September 2004:
Christian anti-trafficking meeting in Moldova “a very timely initiative”

“We are losing some of our best people, families are destroyed through trafficking. We need the help of the church to stop that. Your initiative is thus very timely.” Ms. Ana Meleca from the Chisinau municipal police told the participants of a Christian anti-trafficking workshop.

32 people from 10 countries met in Chisinau (Moldova) from 8-12 September to discuss and elaborate how churches can play an active role in combating trafficking in human beings. The meeting was organized by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in co-operation with the World Council of Churches, Eastern Europe Office and the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe. It was hosted by the Moldova Orthodox Church and the Moldova Inter-church Partnership Programme, a joint initiative of the different churches in Moldova in the social field.

Speakers from the Moldovan government, the police and OSCE informed the participants about the alarming situation regarding trafficking. It is estimated that around one fourth of the country’s population over the last years has left the country due to widespread poverty and unemployment. Especially young women become an easy prey of the traffickers’ networks.

The participants got a first hand insight into the situation of rural areas which are particularly affected. Visits to church related projects were an occasion to see how first initiatives in the area of prevention and reintegration are being developed; e.g. through job creation and community integration of women at risk and victims. It became clear what a crucial and decisive role churches can play as one of the most widely trusted institutions in Moldovan society.

Specialized NGOs (like La Strada, the Women Lawyers’ Association) gave their feedback regarding needs and possibilities for awareness raising and preventive work, a common concept of reintegration of victims and other forms of assistance. Representatives of other churches and related organizations in Europe shared their experience of involvement in anti-trafficking. Working groups further developed needs assessments for future anti-trafficking in the country and network partners indicated how they can help with capacity building and support emerging initiatives.

Eva Vogel-Mfato from the Solidarity Desk of CEC evaluated “This has been an important step in assisting churches in this region to play an active role in anti-trafficking activities. The situation is serious, but the dynamics of this workshop and presented initiatives are giving hope.”