All Africa Media Network, African Elders and Women Intercultural Dialogue Council (AEWID), the Leadership Development Foundation, Global African SHEROES Union and Soren Kierkegaard Academic Society, is calling for a coalition of trans-cultural and transnational dimensions to fight human trafficking.
The motivation draws on the understanding that synergizing all efforts and bringing together our diverse understanding on the issue of human trafficking will present a joint opportunity for framing a common narrative on the inhumane practice of trafficking.
It is now clear that the first and most successful place to prevent and end trafficking is at our DOOR STEPS.
Covid-19 pandemic and Human Trafficking.
AAMN raised concern on July 30th on the influence of economic hardship as one of the silent factors that influences irregular migration which in turn endangers the desperate migrants out of their frantic effort for survival, as they risk becoming victims of organ and sex trafficking, forced labour among others.
As the world continue to struggle with the recent pandemic and the economic uncertainties it has ushered into the human existence, it is apparent that all forecasts on the global economic downturn which will certainly trigger other social uncertainties of a global scale means that there is going to be a rise in trafficking.
Cultural activists during the African Elders and Women Intercultural dialogue events have consistently hinted on this new culture of African youths resorting to migrating to other parts of the world by all means, with the wrong notion that life anywhere else is better than in the continent of Africa.
An error which they always find out too late on how wrong they were when reality of the dangers of enslavement, Organ and Sex Trafficking they expose themselves to in foreign lands hits them in the face.
There are millions of people trapped in the bondage of slavery around the world. One out of every four victims is a child who has been deceived or kidnapped and has no ability to or means of escape.
Children and adults trapped in slavery face physical, verbal, and sexual abuse daily, and cannot leave to find other work or protect their families. Enslaved people are reportedly beaten, gang-raped, locked in tiny rooms, starved, and even forced to witness murder or forced to kill, especially in cases of child soldiers.
The Need for the Coalition
Over 40 Civic Society Organizations, Traditional Leaders, Education, Economy and Culture Experts has been invited to a virtual meeting on the 31st of August 2020 to come together and design steps towards actualizing this continental coalition of African Non-profits and Culture leaders against trafficking and irregular migration.
The impulse behind this Non Profit Sector Coalition of Civic Societies, Local and Cultural Leaders Initiative against Human Trafficking is to garner a multi-sectoral synergy in presenting an actionable front against human trafficking.
The initiative feeds on affording a modality to the bimodal initiatives that informs the commitments of different organizations fighting the menace of women and human trafficking in general- to provide a platform where those initiatives can find a communalized voice that reaches out to needs and contingencies in the continental campaign to defeat human trafficking in entirety.
The multi-cultural and inter-nation coalition is being designed to engineer a counter-cultural movement in the continent that will shift the paradigm, and refocus the attention of all stake holders in the fight against trafficking and its concomitant hazards.
This idea emanated from the discussions held at the 2018 African Elders and Women Intercultural dialogue in Abuja an advocacy event for shifting consciousness through the redistribution of cultural reflections on the question of women and girl child in Africa endorsed by UN Women, UNESCO that was Chaired by the former Vice President of Gambia Mrs. Fatoumatta Tambajang Jallow.
Invited participants to the Dialogue
The Virtual meeting will be moderated by Mariam Mwinyimbegu of SHEROES Europe. Renowned advocates against trafficking like Racha Haffar of Not for Trade Foundation , Mrs. Ima Sanusi of WOTCLEF Nigeria, Sodfa Daaji of Legal Women Think Tank , Prof. Nwadiuto Esiobu of AFRIMOM and Culture Activists like Queen Mother Obaapa Awindor, Queen Diambi Muatta of Congo and Queen Sylvia Nnaginda of Uganda co founder of African Queens and Cultural Women Leaders Network have confirmed participation.
Anika Initiative Kenya, Interfaith Foundation Cameroun, Lead Foundation South Africa, Ayina Think Tank Rwanda, placements Ghana, Africa Rise Initiative Zimbabwe, BGD Consulting, Celmar Tours, among others are also expected.
Mama IMAHKUS Njinga Ababio the founder of One Africa Tours and director of African Elders and Women Intercultural Dialogue will chair proceedings at the virtual meeting as they seek for a feasible road map towards totally eliminating trafficking and its concomitant hazards.
