Human Trafficking To be silent is to be unfaithful Contents: 1. Human trafficking 2. The facts 3. Behind every statistic and statement is a human face 4. People not for sale 5. The political response in the UK 6. From victim to survivor 7. Close to home 8. What can we do? “I was raped and abused by hundreds of men in every imaginable way. Every time I close my eyes, I see something from the past. I am afraid to sleep on the bed because it makes me think of all these things. I don’t feel safe. I feel frightened hearing footsteps, or in the dark.” 1.1 Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery in which people, most often women and girls, are forced, threatened, coerced or deceived for the purposes of labour exploitation, commercial sexual exploitation and servitude. This is an international problem, involving almost every country in the world as either a source, transit or destination country for trafficked persons. Although it is a major global problem, it is not one that is often spoken about. 1.2 The UN defines trafficking thus: “Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.” (We have not found evidence of trafficking for the removal of organs in Scotland; therefore, although we recognise that this is an extreme form of trafficking, we have not included it in this report.) 1.3 Trafficking is a global phenomenon. Children and women are the most vulnerable and there we see the worst violations of human rights, the worst forms of exploitation and the worst forms of physical and mental abuse. It is not exclusive to them, however, and much trafficking starts as a migration experience. 1.4 The combination of chronic poverty in "countries of origin" with the economic demands for cheap low-skilled labour in “countries of destination” fuels migration. Globalisation demands easy movement of the labour force but migration policies do not match this demand, thus forcing many into illegal migration channels. 1.5 We strive to live as the people of God looking for guidance for that living from the interaction between the Bible and our experience. The bible is … the mirror for the identity of the believing community who turn to it in each generation to ask who we are and what we are to be. (1) When we look into the mirror what do we see? We see that we are to be a people who care, who are called to redeem the captive, to liberate the oppressed, to visit those in prison, to go the extra mile. We are called to care for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger among us, to love our neighbour as ourselves, and we are commanded to love as we have been loved. 1.6 At the General Assembly in 2005 the Church welcomed the Guild’s report on its conference “Human Trafficking; today’s slavery and our response” and commended support for this work to the wider church. The following report is the result of collaboration across the Councils of Church & Society and World Mission and The Guild in their shared concern to continue to raise awareness of the issue and to take positive action to support the victims. 1.7 We cannot be silent in the face of the issues which face our fellow women and men in the world today. To be silent is to be unfaithful. 2. The facts 2.1 It is notoriously difficult to identify and quantify the scale of human trafficking globally and the introduction to UNESCO's Trafficking Statistics Project summarizes the problem: "When it comes to statistics, trafficking of girls and women is one of several highly emotive issues which seem to overwhelm critical faculties. Numbers take on a life of their own, gaining acceptance through repetition, often with little inquiry into their derivations. Journalists, bowing to the pressures of editors, demand numbers, any number. Organizations feel compelled to supply them, lending false precisions and spurious authority to many reports. The UNESCO Trafficking Statistics Project is a first step toward clarifying what we know, what we think we know, and what we don't know about trafficking." 2.2 Rather than including tables of statistics, we offer these statements as a means of highlighting the scale of the problem. * The UN has estimated that 700,000 people are trafficked each year for sexual exploitation and this industry has a world-wide turnover of £4 billion. * 79% of women in the off-street sex industry in London are not from the UK (Poppy Project research). * Home Office figures estimated that up to 4,000 victims of trafficking were involved in enforced prostitution in Britain in 2003. * One trafficked woman “earns” £104,000 over 18 months for her trafficker, working in enforced prostitution (TARA) (2). Although human trafficking takes many forms (such as the demand for cheap labour), research suggests that at least two thirds of trafficking is for sexual purposes. 2.3 Statistics are just numbers; they tell us where and when; how many; where they have come from and where they go; their ages and sex and nationality. But each number represents one life, one woman, one man, one child, for whom life has become less than that, a travesty of life, from whom dignity has been taken as she or he is held captive and violated both spiritually and physically. When any person is treated as a commodity, all of humanity is diminished. We are called to care for God’s creation. To be silent is to be unfaithful. 3. Behind every statistic and statement is a human face 3.1 Human trafficking is most frequently for the sex trade but victims are involved in all sorts of work. It is not confined to one country or continent and the stories are similar the world over. No one image could sum them up, but those trafficked are all vulnerable. Most importantly, they are all human. 