Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe - Iom

Trafficking in Human Beingsin Southeastern Europeings. Recently women’s NGOs have also become more active in the areas ofvictim protection, work with high-risk groups (sex workers) and advocacy.Albania2.3. Prevention and raising awarenessTo date, there has been no direct action taken by the government in the areaof prevention and raising awareness. The government has, however, providedsupport for the campaigns run by the NGOs aimed at preventing trafficking ofwomen and children (especially the State Committee for Equal Opportunities).IOM is planning an 18-month long campaign to provide information and raiseawareness aimed at potential victims of trafficking, the Albanian authorities,NGOs and the general public, to begin in 2002. The campaign will include datacollection, a nation-wide survey targeting potential women migrants, focusgroups and informal interviews and discussion. 156The information campaign will include the following dissemination mechanisms:• Training and grassroots networking, as part of the capacity buildingfor institutions dealing with trafficking;• Seminars and workshops with government officials;• “Basic facts” brochure, poster campaign, radio jingles and TV spots,TV documentaries, press releases and conferences, seminars for journalistsand support for a Trafficking Hotline.In co-operation with the University of London, IOM also organised a Training ofTrainers course on trafficking for the government officials and NGOs in 2001.OSCE is the co-ordinating body for international anti-trafficking efforts. Inaddition to holding regular meetings, either ad hoc or more formally constitutedFriends of Albania 157 meetings, OSCE produces a weekly newsletter.OSCE has supported the Women’s Rights and Anti-Trafficking EducationProject (WRATE), which began in November 2000 with the goal of raisingawareness in Albania to women’s rights under international human rights conventionsand domestic law, and to illustrate how trafficking is an abuse ofthose rights. The project included Training for Trainers in women’s humanrights and developing a curriculum in training in human rights and trafficking.Sixteen OSCE-trained Albanians conducted 49 seminars for more than 700people in the last six months of 2001. 158UNICEF has been supporting the NGOs Terre des Hommes and NPF to do outreachwork with children at high risk of being trafficked and their families.In October 2001 UNICEF started a new project on Rapid Assessment andResponse to HIV/AIDS. In Albania one of the target groups are sex workersand returned victims of trafficking.The international NGO Terre des Hommes (TdH) and the local NGO Help forChildren (NPF) are jointly implementing a prevention project for children andtheir families, including:• Training for teachers in anti-trafficking prevention work;• Debates and meetings in schools;156.Project for the prevention of trafficking in women though awareness raising andinstitutional capacity building, IOM, Tirana 2001.157.Friends of Albania is the co-ordinating body for all bilateral missions and international,governmental and non-governmental organisations involved in providing assistance toAlbania. The OSCE holds the Chair of Friends of Albania.158.“The OSCE Presence and Trafficking”, OSCE document, 24 October, 2001, p.2.133