Local Oasis Students join global STOP THE TRAFFIK launch from the UN building in New York

Two Bristol Oasis Academies are calling on other local schools to join them in supporting STOP THE TRAFFIK, a global movement that seeks to end the problem of human trafficking, as it launches its ‘START FREEDOM’ campaign next week.

The campaign aims to make young people worldwide more aware of human trafficking, and the issues surrounding it, and is being launched with a webcast from the United Nations building in New York on Wednesday 14th October. The webcast will appear on the website at 9am. Oasis Academy Brightstowe and Oasis Academy Bristol are asking students in other Academies, schools and youth organisations across the city to support the ‘START FREEDOM’ campaign by logging onto www.startfreedom.org, where they will be able to watch the broadcast online, and sign up to become part of a united global voice seeking to stop human trafficking.

Global charity Oasis UK, which sponsors eleven Academies across the UK, including the two in Bristol, founded STOP THE TRAFFIK in 2006 to advocate the issue and raise funds to support anti-trafficking initiatives. Both Bristol Academies will be working to raise awareness of the campaign, which culminates in the ‘START FREEDOM Week’ in March 2010.

Nikky Mungeam, Hub Development Co-ordinator at Oasis Academy Brightstowe, said, “As an Oasis Academy we are proud to be spear-heading this campaign. We’ve done a fair bit of work already to make our school community aware of the issue of human trafficking, including fundraising, hosting awareness events and setting up a local campaign group. It would be great to see more local schools backing STOP THE TRAFFIK, as it’s something our young people really feel passionate about.”

Rebecca Clark, Principal of Oasis Academy Bristol said, “All of our students are horrified at the actions of some people who want to sell human beings for their own profit. They want to join this campaign, which will seek to stop human trafficking, bring the traffickers to justice and protect the people who are trafficked. In addition they want to urge young people from all over this region to stand together and become a voice which will be listened to across the world.”

United Nations special advisor on community action against trafficking, Steve Chalke, said, “It never ceases to amaze me how passionate some of our young people are when it comes to issues of conscience. Whilst the subject matter is extremely harrowing, it is great to know that the young people of the UK are motivating each other to get involved in this very serious matter, and looking to make a difference to people’s lives.”