Presentation of the project
“An informed person is a protected one” – Promoting best practices in prevention activities against trafficking for forced labor through a European network
HOME/2010/ISEC/AG/THB-009

Period of implementation: 07 June 2011 – 06 June 2013

The project will be implemented by the Ecumenical Association of Churches in Romania - AIDRom, an ecumenical organization of five Churches, representative at both confessional and ethnical level in Romania, in partnership with three other organizations: 
Foundation  "Lámpás", Oradea, Romania
Verein für Internationale Jugendarbeit Landesverein Württemberg, Sttuggart, Germany
Diakonisches Werk Bremen, Germany

The project combats trafficking in human beings for labor exploitation, one of the most dramatic human rights violations and one of the most lucrative criminal activities of our days. 
The problem of trafficking for sexual exploitation has been recognized for some years: law enforcement measures as well as initiatives to reach out to and identify victims as well as granting them social support and access to the justice system (penal and civil) have been developed.

The activities will take place in the 24 months implementation period in the 4 cities where the counselling centers are located (Iasi, Oradea, Stuttgart, Bremen) and in the headquarters of the applicant (Bucharest).

General Objective:
The general objective of the project is combating trafficking for labor exploitation through the establishment of an EU interdisciplinary public-civil society network and elaboration of multilingual booklet promoting best practice in prevention, identification and assisting victims of trafficking for labor exploitation.

Specific objectives: awareness raising among workers/employers regarding the status of the employee and the risk of illegal work; counseling of potential victims in sectors prone to exploitation; elaboration of information brochure for employers/recruitment agencies aimed at preventing and dealing with trafficked persons in sectors like agriculture/construction/ domestic work; strengthening of 4 counseling centers for information on labour migration and prevention activities against the danger of trafficking for labor exploitation; elaboration of multilingual booklet promoting best practice in prevention, identification and assisting victims of trafficking for labor exploitation.

What do we intend?
The project makes existing best practice visible, explores transferability to other countries and feeds into EU debates on the issue, e.g. with a European conference around Anti-trafficking day. Results and examples of best practice will be summarised in a multilingual booklet.
Through this we hope to contribute effectively to the general objective of combating trafficking for forced labour through the  establishment of an EU interdisciplinary public-civil society network and elaboration of multilingual booklet promoting best practice in prevention, identification and assisting victims of trafficking for labor exploitation.

The project is trying to establish a mechanism of cooperation between different actors: churches, trade unions, NGOs, public institutions, thus taking up recommendations of last year´s EU anti-trafficking day. Thus, it is innovative in its partnership approach of bringing church, trade union and state actors together.

Elena Timofticiuc,
Project manager

With the financial support from the Prevention of and Fight against Crime
Programme of the European Union
European Commission – Directorate – General Home Affairs