Black - B r i g h t
TM
A Voice for th e Voiceles s , U n der -r epr es en ted an d
Issue 43
th os e Abu s ed by Power an d Tr u s t
Is There Slavery in Luton?
What’s Inside? ISSN No. 1751-1909
Blackbright News
Key Features..
TM
(in partnership with BBCS4Luton) Registered Office Studio 57 LU2 0QG
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email: BBCS4Luton@aol.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- What is Human Trafficking? (Editorial) - The Dark Side of Choclate -Human Trafficking in Luton
- Different Kinds of Child Abuse Founder & Managing Editor of Award-Winning Publication Myrna Loy Logo Design: Flo Alowaja Photos taken from Google Images Graphic Design: M Loy To view previous issues go to: www.issuu.com/blackbrightnews Printed once annually by Mixam (UK)
DO YOU LIKE BLACKBRIGHT NEWS? Would you like to contribute, donate or sponsor the print of a publication? email: blackbrightnews@gmail.com
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- Raising Awareness through Film & Discussion
WHO IS AT RISK OF BEING TRAFFICKED?
BLACK-BRIGHT NEWS
The destitute/homeless persons, neglected or abuse victims, gamblers, under-age drinkers; drug experimenters, the unemployed, looked-after-children, regifted/adopted children, internet addicts, sexualised teenagers, rebellious adolescents, missing children, unaccompanied asylum seeking children, migrants, domestic workers who speak little or no English and people who have no recourse to public funds are all easy bait for modern slavery (in other words, human trafficking). These are ordinary people in unfortunate, but common circumstances who exist right where we are!
SPONSOR FORM YES! I would like to sponsor BlackBright News to support its mission against human trafficking, exploitation and other forms of abuse of power. Amount: _____________________
Black-Bright Community Services (BBCS4Luton) is on a mission to help end abuse of power in the disadvantaged sectors of Luton and surrounding localities.
Dr/Mr/Rev/Mrs/Ms/Miss [Other]__________
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BBCS4Luton is focussing on engaging the community to become catalysts for a change in culture — a movement towards a mind-set that will no longer tolerate violence and/or abuse, or any form of interpersonal violence or harassment.
Address:
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BBCS4Luton encourages the Luton community to stand against abuse and all interpersonal violence and is eager for them to get an insight into the cultural, psychological, and physical impact of violence. BBCS4Luton will effectively enable a victim in need and their family members through therapeutic counselling, conferences and workshops;
Email Address: TERMS & CONDITIONS: Sponsorships are non-refundable. Cheques are made payable to Black-Bright Community Services Mail to: 57 Saywell Road Luton LU2 0QG Want to pay by BACS? Barclays Bank PLC Account No. 439 118 02 Sort Code: 20-53-33
BBCS4Luton will also raise awareness of abuse; exploitation; and how demands for certain products/food contributes to exploitation, through social media, Blackbright News, workshops and conferences; encourage victims to share their stories of struggle, triumph and hope; provide consultations (anonymously if requested) and encourage burdened victiims to open up and share their pain; fundraise in order to develop good infrastructure and seek organisations/agencies to fund innovative solutions to improve care for survivors and rescued victiims and recruit vollunteers to work towards positively impacting the lives of persons whose rights have been compromised, also creating employment and training opportunities. Tel: 07957 540 899
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Black-Bright News
Stimulates - Educates - Motivates This issue raises public awareness about Human Trafficking
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Tel: +44 (0) 1582 721 605
87% of Child Labourers, aged 5 - 17 years old
came from households with income below 20GBP I love chocolate - I eat it all the time; but not anymore!! I came across the CNN Freedom Project which explained the human cost of chocolate, and it made me sick to my stomach that chocolate was made at the expense of children.. I wondered as I was reading it, if it applied to white chocolate, but I guess chocolate is chocolate.
partment estimates that more than 100,000 children are involved in the worst forms of child labour on cocoa farms throughout the Ivory Coast. Chocolate exporters and manufacturers blame the war and the aftermath for hampering their efforts to eradicate child labour.
According to the article on the CNN Freedom Project website, in 2001, two politicians, Eliot Engel and Tom Harkin, introduced a legislation mandating a labelling system for chocolate which was to stipulate that the chocolate was “child labour free”. However, the industry went up in arms about it and came to a compromise. The compromise was that chocolate companies should voluntarily certify that they had stopped the practice of child labour. However, not all the provisions have been met, although Britain has adopted a ‘Fair Trade’ labelling policy, to protect children from exploitation.
Researchers have said that very little has been done by way of implementation of the actual commitments of the Cocoa Protocol statiing that “the issues are systematic and children are still working”.
Did you know that 70-75% of the world’s cocoa beans are grown on small farms in West Africa? Thhis includes the Ivory Coast, according to the World Cocoa Foundation and the International Cocoa Initiative. With this high percentage it proves a challenge to put an end to child labour, especially when some of the children belong to the farmers themselves - others have been smuggled into the Ivory Coast from Mali and Bakino Faso to work on the cocoa plantations.
