FIFA Fights Trafficking of African Kids Into Professional Soccer | End Human Trafficking | Change.org

Image via WikipediaNovember 08, 2010 11:02 AM (PT) 

Watching professional soccer players fly across the field with a balance of grace and power, it's hard to believe that any of them might be victims of human trafficking. But for years, recruiters have lured young boys from out of villages in Africa with the promise of becoming professional footballers. After years of grueling practice, a select few are signed to professional teams. But many are forced to work or beg once they arrive in their destination. Now FIFA, the group which governs professional soccer and runs the World Cup, has created a new program to help end trafficking of young boys into the sport.

For years, traffickers have been taking advantage of the hero-status professional footballers have across much of Africa. Recruiters will enter towns and villages, ost tryouts for young boys, and then pick the most talented to attend a special "training academy" in Europe or major cities in Africa. Families will often go into debt to afford the fee to send a son away, banking on the hope that he will return home a star. But once they are in the underground academy system, boys are bought and sold like any other commodity, sometimes being trafficked within the system. After being subjected to grueling practice schedules that leave little time for sleep, a tiny percent of players might be sold to a professional team or legitimate academy. Many, however, will find themselves forced to work or beg in order to keep chasing a dream that will never come true.

After years of growing outrage at the massive child trafficking industry supporting professional soccer, FIFA has stepped in with a solution they call the Transfer Matching System (TMS). The TMS collects 30 identifying pieces of information about a child, and for a transfer from one academy or club to another to be recognized, the data must match perfectly. Plus, children under 18 must have parental consent for transfers to be made. FIFA claims this system will prevent the "over-the-counter" type sales of children which has gone on in the past (never with the child's best interest in mind), as well as prevent "losing" kids within the system (inevitably to child trafficking in other industries). TMS will represent the first attempt any professional sports organization has made to curb trafficking within their sport.

But while the new FIFA controls may help prevent African children from being trafficked within the system, they won't prevent them from being exploited at the point of entry. Unscrupulous recruiters can still convince poor families to pay exorbitant amounts to give up sons with little real chance of becoming professional players. And those boys can still end up being forced to work or beg to support their more talented peers during training. But the trading restrictions and identifiers will make it easier to determine which academies are exploiting players and where boys who don't make the cut end up. And the parental consent clause will help ensure children aren't "lost" in the system while their families desperately search for them.

A lot more needs to change to prevent the trafficking of African kids into professional soccer or fraudulent academies claiming to train athletes, but FIFA has taken a critical first step. And if they continue focusing on preventing trafficking in professional soccer, they recruiters who buy and sell young players will soon be out of business.

Photo credit: Smyl

Amanda Kloer has been a full-time abolitionist for six years. She currently develops trainings and educational materials for civil attorneys representing victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence.

 FIFA Fights Trafficking of African Kids Into Professional Soccer | End Human Trafficking | Change.org

Source: End Human Trafficking

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UNICEF - Press centre - UNICEF announces key actions to enhance child protection during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and beyond

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PRETORIA, 1 June 2010 - With 10 days to go till the opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, UNICEF today launched a comprehensive campaign aimed at enhancing child protection and helping to ensure children’s safety as they enjoy the global football spectacular either in their own communities or on visits to any of four free FIFA Fan Fests where the children’s organisation has established Child-friendly Spaces.

The child protection initiative was developed in cooperation with the South Africa’s Department of Social Development together with Child Welfare South Africa and other civil society partners who are experts in delivery of protection services to children.

“UNICEF is grateful to FIFA for this valuable opportunity to extend a hand through four childfriendly spaces to reduce children’s vulnerability during the global sporting event,” said UNICEF South Africa Representative Aida Girma. “The child-friendly spaces will provide safe, supervised environments where social workers, child and youth care workers and trained volunteers will be on hand to support identified children who are in need of child protection services or emergency care, while watching the matches on television screens and enjoying child-appropriate activities in the child-friendly space.”

As many as 15,000 to 45,000 fans are expected to visit the different FIFA Fan Fests each day during opening hours from 10h00 to the end of that evening’s entertainment. Anticipating that children will be among them, UNICEF will establish the child friendly spaces at Soweto, Sandton, Port Elizabeth and Nelspruit FIFA Fan Fests. In addition, UNICEF through Child Welfare South Africa and other civil society partners will be offering parents the option of voluntarily tagging their children and themselves with numbered wristbands at the FIFA Fan Fest entrance gates in case children get lost and reunification services are needed.

