Telford child trafficking: Why are we letting the issue of race distract us from the real crime?
On Friday evening, four members of the STOP THE TRAFFIK team in London attended a preview screening of a documentary made for Channel 4 entitled “The Hunt for Britain’s Sex Gangs”. In short, it was powerful, enthralling and absolutely vital viewing. It’s out on Channel 4 next Thursday 23rd May at 9 p.m.: don’t miss … Read more
STOP THE TRAFFIK in Germany
Last week our CEO Ruth had the honour of travelling to Hamburg to speak at the 34th Kirchentag. This is a five-day gathering of Christians of all ages and backgrounds to discuss burning and important topics of the day. Ruth sat on two panel discussions, one on human trafficking and the other more specifically on … Read more
Time to Cotton On
I think to some extent we all know what we’re doing when we shop at bargain stores. People talk about the “guilt” of stepping into a Primark or Walmart, because we know that things shouldn’t be that cheap. We know that something’s gone wrong somewhere along the line. The trouble is, it’s often not that … Read more
The Power Of Networking
As anyone who works for a charity will tell you, one of the most important parts of our work is creating networks. To me as a student, “networking” was a dirty word, and networking events were attended only by smug people who wanted to tell everyone how great they are. I did go once, to … Read more
Launch: SPOT THE TRAFFIK
WHAT DOES A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN TRAFFICKED LOOK LIKE? SPOT THE TRAFFIK: A tool to equip community members and frontline professionals to identify and help victims of trafficking. A local authority employee may be the only person to enter a house and see someone who is trapped and being exploited. STOP THE TRAFFIK has … Read more
GIFT Box Brasil
It’s been eight months since we basked in the golden glow of the London Olympics, and its effect on our happiness and the economy is still being felt. The effect of our UN GIFT Box project is still being felt too, as this post explores… I want to tell you a story. It involves one … Read more
#2 – The Argument for Ethical Consumption
In the first post of this series, we looked at the most common counter-argument to ethical living – that it’s too expensive. The more aware you become of Certified products, the more you realise that Certification is not restricted to luxury items. There are, however, further cries of protest that can be made… so let’s … Read more
Women of Strength
“I’m quickly learning that if I thought I knew about human trafficking before, I was in for a rude awakening about the depths and unfathomable truths of this modern day epidemic.” Sometimes it’s not enough to read about these stories on the internet or in the news. Sometimes, as Suzanne discovered, you have to … Read more
Focus On: Domestic Servitude
In Greek mythology, the hero Hercules defeated the many-headed Hydra, which grew two new heads for each one he chopped off, using a firebrand and a golden sword given to him by Athena. Human trafficking, a global, many-headed crime, is our modern-day Hydra. It takes many forms – from sex trafficking to forced labour to … Read more
#1 – The Argument for Ethical Consumption
Recession-hit, saddled with student debt and no hope in hell of a job, the last thing on the mind of a young graduate such as myself might be spending a bit extra to help an unknown, unseen cocoa farmer… But does it actually cost more? If you’ve come across STOP THE TRAFFIK before you … Read more
It Happens Here…
Today the Centre for Social Justice released a report “It Happens Here” detailing what they call a ‘shameful’ failure to address human trafficking in the UK. This report calls for a more victim centred approach and comprehensive training of professionals. If this has caught your attention and you want to know how you can respond … Read more
Choose certified chocolate & campaign for change this Fairtrade Fortnight
Flicking through the Metro this week, I‘ve noticed sprawling two page adverts for Nestle’s two-finger Kit Kat, proudly announcing it’s new status as Fairtrade certified. This is a great step for our campaign, as another iconic chocolate bar becomes certified, and also tied in neatly with the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight on Monday. This year, … Read more
Mondeléz – Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail!
Mondeléz need our help! Following our campaign for a traffik-free Toblerone last year, the global chocolate giant behind Cadbury and Toblerone announced $400m plans to work against human trafficking and other abuses rife in their cocoa supply chains. This big promise sat alongside huge revenues for the company: $9.5bn at the end of 2012. Despite the … Read more
Bad Romance?
It’s that time of year again, when the world turns pink with sentimental cards, heart-shaped chocolates and long-stemmed roses. Happy Valentines Day! Whether you swoon with satisfaction or retch with repulsion at the thought of Valentine’s Day, it’s hard to deny that these days, it’s taken on a life of its own. According to some … Read more
STOP THE TRAFFIK Is Recruiting…
Last week, our UK team received the bittersweet news that after years of incredibly dedicated and successful service, our National Leader Bex Keer will be stepping down in April 2013. Reflecting on the decision, Bex remarked: Making this decision feels a little bit like leaving the best job in the world. So, this is an … Read more
An Exciting New Project…
We’re happy to announce a new project from STOP THE TRAFFIK in the UK… Along with our partners at Sea Communications, we’ve been selected by the UK government to develop new victim-centred training tools for frontline professionals to better identify and report human trafficking. Congratulations to NSPCC, Eaves, Thames Reach and the Counter Trafficking Bureau who have also … Read more
Slavery: Can You Spot It Outside the Cinema?
