Find here the conclusion of the Workshop and the Website of the campaign www.freedomkeepers.eu
„FreedomKeepers” campaign launched!
The first workshop of the FreedomKeepers team was held 7-8 March in Düsseldorf, Germany, hosted by Arbeit und Leben NRW. Ivan Matic and Szabolcs Sepsi were present as organizers on behalf of YCDN.
Besides giving the participants a chance to get to know each other and build a good team, the main goal of the workshop was establishing the clear targets, frames and limitations of the peer-to-peer online prevention campaign on human trafficking in the Danube Region.
Ivan Matic facilitated the sessions of the first day, focusing on identifying the problem and possible solutions. The participants identified the lack of information about modern-day slavery as the main challenge they will face. Misconceptions about trafficking, prejudices, stereotypes and taboos, shame and victim stigma, idealistic expectations of life in the “west” as well as lack of economic opportunities are all connected with these problems.
The goal of the campaign should, as a consequence, be to address the lack of information and lack of interest of 14-18 year olds towards modern-day slavery. It has also been emphasized that we focus exclusively on prevention, coordinate among the target countries and place an importance on the peer-to-peer method.
On the second day of the workshop, facilitated by Sophie Langmeier and Szabolcs Sepsi, the participants had the chance to learn about online campaigning. The name FreedomKeepers was chosen for the campaign because of its positive message and energy.
You can find more information on the campaign here:
http://freedomkeepers.eu/
Follow it on Facebook!
+++ UPDATE: This is the final programme: Programme – Slavery in Europe +++
The participants and trainers are introduced here.
A new YCDN project: Web 2.0 Campaign on Human Trafficking
The Young Citizens Danube Network will implement a Web 2.0 campaign for the prevention of human trafficking in the Danube Area, in cooperation with Arbeit und Leben NRW, and supported by the German Federal Agency for Civic Education and the Robert Bosch Fund. The project will start in February 2012.
When it comes to human trafficking, the Danube Region is the most affected one in Europe. Young people often become victims due to lack of information. After the June 2011 Conference we recommended initiating youth oriented campaigns in order to raise the awareness on trafficking prevention. We believe that a campaign implemented by the youth itself through a peer-to-peer method is the most effective way of reaching the target group.
The project consists of two stages, a preparatory stage of two months (February-March 2012) including a workshop in Düsseldorf hosted by AULNRW and an implementation stage of 4 months or longer in the target countries, ideally with an evaluation meeting at the end of June 2012. The project coordinator will spend the preparatory stage in Düsseldorf, working with AULNRW to prepare digital materials for a web 2.0 (in our case blog, website, facebook and twitter) campaign on human trafficking. This will include a workshop with 12 previously selected candidates in Düsseldorf, 6 of whom will be locals and 6 from the Danube countries, ideally 2 from Romania, 2 from Bulgaria, 1 from Serbia and 1 from Hungary. The two-day workshop will focus on increasing participants’ knowledge on preventing human trafficking and improving and developing skills and tools for implementing the web 2.0 campaigns, with the help of experts. The participants will work in groups to develop slogans and visual concepts which they at home translate to their languages and use to create their own blogs and facebook pages, through which the target groups in their respective countries can be reached.
The aim of the project is to contribute to fighting human trafficking in the Danube Region through developing and implementing a prevention campaign targeting high school students in 5 focus countries. The project also aims to train multiplicators and develop effective tools for a project that could run for a longer time.
For more information please contact the coordinator of the project, Szabolcs Sepsi: szabolcs@ycdn.eu
Get more information here: http://www.bpb.de/veranstaltungen/OMTEFC,0,Szabolcs_Sepsi.html
We are happy to conduct this project together with: 
Pingback: Launch of Web 2.0 Campaign on Human Trafficking | Young Citizens Danube Network
Pingback: Call for Papers | Young Citizens Danube Network
Pingback: Final Workshop Programme Online | Young Citizens Danube Network