OSCE Office supports summer school to teach Central Asian youth about dangers of human trafficking

DUSHANBE, 22 July 2008 - A summer school to teach young people from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan about the dangers of human trafficking started today in Kairakum, northern Tajikistan.

The ten-day "Shifo" (Health Treatment) summer school brings together high school and university students, ages 15 to 22, is organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan in co-operation with non-governmental organizations MODAR and the Consortium of Initiative, and with the support of the President's Inter-Ministerial Commission to combat Human Trafficking.

"The OSCE welcomes the active work of the Government of Tajikistan in combating this plague," said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

"Several factors put children at risk of being trafficked - extreme poverty, especially in rural areas, unemployment and lack of prospects, problems in the education system and, finally, weak protection structures. Therefore, much work is still ahead of us and requires full co-ordination with the key actors in the country and in the Central Asian region."

Participants will learn about the definition of human trafficking, its forms and root causes, and about legislation and programmes for combating the problem. The summer school will conclude with an exhibition of the students artwork, information stands, prizes for the best work and a play produced by the participants.

"Every year the number of labour migrants leaving the country in search of work is increasing. Among the migrants, there are many young people, and child trafficking for exploitation is increasing at an alarming rate," said Graziella Piga, Manager of the Gender and Anti-Trafficking Programme at the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

"The summer school aims to help young people develop a sense of personal and social responsibility, and also give them the information they need to protect themselves. The participants will have the opportunity to combine their seminar work with relaxation, sharing of experience, information and building new networks. "