STOP NOW – New Anti-Trafficking Initiative
On March 1, 2005 the Georgian NGO Human Rights Information and Documentation Center held a presentation of the new STOP NOW anti-trafficking project. The project was launched this February and is being implemented in partnership with the Center of Research and Action on Peace (KEDE) (Greece).
The project is financed by the International Economic Relations and Development Co-operation (YDAS-Hellenic Aid) – General Secretariat of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Besides Georgia, this project is being implemented in Moldova, Belarus and Armenia.
The goal of STOP NOW is to confront, prevent and combat human trafficking, specifically women trafficking for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. It also aims at supporting the victims of trafficking as well as raising public awareness regarding the issue.
Initially the project was launched by a Greek Organization Center of Research and Action on Peace (KEDE) in December 2001 in Greece, Ukraine and Albania. The main goal of the project was to prevent trafficking and ensure support for the victims of trafficking in order to facilitate their reintegration into the society. (Please see detailed information on the web-site www.stop-trafficking.org )
Under the aegis of the project the following activities will be implemented in Georgia:
· Information meetings and round tables for the representatives of governmental as well as non-governmental organizations working on trafficking issues;
· Trainings for socially excluded women, students, journalists and representatives of NGO sector;
· Legal consultations and assistance;
· Publishing and distributing booklets and other information materials;
· Establishment of information database and launching a web-site.
Human Rights Information and Documentation Center is ready to cooperate with the governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the field of trafficking.
According to Ucha Nanuashvili, director of HRIDC, NGOs are going to monitor the implementation of the 2005-2006 Action Plan to Combat Trafficking, as well as to lobby the ratification of the international conventions on trafficking by the Parliament.
