RENATE – Religious In Europe Networking Against Trafficking and ExploitationIn September 2011 RENATE held her first European Conference on Human Trafficking. The goal of the conference was to meet, interact with and learn from experiences of Religious engaged in counter-trafficking work, across Europe. The theme of the conference wasWhen We Hear the Cry.
A Copy of the conference report may be viewed here.
Modern Slavery, a three part documentary screened on SBS Two, highlights the fact that despite being illegal in all countries slavery still exists and is a global problem. Part 1 was screened on Thursday 26th January but if you missed it, for a limited time, it can be viewed by clicking here.
Details for future screenings are as follows:
Part 2 Thursday 2nd February on SBS Two at 8.30pm
Part 3 Thursday 9th February on SBS Two at 8.30pm.
Christine Carolan, ACRATH National Projects Co0-ordinator, recently spent some time in Geneva. During her time there she met with advocates against human trafficking from Franciscan International who helped her to connect with other organisations including UN officials addressing trafficking in persons, the Permanent Mission of Australia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, Msgr. Silvano Tomasi; and other NGOS working on the issue.
The Chocolate Industry RespondsThe CNN documentary “Chocolate’s Child Slaves”, premiers Friday January 20, 9 CET on CNN International. CNN correspondent, David McKenzie, went to the Ivory Coast to investigate children working in the cocoa fields.
Responses from the world’s major chocolate companies can be read here.
The latest issue of The Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter highlights how world events are often interwined with human trafficking.
Click here to access the January 2012 issue
The latest newsletter released by Solwodi (Solidarity with Women in Distress) reports on justice being dispensed in a German court for victims of some Romanian victims of trafficking.
Click here to read the newsletter
Researchers at the New Zealand Asia Institute at the University of Auckland have been investigating abuses aboard Foreign Fishing Vessels. The sinking of the Oyang 70 in New Zealand Waters in August 2010 brought to light information about “crew members not being paid, being underpaid, having their wages eaten up by agency fees and being verbally and physically abused.” some of the research is documents in a paper entitled Not in New Zealand waters, surely. Copies of this document can be accessed here.
The Pacific Trafficking in Persons Forum was held in December 2011. Four ACRATH members attended the Forum. The keynote speaker was Ruth Dearnley from Stop the Traffik in the UK. The Forum looked at the various forms of trafficking taking place in the Pacific Region. In her address Ruth reminded participants that we live in a global world and so can no longer be concerned only about our own country as the events in one country impacts on those of another. We can work towards eliminating human trafficking if we do even one small thing, e.g., only eat chocolate that is certified as being free of child slavery.
For more information on the Forum click here.
Trading Lives
"In a new country there will be
no slavery & hence no slaves."
Captain Arthur Phillip said this in 1787 before leaving England to become the 1st Governor of the new colony of Australia. Phillip landed at Sydney Cove in 1788 after an 8 month sea voyage.
ACRATH acknowledges and respects the Indigenous Peoples of Australia both past and present.
As caretakers of the land and custodians of the stories their culture has survived for thousands of years and is now recognised as the oldest living culture in the world.