3.2 It was the Church's mission partners across the world who called for the Church of Scotland to focus on human trafficking. A December 2006 letter from David and Sarah Hall, World Mission partners in Bangladesh, states: "Trafficking of women and children from Bangladesh is a serious problem – it is estimated that more than 20,000 are trafficked to India every year. Most rural people are unaware of the risks of trafficking, and because of this ignorance, many women and children still end up as victims, enticed by false promises of greater security and economic wealth.” 3.3 Sabina, from the Bangladeshi village of Kamdevpur, from the age of 12 when she was sold into sex slavery (into a brothel in India) was for six long years forced to work as a prostitute and every night she had to allow herself to be violated by 10 to 15 different men, sexually abusing her as they wished in many unspeakable ways; she was helpless to resist. She often contemplated suicide, but eventually she convinced one of her regular clients to help her escape and she made her way back to Bangladesh. Sabina has now been back from India for three years, she says she will never go back, she hates even the thought of the place, as she says: “That is where I lost my life really, when I stay alone in my house I cry for this lost innocence. But even though I am poor, I am feeling pleased to be back in Bangladesh, for I am free from sexual and psychological torture.” Last year through a church Women and Child Trafficking Prevention Project, her life took a turn for the better and she was offered the opportunity to take three months training in tailoring and embroidery. She successfully completed the course, which she hoped would make her financially self-reliant, improve her standing with her parents and help her to recover her dignity. These dreams are now coming to fruition as on graduating she was given an interest-free loan from CBSDP-Meherpur that she used to start a small tailoring business; she now regularly goes to market to buy cloth and sell the clothes she has made from it. In addition she has also used her loan to begin to rear goats and chickens to raise further income. (3) 3.4 Hannah, aged 15, orphaned and living with extended family in North Africa, was sent to take up a job. The trafficker was among a group of men who raped Hannah when she arrived. Over the next two years he sold her for sex - against her will - in a number of African countries. She feared she would be killed or beaten if she resisted: "I was terrified and traumatised, I just wanted to die - I had no control." Then the trafficker brought Hannah to the UK: "I did not know where I was going until I got to the airport. I had no idea. The same thing was happening. I was being made to sleep with men". She soon fell ill. After about a month in the UK, Hannah escaped by jumping from the trafficker's car. She spent the next two days sleeping rough: "I felt confused and alone. Somehow I was happy I had got away, but I did not know what to do and I was so terrified." Help eventually came from a stranger, who took Hannah to the Crossroads Women's Centre in north London. (4) 3.5 According to the Support Group for Refugees and Repatriated Persons (GARR – a Haitian NGO supported by Christian Aid), the trafficking of children between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is liable to grow as the economic situation in Haiti deteriorates. In the vast majority of cases, Haitian families actually give up their children voluntarily, in the desperate hope that they might find a better life across the border. Usually, families are approached by “buscones”, the people employed to find suitable children for a variety of jobs in the Dominican Republic; they scour the poorest neighbourhoods to find families desperate enough to give up their children. The youngest usually end up in domestic service, shining shoes or begging on the street in organised gangs. Teenagers are recruited to cut sugar cane. Few parents really know what will happen to their children. Many are promised schooling, which never materialises. 3.6 Similarly, in many of the Eastern European countries women are deceived into leaving home for employment in other countries. “A friend introduced me to a woman in Chisinau, Moldova, she offered me a job abroad and said she would prepare a passport for me, for free. I asked if the job was sex related and she promised that it was not.” Women are offered attractive employment as nannies, waitresses, secretaries etc in the UK. A reasonable salary is suggested, together with necessary visa/legal papers. In fact the job does not exist. Neither do the papers. Women may even be offered for sale by their own family members or boyfriends. 