campaigns

‘time for a®rest’ postcard campaign

Following the successful police actions against trafficking this year, we congratulate the Government on setting up the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC). To enable the UKHTC to eradicate trafficking we press the Government to sign The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The convention is the first International treaty to provide minimum standards for protection of victims of trafficking. It recognises trafficking as a violation of human rights, and requires states which become parties to take measures to prevent trafficking, to prosecute those responsible and to protect the rights of the victims.

These measures include adopting procedures to identify victims of trafficking, and provide assistance for them. The assistance and support offered should include safe housing, information about their rights as a victim, medical assistance, both physical and psychological, and interpretation services.

The convention also includes provision for a recovery and reflection period of not less than 30 days, during which victims, through the support offered as above, can begin to come to terms with their ordeal and work towards recovery, and to make decisions about their best course of action for the future without fear of deportation or arrest. A period of reflection and support for trafficked women is essential for their recovery, and to enable the successful prosecution of the pimps and traffickers. We urge the Government to announce that it will sign the Convention as soon as possible

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CHASTE has launched this postcard campaign to urge the UK government to sign the Convention. These postcards can be filled in and sent to your local MP. If you would like to receive any postcards to send, please be in touch with us at:

PO Box 983  

Cambridge

CB3 8WY

Or email [email protected]

If you would like to see both sides of the postcard, you can view the pdf here.

[The postcard should be available to send via email in the near future, however for the time being we would prefer people to send the actual postcards – please do not print copies of this pdf.]

Thank you for your support

To help fight sex trafficking you are urged to:

• Join CHASTE as a friend to support CHASTE’s work
• Consider your part in providing safe housing for those who have been through terrible ordeals. The Sanctuary Project is our contribution to this struggle.
• Consider whether you have any experience or skills that you can offer to CHASTE – contact our team to see what is needed at present for practical support of our work [email protected]
• Support the petition put together by the Party of European Socialists, which was handed to José Manuel Barroso, European Commission’s President, urging him to take action against the trafficking of women.
• Buy and send CHASTE greetings cards.  Depicting a dancer in oils by artist Penny Warden (www.pennywarden.com) the inside reads, in modern rendition of Psalm 30:11, "He has turned my grief into dancing, released me from my chains and clothed me with joy".  To order a pack of 8 including one free postcard, send a cheque for £5 made payable to CHASTE to PO Box 983 , Cambridge CB3 8WY.

 Image © Penny Warden

CAMPAIGN SUCCESS

Sport Relief

We are delighted to announce that on 16th May CHASTE received an email from the BBC, informing us that they would not be going ahead with the ‘Strictly Come Pole Dancing’ event for Comic Relief. Thank you to everyone who submitted their views on this (see below) to the BBC.

The Campaign:

"This year Sport Relief, as part of Comic Relief, has plans to include in its fundraising activities an event called ‘Strictly come Pole Dancing.’ CHASTE is joining with many other organisations across the country to protest against this, since Pole Dancing is an activity associated with the sex trade industry.

Comic Relief has done much valuable work in the past towards helping vulnerable people, and has supported many women’s sector projects. Incorporating this activity into their fundraising, we feel, would be ethically compromising to Comic Relief, and to other organisations who may wish to apply to them for funding.

If you would like to join us in protesting against the inclusion of this event, you can go via the internet onto the BBC website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/sport_relief/4957712.stm, and submit your views directly to the BBC about this subject. Alternatively, you can write to the board of trustees at:

Comic Relief UK

5th floor

89 Albert Embankment

London

SE1 7TP

Thank you for your support"

CHASTE Not for Sale campaign success

CHASTE congratulates the Government on their ratification of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Trans- national Organised Crime in February 2006.  This Protocol is popularly known as the Palermo Protocol, because it was signed in Palermo, Italy.   

The government’s decision follows an extensive postcard campaign run by CHASTE, during which over 20,000 NOT FOR SALE postcards were sent to MP’s and MEP’s.

On congratulating the Government and thanking CHASTE supporters the Revd Dr Carrie Pemberton said, “There has been a long campaign by CHASTE and other organisations for ratification of this protocol. The NOT FOR SALE postcard campaign launched at Greenbelt, the Christian Arts festival, in 2004, distributed thousands of postcards for lobbying MPs and MEPs. Ratification is a really positive step forward in the fight against the evil of sex trafficking and the support of those who have become its victims. We look forward to seeing the implications of the protocol now working out in legislation and criminal justice activity.”

The Palermo Protocol was ratified by the UK government on the 9 February 2006.  It requires those countries that have ratified it to introduce criminal offences to combat sex trafficking. The protocol significantly requires under Article 6 these countries to consider implementing measures for the care of victims and deterrence of demand. The measures includes the provision of  physical, psychological and social recovery programmes for victims of trafficking. In appropriate cases, in cooperation with non-governmental organisations, this includes the provision of:

• appropriate housing
• counselling and information, in particular as regards legal rights, in a language that the victims of trafficking in persons can understand
• medical, psychological and material assistance
• employment, educational and training opportunities

The not for sale campaign

The not for sale campaign was launched at the Arts and social concern festival Greenbelt in the summer of 2004 where thousands of church members from across the United Kingdom met with CHASTE volunteers to talk about the issues surrounding sex-trafficking into Europe.

The not for sale post-cards encouraged hundreds of churches and thousands of individuals to engage the government over the non ratification of the Palermo Protocol – a key United Nations Protocol which spells out clearly the responsibilities of countries of origin and destination in the fight against trafficking.

The United Kingdom government has not yet ratified this agreement which promotes amongst a variety of strategies

• Safe housing, appropriate counselling and health care for victims of sex trafficking
• Joined up investigation and prosecution of those responsible for trafficking
• Long term rehabilitation and training opportunities for those trafficked
• Legislative attention to the growth of the penumbra of the sex trade in which sex trafficking flourishes

CHASTE is now moving forward another campaign which will address trafficking for sexual exploitation as the international trade in flesh and violation of human dignity and rights which it is.

no room at the inn campaign

Christmas 2005 saw the distribution to all MEPs, MPs and Bishops of the Church of England the CHASTE no room at the inn Christmas card.

The no room at the inn built on the not for sale campaign in drawing the attention of policy makers and decision makers the importance of providing safety and a place for recovery for all those who have been victims of sexual trafficking.

Many MPs got in touch with CHASTE directly to commend our work and to offer their support to work which CHASTE is undertaking.