UPCOMING EVENTS !!!!
"The Jammed" (2007) Film Screening
BEWARE - CHANGE OF TIME
Friday, January 30th at 12am
Large AV Viewing Room, Library
Inspired by court transcripts and actual events, THE JAMMED is a social thriller about trafficking and the sex slave trade in Melbourne. When a Chinese mother arrives in Melbourne to find her missing daughter, she enlists the help of Ashley Hudson. Ashley reluctantly agrees to help search, and is soon drawn into the dark underworld of this cultural city as she tries to rescue three girls from a trafficking syndicate. As the story unravels the sinister workings of illegal prostitution and governmental deportation is filled with twists and surprises.
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Open Discussion #1: Victimization vs. Agency
Thursday, February 12th, 3:30 pm
Russel Building Room 29
Agency refers to someone's ability or capacity to enact a decision he/she's made.
The purpose of this meeting is to explore the common conception of trafficking persons as 'victims', and to discuss the notion of 'choice'. To what extent are these individuals shaping their own destinies? Is it possible to choose to be exploited? What does exploitation mean anyway? we look forward to a lively debate!
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Trafficking Awareness Week
Monday May 4 - Friday May 9
University of Sussex Campus
Join us for a week of activities and discussion on the important issues related to human trafficking. SAHT will host academics and NGO speakers, hold film screenings, and engage in debates around this controversial and important issue.
More info will be made available at: http.//studentsagainsthumantrafficking.blogspot.com.
Thursday 29 January 2009
Friday 9 January 2009
BRAINSTORMING
On december 14th, SAHT held its last 2008 meeting... We figured it was time to brainstorm...
We wrote TRAFFICKING on a board and asked all present to throw words out there... anything that made sense and had a link to trafficking.. We then identified several dichotomies that we wish to develop in the future.. either through other brainstorming meetings, literature review and sharing, or by inviting speakers at our meetings... This will be decided and communicated very soon!
Here are the results of the session:
Stereotypes
Empirically problematic
Illegality
Victimization
Political agendas
Exploitations
Work vs. not work
Slavery
Vulnerability
Middle (wo)men
smuggling vs. trafficking
Corruption
International crime
Social networks
Agency
Supply & Demand
Inhuman
Immigration control
Children Camel jockeys
Prostitution
Risky work
Forced Political / academic trend
(2) Supply vs. Demand
(3) Slavery vs. Labour
(4) Political agendas / borer control vs. Illegality
(5) Feminization / masculinization vs. Stereotypes
(6) Visibility vs. Invisibility
(7) Trafficking vs. Smuggling
We wrote TRAFFICKING on a board and asked all present to throw words out there... anything that made sense and had a link to trafficking.. We then identified several dichotomies that we wish to develop in the future.. either through other brainstorming meetings, literature review and sharing, or by inviting speakers at our meetings... This will be decided and communicated very soon!
Here are the results of the session:
Trafficking
Stereotypes
Empirically problematic
Illegality
Victimization
Political agendas
Exploitations
Work vs. not work
Slavery
Vulnerability
Middle (wo)men
smuggling vs. trafficking
Corruption
International crime
Social networks
Agency
Supply & Demand
Inhuman
Immigration control
Children Camel jockeys
Prostitution
Risky work
Forced Political / academic trend
Dichotomies
(1) Vulnerability / victimization vs. Agency(2) Supply vs. Demand
(3) Slavery vs. Labour
(4) Political agendas / borer control vs. Illegality
(5) Feminization / masculinization vs. Stereotypes
(6) Visibility vs. Invisibility
(7) Trafficking vs. Smuggling
Friday 2 January 2009
Refugees and Trafficking Nightmare
UNHCR News Stories
A childhood of rape and exploitation ends mercifully with a new life in Canada
DAMASCUS, Syria, Dec. 31 (UNHCR) – For any refugee, the chance to begin a new life in Canada is a coveted prize. But for Hiba,* wearing a huge smile as she approaches the departure gate at Damascus airport, the plane she's about to board means leaving behind the unimaginable horror of rape, exploitation, human trafficking and prison – a lifetime of torment lived by the age of 17.
Hiba's fate seemed to have been sealed when her mother left her with her father in Baghdad when she was just seven. When she was 15, he forced her into a mutaa marriage, or temporary marriage, with a cousin.
Under this traditional local custom, Hiba was informally married to her cousin for 48 hours, but he abandoned her after satisfying his lust. Her father refused to take her back.
Instead, he persuaded her they could find her mother in Syria, and set out to meet her. At the Iraqi-Syrian border, Hiba went to the restroom, only to discover her father was gone when she came out. Little did she know her father had sold her to a stranger. Hiba's nightmare was just beginning.
Trapped in a country where she knew no one, Hiba had no choice but to put her trust in the man who claimed he would protect her. Instead he brought her other men, who raped her in turn. A few days later she was taken to a club in Damascus, taught to belly dance provocatively to attract customers' attention, and was forced into sex work for nearly two years.
When she became pregnant, though, Hiba's captors abandoned her, leaving her on the streets to fend for herself. She was soon found by local social workers and put into the Damascus rehabilitation center for minors. Hiba felt safe for the first time in years and was comforted by the social workers at the center. It was clear that this could not become home though.