3.7 Home on deputation from the United Church of Jamaica, Rev Margaret Fowler talks of the vulnerability of young girls living in the resort towns of Jamaica where many with limited education and training are at greater risk of becoming involved with sex work. The Theodora project in Nigril has conducted research into the issue and met with groups of these girls. Once in "dancing" work, they discover that they may be expected to offer sexual services to customers or that they cannot leave as they are in debt to the bosses. Some are transported from Jamaica to Barbados and the Bahamas where the debt is even greater and the possibility of escape even less. The Theodora project offers training, basic education and employment skills as well as health education as a way of assisting those most at risk. 3.8 Every human being is created in the image of God. It therefore becomes imperative that every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. No one has been given the authority to destroy the other physically, socially, culturally, economically, emotionally and spiritually. We must decide how best to pray and to comfort the afflicted how best to combat those who infringe the most basic of human rights and who inflict grievous harm on millions of women, men, and children created in the image of God. To be silent spectators to the plight of our sisters and brothers is not an option; we are called to care for all God’s creation. We are called to love our neighbour. Who is my neighbour? Every man, every woman. To be silent is to be unfaithful. 4. People not for sale 4.1 The frightening aspect of the stories and the statistics is that human beings are seen as and treated merely as goods – things to be bought and sold and thrown away when they are no longer “of value”. The biblical teaching is both a challenge and a wake up call to each and every one of us. 4.2 Human trafficking is criminality on a large scale comparable with the drugs and small arms trade. It is estimated that it generates £4 billion annually. It must be viewed in the light of the economic, political and social contexts which allow it not only to happen but to flourish. It is more important that we no longer turn a blind eye to the demand for such services than that we point the accusing finger at the victim, or gasp in horror at those who profit. 4.3 Major research published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in early 2007, entitled Modern Slavery in the United Kingdom, concluded that "Most trafficked people enter the UK legally but become subject to forced labour through a mix of enforced debt, intimidation, the removal of documents and an inadequate understanding of their rights. Statutory agency personnel are often unsure how to assist trafficked migrant workers and keep few or no records as to their subsequent well-being." Yet "the UK has tended to address trafficking as an issue of migration control rather than one of human rights". 4.4 The factors which drive people to leave their homes are many, but the most important one is economic. Lack of employment opportunities, coupled with political instability or lack of political awareness, leads to increasing levels of poverty; conflict or physical disaster can be the final straw which leads to desperate measures being taken by families and communities. Add to that the social discrimination against women and girls in many poorer countries, and lives suddenly become a commodity to be bought, sold and moved, and thus added to income. 4.5 Families in despair are forced to use desperate measures to survive – the men will pay disproportionate amounts of money to be taken to where there is hope of a better life for themselves and their family. 4.6 In the midst of extreme poverty, people will go to extreme lengths to be able to support their families; poverty is the root cause, forcing or seducing people into the hope of a better life. Often, people are lured from their homeland by the promise of a good job and a decent wage, but the reality is often very different; on arrival their passports are removed and they lose the freedom to move; sometimes they become bonded to “debts” and any rebellion can lead to threats against their families at home. To be silent is to be unfaithful. 5. The political response in the UK 5.1 International awareness of human trafficking has been growing. In 2000, the UN adopted a "Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons"; this came into force in 2003, but was not ratified by the UK Government until February 2006. 5.2 In May 2005, the Council of Europe adopted its Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings; this has now been signed by 30 member states (out of 46) and ratified by a further four member states, but not yet by the UK. Ministers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and from the Home Office, have responded in similar terms to letters urging the Government to sign and ratify the Convention: "There are no time limits within which signature (of the Convention) must take place and I must stress that a decision has not yet been taken … we have made it clear on a number of occasions that we have some concern that some of the provisions – such as the automatic granting of reflection periods and residence permits for trafficking victims – may act as "pull" factors to the UK and may even assist traffickers in attracting new victims." A year after this was said by Kim Howells of the FCO, there has still been no signature, at the time of writing, although the Government has consulted on "proposals for an action plan on human trafficking". 5.3 In May 2006, leading a debate held in the Scottish Parliament on the same day as the Guild raised the issue of human trafficking at the General Assembly, Trish Godman MSP (after highlighting the Guild's concerns) said: "One of my questions to the minister is: what representations have been made to the Westminster Government anent the urgent need for the UK to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings? Twenty-seven European countries have already signed up; I believe that the UK should be the 28th." The Minister for Communities endorsed her view, and promised that, after discussion with colleagues, this view would be communicated to the Home Office. 