Monthly Archives: April 2013

The US and Human Trafficking: A Foreign Policy Hypocrisy?

         As a result of a profound speech made by President Obama at the Clinton Foundation on September 25th 2012, there has been much hope, especially since his later re-election, that the issue and barbarity that is Human Trafficking would take a prioritised place in US Foreign Policy. Statements such as,

“I want to discuss an issue that…ought to concern every person, because it’s a debasement of our common humanity”

rang out powerfully from the centre stage in a room packed full of leaders.  Supposedly since the end of the Cold War we now live in an era where Human Security, as opposed to the interests and security of the State, plays a more central role in governing foreign policy decisions – particularly for the most powerful nation in the world.

Surely Human Trafficking- the deception and movement of people for the purpose of exploitation which results in the modern day enslavement of millions- is one if not THE biggest threat to the human security of our populations as it is so detrimental to our society that it transcends all barriers, borders, ages and races. The question is however, is human trafficking going take its deserved place in international affairs, or it is that an American dream fraught with hypocrisy?

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“We Suited Up!”: ‘Taxis against Trafficking’ campaign gets go-ahead from Canterbury Council.

“We’ve suited up!”:  Friday 19th April. Meeting with the Canterbury Council Taxi Licensing Officers about supporting Stop the Traffik’s ‘Taxis against Trafficking’ campaign- to be launched in Canterbury 2013-2014.

The meeting to get the council’s backing on launching Stop the Traffik’s ‘Taxis against Trafficking’ awareness campaign in Canterbury went exceptionally amazing. Once we explained the scale and variety of human trafficking in the UK and Kent, that it can happen through and around small cities; even Oxford and Canterbury and particularly the significance of our proximity to Dover; they were extremely supportive and we got all the aims we wanted out of the meeting, and more…

1) Canterbury council to endorse the campaign to give it more credibility. (Checking with their Legal office before official)

2) Distributing a sticker and leaflet into the welcome pack of every NEW taxi driver and cab that is licensed with the council (6-8 new a month) … starting from now – dropping off 100x stickers and accompanying information this week.

2b) OLD cabs that are getting their annual license renewed for the best longer term difference so the campaign and awareness is sustainable and it means that eventually EVERY cab will have a sticker (even the independents). Licensing Officer mentioned that it could be possible to make it a compulsory condition in taxi regulations (will have to check with legal).

3) Allow us to attend one of the Taxi Forums to inform taxi drivers and companies about the campaign. TAXI FORUM DATE: 22nd MAY . 40-60 drivers average in attendance and we can present about the campaign, set up a stall and distribute stickers to them to give to their drivers.

4) Supply us with a list of currently licensed taxi companies and independent drivers so we can make sure we cover as many as possible… didn’t get this totally because it’s over 700 cabs and x2 the amount of drivers, but as they will get a sticker when their license is renewed they will eventually be covered within 12-18 months. Aiming for 500/700 cabs if all goes well.

5) As this means we’lll need another 300-500 stickers in the long-term, we’re certainly need to get some external funding and/or more fundraising. One of the officers mentioned it might be something they could ask for funding for us from the council  (a long shot considering the budget cuts, but it’s worth an ask). We’re going to speak to Kent Union if it’s possible to apply for a project fund of £200-300 from Volfed for the campaign for the committee next year.

6) Publish information about it in their newsletter and email blast that goes to everyone- We need to send them a press release ASAP.

7) Mentioned ways we could get more publicity e.g doing a taxi ‘wrap’ – so getting funding to have the campaign poster on the WHOLE of a taxi cab or one of the doors or getting a large door sticker produced- this type of advertisement is extremely expensive but lasts 12-18 months. We can also contact stagecoach about putting a poster in their buses.

7b) At the Taxi Forum on 22nd May to publicise that we have a website that we will be publishing all the taxi firms that are supporting this campaign with their phone numbers for their publicity. The sticker will be like the Fair-trade logo of the taxi world!

7c) We are getting another radio interview with CSR (University of Kent Radio) set up for end of May for publicity but also as a taxi company wants to pledge their support live on air. We will be contacting other local radio stations and particular local newspapers to spread the word of mouth.- Need a press release.

