.png)
Active against Human Trafficking- Active for Human Rights.
Adina Balan, CJ, shares her news of being a guest speaker in Linz, Austria, at an evening organised by the SSVD Sisters, speaking about the possibilities and challenges faced in the partnership between origin and destination countries. Adina focused on the socio-economic situation in Romania as a contributing factor to the exploitation of persons.
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
Margaret Gonzi, RGS, ”Awareness of human trafficking and exploitation is always on my mind”.
‘’Awareness of human trafficking and exploitation is always on my mind, ‘’says Margaret Gonzi,RGS , who featured in last week’s issue of the Maltese Catholic newspaper ” Lehen is-Sewwa,” when interviewed about human trafficking.
Margaret spoke about the work being done by RENATE members and about the importance of marking the 18th of October, the European day against trafficking.
RENATE member Marie Hélène Halligon, RGS, shares about launch of film INVISIBLE to mark 18th October 2016.
RENATE member Marie Hélène Halligon, RGS, shared Secours Catholique- Caritas France’s news of the launch of the documentary film Invisible, which documents the story of the trafficking of minors.
Find the trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7gW6a-3jlQ
For more information about the film, please see http://www.secours-catholique.org/actualites/film-des-mineurs-victimes-descalvage
Last days of the UN Giftbox campaign in Tirana, Albania.
In Albania, we conducted a number of activities around the UN Giftbox, in honour of the month’s activities against trafficking. To mark the 18th of October, the EU Day against Trafficking, events based on the UN Giftbox campaign in Tirana, were led by the Minster of the Interior, the Deputy Minister of the Interior and the Deputy Minister of Education. They had become aware of the value of this tool in raising awareness against trafficking.
Originally, the UNGiftbox campaign was launched in Durrës, Albania in June and since that time has been travelling to various towns in Albania and concludes next week in Shkodra.
The URAT network who led this campaign included the NGOs Different and Equal, SHKEJ, the Peace Corps, the Roma National Organisation, Mary ward Loreto and four congregations, the Little Company of Mary, the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Little Sisters of Jesus and the Loreto Sisters IBVM.
Pictures of the last day of the UN Gift Box campaign in Tirana, are illustrated below, with each of the volunteers receiving a certificate. Thanks to everyone for the great work you have done 🙂
Almost 3,127 people show their interest and about 1,189 people signed #Noto #HumanTrafficking.
Looking forward to #Shkodra on #October 25th – 31st.
Let’s get together for #UnitedResponseAgainstTrafficking #URAT#Network
National Anti-Trafficking Conference, Tiranë, Albania, 18th of October 2016.
To mark the EU Anti-Trafficking Day, October 18, 2016, the Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs in collaboration with the OSCE, hosted the National Conference on Anti-trafficking in Persons, at Tirana International Hotel. The conference lasted one hour and it consisted of brief presentations of the work of each partner institution with the Ministry, as well as a testimony of a trafficking survivor.
Media and people from public institutions and civil society were invited. Organisations such as Save the Children, UN Women, and Mary Ward Loreto were specifically mentioned by the panel, as being very productive collaborators and serious contributors in combating Human Trafficking.
List of speakers:
- Ms. Elona Gjebrea, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs/ Anti-Trafficking National Coordinator, Albania.
- Mr. Bernd Borchardt, Head of OSCE Presence in Albania
- Mr. David Muniz, Deputy Ambassador of U.S Embassy in Albania
- Dr. Joel Flimore, Human Trafficking survivor, Prof. Ass. Southern New Hampshire University, U.S.A
A Report on the Implementation of the Strategy of Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2014-2017, was distributed to the audience. A brochure was also distributed which reflected the data on the present trafficking situation in Albania and the role of the partners in identifying victims and prosecuting criminals. These were the two main points of emphasis at the conference, identified as the current greatest challenges to combatting human trafficking in Albania.
On Oct 18, 2016 Mary Ward Loreto in collaboration with the Municipality of Lezhe, the Directory of Social Services and Education Department, organised an awareness-raising activity with women, youngsters and local institutions. The Deputy Mayor emphasised the fact that we should pay more attention to the fight against human trafficking and not only the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics, which is becoming a real concern for Albania and for the Albanian youth.
The representatives from the prefecture mentioned that Lezha is paying special attention to addressing the trafficking cases by providing support to them. The Referral system is functioning well in Lezha region but sometimes the cases of trafficked people from the Roma community, are very complex.
Mary Ward Loreto is becoming a key Foundation in the area, focusing on awareness-raising activities. The Foundation also provides concrete support to the women in need through vocational training and economical initiatives. This is a significant means of prevention against human trafficking.
About two hundred people joined the march which took place in Lezha Main Street where the youngsters distributed leaflets and talked to the pedestrians about human trafficking.
Regional Anti-Trafficking Campaign, Tropoja, Albania, 24th of October 2016
This activity is going to be repeated in the area of Tropoja (East North of Albania) on the 24th of October. In this activity the children of the secondary school “Ali Podrimja” will present an art exhibition in the city hall based on the topic of combating human trafficking.
Festival of Films in Albania
To mark the EU Anti-Trafficking Day, October 18, 2016 Mary Ward Loreto Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation (RENATE) and United Response Against Trafficking (URAT), was pleased to present a film festival focused on human trafficking. The festival took place at the Cultural Centre of Orthodox Church in the center of Tirana and lasted two hour.
Those who participated in this Festival were our collaborators, partners, beneficiaries, volunteers, students and representatives from the Ministry of Interior.
Four films were shown during the evening, and all of these films as indicated below, reflected the work against human trafficking in which we are all engaged:
“Called To Give Voice to the Voiceless”- RENATE
“Two Little Girls” – ALBANIA ACPD
“Passport” – Mary Ward Loreto
“UN.Gift Box – Anti-Human Trafficking Campaign in Albania”- URAT Network