5.4 In June 2006, the Government published a summary of responses to the proposals for an action plan on Human Trafficking, and noted that: "the majority of respondents raised concerns that there was also a need for the action plan to have at its core, a focus on human rights and an emphasis on the protection of victims as well as the prosecution of traffickers. To this end a number of organisations expressed the view that in order to achieve this, it was essential for the UK Government to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings to allow victims a formal period of reflection, and the possibility of a residence permit. The Government is currently considering this option". 5.5 In October 2006, the Joint House of Commons & House of Lords Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) considered at length the Government's concern about a "pull" factor. In their report, they concluded: "We therefore do not accept that there is any realistic likelihood that the Convention’s provisions relating to reflection periods and residence permits would act as a pull factor for migration into the UK … We find the twin concepts of reflection periods and residence permits to be highly attractive as guarantors of the protection of the human rights of trafficking victims and of the provision of other protection and support measures to them … especially given the safeguards contained in the Convention, we consider that all the evidence supports the case for the UK to adopt these provisions … We are firm in the belief that the UK should sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention. We can see no convincing argument against this course of action." 5.6 In December 2006, the Government published their official response to the JCHR Report. With regard to the Convention, it concludes: "We note the firm views expressed by the Committee in relation to the Council of Europe Convention against Human Trafficking. A decision on signature of the Convention is yet to be taken. We are wholly sympathetic to the objectives behind the Convention and will take into account the comments made by the Committee. We are continuing to assess the level of risk associated with some of the Convention provisions and how we might implement them safely without placing more vulnerable people at risk whilst maintaining effective immigration controls." 5.7 At a Downing Street reception in January 2007 commemorating the bi-centenary of the legislation outlawing the slave trade, the Prime Minster announced a series of events over the coming months. He also told guests at the reception of his intention to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. This welcome step, however symbolic, would be no more than that unless there is a commitment to ensure adequate respite here for all those trafficked into our country. In Scotland, the Executive could take the initiative, building on what has already been started here, and start planning now for the implementation of the Convention. In particular, a prompt positive response to the request from senior police officers for funding for a people trafficking task force in Scotland would be welcome. 5.8 Our main concern would be that the ratification would be delayed (as it was with the UN Protocol – see 5.1 above - where the UK Government signed the protocol in 2000 but failed to ratify until 2006). Simple signature does not mean that the Government has expressed its consent to be bound by the treaty. While a State that signs a treaty is obliged to refrain from actions that would defeat the object of the treaty, signature alone does not impose obligations under the treaty. Ratification indicates to the international community a State's commitment to undertake the obligations under a treaty, by embodying them in law and policy. In this context, ratification would mean legislation, policies and other practical measures to deal with identification, support and accommodation, reflection periods, residence permits, and non-punishment of the victims of trafficking. 5.9 So far, the Government has resisted giving a timetable for signing and ratification, on the ground that "we need to ensure that we have our policies, procedures and guidance properly in place before we move forward". An "action plan on human trafficking", promised for 2006, has (as of late February) yet to appear. To be silent is to be unfaithful. 6. From victim to survivor 6.1 The Convention recognises trafficking as a violation of human rights, and requires states which become signatories to take measures to prevent trafficking, to prosecute those responsible, and to protect the rights of the victims. It also includes provision for a recovery and reflection period of not less than 30 days, during which victims can begin to come to terms with their ordeal and work towards recovery. While this is cited by Government (see above) as a possible “pull factor” to the UK, with implications for immigration, such a period of reflection and support for trafficked people is essential for their recovery, and can enable the successful prosecution of the pimps and traffickers. 