Sammy Osborn - have you seen her?

Sammy Osborn is missing. She is seventeen years old.

Her mother is looking for her, misses her, wants her to come back home. She has been missing for one and a half years.

It is possible that Sammy has become a victim of human trafficking. Before she was taken from her home, her family and school noticed signs that she was being groomed for the sex industry. She carried a second ‘secret’ phone used for sex talk and had an abusive boyfriend who isolated Sammy from her family before she disappeared.

Sammy used to live in Bristol. There are many other children and teenagers like Sammy who go missing in the UK. STOP THE TRAFFIK believes that trafficking is wrong. If you know of anyone who has gone missing, they may have become victims of trafficking. See our website www.stopthetraffik.org/getinvolved/act to find out what you can do to help find that missing person. CROP (The Coalition for the Removal of Pimping) also reaches out to victims of sex trafficking. Valuable information is also available on their website, www.crop1.org.uk

 

UNCHOSEN Bristol Film Festival

If you’re anywhere near Bristol, UK, this weekend, then look out for UNCHOSEN, the Bristol film festival showing films that talk about slavery and people trafficking.

We are amazed to find out that the film festival was really the brainchild of one energetic and enthusiastic lady – Trish Davidson – check this blog next week to hear what Trish has to say when STOP THE TRAFFIK interviewed her…

And if you’re not in Bristol, catch some of these films anyway! The Bristol Film Festival has decided to show films including:

AMAZING GRACE, the recently released film about the abolition of the slave trade in the eighteenth century,

GHOSTS, a disturbing story of a Chinese girl who was smuggled into the UK,

SEX TRAFFICK, a highly acclaimed and challenging film about the billion dollar sex trade happening right here in Europe,

HOLLY, a story about the suffering of a young girl trapped in a brothel in Cambodia.

You can find these films at Amazon.com or in a shop near you. You can get to know about the history of slavery, the story of slaves and trafficked people while watching some fantastic film!

 

STOP THE TRAFFIK film of the week

 

STOP THE TRAFFIK want to send a massive thank you to Matt and his amazing STOP THE TRAFFIK Freestyle Video. We love the concept and appreciate that Matt’s brought STOP THE TRAFFIK and its message into the things he loves doing.

And we think he’s a dab hand with a ball!

Please put your STOP THE TRAFFIK thoughts and ideas into a short film and get your friends and community watching it. Get them on the internet. Send them to us.

We want to feature your video on our newsfeed!

 

 

 

 

THE WORLD’S LARGEST CHOCOLATE FONDUE

 

STOP THE TRAFFIK are calling people from all countries around the world to unite during the last week of November 2008

…. to celebrate a mutual love for chocolate while at the same time joining together, sharing the message with friends, family and neighbours, calling for the end of child trafficking labour in the manufacture of our chocolate.

Download your part organisers pack, invites, party games, fondue recipes from www.stopthetraffik.org/fondueparty

 

Technorati Tags: STOP THE TRAFFIK,Chocolate fondue,party,campaign,child trafficking,cocoa,west africa,ivory coast,cocoa farms

Spanish Traffik Stoppers

Christian Writer Isabel Pavón gave a creative writing workshop around the issue of human trafficking at Calatayud’s city hall (near Zaragoza).

The workshop included the symbolic act of rescuing women from trafficking nets.

What skills do you have to use to tell others that people are trafficked and inspire them to STOP THE TRAFFIK in their community?

 

Technorati Tags: creative writing,spain,calatayud,awareness raising

A HUGE THANK YOU to Miriam, a 12 year old TRAFFIK STOPPER

 

Miriam, A 12 year old TRAFFIK STOPPER organised a STOP THE TRAFFIK stall to raise awareness of the issue people trafficking at her school fete and raise money through selling Freedom Keys and Badges. 

Miriam says “It was really good because we told people about trafficking and they really listened. One of the things we did on the stall so that it wasn’t just a shop was have a freedom wall that people could sign. We also had a ‘guess the number of badges in the jar’ competition, the winner getting a FairTrade cake (which was made by me, using FairTrade ingredients).” 

Me beside the stall wearing a STOP THE TRAFFIK t-shirt

 

 

Technorati Tags: STOP THE TRAFFIK,human trafficking,school fete,awareness raising,fundraising,fair trade

Los Angeles Annual Sport Fun(d)raiser for

It’s time again for the Oasis USA/STOP THE TRAFFIK annual sport fun(d)raiser!  Come join us for a community swim and run.  This year the swim will be hosted at the new La Mirada Aquatic Center with a run through beautiful La Mirada Regional Park.

Mark your calendars and start training!  More information on registration and volunteer opportunities are coming soon www.oasisusa.org

Technorati Tags: OASIS USA,STOP THE TRAFFIK USA,sport,fundraiser,swim,run,La Mirada Aquatic Center,La Mirada Park

Bristol Film Festival Against Human Trafficking

Technorati Tags: Human trafficking,films,human rights,film festival,award winning,directors,bristol,STOP THE TRAFFIK,Daughters of Cambodia,Ghosts

20th-25th October.  See Award Winning Films.  Meet the Directors. 

An innovative project, addressing Human Trafficking through award winning films, with talks by directors, live performances and hand out literature.

100% of the ticket price of £5.50 thanks to our sponsors will be going directly to our charities.

 Find out more about the films and venues at www.unchosen.org.uk

Ban on Oxford Street advertising to highlight issue of human trafficking

On the final weekday before a ban on ‘GOLF SALE’ banner advertising in Westminster we took to Oxford Street with similar advertising – but for a ‘HUMAN SALE’.

We handed out flyers for the ‘HUMAN SALE’ which advertised ‘A great selection of humans, new and used, imported from all around the world.’ along with a price list.  In researching info for the stunt we found out that people had been bought in the UK for as little as £500.  The average price is £2-3,000.  And the highest figure was £8,000.  We are talking about people here. Being sold as a commodity.

The stunt was created by Saatchi & Saatchi X (the activational arm of Saatchi & Saatchi).

 

Technorati Tags: Oxford Street advertising Ban,advertising,human trafficking,people trafficking,campaign,golf sale,saatchi

Freedom In a Bag

Each one tells a story of one woman’s journey to freedom.

She used to stand with 6,000 other people exploited through prostitution, many trafficked to a small but well known area of North Calcutta. She didn’t choose her profession; it chose her. Poverty does that. It robs people of their dignity and children of their innocence.

She still lives in the same area, but instead of selling her body she makes Freeset Bags. Now she has choices, the choice to work decent hours for decent pay, to re-establish her dignity in her community and to learn to read and write. Now her daughter won’t have to stand in the street selling her body like her mother used to.

Freedom has been passed on to the next generation.

Buy your STOP THE TRAFFIK bag at Freeset

 

Technorati Tags: people trafficking,human trafficking,freeset bags,india,calcutta,prostituion,sexual exploitation,freedom