Civil Georgia, Georgia
March 4 2005

STOP NOW – New Anti-Trafficking Initiative

On March 1, 2005 the Georgian NGO Human Rights Information and
Documentation Center held a presentation of the new STOP NOW
anti-trafficking project. The project was launched this February and
is being implemented in partnership with the Center of Research and
Action on Peace (KEDE) (Greece).

The project is financed by the International Economic Relations and
Development Co-operation (YDAS-Hellenic Aid) – General Secretariat of
the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Besides Georgia, this
project is being implemented in Moldova, Belarus and Armenia.

The goal of STOP NOW is to confront, prevent and combat human
trafficking, specifically women trafficking for the purposes of
sexual and labor exploitation. It also aims at supporting the victims
of trafficking as well as raising public awareness regarding the
issue.

Initially the project was launched by a Greek Organization Center of
Research and Action on Peace (KEDE) in December 2001 in Greece,
Ukraine and Albania. The main goal of the project was to prevent
trafficking and ensure support for the victims of trafficking in
order to facilitate their reintegration into the society. (Please see
detailed information on the web-site )

Under the aegis of the project the following activities will be
implemented in Georgia:

· Information meetings and round tables for the
representatives of governmental as well as non-governmental
organizations working on trafficking issues;

· Trainings for socially excluded women, students, journalists
and representatives of NGO sector;

· Legal consultations and assistance;

· Publishing and distributing booklets and other information
materials;

· Establishment of information database and launching a
web-site.

Human Rights Information and Documentation Center is ready to
cooperate with the governmental and non-governmental organizations
working in the field of trafficking.

According to Ucha Nanuashvili, director of HRIDC, NGOs are going to
monitor the implementation of the 2005-2006 Action Plan to Combat
Trafficking, as well as to lobby the ratification of the
international conventions on trafficking by the Parliament.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress