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No to the trafficking of women
Issued : Wednesday 22 November, 2006




As the world marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women this November, thousands of women will be trafficked in European Union for the purposes of prostitution.

As they saying goes, sex sells. In modern Europe the sex industry has gone mainstream. In every European capital, you will find neon lights advertising lap dancers, strippers and topless dancing. Beneath the bright lights lies a much darker side to the sex industry.

The trafficking of women from poorer EU nations into western Europe is big business for organised gangs. Unlike drugs or arms, women are commodities, which can be reused and resold.

Unscrupulous traffickers trick many women into leaving home with seductive stories of a better life in another EU country. The promises of a good job, accommodation and the opportunity to earn enough money to provide for the family they have left behind, are often too alluring to resist.

The reality when they arrive in their host country is much grimmer. Women are locked up against their will, allowed no contact with the outside world, beaten, raped, and treated as little more than a sex slaves. Most of the women trafficked are young women and some are children. Isolation and a lack of language skills mean that they are trapped by a dependency on the men who are exploiting them.

Ireland is alone in the EU, in having no legislation governing the trafficking of human beings. While prostitution is illegal and the women can be jailed, there is no mechanism for targeting the traffickers. Promised legislation in this area is not forthcoming.

The EU has a leading role to play in the fight against trafficking within the union and worldwide. As is usually the case with issues that concern women and vulnerable groups the political will to tackle the problem does not exist.

European Justice Ministers and European police forces must agree a comprehensive strategy to tackle trafficking between member states. The organised criminals involved must be ruthlessly targeted. In addition to this, we need to raise awareness of the trafficking problem in member states and put in place, adequately funded support structures, for victims of trafficking.

Finally, if we are to ever really eliminate trafficking we must target the demand for prostitution. The users of trafficked women are your partners, co-workers, friends and family. If we are ever to see true equality, women cannot continue to be seen as commodities for the titillation of men. The procurement of sex, in any form, must become socially unacceptable. It is not an argument about or against liberalism but an argument about respecting all human beings.

Party of European Socialists anti-sex-slavery campaign


Amnesty International's Stop Violence Against Women campaign

Past;.............................
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When theres nothing left to burn youve got to set yourself on fire


God that was strange to see you again
Introduced by a friend of a friend
Smiled and said 'yes I think we've met before'
In that instant it started to pour,
Captured a taxi despite all the rain
We drove in silence across point champlain
And all of the time you thought I was sad
I was trying to remember your name…

This scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin
Tried to reach deep but you couldn't get in
Now you're outside me
You see all the beauty
Repent all your sin

It's nothing but time and a face that you lose
I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose
I'll write you a postcard
I'll send you the news
From a house down the road from real love…

Live through this, and you won't look back…
Live through this, and you won't look back…
Live through this, and you won't look back…

There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave
You were what I wanted
I gave what I gave
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry there's nothing to say

I'm not sorry there's nothing to say...

present;..........................
 ..............


Time has told me
You're a rare rare find
A troubled cure
For a troubled mind

And time has told me
Not to ask for more
Someday our ocean
Will find its shore

So I`ll leave the ways that are making me be
What I really don't want to be
Leave the ways that are making me love
What I really don't want to love

Time has told me
You came with the dawn
A soul with no footprint
A rose with no thorn

Your tears they tell me
There's really no way
Of ending your troubles
With things you can say

And time will tell you
To stay by my side
To keep on trying
'til there's no more to hide

So leave the ways that are making you be
What you really don't want to be
Leave the ways that are making you love
What you really don't want to love

Time has told me
You're a rare rare find
A troubled cure
For a troubled mind

And time has told me
Not to ask for more
For some day our ocean
Will find its shore

Future; I'm not bloody psychic how would I know.

We are in ladakh the garden of india; Its beautiful up here we are at about 3500metres, although we had to travel through mountain passes of oover 5000 metres to get here. yes I did get altitude sickness. We pulled in at a police check point(this whole area is a heavily milaterised zone; it borders with China, pakistan, nepal and tibet and is within kashmir) The whiteys had to show their passports althouigh we weren't the only foreigners there was a family from nepal in the qualis with us aswell(jeep is the hindi for tongue so people here say qualis). Anyway I pretty much collapsed how embarrasing, Finnian walked me down to this yurt which was a restaurant of sorts and the woman came out and put a clove of garlic in my mouth yuck but it helps.Then there was a jumping from a moving car incident I'll get into it some other time.
The monsoon has casued unexpected blackouts in the region so the town we're in Leh has got a generator, but its not too powerful so half the town gets electricity one day and the other half the alternate day. great craic.I should probably get moving because we're supposed to be hiking up to see the sunset from the abandoned palace which overlooks the town.
I delivered those photos I got from the dutch woman in delhi to the monk she went trekking with lama stepal so now he wants to bring us with him up to see his home village next week. We said that might be too late though so he's orgainising for a friend of his to take us trekking. So that is the story of leh.............so far.
I was sick for a day down in manali which was pretty miserable, it was the day after the brother sister festival where everyone gives there sibling friendship bracelets to remind them that they care. if you don't have a bro or sis someone adopts you for the day. I was adopted by monu this jewellery shop owner where I learned to make silver jewellery, its cool I made two bangles and two pendants. I'll show ye when I get back. i guess they look a bit irish--I have no imagination.
Anyway the night we left we went for dinner with the jewellery people. There were sunneal, baba suni, gk, monu and the lanky one who's name I can't remember. They all sleep in the same bed.because we were guests (there were two israeli hippies-"why like this?" finnian and I) we were in the bed too. They made us daal it was actually deliscious. which brings me to my ever growing list of the best words in the english langauge, which brings me back to my quest for the holy grail of dictionaries. where for art thou scrabble dictionary?

Peace xx free tibet!