Oakgrove pupils address human trafficking

The EU designated today, Friday, October 18, as the day against Human Trafficking, hoping to raise awareness and help some of the estimated 27 million people held in modern day slavery around the world.

As part of this Oakgrove students were trained in special workshops and led assemblies for others to spread the message. Thinking about the clothes they wear, the food they eat, students were asked to consider that their choices make life better or worse for others.

In the hard-hitting student-led assembly, pupils learned that 80 per cent of victims are women, and 50 per cent children, in a global problem which means slavery is a bigger problem now than ever.

Encouraged to think about others who had worked against slavery in the past, students learned about the efforts of William Wilberforce who led the successful campaign to ban slavery in the British Empire.

Oakgrove staff and students worked with the local coalition Northwest ACT to raise the awareness. Northwest ACT is part of a global network of Active Communities Against Trafficking. Local members want to raise awareness of what trafficking is and to take action to stop it.

Following the Oakgrove assembly, students were encouraged to take action to reduce the impact of human trafficking. Hundreds of messages were sent to the Chief Executive of Mondalez International, the world’s largest chocolate company.

Student postcards asked for guarantees of a traffic-free Toblerone and a deadline to certify the entire cocoa range with realistic yet ambitious targets that it is “sustainable”.

ACT defines trafficking as being deceived or taken against your will, bought, sold and exploited in places like the sex industry, sweatshops, factories, circuses, for body parts, force begging, cannabis cultivation, or domestic servitude. Further information is available on [email protected]