Have you been to the cinema lately? If so, there are a few syllables that won’t have escaped your attention. Lincoln and Django – two big budget films on slavery, from some of the biggest names in Hollywood (Spielberg and Tarantino). A great boost to public awareness, right? Well, not exactly. With all this buzz about the … Read more
STOP THE TRAFFIK: Eagerly Seeking Interns
Great news, friends! STOP THE TRAFFIK’s 2013 intern programme is now open for applications! We are looking for two talented interns to join the team at our London headquarters. The four-month internship begins in February (specific dates are negotiable), and is an exceptional opportunity to take on real responsibility, develop valuable skills and build momentum … Read more
Babies, Brides and The Everyday Demand for Human Trafficking
I do love a good urban myth. You can usually spot them a mile off. You know, the kind of story that you desperately want to be true because it makes for a fantastic mental picture- like the idea that Isaac Newton discovered gravity via a falling apple, or that the world would be put … Read more
The Delhi Murder Trials: A Death and a Wake-Up Call
‘Eve teasing’. When I first heard the expression, it sounded like some kind of children’s game or innocuous mischief, like blowing a raspberry or pulling at someone’s pigtails. In India, the term has darker associations – a common euphemism for public sexual harassment of women; a theme which has made headlines recently with the trial … Read more
New Year: Resolution Vs Disillusion
2012 has passed, thankfully with no Apocalypse to speak of. Still, it’s an ominous moment for many of us: the season to be jolly is breathing it’s last, and the fearful season of resolutions has begun… If you’re anything like me, New Year’s Resolutions are heavy-handed and short-lived. Determined as a drunk uncle’s dancing on … Read more
Santa’s Sweatshop
For all the talk of Christmas as a time of peace, it’s remarkable how much conflict can materialise at this time of year. From family feuds to nativity displays, it seems the tiniest of details can tick people off during the season of goodwill! Even Santa can’t escape the yuletide flak. This poster-boy of Coca-Cola … Read more
Christmas Message from Ruth Dearnley, STOP THE TRAFFIK CEO
Christmas Message from Ruth Dearnley, STOP THE TRAFFIK CEO Dear friends A GIFT BOX ISN’T JUST FOR CHRISTMAS There’s so much to tell you and thank you for what you have helped us achieve through your words, actions and donations. GIFT box The past year has been full of many surprises for STOP THE TRAFFIK. … Read more
The Business of Trafficking: Risks and Rewards
It’s an old cliché for businesses to talk about people being “our greatest assets”. Many a Human Resources department will wax lyrical on this point, to win the best recruits and, in turn, the highest profit margins. Whether or not you buy into the cliché, there’s one area in which it holds true… Human trafficking. According … Read more
Land of Hope and… Apathy?
One of my favourite comics is a series of sketches called ‘The British Character’, produced in the satirical magazine Punch during the 1930s. As the name suggests, it’s a brilliant send-up of the oddities of “British” personalities. In one particular sketch, captioned “Political Apathy”, a scruffy political enthusiast tries in vain to provoke some passion in … Read more
People and Profits: What’s the Bottom Line?
With around 140 years of trading under it’s belt, investment firm Goldman Sachs has courted it’s share of controversy over the years. In one particularly memorable stunt, filmmaker Michael Moore went as far as wrapping the firm’s New York headquarters in police tape and declaring it a ‘crime scene’, given it’s visible hand in the 2008 … Read more
Dr Kraft and Mr Mondelēz?
ATTENTION SHOPPERS… The name Kraft that you know so well from being stamped on all kinds of popular foodstuffs, from Dairylea cheese to Dairy Milk chocolate, has decided to do some shape shifting. The artist formerly known as Kraft, who seem reluctant to clean up their trafficking-friendly cocoa supply chains in the Ivory Coast, have … Read more
PCC, easy as 1-2-3
Allo, allo, allo… Just one day until PCC elections take place across most of the UK! Regarded by some as ‘the biggest shake-up in years’ for UK policing, the elections are certainly sparking debate, with many questioning the allegiance of candidates, who are typically aligned with political parties. Partisan politics aside, the PCC elections pose … Read more
Castles, Cannabis and Constables: The PCC Elections
They say that “an Englishman’s home is his castle”. I don’t know what you think of when you hear the word castle. For me it awakens memories of drizzly days walking around remote fortresses with huge unfriendly walls and neat, lavish interiors. The sort of place where you could live in undisturbed solitude for years … Read more
Where does the buck stop?
The stark link between big business and human trafficking was hard to ignore this week in the Guardian report of ‘trafficked and beaten’ workers collecting chickens for Freedom foods. In a joint operation between Kent police, the GLA and the Serious Organised Crime Agency 30 Lithuanian workers were liberated from a gangmaster company in Kent. … Read more
