Bollywood and UNODC to raise awareness on human trafficking

20 December 2007

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office for South Asia has commissioned a video spot called �One Life, No Price� to raise awareness of the crime of human trafficking in India. The two-minute spot, which will precede the movie �Welcome�, will bring the issue squarely into the open.

The spot aims to sensitize millions of movie-goers to this form of modern-day slavery and galvanize action to prevent and combat human trafficking by civil society and law enforcement partners.

The Movie �Welcome� is produced by Firoz A. Nadiadwala of Base Industries Group, Bombay � India and showcases major Indian movie stars: Feroz Khan, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, who are also recording messages separately in support of the cause.

Base Industries Group of Mumbai, producers of smash hits such as �Hera Pheri", is one of the oldest commercial film corporations in Asia. Their latest production �Welcome,� to be released on 21 December, is a comedy of errors that will appeal to Indian families worldwide.

UNODC�s partnership with the Indian Film Industry is part of the its awareness-raising strategy under UN.GIFT, an initiative launched in March 2007 to provide a framework for action by governments, business, academia, civil society and the media in the fight against human trafficking.

For further information contact:
Gary Lewis
Representative
Regional Office for South Asia
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
EP16/17 Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi, India
Tel: (+91-11) 4222-5000
Fax: (+91-11) 2410-4962
gary.lewis@unodc.org

Source: UNODC

User comments

"Contribute to UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking website"

Author: Tushar Sampat

Time: 20.12.2007 21:01

Comment: UN.GIFT (United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking ) website www.ungift.org aims to be an extension of UN GIFT activities worldwide. We would like it to evolve into a vibrant online community where people exchange views, showcase their work, talk about their experiences to strengthen the fight against human trafficking. With your help we can make it a valuable resource to take this fight forward. Organized crime of human trafficking needs a fitting organized response.

� It is time to join forces to prevent human trafficking.
� Give this global problem a global solution.
� Rally under the banner of the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking.
� Get involved!
� Together we can save people and put traffickers behind bars.

UN.GIFT was formally launched in London on 26 March 2007. It is designed to have a long-term impact to create a turning point in the worldwide fight against human trafficking. 27million people are trafficked each year. UN.GIFT intends to take action against human trafficking in all its manifestations � commercial sexual exploitation, bonded labour, organ trade, camel jockeying, forced marriages, domestic labour, illegal adoption, and other exploitative work � through creating partnerships at a global level with all sectors of society.

The ultimate goal of the Global Initiative is to contribute to ending human trafficking� estimated to have a total market value of about $32 billion worldwide. UNODC has a two-pronged strategy for achieving this goal � increasing public awareness of the problem and coordinating existing but disparate efforts by international and national groups, governments and non-governmental organizations and by concerned individuals to end the practice.

Numerous regional GIFT events will culminate in Vienna with a Global Forum against Human Trafficking from 13th to 15th Feb 2008.

The objective of The Vienna Forum is to raise awareness, facilitate cooperation and partnerships among the various stakeholders. It will bring together representatives from Member States, UN system organizations, other regional and international organizations, the business community, academia, non-governmental organizations and other elements of civil society. The Forum will allow for an open environment to enable all parties involved to take concrete steps to fight human trafficking, within their spheres of action.

The Forum will be a catalyst for solution-seeking ideas and address three overriding themes on human trafficking:
1.Vulnerability: why does human trafficking happen;
2. Impact: human and social consequences of human trafficking;
3. Action: innovative approaches to solving complex problems.

The Vienna Forum will also consist of plenary sessions and a variety of panel discussions and workshops especially designed to address the multi-faceted dimensions of human trafficking.

Tushar Sampat
tushar.sampat@unodc.org