Social Workers Trained in all Nine Provinces

UNICEF has partnered with the Department of Social Development to support the training of social workers and child protection professionals in all nine provinces in protection and safety procedures and protocols. This will enable them to intervene in the lives of vulnerable children and take the most appropriate social service steps that would contribute to children‘s optimal well-being.

“Ultimately, this training will not only enhance the country’s ability to respond to child abuse and exploitation during the FIFA World Cup period, but also strengthen the country’s child protection system into the future as a lasting legacy of the FIFA World Cup”, Ms. Girma said, and we hope to learn much from this pilot experience so that we can share our knowledge with other countries that will host major sporting events like this in the future,” Ms. Girma said.

Red Card Campaign targets millions with child safety messages

A key component action of UNICEF’s programme will be a Red Card communication campaign, drawing on the universal football warning symbol of the red card given to players who severely violate the rules of the game, and are disqualified from further participation. By using this symbol, the campaign sends out a message that child abuse and exploitation have no place in South Africa and during the heightened sports season.

Targeted to children, communities and visitors to South Africa, the campaign comprises widespread outreach activities using digital, print and electronic communication materials, advertorials and point of purchase items and signage to advocate against child abuse and exploitation, child sex tourism and trafficking. The Red card campaign is expected to reach millions of people in South Africa and neighbouring countries.

Ms. Girma explained that some of the material is specifically aimed at children and includes tips and information on how they can protect themselves from abuse, exploitation and trafficking at any time and place. Toll free emergency telephone numbers of the South African Police Services and Childline are printed on all items, should anyone need help or wish to report an incident of child abuse.

Reaching tourists

UNICEF’s key partner in reaching tourists via the red card campaign, Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA), in cooperation with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), will distribute leaflets and posters in the hospitality and through major travel industry that have agreed to participate in making visitors aware of the South Africa’s stance against child abuse, child labour, and child sex tourism.

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa and tourism industry players has announced a call to action to adopt and sign the International Code against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism. FTTSA will launch the Code in South Africa on 8 June.

According to Jennifer Seif, FTTSA Executive Director, leading hotel groups, car hire companies and other tourism businesses in South Africa are ready to play their part to protect children at risk of exploitation.

In addition, UNICEF supports is supporting an anti human trafficking campaign organized by the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) , which will be launched on 24 May as part of Tsiriledzani, a joint government sponsored initiative to draw attention to human trafficking.

Community Sports Festivals

UNICEF also announced a series of 21 football festivals to be held in school communities in all nine provinces from 10 June 10 to 11 July, when the country’s schools will be closed to allow children and families to join in the football celebration by participating in sport activities in their own communities.

The community sports festivals are a key component of UNICEF’s ongoing Sport for Development programme which focus on developing life skills and building children’s cognitive, social and physical abilities through sport. They also provide a platform to inform children of their rights and of ways to protect themselves from possible exploitation and abuse.

‘UNICEF encourages all South Africans, especially children, to share in the fun and excitement generated by the FIFA World Cup by participating in sport activities within their own communities,’ Ms Girma said.

“UNICEF is inspired by the support and enthusiasm we received from the South African Government and our other partners in the planning of this programme. It demonstrates their solid commitment to making children’s well-being a priority. We are looking forward to working with them to improve access to quality child care support in South Africa.”

For additional information, please contact UNICEF South Africa:

All UNICEF South Africa activities,
Aida Girma. Representative, UNICEF South Africa
Tel +27 (0) 12 354 8236 / +27 (0) 82 561 0196
agirma@unicef.org

Malathi Pillai, Deputy Representative, UNICEF South Africa
Tel +27 (0) 82 561 3973 / +27 (0) 12 354 8238
mpillai@unicef.org

Child protection and Child friendly spaces
Stephen Blight, Chief of Child Protection
Tel +27 (0)12 354 8271 / +27 (0) 82 561 1426
slbight@unicef.org

Sport for Development
Nadi Albino, Chief of Education
Tel +27 (12) 354 8201
nalbino@unicef.org

