When: Friday, January 6, 2012
Where: Millwoods Evangelical Free Church , 1559 80 St NW , Edmonton, AB
Time: 7:00pm until 9:30pm

Please join us for benefit concert to fight human trafficking.

Featuring musical performances by:
Jessica Holtby and Beth Bucknor
www.myspace.com/bethholtbymusic
www.jessicaholtby.com

Free admission, 7pm. coffee, tea, and dessert provided.

All donations go to ACT Alberta
For more information email info@actalberta.org

Community agencies, front line workers, community members and the general public of St.Paul and surroundings areas are invited to attend a workshop on human trafficking.

This workshop will present information on human trafficking legislation and policy and will examine case studies, protocols on service provision and will help participants identify and assist trafficked persons in their community.

Date: Tuesday, December 6th

Time: 9:00 am

Facilitator: Andrea Burkhart
Executive Director
ACT Alberta
Action Coalition on human Trafficking

Workshop sponsored by:
St. Paul & District Crisis Association

Registration fee: $10.00 per participant
Coffee and snacks provided

Fee payable to St. Paul & District Crisis Association
To register please contact Noreen @ 780-645-5132

Or you may email your registration information to Cotton5@mcsnet.ca
Space is limited, please register by November 30th.

The Action Coalition on Human Trafficking  is pleased to be hosting a screening of the film Call + Response to raise awareness of human trafficking. Please support the Coalition as they spearhead an awareness campaign to expose the harsh reality of the enslavement of 27 million people worldwide.

When:  Tuesday  November 8th  2011 · Doors open at 7:00pm

Where: Grande Prairie Public Library: 101, 9839 103 Avenue Grande Prairie, Alberta.

For more information email grandeprairie@actalberta.org

CALL + RESPONSE is a first of its kind feature documentary film that reveals the world’s 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. CALL + RESPONSE goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2009, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.

The scheduled screening of Call + Response that was set for October 27th has been postponed in light of the recent tragedy in Grande Prairie.

The event will be rescheduled for a future date.

For more information contact: grandeprairie@actalberta.org or info@actalberta.org

The Action Coalition on Human Trafficking  is pleased to be hosting a screening of the film Call + Response to raise awareness of human trafficking in Alberta and around the world. Please support the Coalition as they spearhead an awareness campaign to expose the harsh reality of the enslavement of 27 million people worldwide.

When:  Friday October 21st, 2011 · Doors open at 7:00pm

Where:  High River Centennial Library: 909 – 1st Street West, High River Alberta

Tickets $5.00 at the door

(all proceeds raised will go directly to supporting ACT and victims of human trafficking in Alberta)

For more information, call 403-554-3423

CALL + RESPONSE is a first of its kind feature documentary film that reveals the world’s 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. CALL + RESPONSE goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2009, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.

Many Canadians have voiced their opinions on the Ominbus Crime Bill proposed by the Conservative party of Canada. The Ominbus Crime Bill C-10 contains a wide range of justice and public safety measures. In regards to human trafficking, the bill makes amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and aims to enact ”powers to deny work permits for foreign workers at risk of human trafficking or humiliating and degrading treatment, including exotic dancers and low-skilled workers.”

The Canadian Council of Refugees has spoken out against the bill and their opinion can be found at:

http://ccrweb.ca/en/comments-bill-c10-trafficking

Whereas, UBC Law Professor Ben Perrin sees many improvements within the bill. Please see his comment at:

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/09/28/benjamin-perrin-the-governments-omnibus-crime-bill-is-not-draconian/

Edmontonians did their part to raise awareness about human trafficking in Canada by coming out to the first Annual Freedom Relay on Sunday, September 25th.

Participants carried signs with slogans reading “End the misery” and “Humans are not for sale” as they walked along Whyte Avenue. The walkers raised funds through pledges for organizations both local and abroad, with 60% of funds raised going to anti-human trafficking initiatives in Canada.

ACT Alberta would like to thank our fantastic volunteers for their hard work in making the event a success and for all the walkers, runners, and bikers for coming out on a Sunday and raising money for a great cause.

Special thanks to: The Body Shop stores of northern Alberta, Soroptomist International of Edmonton, Original Joe’s Downtown Edmonton, House of Tin Hair Salon, and Angles Hair Salon.

For more about the Freedom Relay please visit:

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2011/09/25/walk-held-to-raise-awareness-of-human-trafficking

Child labour? Forced marriages? Alberta is not immune to polygamist cult accused of moving children between provinces and countries.

The United Nations, and Canadian law, define human trafficking as an act where someone recruits, transports, transfers, receives or holds a person, or controls their movement, for the purposes of exploiting them.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church) is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations in North America. The FDLS is noted as one and one of the largest organizations in the United States and Canada whose members practice polygamy.

There have long been suspicions that the FLDS sect in Bountiful, BC has been trafficking girls across the US border for years, to force them into ‘holy’ marriages to much older men[1]. What is less known is the alleged trafficking of boys and young men from BC to other Canadian provinces, including Alberta, for cheap labour.

ACT Alberta AGM

You are warmly invited to join stakeholders from across the province as we celebrate ACT Alberta’s first year as an independent organization. The evening is a chance for ACT to thank our stakeholders and volunteers for all their hard work, and to welcome our new Board of Directors. We hope to see you there to commemorate a year of growth and success for our organization.

Annual General Meeting – Edmonton
Monday October 17, 2011
Celebration from 6:30-8:00pm
Please RSVP to info@actalberta.org by October 10th.

ACT Alberta Transitions

Our one year point also brings about some changes as ACT Alberta is bidding farewell to two Coordinators this fall. Kimberly (Edmonton) and Lara (Calgary) are moving on to exciting opportunities. We want to thank them both for their dedication and commitment to forming Alberta’s response to human trafficking and wish them all the best in the future endeavours!

Introductions

ACT Alberta would like to welcome Aaron Lawson to the ACT Edmonton team. Aaron is a social work student studying at Grant MacEwan University who will be assisting our Edmonton Networking Group Coordinator for the year. We look forward to working with Aaron!

A petition signed by over 570 000 Canadians calling for action to end the trafficking of children and youth, will be presented to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews next week. This marks an important move by the public to inform the federal government about their concerns on the trafficking of children and youth in our country.

To read more about the petition please visit:

www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Petition+Toews+takes+child+trafficking/5311915/story.html