Not for Sale - Choose for your own sake

The "Open Your Eyes" campaign raises awareness on sexual exploitation through human trafficking. This campaign was initiated by Nea Zoi (Athens; Greece) in collaboration with Ratiu Center for Democracy (Turda, Romania), “Love 146” (Bouremouth; UK) and the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (Romania). The campaign had its European start in March 2010, while the Romanian national section was implemented between March and September 2011.

“Open Your Eyes” reached 23,000 beneficiaries out of which 17,000 were 14 to 20 years old. The beneficiaries learnt new information regarding human trafficking related to its dimension, its causes and the different ways of decreasing the risk of victimization.

For the first time in Romania, the Ratiu Center for Democracy, along with its partners, addressed the issue of human trafficking in informal public spaces – such as shopping centers and coffee shops, by connecting the risk of being trafficked to daily life decisions. Moreover, through the training events, enforced in the counties of Calarasi and Iasi, the first Romanian group of young activists against human trafficking was trained. The group included girls from residential areas.

Congratulation to all our participants for their involvement and enthusiasm! The final report on the “Open Your Eyes” campaign will be available soon on our website.

Between August and October 2011, the Ratiu Center for Democracy implemented a new anti-trafficking project "(YH)2 - “Your hope in your hands". It empowered 200 young people (ages 14 to 19) from the six counties of the Romanian NW development region (Cluj, Salaj, Maramures, Bistrita-Nasaud, Bihor and Satu Mare) to act against human trafficking.

200 young people reacted against modern times’ slavery by participating to written workshops, writing prevention messages directed to their peers. These workshops aimed at writing articles on this topic. Students have also researched and used their artistic skills for drawing awareness messages.

1500 people from 13 locations spanning 3 countries (Romania, Hungary, USA) protested simultaneously in public places to mark the European Day of Fighting against Trafficking. Having Romania as a reference point, the International Flash Mob raised awareness for basic rights violation by all forms of human trafficking.
Participants protested against violation of fundamental human rights through trafficking by being silent and displaying handmade signs. Additionally, the crowds dressed in white and black were "frozen" for four minutes to support the cause.

For more information about the International Flash Mob please click here!

(YH)²

Your hope in your hands

You are all invited to join Ratiu Foundation for Democracy’s initiative by organising a public action under the form of a flash mob in your community in order to mark the European Day Against Human Trafficking.

Rationale and Description

Human Trafficking is a major crime against human rights and against human dignity. October 18^th was designated the European Day against Human Trafficking by the European Commission in 2007. The European Commission recognizes that human trafficking happens everywhere in the world and supports the awareness on this issue through public events.

Ratiu Foundation for Democracy (Romania) mobilized communities in public protests against modern day slavery since 2008. The initiative started in Turda and then expanded to Cluj County. The next step was the expanding participation of an international community in 2010 (8 location from around the globe).

For 2011 Rațiu Foundation for Democracy designed a two months project around October 18th, (YH)² - Your hope, in your hands. The project is aims 3 main directions. Besides the drawings contest and the workshops dedicated to school newspaper’s editors, the project continue to promote public protest, in the form of a flash mob.

This year, Rutgers University students attending Summer Service Learning/Field Education Program accepted the challenge in putting together the plan and concept of the International Flash Mob.

Concept

For 2011, the International Flash Mob goal is to raise awareness of the general public about basic rights violated through all forms of human trafficking.

Message: Human Trafficking deprives victims of personal choice and should be seriously punished as a crime against basic human rights.

Slogan: Human Trafficking Violates the Freedom of Choice.

Target population: general public

Duration: 4 minutes

Time: 16:30 (Romanian Time); 9:30 AM (US Eastern Daylight Savings Time)

If you would like to add your community next on the list contact us at gratiela.anghelu@ratiudemocracycenter.org or +40 264-317555.

Dear readers,

We are intensively preparing to mark the European Day against Human Trafficking. This year we initiated the project aiming to mobilize the community against human trafficking through 3 major directions: drawing contest; workshops for school redactors and a flash mob.
With this occasion we created a special page on this blog. For more information please click here.

Human trafficking was approached in a non-formal way, in an informal place, for the first time in Romania. The event took place on Friday, May 20^th,at Iulius Mall shopping center in Cluj Napoca. It aimed to provide informational support to the young girls participating regarding the risks of hasty, uniformed decisions.

“As an informed choice of a cosmetic product can damage our health, an uninformed choice of a work, travel, study offer can destroy our future” Rita – participant summing up the discussion.

The 18 participants discussed the effects of daily decisions, which in the absence of adequate information, could place them in a trafficking situation. The topics range was wide, including issues related to the risks of trafficking, such as accepting an employment, education or travel offer, education and health,, within the larger frame of a friendly conversation on the use of cosmetic products.

During the event the, Ratiu Center for Democracy and the National Agency against Human Trafficking launched the national campaign to prevent trafficking in persons entitled “Open Your Eyes”, together with Nea Zoi Organization (Greece) and Love 146 (United Kingdom).

Event partners: Iulius Mall Cluj, Radio Cluj, Fundatia Parinti Clujeni www.parinticlujeni.ro

Community Resources against Human Trafficking

Trafficking in persons in terms of social disorganization, labeling victims of trafficking, preventing human trafficking in Ukraine and Thailand, global policies in the field of human trafficking are some of the topics on the blog www.nuedevanzare.blogspot.com.

Articles drawn from research papers and documentation belonging to Alis Costescu, Angie Ng, Oğuzhan BASIBUYUK, Onder Karakus in order to promote and encourage research works in the field of human trafficking.

For more details or if you want your research paper to be posted on the blog contact us at office@notforsale.ro or www.nuedevanzare.blogspot.com

This research is about the trafficking of women for the purpose of sexual exploitation, which is also known as sexual slavery. It aims to explore the factors which shape women's choices and how they enter the trafficking situation in order to contribute to the current knowledge base on how to prevent sex trafficking and re-trafficking.

According to Kathleen Berry, a famous activist and author, 'pimping' is 'the oldest profession and not prostitution' (Banerjee, 2003: 194). Popular discourse has it that those working in the sex industry are there by choice, but as people go through our day-to-day routines, sex trafficking is resulting in 'years of bondage, violent abuse and sometimes even death' (UNDP, 2009: 102) for countless women around the world. What is sex trafficking?

Read more here