About ACT
Who we are: ACT Alberta is a coalition of government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, survivors of trafficking and the general public who are concerned with identifying and responding to human trafficking in our province.
Where we came from:
In 2007, Changing Together…a Centre for Immigrant Women completed an Environmental Scan entitled “Trafficking of Women and Girls to Canada”. We collected 58 responses, 45.5% of respondents stated they know of specific human trafficking cases in their communities. Eleven of the 58 responses stated they had direct contact with victims of human trafficking.
Healthcare, social services, law and enforcement, immigration and settlement and faith-based groups were identified and targeted in the environmental scan survey. The responses clearly indicated a need for training for all that may come into contact with a trafficked victim. How to identify a trafficked victim, the special needs that these victims require, and sensitivity and awareness of the existing laws and regulations on the issue of trafficking are the greatest needs stated by survey respondents. Respondents were keen on building community capacity to identify human trafficking activities to prevent human trafficking activities from taking place in Alberta.
Selected findings from this report are useful in understanding the history of the Action Coalition on human Trafficking in Alberta:
What resources does your organization need to effectively deal with trafficked women and girls in your community?
- Better understanding, more space and longer term secured housing, training for staff.
- Referrals from other agencies and access to interpreters.
- An awareness of the problem would trigger the need to develop a strategy.
- More funding. Links with immigrant women’s groups, links with healthcare and links with housing providers.
- Information, resources, contact information and awareness workshops.
- Information, legal and legislative protocol, training on trafficking in Alberta.
- Open dialogue with those presently involved with this issue.
- Information about trafficking. Information about the appropriate intervention and information about the immigration processes.
- Counselling, mental health services, emergency shelters.
- Information, referral numbers, websites.
What we do:
- We increase collaboration between NGOs, immigrant serving agencies, social service providers, healthcare workers, law and enforcement agencies and government agencies to address victims of human trafficking
- We provide a networking space for organizations working on this issue to collaborate and share best practices
- We encourage the formation of local ACT Chapters dedicated to working on this issue from a grass-roots approach. For more information on connecting with or starting a local ACT Chapter, email info@actalberta.org
- We raise awareness of human trafficking and provide public education opportunities
- We offer specified training to professionals who may come into contact with trafficked persons
Our mission and philosophy:
ACT Alberta Philosophy
ACT Alberta aims to mobilize various stakeholders in Alberta to identify and respond to human trafficking in our province by (i) reducing both the vulnerability of potential victims and the demand for exploitation in all its forms; (ii) ensuring adequate protection and support to those who do fall victim, and (iii) supporting the efficient prosecution of the criminals involved, while respecting the fundamental human rights of all persons.
ACT Alberta Mission
ACT Alberta will increase the knowledge and awareness on human trafficking; promote effective rights-based responses; build capacity of all involved stakeholders; and foster partnerships for joint action against human trafficking.
Membership:
Membership in ACT Alberta is open to individuals and organizations who wish to be a part of the response to human trafficking in Alberta. Participation in the Action Coalition on human Trafficking is based on Open Source Activism, a belief that everyone can contribute to a cause they believe in.
There are no membership fees.
For more information on membership, please email info@actalberta.org
Contact us:
ACT Alberta – the Action Coalition on human Trafficking
C/O Changing Together… a Centre for Immigrant Women
10010 105 Street, Third Floor
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 1C4
Our funders:
We cannot do our work without our funders and acknowledge and thank the following sponsors:
ACT Alberta is a project of Changing Together… a Centre for Immigrant Women