8) Help us get in touch with the licensing officer for Crawley which covers Heathrow and Gatwick airport to see if the campaign can spread to that area. Need to get in touch with Stop the Traffik to see if this is already happening and if not where funding can come from.

8b) The campaign can now spread to Medway now that we have Ashford, Canterbury, Thanet and I think Shepton and Folkestone on board, Maidstone/Sevenoaks & Tonbridge & Malling are also possibilities.

9) They recommended we contacted our local councillors as the elections are in a couple of weeks as well as speaking to our MP Julian Brazier and PCC Ann Barnes to weigh in on making Kent a Hostile area to traffickers. As former police officers themselves, the licensing officers agreed on how important it was to make it an issue that was a performance indicator for Kent Police for it to start to be taken more seriously. Research done recently by the Centre for Social Justice said, “there is more incentive to investigate a shed burglar”  than to investigate human trafficking.

For more information on this campaign, check out the ‘Taxis against Trafficking’ page. For our contact information, ‘Does Human Trafficking really happen in and through Kent?’ and our events this academic year- check out our ‘About’ page.

2nd April team meeting update- Exciting stuff!

      UPDATE                    UKC AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING   2nd April 2013

Just a quick update on the minutes from our end of term meeting, was one of the best! It’s a shame not many people could attend but we had 3 guests, here’s what you missed!

  • Cliff Grieve, our partner from Ashford’s Kent Community against Trafficking and the advisory forum to the All Parliamentary Group joined to meet some of the group, share his experiences on the taxi campaign and give some exciting news that what they’ve been campaigning rotary for 12 years for has finally happened: Rotary and it’s (1.2 million members worldwide) have adopted child-slavery/trafficking as a cause they’re going to campaign against. Rotary have been a major organisation that have been part of the near-eradication of Polio which goes to show what they can do.
  • We filled people in on some exciting stuff from the government advisory forum we went to in London a couple weeks ago (will upload notes) where we heard Baroness Butler-Sloss speak, Anthony Steen, ECPAT UK, Salvation Army and the guy who literally WROTE the Centre for Social Justice Report which has been shaking up Westminster by calling for government reform on tackling trafficking speak.
  • Elom, a student from Medway & charity Rwareness attended, they are doing some awesome awareness via social media and graphic design (check out their website http://www.rwareness.com/gallery-2/ and Facebook page) and they want to work with us maybe on the taxi campaign and joint events next year which is really exciting!
  • Beth, who is a friend of Maya and next year’s Kent Union women’s officer (I think I’ve got that right) and signed up with us at Freshers Fayre really wants to get involved with us, and she has a petition we can weigh in on over a new “entertainment/strip club” they want to build here. More details to follow.
  • Taxis against Trafficking UPDATE: Sadly our meeting with the Canterbury council was cancelled and rescheduled until 19th April. But in the meantime we’re going to coordinate phoning a couple taxi co.’s a week to start to plug the campaign and update the blog on progress.
  • We also agreed on doing a stall at Eco-fest on campus in the 3rd week of May with a Fair Trade theme which will be a great opportunity to plug consumer awareness, get involved in a different campaign and team up with the Fair Trade society on Campus.
  •  Summer Volunteering Opportunity! Stop the traffik are doing another volunteering campaign ‘European Communities against Trafficking’ during the summer, a bit like the Olympics Gift. Box project that Dipa, Alex and myself did last year. The project involves engaging and communicating with the local community about what human trafficking it is and how they can be part of bringing about a stop to trafficking. They are looking for volunteers for schools work, community talks, street awareness raising, leaflet distribution and/or business engagement in London.

I can’t stress how much we got out of doing this kind of thing because they give great training, builds up confidence, you get much more understanding of what human trafficking is and how to stop it and it’s awesome volunteering experience for your CV. The next training day you can join up for is Wed 17th April so not far! Email Katie.barker@stopthetraffik.org for an information pack and details.

WELL DONE FOR AN AWESOME YEAR SO FAR. Check out  the ‘About’ page on our blog for a list of our events and articles especially if you’re logging E&V volunteering hours and need a refresher. https://ukcagainsthumantrafficking.wordpress.com/about/ .

Have a great Easter. Any questions email us ukcpeopletraffikfree@gmail.com or comment below.