German churches to continue anti-trafficking campaign

-22/07/06

Church officials in Ge


German churches to continue anti-trafficking campaign

-22/07/06

Church officials in Germany have pledged to continue a campaign against human trafficking, although fears about a massive rise in forced prostitution during the soccer World Cup proved largely unfounded ñ writes Frauke Brauns for Ecumenical News International.

“We are confident that in the long run we can succeed in raising public awareness about the human rights violations against women,” said Michael Handrick, head of the campaign organized by Diakonisches Werk, the social service agency of the Evangelical [Protestant] Church in Germany (EKD).

Anticipating heightened forced prostitution during the month-long 2006 World Cup, the agency launched a nationwide campaign highlighting concern about forced prostitution. Posters, postcards distributed to potential clients, and a telephone hotline were used.
Handrick said that during each week of the event, the number of people using the telephone hotline increased and it included victims of forced prostitution and human trafficking as well as clients reporting women in distress.

“We started the campaign during the World Cup, because we were afraid that forced prostitution and human trafficking would increase because of a rise in demand for prostitution”, Barbara-Maria Vahle, the spokesperson of the church agency, told ENI.

Corinna Dammeyer of the women’s refuge Nadeschda in Herford, northern Germany, said there did not appear to have been an increase in forced prostitution during the soccer tournament, but that the local hotline had prompted the rescue of eight women.

Still, noted Bernd Schlueter of Diakonisches Werk, because there did not appear to have been a huge increase in forced prostitution during the World Cup, the problem should still not be under-estimated.

“We always distance ourselves from what are sometimes horror scenarios,” noted Schlueter, “but we also have to counter those who want to minimise the problem because they feel uncomfortable with it.”

Forced prostitution is an escalating problem in poverty-stricken eastern Europe, he warned. “The important thing is that even after the World Cup we keep our eye on the ball through our lobbying and by offering counselling to affected women.”

With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.

[Also on Ekklesia: Give injustice the Red Card – World Cup ideas from Ekklesia; Nuns show the red card to forced World Cup prostitution; Campaigners welcome trafficking raid, but express concern for women; Campaigners highlight deaths of street children at UN; Soccer fans and foes asked to Give Injustice the Red Card; Church agency deplores homophobic murder in Jamaica; CAFOD kicks off its Focus Africa initiative; A Victorian Christian Feminist: Josephine Butler, the Prostitutes and God]


German churches to continue anti-trafficking campaign

-22/07/06

Church officials in Germany have pledged to continue a campaign against human trafficking, although fears about a massive rise in forced prostitution during the soccer World Cup proved largely unfounded ñ writes Frauke Brauns for Ecumenical News International.

“We are confident that in the long run we can succeed in raising public awareness about the human rights violations against women,” said Michael Handrick, head of the campaign organized by Diakonisches Werk, the social service agency of the Evangelical [Protestant] Church in Germany (EKD).

Anticipating heightened forced prostitution during the month-long 2006 World Cup, the agency launched a nationwide campaign highlighting concern about forced prostitution. Posters, postcards distributed to potential clients, and a telephone hotline were used.
Handrick said that during each week of the event, the number of people using the telephone hotline increased and it included victims of forced prostitution and human trafficking as well as clients reporting women in distress.

“We started the campaign during the World Cup, because we were afraid that forced prostitution and human trafficking would increase because of a rise in demand for prostitution”, Barbara-Maria Vahle, the spokesperson of the church agency, told ENI.

Corinna Dammeyer of the women’s refuge Nadeschda in Herford, northern Germany, said there did not appear to have been an increase in forced prostitution during the soccer tournament, but that the local hotline had prompted the rescue of eight women.

Still, noted Bernd Schlueter of Diakonisches Werk, because there did not appear to have been a huge increase in forced prostitution during the World Cup, the problem should still not be under-estimated.

“We always distance ourselves from what are sometimes horror scenarios,” noted Schlueter, “but we also have to counter those who want to minimise the problem because they feel uncomfortable with it.”

Forced prostitution is an escalating problem in poverty-stricken eastern Europe, he warned. “The important thing is that even after the World Cup we keep our eye on the ball through our lobbying and by offering counselling to affected women.”

With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.

[Also on Ekklesia: Give injustice the Red Card – World Cup ideas from Ekklesia; Nuns show the red card to forced World Cup prostitution; Campaigners welcome trafficking raid, but express concern for women; Campaigners highlight deaths of street children at UN; Soccer fans and foes asked to Give Injustice the Red Card; Church agency deplores homophobic murder in Jamaica; CAFOD kicks off its Focus Africa initiative; A Victorian Christian Feminist: Josephine Butler, the Prostitutes and God]