"When I first arrived, I was scared and terrified by what was going to happen to me next," Hiba said. "Soon, I was reassured by the presence of other girls in similar situations. We became sisters, they replaced my family. I also realized I was not an isolated case. A lot of girls need help and assistance."
Hiba remained in the centre for several weeks before being identified by a Syrian social worker who reported her plight to the UNHCR office in Damascus, which submitted her case urgently for resettlement. Canada answered the emergency call.
UNHCR protection officers say that in many asylum countries, an increasing number of Iraqi women and girls are being forced into sex work against their will, or are turning to it in desperation for economic reasons.
Aseer Al Madaien, UNHCR Protection Officer in Damascus, says UNHCR works hard to find women like Hiba who are being exploited. "With the support of Syrian institutions, we are constantly trying to increase our efforts in terms of prevention," says Al Madaien. "We are counting on the support of local partners, government offices and NGOs specifically targeting women at risk."
On the last day of 2008, the Syrian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the International Organization for Migration announced the establishment of the first shelter for victims of trafficking like Hiba. It aims to provide a safe haven for survivors of trafficking, with Iraqi women and their children being one of the target groups for assistance. This project, which also involves other UN agencies and local NGOs aims to build referral networks for survivors and it is hoped that other shelters will be established in the future.
According to the Syrian government, there are around 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, of whom more than 220,000 are registered with the UN refugee agency. Of these, more than 2,800 are women at risk. In 2007, UNHCR in Syria requested resettlement countries to accept 945 women and children at risk, but would like to find places in third countries for even more.
For Hiba, the future is finally looking brighter. Living safely in Canada now with a foster family, she recently gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Zaman, which means "time". Perhaps Hiba was thinking of the time ahead of her – time to recover, time to heal and time to start a new life
By Dalia al-Achi
in Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
* Name changed for protection reasons
http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/495b6a2d4.html
A childhood of rape and exploitation ends mercifully with a new life in Canada
DAMASCUS, Syria, Dec. 31 (UNHCR) – For any refugee, the chance to begin a new life in Canada is a coveted prize. But for Hiba,* wearing a huge smile as she approaches the departure gate at Damascus airport, the plane she's about to board means leaving behind the unimaginable horror of rape, exploitation, human trafficking and prison – a lifetime of torment lived by the age of 17.
Hiba's fate seemed to have been sealed when her mother left her with her father in Baghdad when she was just seven. When she was 15, he forced her into a mutaa marriage, or temporary marriage, with a cousin.
Under this traditional local custom, Hiba was informally married to her cousin for 48 hours, but he abandoned her after satisfying his lust. Her father refused to take her back.
Instead, he persuaded her they could find her mother in Syria, and set out to meet her. At the Iraqi-Syrian border, Hiba went to the restroom, only to discover her father was gone when she came out. Little did she know her father had sold her to a stranger. Hiba's nightmare was just beginning.
Trapped in a country where she knew no one, Hiba had no choice but to put her trust in the man who claimed he would protect her. Instead he brought her other men, who raped her in turn. A few days later she was taken to a club in Damascus, taught to belly dance provocatively to attract customers' attention, and was forced into sex work for nearly two years.
When she became pregnant, though, Hiba's captors abandoned her, leaving her on the streets to fend for herself. She was soon found by local social workers and put into the Damascus rehabilitation center for minors. Hiba felt safe for the first time in years and was comforted by the social workers at the center. It was clear that this could not become home though.
"When I first arrived, I was scared and terrified by what was going to happen to me next," Hiba said. "Soon, I was reassured by the presence of other girls in similar situations. We became sisters, they replaced my family. I also realized I was not an isolated case. A lot of girls need help and assistance."
Hiba remained in the centre for several weeks before being identified by a Syrian social worker who reported her plight to the UNHCR office in Damascus, which submitted her case urgently for resettlement. Canada answered the emergency call.
UNHCR protection officers say that in many asylum countries, an increasing number of Iraqi women and girls are being forced into sex work against their will, or are turning to it in desperation for economic reasons.
Aseer Al Madaien, UNHCR Protection Officer in Damascus, says UNHCR works hard to find women like Hiba who are being exploited. "With the support of Syrian institutions, we are constantly trying to increase our efforts in terms of prevention," says Al Madaien. "We are counting on the support of local partners, government offices and NGOs specifically targeting women at risk."
On the last day of 2008, the Syrian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the International Organization for Migration announced the establishment of the first shelter for victims of trafficking like Hiba. It aims to provide a safe haven for survivors of trafficking, with Iraqi women and their children being one of the target groups for assistance. This project, which also involves other UN agencies and local NGOs aims to build referral networks for survivors and it is hoped that other shelters will be established in the future.
According to the Syrian government, there are around 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, of whom more than 220,000 are registered with the UN refugee agency. Of these, more than 2,800 are women at risk. In 2007, UNHCR in Syria requested resettlement countries to accept 945 women and children at risk, but would like to find places in third countries for even more.
For Hiba, the future is finally looking brighter. Living safely in Canada now with a foster family, she recently gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Zaman, which means "time". Perhaps Hiba was thinking of the time ahead of her – time to recover, time to heal and time to start a new life
By Dalia al-Achi
in Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
* Name changed for protection reasons
http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/495b6a2d4.html
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