{"id":5578,"date":"2022-11-19T16:57:07","date_gmt":"2022-11-19T15:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/london-chilterns\/?p=5578"},"modified":"2023-02-12T12:01:27","modified_gmt":"2023-02-12T11:01:27","slug":"human-rights-day-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/london-chilterns\/2022\/11\/19\/human-rights-day-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Impressive Human Rights Day Event"},"content":{"rendered":"

Members from around the Soroptimist International London Chilterns Region were joined for their Human Rights Day event on Saturday 10 December by guests and Soroptimists from other Regions around the London area. We received great feedback saying that people were impressed and we received many compliments about the quality and content from our speakers and the organisation of the whole morning on Zoom.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We were delighted to welcome two excellent speakers:<\/p>\n

Major Kathy Betteridge<\/strong>, Director for Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery, National Lead from the Salvation Army.<\/p>\n

Chris Green OBE<\/strong>, founder of the White Ribbon & Co Founder of Male Allies Challenging Sexism; Chris was awarded his OBE for Services to Equality – please click here to download Chris’s impressive biography Chris Green Biography<\/a><\/p>\n

The agenda can be downloaded here: Human Rights Day SILCR Agenda 10 Dec 2022<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Our first speaker was Major Kathy Betteridge, Director for Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery for The Salvation Army https:\/\/www.salvationarmy.org.uk\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kathy Betteridge<\/strong> explained that it is no surprise that the Salvation Army is providing support for modern day slaves because they have been committed to stopping slavery since the days of Florence and Bramwell Booth in 1885. They were also instrumental in raising the age of consent from age 13 to 16 in the UK. Sadly slavery is more \"\"<\/a>prolific now than ever before with an estimated 50 million enslaved people around the world \u2013 that is more than were taken from Africa during the 300 years of the transatlantic slave trade! Slavery is the 2nd<\/sup> largest criminal activity in the world after the illegal drugs trade.<\/p>\n

The Salvation Army is the primary contactor with the UK government for victim support of modern slaves https:\/\/www.salvationarmy.org.uk\/modern-slavery<\/a> They provide intense support at the start then a lighter touch when the person moves on. They work with the police, identifying activity that leads to suspicion. Victims are taken by a \"SILC<\/a>volunteer driver\/chaperone to a safe house \u2013 often this is the first time the victim has received any care, friendliness or even a smile since they were enslaved. The driver often stops to buy them a meal and a drink on the way to the safe house. This network of volunteers are crucial in the first steps to recovery. First responders are not usually volunteers but the Salvation Army and other charities providing victim support for modern slaves do take on this role when they first take down a victim\u2019s story. The story is then input to the NRM \u2013 National Referral Mechanism database and process. The responder needs to be skilled to get the story from the victim who will be frightened because they will have been threatened by the perpetrator and warned that they won\u2019t be believed, that they will be in trouble with the police and will get sent home. Kathy advised us that if we see something suspicious that we should ring the helpline 0800 808 3733<\/strong>\u00a0or the police \u2013 we shouldn\u2019t investigate ourselves because we may alert the perpetrators and make things worse for the victim. The \"\"<\/a>Government provides funding for the first part of the support because it is legislated, but an extra \u201cSurvivor Support Fund\u201d pays for the practical help needed to rehabilitate victims. They have supported 18,000 victims since 2011. Figures for exploitation in 2021\/22 breaks down to 1404 Labour, 715 Sexual, 600 Criminal, 241 Domestic Service, 145 Complex\/Unknown. Source countries (in order) are Albania (top), UK, Eritrea, Vietnam, Sudan, India, Iran. British victims have doubled in the last year.<\/p>\n

Kathy has many individual stories, making her presentation very real. She told us about an Albanian woman who married voluntarily but then her \u201chusband\u201d took her to Italy where he disappeared and she was forced into prostitution. It took her two years to escape. Another woman started singing through the support she got from the Salvation Army and that gave her confidence. A bus driver was able to help one victim who was escaping with no money \u2013 he allowed them to stay on the bus and took them to the police station. One student on a gap year had her passport taken, she was forced into sex work \u2013 she felt stupid so didn\u2019t want to got to the police \u2013 every time someone offered to help her they turned out to be another abuser.<\/p>\n

Traffickers target vulnerable individuals. London has the largest number of referrals. The challenges are finding accommodation for those who can\u2019t return to their homes, resourcing ESOL classes, solicitors, dentists (sometimes teeth have been damaged badly through the violence of the perpetrators). Action we can take is to volunteer, know about welcome packs, sponsor a hub.<\/p>\n

The National Health Service is not currently a first responder for modern slavery and Kathy would like that to happen. It would need Home Office sponsorship to ensure front-line healthworkers understand the signs and how to refer.<\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t much time for questions following Kathy\u2019s impressive presentation. Most attendees appeared not to be aware that the Salvation Army was at the forefront of this work. One Soroptimist was able to give us a first-hand example of being completely unaware of modern day slaves living in the house next door and how clever the perpetrators are at creating a friendly smoke-screen so as not to raise suspicion\u2026..<\/p>\n

Kathy Betteridge’s presentation can be downloaded to view by clicking here: Kathy Betteridge Anti Trafficking Dec 2022 SILC<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The two videos in the presentation can be viewed by clicking on the links below:<\/p>\n

Help The Salvation Army help victims of modern slavery<\/a><\/p>\n

Dan’s Story – Survivor of Human Trafficking<\/a><\/p>\n

If anyone wants to make a donation to Kathy’s work with Anti Trafficking & Modern Slavery in the Salvation Army please email silondonchilterns@hotmail.com<\/a>. She is running the London Marathon this year in support of\u00a0 the cause – if you wish to sponsor her please click here https:\/\/www.justgiving.com\/fundraising\/integrated-mission<\/a>.<\/strong> The Region has\u00a0made a donation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>During the break we played this video of a song called “Orange” https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mctGkB_HZRc<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The song was written in 2021 for the Soroptimist Club Krems Fidelitas in Austria for the global\u00a0Orange the World Campaign<\/strong> – 16 days of activism to end gender based violence from 25 Nov, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 Dec, Human Rights Day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>Celebration of United Nations Human Rights Day<\/strong><\/p>\n