The 2010 FIFA World Cup, football’s showpiece event, is scheduled to take place between the 11th of June and the 11th of July in South Africa. This will the first time that this tournament has been hosted by an African nation. Every effort is being made to ensure that the World Cup will be a resounding success, not only for South Africa, but for the whole continent. New stadiums have been erected, motorways are being improved, hotels have been revamped, tent towns and fan parks are being built. So far over two million tickets have been sold. The excitement is growing all over the country.
With the great influx of fans into the country – so far 50,000 from the USA, 41,000 from the UK, 15,500 from Australia, 15,000 from Mexico, 15,000 from Germany and many coming from neighbouring states across porous borders – and the increased demand for services, there is a concern that trafficking in persons will escalate. Trafficking in persons is a growing “trade” in South Africa. Poverty, limited employment opportunities, child-headed families and the large number of orphans and vulnerable children fuel the crime. These young people could be at greater risk during the World Cup. Because the schools and colleges will be closed during this time and children will be visiting fan parks and other places of recreation, many government departments and NGOs are planning counter trafficking awareness and prevention campaigns.
Counter Human Trafficking Poster
“2010 should be about the game, but…” This was the theme of a five-day counter trafficking workshop held in Johannesburg from 15 – 19th February, 2010. The workshop was part of the plan action of TALITHA KUM, International Network of Consecrated Life Against Trafficking in Persons – a network within UISG working in collaboration with the International Organisation of Migration.
Seventeen religious Sisters representing networks from Southern Africa, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Thailand attended the workshop and planned a counter trafficking campaign to be implemented in as many countries as possible. The participants drafted a letter to all religious leaders, urging them to support the initiative: they also drew up a programme for awareness workshops to be given in schools, parishes and to youth groups. The campaign will be launched on 16th April, 2010.
Members of SARWATIP planning the counter TIP campaign
SARWATIP, the Southern African Religious Women Against Trafficking In Persons, will head the campaign in South Africa. The Mercy Sisters in the South African Province are members of this network and will make the students in their schools and the parishioners in their areas aware of the risks of human trafficking. Mercy House, Pretoria, has been identified as a shelter for victims of trafficking during the World Cup and so the staff there is fully involved in the campaign.
One of the advantages of attending the workshop, was meeting other members of the network in person. As most of the victims who have been sheltered in Mercy House have been from Thailand, it was most valuable to meet the Sister working in women’s shelters in Thailand. It is good to have contact numbers and relevant information to give to the victims – in their own language. Now we just have to make sure not only that all our visitors have a wonderful time, but also that no one falls into the hands of traffickers.
Colleen Wilkinson rsm
South African Province
