Red Deer to host event in April with leading Canadian anti-trafficking activists and lawmaker

March 23, 2011 - PRLog -- Raise Their Voice: The Trafficked + Exploited is two day event in April which is Human Trafficking Awareness month. Organized by Red Deer’s Raise Their Voice Against Injustice Foundation, the event will feature workshops, networking, strategic thinking, creative expressions and keynote addresses by leading activists on trafficking in Canada.

The two-day conference was organized in response to the recent sold-out and highly praised World Premiere of She Has A Name, by Red Deer playwright Andrew Kooman. “She Has A Name is an imagined story about a very real and prevalent issue,” says Kooman. “We wanted to offer an opportunity for people to learn more about what trafficking is and explore real ways of addressing it practically.”

Raise Their Voice, which Kooman helped found in 2008, has invited Mrs. Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan-St. Paul, who will deliver a keynote address on Saturday, April 16 about her National Action Plan to combat human trafficking in Canada. Mrs. Smith introduced Bill C-268 which was passed into law last year to assure significant penalties are given to those who traffic children.

The event will also feature keynote addresses by Glendene Grant, the mother of Jessie Foster who is a missing person and victim of human trafficking.  Mark Wollenberg, the Western Canadian representative of International Justice Mission, a human rights organization that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression, will also speak.

The event "will help us understand human trafficking at local and global levels" says Lianne Hazell, coordinator for the Red Deer branch of the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking (ACT).  "Our community will be inspired and equipped to speak up and defend the rights of those who cannot defend themselves. ACT Alberta, Red Deer is honored to be part of such an important and timely event.”

On Saturday morning there will be a number of workshops participants can select from to attend. Some of the topics include What Trafficking Is, Creatively Addressing Justice Issues, Profiles of Trafficking Victims in Canada, and How to Turn Passion into Action.

Members of the public are encouraged to register for the weekend because space is limited. New fine art, music, and choreography will be presented by various artists during the weekend as well. Raise Their Voice’s mandate is to creatively and effectively address issues of injustice.

Early bird registration ends on March 31 and is $75. Regular registration is $99. For full
schedule and a list of all contributors, visit http://www.raisetheirvoice.com.

Details:

Raise Their Voice: The Trafficked + Exploited

When & Where:

Red Deer, April 15 + 16, 2011 Scott Block Theatre, 4816 – 50 Ave Red Deer, Alberta

Registration:

Online at http://www.raisetheirvoice.com

Earlybird registration is $75 until March 31; After March 31 registration is $99

# # #

With a heart for the oppressed and a mind committed to action, raise their voice, uses story, song, film and practical acts of mercy to address the plight of the oppressed and relieve suffering. Raise Their Voice is incorporated under the Alberta Societies Act. http://www.raisetheirvoice.com