ACRATH Receives Government Funding

Minister Visits ACRATH Office

Minister for Home Affairs and Justice, Brendan O’Connor, and Member for Melbourne Ports, Michael Danby, visited the office of ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against the Trafficking of Humans) in Albert Park, Victoria on Wednesday 5 October 2011.  Their visit was the formal acknowledgement that the Government has committed $350,000 over the next three years to ACRATH to support its work in anti-trafficking.  Also present at the meeting were advisers to the MPs and ACRATH personnel Louise Cleary csb (Chairperson), Carol Hogan sss (National Secretary), Christine Carolan (Program Coordinator), Shane Wood cfc (Volunteer), Jeffrey Dalton (Volunteer), Denise Mulcahy fcj (Voluntary Worker).

‘Slavery and human trafficking are a fundamental debasement of humanity.  The Government is committed to working in partnership with community organisations to address the full cycle of these crimes,’ Mr O’Connor said.

‘ACRATH is working towards the elimination of people trafficking in Australia, the Pacific and internationally.  This grant will help ACRATH’s work to raise community awareness, share information and build networks nationally and globally.’  ACRATH also helps provide direct services to people trafficked into Australia.  ‘NGOs such as ACRATH are invaluable resources for trafficked people, providing much-needed outreach, support services and advocacy,’ Mr Danby said.

Over the next three years, ACRATH will concentrate on community awareness and education initiatives focusing on labour exploitation.  ACRATH was also a recipient of a 2008 round of funding aimed at supporting a range of anti-trafficking initiatives.