The Caribbean Umbrella Body for Restorative Behaviour (Curb) will be celebrating the inaugural observance of Human Trafficking Awareness today and for the rest of this weekend with a faith-based teaching campaign.
Human Trafficking Awareness Day will be celebrated for the first time in T&T today and coincides with the anniversary of the passage of the Slave Trade Act in 1807. Today has also been recognised by the United Nations as the International Day of Remembrance of the victims of slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
According to a media release Curb which has had a partnership with the Ministry of National Security since 2009, joined the ministry and the International Organisation for Migration to host a three-day training programme on the human trafficking issue.
The programme, which began on Monday, had 30 participants from various sectors, including several Government ministries, the T&T Hospitality and Tourism Institute, St Michael's School for Boys and the Rape Crisis Society. In recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Curb also started an online network for individuals and organisation wishing to collaborate to end human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the travel and tourism industry. According to the release, Curb had asked Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to utilise her influence as chairperson of the Commonwealth, to lobby for March 25 to be observed annually as a Commonwealth day of awareness against human trafficking.