Nokunthula Prusent
Tel +27 79 499 4303
nprusent@unicef.org

Children on the Move
Shantha Bloemen, Communication Chief UNICEF Africa Services Unit
Tel +27 79 495 5938
sbloemen@unicef.org

Media queries:
Yvonne Duncan
Tel +27 82 561 3970
yduncan@unicef.org

Katarzyna Pawelczyk
Tel + 27 73 156 3650
kpawelczyk@unicef.org



UNICEF - Press centre - UNICEF announces key actions to enhance child protection during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and beyond

Church groups, government prepare to head off human trafficking at FIFA | The Underground

Image via Wikipedia

June 3, 2010 by The Underground Staff

Church groups and the South African government are working together to prevent the proliferation of human trafficking at the month-long South African World Cup which starts on June 11.

It has been estimated that some 40,000 to 100,000 people may be trafficked during the football spectacular, in a sex trade industry where children can earn $45 to $600 a night for their captors, the Christian Post said.

FIFA is expected to attract up to 350,000 overseas visitors from some 53 countries.

The event will be held in 10 venues scattered around nine South African host cities, according to The Guardian.

Last May 21 South Africa’s President Zuma launched Child Protection Week and the Children’s Act. A new law was also fast tracked against human trafficking prior to the World Cup, to give South African courts jurisdiction over human trafficking acts outside the country’s borders, the Christian Post reported.

Prior to that, from May 18 to 19, the Interregional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa met in Johannesburg, where bishops from Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe discussed the problem of human trafficking in their region, the Christian Post said.

IMBISA director Fr. Richard Menatsi said in his opening remarks that some 300 women and children are trafficked weekly from Mozambique into South Africa, the Christian Post said.

In a statement the bishops said, “It has been noted that [FIFA] has become a way of sending people to traffickers…especially girls who are told that they will be waitresses or tour guides for the visitors,” the Christian Post said.

Meanwhile Christian Brothers Investment Services, which manages $3.8 billion for Catholic institutions worldwide, sent two letters on April 12 and April 20 to CEOs and owners of eight hotel chains in South Africa, including InterContinental, Hyatt, Starwood, Accor, Carlson and Best Western. The CBIS asked hotel operators to take action to prevent sexual exploitation of children and other human trafficking crimes, the Christian Post said.

UNICEF (a secular group) is also contributing to the effort with four free FIFA Fan Fests which provide Child-Friendly Spaces. These spaces have social workers, child and youth care workers, and trained volunteers to provide child protection services, emergency care and child-appropriate activities, according to their website.

FIFA is perceived to play a large role in helping South Africa’s nation building efforts as its young democracy enters a new chapter in its post-apartheid history, according to The Guardian.

President Zuma takes the effort seriously. The day before he launched Child Protection Week, he attended a mass prayer meeting for women, where he prayed for a successful World Cup, according to the Christian Post.

Church groups, government prepare to head off human trafficking at FIFA | The Underground

Sowetan - News Plan to prevent human trade - Citizens on alert

Masoka Dube
24 May 2010

A CAMPAIGN to sensitise communities about human trafficking ahead of the soccer World Cup will be launched at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, today .

The initiative involves the National Prosecuting Authority , the Commission for Gender Equality and the 2010 FifaWorld Cup Local Organising Committee.

The campaign is aimed at kick-starting community activities in counteracting human trafficking in South Africa.

“The aim of this campaign is to create an understanding of what human trafficking is. During the campaign we will also share information with the community regarding the realities of human trafficking, “NPA spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga said.

He said he hoped the campaign would help raise awareness among targeted communities.

“The campaign will also highlight steps to be followed in reporting human trafficking,” Mhaga said.

He said LOC chief executive officer Danny Jordan and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe would deliver keynote addresses at the launch of the campaign.

Mhaga said they had chosen to launch the campaign in Mpumalanga because it was the only province among the Fifa World Cup host cities that shares borders with Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

This made the province vulnerable to human trafficking, he said.

Mhaga said through the sensitisation campaign they wanted to send a strong and clear message to human traffickers that they were not wanted.

He said as part of the campaign, volunteers would share information with members of the community, on a face-to- face basis.

Sowetan - News

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