Angel Coalition - Combatting and Prevention of Human Trafficking

Furnishing sensory rooms for psychological rehabilitation of the children and provision of rehabilitation equipment

The repair of two rooms at the Center for Temporary Care of Minor Delinquents has been accomplished; these rooms will serve for psychological rehabilitation of minors who have been victims of violence. The equipment for sensory and playing rooms together with Gesell mirror was installed. It will be used as rehabilitative equipment for children – victims of violence and commercial sexual exploitation.


In playing and sensory rooms special equipment has been installed to provide psychological rehabilitation for children who suffered from commercial sexual exploitation.

Mentioned equipment of the playing and sensory rooms will be used not only as a base for special psychological rehabilitation of children, but also as a base for providing educational trainings for militia personnel, who work directly with these children. For example, in one of the rooms Gesell mirror will be installed, which is to be used during trainings for militia personnel (on topics such as “Interviewing children, who have been victims of commercial sexual exploitation”). Trainings will be conducted on the basis of the methods, developed by specialists of Angel Coalition and OZON Center.

Director of the Angel Coalition Trafficking Victim Assistance Center , Oleg Kouzbit, was invited to participate in an international conference titled “Hear My Voice: Identifying Trafficking in Women.” The event was held on March 20-24, 2007

at the premises of the University of Tel-Aviv and facilitated by government in conjunction with Isha L'Isha – Haifa Feminist Center and other partner NGOs.

It was the first time when NGOs and relevant government officials from some countries of origin gathered in an open discussion vis-a-vis the very entities that are mandated by the current Israeli law to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings in that country: Israeli Ministry of Interior, representatives of the border guards, Israeli Cabinet, the law enforcement, and coordinator of the Government's anti-trafficking efforts, Ms. Rachel Gershoni.

During heated discussions Mr. Kouzbit spoke at length about the plights that Russian trafficking survivors have to face as a result of deportations, the lack of rehabilitation services that survivors should receive when still in Israel, and about insufficient involvement of the State of Israel in restricting their own men who fuel the trade in women (unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of pimps and traffickers are former Soviet/Russian nationals). The impression was that it was for the first time that some government officials, as well as local state-supported NGOs, heard about all the predicaments that accompany women on their way back home and upon return to their native localities.

In spite of the fact that positive amendments to the local counter-trafficking legislation were enacted a year ago, but too many questions still remained, especially regarding a rehabilitation package to be provided in Israel . Mr. Kouzbit paid a visit to the Tel-Aviv-based Victim Rehabilitation Shelter to get familiar with the conditions the Israeli Ministry of Interior (main sponsor) provides for victims. As Mr. Kouzbit found out (through unofficial channels, though) that a strange and almost punitive policy was being applied there: every survivor, irrespective of her willingness or unwillingness, is almost forced into the shelter, as if it were a penitentiary facility, which may be regarded as further violation of the women's rights, their re-victimization and a contribution to a girl's self-stigmatization. During working group sessions Mr. Kouzbit repeatedly raised this issue for discussion.

Conference of “Angel Coalition” to sum up shelters' working experiences on assistance to victims of human trafficking

On February 27, 28, and March 1, 2007 in Moscow the Angel Coalition hosted the summation conference for Year 1 of the second Safe Rescue and Return project: Developing a Multifaceted Approach to Repatriation and Reintegration of Human Trafficking Victims . The purpose of the conference was to gather experts together to discuss inter-agency and international issues related to identifying and assisting victims, as well as providing a forum to discuss experience and exchange ideas.

The conference was attended by more than 50 specialists from governmental agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations. Key Angel Coalition partners from Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl , Dushanbe , Petrozavodsk , Irkutsk , Kazan , St. Petersburg , and Murmansk presented on their work in 2006, sharing their experiences operating shelters through the Angel Coalition's Safe House Project, hosting high-level conferences, and carrying out other prevention activities. Among other conference participants were representatives from: Kvinnoforum ( Sweden ), La Strada Ukraine , the International Organization for Migration ( Moscow ), and the National Academy of Sciences ( Moscow ). Experts from these organizations shared their experiences with international cooperation and research in the field of combating human trafficking, education of government officials, and victim integration issues.

Each afternoon, conference participants broke into working groups and discussed issues pertinent to the identification, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration, and protection of victims. Groups developed draft victim identification cards, to be used by law enforcement, and a draft Victim Protection Protocol, to be elaborated and improved upon over the next year. On the final day, the future of the Angel Coalition was discussed, and how all members could work together to more effectively fight human trafficking. Discussions were lively, productive, and exhibited a high level of collaboration between participants from all spheres.

On the last day of the conference, a case study was presented and discussed. A call had come in to the Angel Coalition's international toll-free helpline in the middle of the night from a trafficking victim who had escaped her traffickers in Moscow . A TVAC staff member, along with another conference participant, had met her at a metro station and brought her to a safe spot. The facts (except for confidential information) were presented and law enforcement and NGOs came up with an initial plan for how to proceed.

Trainings for militiamen on psychological specific of working with children – victims of violence and commercial sexual exploitation

Within the framework of the Angel Coalition's project “Protect Me” the collaborative work is in progress with Main Department for Interior Affairs of Moscow city, on program titled “Psychological aspects of militiamen's work with children – victims of violence, including commercial sexual exploitation”. For the period from January to March of 2007 there were conducted 8 trainings for the staff of the department on cases of under-aged delinquents, regular on-duty patrol, district militiamen, staff of criminal investigation department and other investigating bodies, psychologists from law enforcement bodies. The trainings were devoted to the range of topics:

• Establishing the first contact with deviant teenagers, overcoming the aggression and resistance;

• Auto-aggressive behavior of under-aged and specific of work in cases of auto-aggressive behavior of under-aged.

НОВОСТИ - March 2007 (#6)