6.2 In support of this recovery period, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Amnesty International Scotland published a report and briefing paper into access to healthcare for women trafficked into prostitution in Europe. This research included horrific personal stories of injury, ranging from cigarette burns to head trauma, chronic pelvic and chronic back pain. The psychological consequences of trafficking are stark, with 57% of women interviewed in the first week after escaping or being removed from the trafficking situation having a clinical diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 6.3 There is good clinical evidence to demonstrate that the use of psychological treatments such as counselling and stress inoculation used over a five week period can improve outcomes by reducing the severity of PTSD and lowering the long-term incidence of depression in female assault victims. Although this sometimes happens in the UK on a one-off basis, victims of trafficking are not currently entitled to appropriate treatment, as they have no legal status, no right to stay in this country for a period of recovery and no right to vital healthcare. 6.4 The Poppy Scheme was established in 2003 with Home Office funding as a small scale tightly focussed pilot scheme to provide just such recovery support. An interim evaluation in September 2005 found the following: * Referrals for eligible women rose steadily over the evaluation period (March – October 2003). This steady rise indicates the need for this service and even an expansion of provision. * Trafficked women experienced high levels of distress and fear which required intensive support from key workers. * Women accepted on the project began to feel emotionally stronger and less fearful over time. * The impact on successful prosecutions needs to be assessed over a longer period. 6.5 A Hidden Trade, a report by Save the Children, published in February 2007, highlighted the scandal of children trafficked into Scotland. While not wishing to exaggerate the scale of the problem (accurate figures being unavailable), the report called for better intelligence gathering, and greater clarity as to responsibilities within the Scottish Executive in dealing with trafficked children; it also noted the difficulties (and possible tragedies) arising from the time pressures on the relevant agencies in processing arrivals and tracking movement of vulnerable children who arrive in Scotland under unusual or suspicious circumstances - and the need for training of staff. We support the conclusion that "a Scottish plan for victim protection in relation to child trafficking should be created with adequate funding to ensure cases are properly managed and resourced". To be silent is to be unfaithful. 7. Close to home "It is frightening to think that this is happening just down the road, not just on the TV." (Church of Scotland Guild member) 7.1 There are trafficked women in Scotland. One such woman came from abroad, finding herself abandoned by the trafficker at an airport because she was ill. Having bought her he did not want attention drawn to himself, so, after passing through immigration, he disappeared. She was alone, scared and did not even know she was in the UK. Since the age of 12 she had been abused and then sold in her own country. She ran away and did go to the police but they did not help her. 7.2 Her life continued to be terrifying until she met a woman who was a business woman and a trader. However, this woman too forced her to sleep with men, and, without receiving any money, she was then sold to the man who brought her to Europe. 7.3 She is being befriended, but she is still a troubled woman, who is struggling to put her experience in the context of her Christian faith. These are her words: "I am confused, I cannot concentrate, I feel like I am going crazy. I sleep badly and have flashbacks. I do not feel complete and I am scared". “As a member of the Church of Scotland, I have been befriending her. Through the statutory services I was asked to make contact with her, as the officer who was supporting her felt unable to answer her questions on Christian faith. I have listened and hopefully helped her. We have always met in a neutral place organised by the officer. I have been in regular contact with her by phone, and particularly when she was detained in Dungavel. However, when I suggested to the officer that I would like to visit her in the flat she is occupying, this was deemed not acceptable. The officer went on to explain that when she visited she was always accompanied by a fellow officer, as there was the possibility that the trafficker knew of the trafficked woman’s whereabouts. The officer felt that it would be too dangerous. I am still digesting this opinion but feel that as a Christian I should have no such qualms. There might be risk but it is one that I personally would be prepared to take.”  7.4 Now this victim has a small chance to become a survivor, as she is being supported by the TARA (Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance) project in Glasgow. This project has as its partners Strathclyde Police, the Immigration Service, Social Work Services for Women, NHS Greater Glasgow, the International Organisation for Migration, the Scottish Refugee Council and the Women’s Voluntary network. It is funded until 2008 by the Scottish Executive, Glasgow City Council and the EQUAL Community Initiative (European Social Fund); it employs two development officers. TARA is the only local authority alliance in the UK. 7.5 It is time for the receiving countries, for Scotland, to work harder on this issue. Poverty abroad, along with organised crime, is part of the picture, but why is there a demand in the West? This trade in people is fuelled by the bars, brothels and saunas; who are the clients? Without the thousands of "respectable" British men who visit prostitutes there would be no