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CARITAS HELLAS in the fight against the contemporary slave-trade ( Trafficking)

During 2005, for the second continuous year, Caritas Hellas participated in the European Union programme AGIS – Trafficking ( Illegal transport of people) - Sensitisation for Prevention, together with other European organizations: Caritas Diocesana di Roma ( Italy), Problem Center “Gender” (Latvia, A.D.A.P. (Spain), Balne Romania Asociatia Pentru Comunicare Sociala ( Romania), AIDS Information & Support Center, Bulgaria Youth Prevention Balne (Bulgaria) and Missing Persons Families Support Center (Lithuania).

For the implementation of the AGIS programme Caritas Hellas collaborated with the Network of European Women and the Press Office of the Catholic Hierarchy of Greece .

Also, following our application to them, the Athens Metropolitan Railway granted us leave to display relevant posters in Metro stations. In Syros a local television station hosted the Caritas Hellas representatives in a broadcast presenting the problem of trafficking. Lastly on 14 May 2005 Caritas Hellas organized a meeting on the subject “ Trafficking - Sensitisation for Prevention” in a hall offered by the Leondeio Lykeio Patission , with the speakers as follows:

• Most Reverend Anthony Varthalitis, Archbishop, President of Caritas Hellas

• Dr Anna Clemente, Director Settore Ricerca, Caritas Roma

• Ms Elena Koundoura, Member of Parliament N D A Athens, Deputy , Department of Culture - Equality and Human Rights

• Mr George Pigadiotis, Brigaddier

• Ms Marina Rota, Sociologist-Criminologist, Responsible for PACT-Athens, ARSIS

• Fr Eduardo Fartan, Theologian, Responsible for Romanian community in Athens

A lot of interesting information was heard and it was concluded that the various measures needed shouldn’t be restricted only to helping the victims and controlling the borders or the illegal trade, but that weight should be given to informing the young and to the improvement of the education of people working in fields related to the fight against Trafficking.

The rest of the programme (AGIS 2006) is directed towards this goal, with, since approved by the European Union, the participation of Caritas Hellas with Caritas Rome and other organizations from European countries.

The main obligation of Caritas Hellas will be the organization of Panhellenic seminars directed towards making the problem of trafficking of people more widely known and the public better informed about the modern slave-trade.

TRAFFICKING :
CONTEMPORARY SLAVERY

Today, in our society, where the way of life and thinking has changed, the term “slavery’ has changed too. Slavery, in the old meaning of the word, no longer exists.

The modern slave-trade, or trafficking is the illegal transport of people, mainly women and children. Evey year people are bought, sold, transported and imprisoned against their will. Thus there are contemporary ‘ slaves” today.

A slave is the man who waits by the roadside of a town or village for someone to pass by and call him to do a day’s work, for an extremely low one day’s wage for dangerous or very hard work that we don’t want to do ourselves. This is called exploitation.

A slave is the woman who helps us in the house or looks after elderly people without being allowed to fall sick or to take an hour or a day off.

A slave is the woman who is forced to prostitute herself against her will on the streets or in hotels.

A slave is the child who begs on the street and whom we give money without thinking that in this way we are contributing to his exploitation.

A slave is the child who is sexually abused by someone, often someone rich and with a prominent social position.

A slave is the child who is abducted and killed for his vital organs for transplant by criminal rings of doctors who sell them for rich people who can shut mouths. In most cases these children are not buried but are thrown into hospital waste units and afterwards incinerated.

Because of her geographical position, Greece is the country of entry for victims of trafficking. These are usually migrants who have been promised a better wage.

In this way they arrive in Greece and their exploitation begins.

Have we ever stopped to think about where these people come from?

Have we ever thought that it could have been us if we had been born in a poor country or that it could have been our father, our mother, our sister or worse still our child.

How do we cope with that ? What’s our position ?

Lets take a minute to think…… and examine our conscience….


			Efforts during the last two years Activities 1999

CARITAS HELLAS in the fight against the contemporary slave-trade ( Trafficking) During 2005, for the second continuous year, Caritas Hellas participated in the European Union programme AGIS – Trafficking ( Illegal transport of people) - Sensitisation for Prevention, together with other European organizations: Caritas Diocesana di Roma ( Italy), Problem Center “Gender” (Latvia, A.D.A.P. (Spain), Balne Romania Asociatia Pentru Comunicare Sociala ( Romania), AIDS Information & Support Center, Bulgaria Youth Prevention Balne (Bulgaria) and Missing Persons Families Support Center (Lithuania). For the implementation of the AGIS programme Caritas Hellas collaborated with the Network of European Women and the Press Office of the Catholic Hierarchy of Greece . Also, following our application to them, the Athens Metropolitan Railway granted us leave to display relevant posters in Metro stations. In Syros a local television station hosted the Caritas Hellas representatives in a broadcast presenting the problem of trafficking. Lastly on 14 May 2005 Caritas Hellas organized a meeting on the subject “ Trafficking - Sensitisation for Prevention” in a hall offered by the Leondeio Lykeio Patission , with the speakers as follows: • Most Reverend Anthony Varthalitis, Archbishop, President of Caritas Hellas • Dr Anna Clemente, Director Settore Ricerca, Caritas Roma • Ms Elena Koundoura, Member of Parliament N D A Athens, Deputy , Department of Culture - Equality and Human Rights • Mr George Pigadiotis, Brigaddier • Ms Marina Rota, Sociologist-Criminologist, Responsible for PACT-Athens, ARSIS • Fr Eduardo Fartan, Theologian, Responsible for Romanian community in Athens A lot of interesting information was heard and it was concluded that the various measures needed shouldn’t be restricted only to helping the victims and controlling the borders or the illegal trade, but that weight should be given to informing the young and to the improvement of the education of people working in fields related to the fight against Trafficking. The rest of the programme (AGIS 2006) is directed towards this goal, with, since approved by the European Union, the participation of Caritas Hellas with Caritas Rome and other organizations from European countries. The main obligation of Caritas Hellas will be the organization of Panhellenic seminars directed towards making the problem of trafficking of people more widely known and the public better informed about the modern slave-trade. TRAFFICKING : CONTEMPORARY SLAVERY Today, in our society, where the way of life and thinking has changed, the term “slavery’ has changed too. Slavery, in the old meaning of the word, no longer exists. The modern slave-trade, or trafficking is the illegal transport of people, mainly women and children. Evey year people are bought, sold, transported and imprisoned against their will. Thus there are contemporary ‘ slaves” today. A slave is the man who waits by the roadside of a town or village for someone to pass by and call him to do a day’s work, for an extremely low one day’s wage for dangerous or very hard work that we don’t want to do ourselves. This is called exploitation. A slave is the woman who helps us in the house or looks after elderly people without being allowed to fall sick or to take an hour or a day off. A slave is the woman who is forced to prostitute herself against her will on the streets or in hotels. A slave is the child who begs on the street and whom we give money without thinking that in this way we are contributing to his exploitation. A slave is the child who is sexually abused by someone, often someone rich and with a prominent social position. A slave is the child who is abducted and killed for his vital organs for transplant by criminal rings of doctors who sell them for rich people who can shut mouths. In most cases these children are not buried but are thrown into hospital waste units and afterwards incinerated. Because of her geographical position, Greece is the country of entry for victims of trafficking. These are usually migrants who have been promised a better wage. In this way they arrive in Greece and their exploitation begins. Have we ever stopped to think about where these people come from? Have we ever thought that it could have been us if we had been born in a poor country or that it could have been our father, our mother, our sister or worse still our child. How do we cope with that ? What’s our position ? Lets take a minute to think…… and examine our conscience….