CORRUPTION

International Affairs Forum Fall 2016
Overlaps in service provision is inefficient
Respondent C, in the Benelux region, highlighted the need to avoid overlaps in service provision,
saying that their organization prefers to “fill in gaps”, rather than reinventing or replicating what
is already being done. Developing collaborative multilateral platforms like that of NAPTIP,
communication, networking and coordination, could help to reduce service overlap.
Influencing policy is a slow process
The difficulty of achieving substantive public action was noted by two respondents, with respondent
A mentioning that “working to influence and support government policy does not produce immediate
results.” Respondent D observed that, while there is a lot of talk around TIP, there is not always a lot
of action. The paucity of results from governments may help explain the growth of NGOs working in
the field.
The role of religious organizations in countering TIP is ambiguous
Two survey respondents mentioned the role of religious organizations in countering TIP. Respondent
B stated that “[r]eligious based organizations are very dangerous and can often cause more harm
than good… They are often proselytizing the clients…instead of providing them with the correct
support.” They emphasized that regulation of the non-profit sector, religious or otherwise, is by
donors. This lack of accountability may not necessarily lead to positive outcomes for TIP victims, and
perhaps presents an area for legislative regulation.
Respondent C meanwhile described their organization as “connecting with” churches in the area,
“bringing an awareness of human trafficking”, and working toward getting prevention messages into
schools. Irrespective of the role of religion within NGOs, it is clear that churches are important social
locations for many communities, and as such are an important site for promoting education in relation
to TIP.
The role of the media is ambiguous
Respondent E described an ambiguous role for the media in TIP, writing that they “play a role in
stereotyping by focusing on victim stories.” This reflects research carried out under the TRACE
project, which confirmed that media reports focus predominantly on sexual exploitation and “conflates
human trafficking with prostitution” (TRACE, 2014, p. 65). The focus is on “sensationalised victim
stories”, rather than the nature of trafficking, or the socio-economic conditions that facilitate it.
While the media plays an important role in raising awareness of the existence of TIP, and retaining
it on political agendas, it has occasionally “harmed the privacy” of trafficked persons, rendering the
media’s role ambiguous (TRACE, 2014). Engaging the media in relation to TIP may prove helpful in
redressing this ambiguity.
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