market for the women who are duped into coming to Britain to be raped, sold and imprisoned. Recent proposals in the Scottish Parliament for legislation on street prostitution seem to take a step forward by criminalising the buyer as well as the seller, yet this comes alongside an apparent normalising of the "sex industry" which increasingly relies on trafficking. We need to find ways to stem this tide. 7.6 Yet it is primarily women who are involved in the fight against this horrendous trade. It is primarily women who stand up for the victims, sometimes survivors. It is time to ask more men to support this fight against evil. 7.7 "No human being can give more than this. Making life possible for the other, if only for a moment". (5) Making life possible for the other; life is enriched for all of humanity when we make life possible for each other. We are called to live as the people of God, and living as the people of God calls us to respond. We see in the Bible the ethical journey of the people of God called from the beginning to care for the poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, learning on that journey the care of neighbour, the neighbour who is every woman and every man not just those who are the same as us. To love with power, that active, demanding love in which we are loved by God in Jesus Christ, moving from us and our people to everyone and all people. We are called to make life possible and even wonderful by our faithfulness to our calling, and our following. To be silent is to be unfaithful. 8. What can we do? 8.1 Action must take place at many levels. First, we need to explore our own hearts and minds: how do we see the victims of trafficking and what is our reaction to having them in the neighbourhood? We need to be aware of their stories and challenge our own assumptions. We need to get beyond the stereotypes and constantly be asking ourselves: "who are the victims?" "who are the criminals?". We need to educate ourselves, and we need to be sharing the stories. We need to remember that this is not just an issue for a women’s group, it is a human rights issue which needs to be taken up by every member of the Church. Secondly we need to return again and again to the Word: how does God ask us to behave towards each other, towards the most vulnerable? 8.2 A pack on the issue of human trafficking which has stories, bible studies and information is available for use in the congregation and community; we believe that, through this pack, the Church can build on this report and develop in various ways a response to this modern day scandal. 8.3 Education alone is not enough – relevant action is also necessary. As the story (above) of one church member’s involvement shows, it is not easy to offer pastoral concern but as the body of Christ we cannot ‘pass by on the other side’. We need to find ways both at a local and national level of exercising our care. That care will also mean working to change attitudes (as we outlined at 7.5 above); to quote this year's Guild report on prostitution, "legalisation of prostitution … would in fact be a legalisation of abuse". 8.4 Other churches are leading the way in providing safe houses: “Through the formation of a network of providers representing several UK Christian denominations CHASTE (6) has seen the Roman Catholic religious congregations through the Medaille Trust and the Salvation Army through the Jarrett community initiative supplying three new safe houses - a fantastic achievement. This is an amazing contribution from churches which so many believe are on the decline in their influence in our society". 8.6 As well as caring for individuals, we need to be raising awareness of this human rights issue, and pushing for action with our MPs and MSPs, both for funding for projects such as the Poppy Project and to sign, ratify and act on the European Convention. “Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end. And therefore indifference … benefits the aggressor - never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten. The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugee – not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. And in denying their humanity we betray our own.” (7) 8.7 Jesus says "… I say to you, as you did it for the least of these, you did it for me".  God stands beside us, is with us in Jesus and, in that standing beside, He calls us to stand beside each other. This is what our prayer and action should be about as the people of God: to stand beside, to listen, to share, and to hold a hand. To speak up and to speak out is what we are called to do. 8.8 To be faithful is to stand beside, to listen, to share and to hold out a hand. To be faithful is to speak out. Notes: 1. James Sanders ‘Torah and Canon’ 2. Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance – a coalition of agencies in Glasgow raising awareness of and countering issues of trafficking women for sexual purposes. 3. James Pender, Church of Scotland Mission Partner 4. Story from BBC NEWS 3 October 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/5402386.stm 5. Martin Buber: A Conversation with Maurice Friedman (University of Washington) 6. Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking across Europe 7. Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, Millennium Lecture Series, 1999, East Room of White House. Church and Society Council Church of Scotland 121 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4YN Phone: 0131 225 5722 www.churchofscotland.org.uk Charity Number: SC011353 May 2007