The A21 Campaign is comprised of individuals, organizations, government officials, and people like you who are committed to abolishing injustice in the 21st century. Our goal is four-fold:

Prevent Trafficking

The A21 Campaign dreams of a tomorrow with no more trafficked victims to assist, because human trafficking has been abolished. To see this dream become a reality, we are addressing some of the root causes of trafficking by working with vulnerable girls and paying clients.

Vulnerable Girls

• Awareness: There is a very real need for awareness and education on the risk of trafficking to be spread throughout countries of origin, so as potential victims become mindful of traffickers techniques. Therefore The A21 Campaign has established our Schools Prevention Program, providing educational short courses for high schools, technical schools and orphanages through out Ukraine. We are also establishing a teachers training program, to equip local teachers to spread awareness of human trafficking amongst their students.
• Employment: Providing employment opportunities for those at risk of trafficking is an essential part of breaking the trafficking cycle. If those at risk have employment opportunities at home, they are far less likely to accept risky job opportunities overseas.
• Job Acquisition and Transportation: A key part of the trafficking technique is the promise of employment without details, and transportation without expense. To work towards overcoming this system, it is important to assess the legitimacy of employment agencies and international employment opportunities. Vulnerable women are often unable to assess the legitimacy of an employment offer by themselves, and require the assistance of The A21 Campaign.

Paying Clients

The whole sex trafficking industry is funded by those who pay for sexual services, often unaware (or uncaring) about whether those providing services are working out of choice or under duress. By educating these clients on the realities of what they are engaging in, the proportion willing to pay for services from trafficked women should decrease.

• 2010 saw the launch of a media campaign in Greece - the primary destination country for trafficked women in Europe. This campaign aims to prompt clients to think about the consequences of their part in the sex industry and challenging preconceived assumptions and attitudes about those who work in the sex industry.
• Educational short-course for schools have the potential to impact young men on the realities of human trafficking before they ever become paying clients.

Protect and Support Survivors

A21 Crisis Care Shelter

• The A21 Crisis Care Shelter welcomed our first rescued victims in December 2008.
• Here the rescued victims meet with justice officials and the police in order to obtain a certificate declaring them to be a victim of trafficking. During this phase, the victim also receives access to initial medical care and legal services, while completing our 12-week program. This includes a trauma rehabilitation program, life skills training, language training (if required), physical activities; recreation and opportunities to hand make items to give to others in need. This program aims to help victims understand and manage the psychological and emotional symptoms resulting from their trafficking experiences, and equip them with tools to overcome their individual trauma and challenges.
• The aim of the Crisis Care Shelter program is to help trafficking victims move from crisis to stabilization, equip them with skills they can use in their future, and assist them to make an informed decision about their next step after they leave the Crisis Care Shelter.

A21 Transition Programs

The A21 Campaign is passionate about ensuring that not ONE of the survivors that have walked through our doors ever have to reenter the nightmare they have endured by being re-trafficked. Because of this, we have launched our transition program in Greece in 2010, and recently opened a transition program in Ukraine (September 2011). This program aims to not only encourage each survivor to dream again, but to make a way for their dreams to become a reality, while escaping the risk of re-trafficking.

The A21 Transition Program Includes:

• Accommodation and living expenses assistance.
• Language training.
• Vocational/Educational opportunities.
• Assistance in securing employment.
• Medical and psychological support.
• Life skills training.
• Gradual progression to complete independence.

Prosecute Traffickers

The A21 Campaign is committed to providing legal counsel to every victim we encounter, and representing victims during criminal proceedings, should they choose to testify. Prosecuting traffickers holds them accountable for the crimes they have committed, upholds justice, and hinders convicted traffickers abilities to continue trafficking more women.

Our legal team is also committed to strengthening legal responses to trafficking - assisting and encouraging justice systems to enforce the stipulations and sentences set out in national and regional laws regarding the crime of human trafficking.

Partner with Others

The A21 Campaign works in partnership with a variety of law enforcement, border control, foreign embassies, other NGO's and service providers to ensure we are presenting a comprehensive front against trafficking. The goal of these partnerships is to strengthen every aspect of counter-trafficking efforts, so together, we can see trafficking abolished. Key partnerships of The A21 Campaign include:

• Working alongside law enforcement and border patrol officials to help them identify traffickers and trafficking victims, have a working understanding of the relevant anti-trafficking laws, and know what to do when they are confronted with a trafficking situation. We also encourage proactive anti-trafficking effort by recognizing and awarding public officials and departments who have taken an exceptional stand against human trafficking.
• Working with other NGOs to provide services to trafficked victims, including secure repatriation services and connecting victims with service providers in their home country following repatriation.
• Working with other anti-trafficking organizations, to provide training on best practices, effective models, and assisting their operations to succeed.