In 2022, the ASTRA project team collaborated with the engaged creative agency to develop and implement an awareness-raising and advocacy campaign, HOW CLOSE ARE YOU (to human trafficking)? The campaign started in the middle of September 2022 and lasted till the end of March 2023.
The campaign, designed to raise awareness about human trafficking, focusing on THB for labour exploitation, was created as mostly an online campaign since we estimated that we could achieve the best effect that way for the budget provided. That is, we wanted to use the possibility of precise targeting of the target group so that the message reaches people who are potential victims of human trafficking. In addition, an intervention in the public space was designed and implemented to attract the attention of the wider public, media and institutions. Also, we organized a presentation of the report’s findings on human trafficking for labour exploitation of workers from Vietnam engaged in the construction of the Linglong tire factory and a large conference on the problem of human trafficking.
CAMPAIGN EVENTS
Intervention in public space − Labyrinth of human trafficking
The campaign was launched on September 21. On this occasion, an installation – Labyrinth of human trafficking, 25 square meters large, were installed on the main city square, Trg Republike. With this Labyrinth, we want to bring the experience of victims of human trafficking for labour exploitation closer to citizens. By moving through the Labyrinth, citizens will be able to learn more about the ways of entering the chain of human trafficking and the types of prevention and assistance available to them. The Labyrinth stood on Square until September 23 at 5 p.m., and our team members informed passers-by during those three days about prevention methods, the rights of victims of labour exploitation, and free-of-charge ASTRA support services.
The children found the Labyrinth fascinating, and several teachers brought their students for a group visit. The Labyrinth also attracted media attention.
Presentation of a detailed report on the case of labour exploitation of workers from Vietnam – Linglong
We marked the European Day against Human Trafficking, October 18, by presenting the findings of the report on human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation of workers from Vietnam engaged in the construction of the Linglong tire factory − WOULD YOU REALLY BUY THIS? The mass case of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation in Serbia: Reinventing Slavery in the 21st century. The report was presented at Media Center Belgrade in the presence of representatives of the media, civil sector, and embassies and was broadcast live through social networks and the Media Center website.
Speakers at the event were:
- Ivana Gordić Perc, VOICE journalist,
- Mario Reljanović, president of the association Center for Dignified Work and research associate at the Institute of Labor Law from Belgrade,
- Jasmina Krunić, ASTRA Head of Policy and Learning.
The event will be moderated by: Tatjana Aleksić, N1 television journalist.
Report WOULD YOU REALLY BUY THIS? Reinventing Slavery in the 21st Century was created in the period from December 2021 to June 2022. The report includes a detailed review of human trafficking indicators/indicators with sources (UN, ILO, Center for the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking), a legal analysis of the contracts signed by the workers of the LingLong factory, an overview of the activities that ASTRA undertook by appealing to domestic institutions, with an overview of their reactions, i.e. the lack of reaction, and an analysis of the domestic institutional framework that is important for referral mechanisms, including the competences of individual institutions and the activities that have taken or failed to take concerning this case. All facts, events and communications mentioned in this report are supported by sources in the form of links, documents, photos, videos, screenshots, etc.
All speakers spoke from the perspective of their expertise and report’s contributions or based on personal experiences from the scene. More about the main findings of the report and the presentation itself, you can find HERE!
Conference HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING? Overview of the situation in the context of the 21st century
As part of the campaign and an event that should meaningfully wrap up a whole series of different ASTRA activities in 2022, on December 8, we organized a conference called HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING? Overview of the situation in the context of the 21st century.
Within the first session, entitled HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SERBIA: Overview of the Situation in the Context of the 21st Century, the report’s findings of the same name were presented. The report was made in cooperation with the SeConS Development Initiative Group.
Between the panels, ASTRA also presented its latest mobile phone app for information and prevention against human trafficking for labour exploitation, SAFE at WORK.
The second session was entitled COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GOOD PRACTICES WITH A PROPOSAL FOR IMPROVING THE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR THE APPLICATION OF DUE DILIGENCE AND CORPORATIVE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE SUPPLIER CHAIN IN THE NATIONAL CONTEXT. Bearing in mind the current trends in the field of human trafficking – such as economic migration and migration caused by ongoing wars, the influx of foreign workers and the departure of local workers to work abroad, as well as the absence of positive legislation in Serbia in the area of responsibility in the supply chain and due diligence – the preparation of this analysis as a basis for subsequent advocacy actions proved inevitable.
The whole event was completed with an intervention in the same area of Hotel M where the conference was held. Our Labyrinth of human trafficking shone again in a new guise as part of the accompanying conference program.
The event was attended by 96 representatives of professionals from the field of combating human trafficking, legislation, the NGO sector and the media.
ONLINE CAMPAIGN
The following promotional materials were created for the implementation of the online campaign:
- Visuals 5 website landing pages, four of which are in Serbian, one in English
- 6 banners for the front page of the website and the landing page,
- Visual and graphic elements within each landing page
- Cover photo for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
- Facebook and Instagram video Feed ad for the target group men – agriculture
- Facebook and Instagram Story ad for the target group men – agriculture
- Facebook and Instagram video Feed ad for the target group men – construction
- Facebook and Instagram Story ad for the target group men – construction
- Facebook and Instagram video Feed ad for the target group of women – working at home
- Facebook and Instagram Story ad for the target group of women – working at home
- Youtube 3D video for the target group men – agriculture
- Youtube 3D video for the target group men – construction
- Youtube 3D video for the target group of women – housework
- 38 carousel visuals for Facebook and Instagram
ASTRA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles were used to promote the campaign. For the online promotion, a campaign was created on Facebook and Instagram for three target groups.
The total campaign reach of 238,467 and 687,106 impressions was reached, thus exceeding the initial projection of the campaign twice. The distribution between men and women is 47% for men (112,419) and 53% for women (125,408).
Of all three ads created (agriculture, construction, housework), the fake ad for housework was the most successful. It proves the initial assumption that women are at greater risk of being trafficked for labour exploitation. Since they are in a worse economic situation, they are more desperate and willing to try a business offer that could potentially put them at risk of labour exploitation and human trafficking, despite the warning that it was a fake ad.
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TRADITIONAL MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENTS (TV, radio, press, internet portals)
During the first three months of the campaign’s implementation (September-December 2022), ASTRA had 128 media announcements related to the campaign and similar topics. Until the end of March 2023, the number of media announcements increased to 240. Campaign information and related news were mainly published in the media with national coverage, but there were also announcements on local television and the press. Some of the media appearances had hundreds of thousands of viewers, or if we are talking about printed publications, tens of thousands of readers. Press clipping is a part of supporting documents.