Sex Trafficking Project Safety and Politics

Some of you have expressed concern about my safety in Serbia given the political climate there and the topic of my practicum. Things like, has anyone at NGO Atina been attacked, harassed, or generally freaked out by people who benefit from trafficking? Or, is there anti-American sentiment in Serbia given the situation in Kosovo and the burning of the US Embassy in Belgrade? Each of the questions I have received have been very thoughtful and are greatly appreciated.

I spoke with the director of NGO Atina, Marijana Savic, about the concerns and found out a bit of information.

1. Safety protocols? "We are not engaged in outreach work or identifying the victims. We have protocols for safety of the beneficiaries who are in the Transition house. Atina’s main work is developing programmes for social inclusion and there was no need to develop specific protocols for our safety."
2. Any incidents against volunteers? "There are no records of incident on researchers."
3. Can I speak to a previous volunteer? "We had volunteers, one of them will be here till the end of May and I can ask her if she can talk to you."
4. Is there anti-American sentiment present in Serbia? "There is an anti-American sentiment present, but not to individuals."

The safety issues with regard to my work with the NGO seem manageable and not outside ordinary volunteer circumstances. The political side is more complicated, as usual. You can read up on the issues online at NYTimes.com or other venues of information that may be more objective.

This blog is not about the politics of Serbia versus Kosovo or vice versa. This blog is about human rights violations regardless of who they are happening to. It is my responsibility as a public health advocate to support and help rehabilitate victims of sex trafficking and try to find ways to prevent the trafficking from happening. I must understand the politics to get a better picture of where I am going, who I will be working with, and some possible mechanisms of the presence of human trafficking AND it is not my place to take a stand on Kosovo's or Serbia's politics. I am taking Marcella's advice and keeping my opinion to myself on this one. I am an outsider and do not have the hubris to think that my opinion counts on this matter.

If you have questions that you would like me to forward to NGO Atina that have not been addressed here, please email them to me or leave them here on the comments.

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