre in Vilnius.
Every year, the number of missing children increases, with many children recorded as being trafficked. The Lithuanian official records in 2014/2015 indicate 1,448 missing children but it is believed that number is much higher, unofficially.
For more. please click the link below:
Missing Persons Families Support Centre marks 25 May 2018 International Missing Childrens Day

On 14 March, 2018, the Missing Persons’ Families’ Support Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania, launched its Amber Alert- Facebook in Lithuania as part of a joint campaign entitled ‘’For a Safe Lithuania.’’ The President of Lithuania, Ms. Dalia Grybauskaitė, participated in the launch which took place at the Presidential Palace’s Centre for Civil Education. Ms. Anne Hall, U.S ambassador to Lithuania attended, as did representatives of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Police Department.
AMBER Alert is a Facebook-related system that enables law enforcement to send a message containing a recent photo and information about a missing child to all users located within a radius of 200 km from the location where the child was last seen.
Lithuania is the first country in the Nordic region to have such a system.
Please see below a series of documents containing further information about the event.

• Pictures from the event:https://we.tl/yruwiUS2iM and spaudoje 
• Additional pictures:  https://we.tl/yruwiUS2iMand spaudoje
• Social video that produced for missing children: ČIA,   nuoroda (for download) with English subtitles
• More info on FB: HERE

On 13 March Ms. Natalja Kurcinskaja, Director Missing Person’s Families Support Centre was awarded the Courageous woman award for dedication to the subject of missing children from the U.S ambassador to Lithuania.
— 
Pagarbiai/ Yours faithfully
Projekto vadovė/Project manager
Rugilė Butkevičiutė
Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras/ Missing persons’ families support centre
Žaliųjų ežerų g.85,
LT – 08403, Vilnius
Lietuva/ Lithuania                                                    
Tel/Fax: 8 (5) 248 33 73
Mob: +370 692 99 570
missing.lt
Dingo vaikas? Skambink 116 000. Visoje ES veikiantis NEMOKAMAS pagalbos telefonas, skirtas dingusių vaikų artimiesiems. www.116000.lt
Missing child? Call 116 000. Free helpline for missing children relatives in all Europe. www. 116000.lt
Missing Persons Families Support Centre Programme for launch of Amber alert Fb Stystem in Lithuania

 
This year’s campaign was special for several reasons, including the fact that parishes from all over Slovakia joined in the campaign. Whether accompanied by Taizé songs, within the Holy mass or Adoration, Caritas Slovakia commemorated and prayed  for victims of trafficking- Caritas Slovakia’s clients and people enslaved all over the world.
Amongst the events was the screening of a short film, ‘’IVAN,’’  a former client of Caritas Slovakia whose testimony was recorded two months before he died, on the eve of the feast of St. Bakhita, 2016. It is the 3^rd last item in the link below.
More at: https://mailchi.mp/a3e7eaa62370/ij20mjd2lz-1348761?e=023ec10070
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.