Financial Times

New training manual on preventing post-tsunami human trafficking
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), recently provided financial support to the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (Solidarity Center-Sri Lanka), to develop a training manual on “Preventing Trafficking Of Women And Children In Tsunami Affected Communities.”

The manual, on its completion, was recently launched in Colombo at an event attended by officials from the US Embassy, USAID, International Organization for Migration, ILO, government officials, NGOs and other organizations. The training manual is part of a comprehensive anti-trafficking programme launched in February 2005 by the Solidarity Center aimed at raising awareness of the concept of trafficking in tsunami affected areas.

Benjamin D. Kauffeld, Humanitarian Assistance Program Manager, USAID, gave some background information on the anti-trafficking programme while Ramani Jayasundere, Solidarity Centre Consultant, explained how the manual was developed through a participatory process with the input of experienced trainers who worked as key resource persons on community awareness programs on trafficking.

Pete Castelli, Solidarity Center Field Representative in Colombo, said he was confident this manual would be a valuable tool for all those involved in training trafficking issues to non-governmental organizations, community based organizations, trade unions, relief workers, volunteers and the general public and therefore contribute to the prevention of human trafficking in Sri Lanka.

In a February 2005 case study on trafficking of women and children in tsunami-affected areas, Dr Mallika Ganasinghe, a lawyer and civil society worker, reported on the cases of at least seven children who had gone missing or were allegedly abducted from tsunami relief camps.

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