Great Discoveries During the Review Day of CATHII-University at the UN    

To mark five years of the CATHII—University at the UN program, the CATHII trio organized a day for reviewing, as well as, looking at prospectives regarding human trafficking. The event, held in Montreal on April 5, was divided into two parts.

The first part gave an overview of the training about human trafficking and the participation of some fifteen young people at the UN.

Relevant knowledge

Divided into three groups, the students each in turn, during ten-minute period, addressed three key questions as they shared their learning.

On the question about human trafficking, the young people highlighted the lack of studies regarding the trafficking of males and the exploitation of migrants, particularly due to the imposition of closed permits for agricultural workers.

The over-representation of racialized and aboriginal people, and the vulnerability of members of the LGBTQ community, are among the elements identified in the second question. The students were asked to identify their findings following their participation in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in hybrid mode, part online and part onsite in New York.

They also mentioned the lack of available services, the systemic nature of the phenomenon, which spares no society, and the need to give survivors a greater role.

When asked what they had learned that they could use in their future careers, the students stressed the importance of taking action by carrying out micro actions to bring about change. They also expressed their desire for changes to current structures (legal, administrative, political, etc.).

Interestingly, one of the participants clearly defined preventive action, stressing the importance of “spotting obstacles” and finding the right resources.   Another participant, referring to the administrative sector, pointed out the need to raise awareness by placing posters in all areas, even in the washrooms of office buildings.

The late-morning wrap-up also revealed a better understanding of the signs of sexual exploitation and forced labor. It was also agreed that the real experts on human trafficking are the survivors themselves.

Launched during the pandemic, the CATHII—University at the UN program is celebrating its fifth anniversary. To mark this anniversary, participants enjoyed sharing a cake.

Discovering the Realities of Intervention

The Comité d’action contre la traite humaine interne et internationale (CATHII) (Action Committee against internal and international human trafficking) is renowned for its advocacy and training work. To mark the program’s fifth anniversary and the attendance of 74 academic students from a dozen faculties, the organizing trio added another feature ‘intervention’ to the plan for the day.

Maria Paredes (community organizer at CLES), Jasmin de la Calzada (PINAY) virtually, Susana Ponte (CTTI Women’s Committee) and Jenny Charest, former director of CAVAC made up the panel to discuss realities in the field.

This took the form of a panel featuring four people directly involved in the field.

The panelists shared their experiences and explained the nature of their work. They also discussed the need for greater collaboration among all those intervening in this area in order to improve their effectiveness.

Beyond the moral obligation, all feel the need to leave no victim without support. Given the relatively modest resources available to these organizations, it was easy for the audience to appreciate the scale of the challenge.

The diversity of the presentations enabled the young people present to gain a better understanding of the various realities in the community and the importance of their new knowledge.  Let it be noted that the members of the trio are:  Ms Kavitha Culam, Ms Élodie Ekobena and Sr. Lise Gagnon, snjm.

The photo gallery illustrates a few moments from this successful day.