Notwithstanding the Harkin Engel Protocol (aka the Cocoa Protocol) which was a step towards eradicating slave labour in the chocolate industry, the US State De-
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“Five, of the six commitments made in the protocol have been completed”, the group said in an email statement, and governments of cocoa-producing countries: ILO, the OECD, Independent foundations, members of the cocoa supply chain, and the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) (which was set up to bring parties together to address the worst forms of child labour in the supply chain) are still ACTIVELY working on the 6th commitment to improve the livelihood of cocoa growers and their children. Interested? Source: CNN Freedom Project @cnnfreedom
Submitting Your Story...
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Human Trafficking is happening where you live!
Human trafficking arrests in Luton after women found A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking after two women in their late teens were found at a property in Bedfordshire. Officers found the women at an address on Cross Ways, Farley Hill, Luton on Thursday. Police said the arrests of the 24-year-old woman and 30-year-old man, both from Hungary, followed information received from members of the public. The women, thought to be from Hungary, are being supported by officers.
Nine arrests in ‘biggest ever’ sex trafficking raids Officers staged the early-morning raids to try to find suspected sex traffickers at the targeted properties Nine people have been arrested after the UK Border Agency launched its biggest ever operation against a suspected sex trafficking ring. More than 150 police and border agency officers staged raids in Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, London and Surrey. A total of 13 raids took place at homes and suspected brothels. The alleged ringleader was among those detained. The raids, the culmination of a year-long investigation, were held in Cambridge, Chessington, Ely, Farnborough, Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe, Langley, Luton, Maidenhead, Sunbury, Watford and Westcliff-on-Sea. Three men aged 52, 38 and 34 and a woman aged 35, were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to control prostitution for gain, trafficking and money laundering offences. In addition four men and a woman, all believed to be Chinese nationals, were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the brothel’s management. Three people, all Chinese nationals, were also detained over immigration offences.
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‘Mr Bigs’ Women who were believed to have been working at brothels were taken to a specialist assessment centre. A UK Border Agency (UKBA) spokesman said the men and women involved were mostly from south-east Asia and China. Sam Bullimore, assistant director of UKBA, said the focus of the investigation was not only to close down brothels but to find the “Mr Bigs” behind the gangs. Women who were believed to have been working at brothels were taken
to a specialist centre He added the location of the raids demonstrated how sexual exploitation is taking place in the centre of communities. “It’s often hidden but the real impact is that people are brought from foreign countries - vulnerable women who are trafficked,” Mr Bullimore said. “They don’t want to do this and they are being involved in sexual exploitation. “It undermines communities. It’s often hidden but it’s something that you don’t want on your street and something that we don’t want in the UK, and that is why we are determined to tackle it.” Conservative Immigration Minister Damian Green said the crackdown would continue over the coming months. “As the raids show, we are working with the police and other law enforcement agencies to tackle the organised criminals who abuse the immigration system. “This summer we are targeting our efforts on breaking up the organised gangs who trade in human beings and are behind visa scams. “The message is clear - the UK is no longer a safe haven for immigration offenders and human traffickers.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Twenty-Two Arrested in Anti-Human Trafficking Swoop:POLICE RAID NINE LUTON PROPERTIES
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights declared over 60 years ago, that all humans were born free and equal with rights common to all, and exclusive to none.
A huge anti-human trafficking operation saw nine Luton properties raided by police and 22 people arrested on Thursday. Officer searched four businesses simultaneously in Dunstable Road, including G&A stores and Halal Chicken, and fast food outlet Southern Fried Chicken and Pizza in Lyneham Road, as well as four houses in the Dallow area of the town in the afternoon. The operation was a joint effort from Beds Police, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the UK Border Agency (UKBA), and was the result of a long running investigation into organised crime gangs whose fraudulent use of documents to sponsor visas means foreign nationals are able to live and work in this country illegally. Officers from Luton Borough Council and Beds and Luton Fire and Rescue Service are also gathering evidence of poor living and working conditions relating to environmental health and fire safety at all the properties. Supt Andy Martin, of Beds Police, said the operation was aimed at those people responsible for bringing foreign nationals illegally into the country. He said: “Bedfordshire Police is not looking to target or criminalise any section of the community, however we will, and do, act against those we have reasonable grounds to suspect may be engaged in criminal acts such as human trafficking. This operation is as much about alleviating the suffering of the victims and tackling the human cost this type of criminality creates as well as bringing offenders to justice.”
Sixty-odd years later, in spite of the clear and express prohibition of slavery, trafficking in humans stands at an astoundingly and eerily high level, eclipsing all other eras. In other words, with 30 million people, mostly women and girls, currently being exploited and violated in the sex/human trafficking trade at this precise, moment, there have never been more people enslaved in global history.
Other areas in the UK, involved in trafficking and exploitation news include Rotherham, Peterborough and Telford.
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Labour Trafficking
includes men, women, boys, and girls working as labourers & service providers;
is...
The recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labour or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
and means... Bonded Labor/Debt
Involuntary Servitude
• Occurs when labor is demanded as a means of repayment
• Involves work against one’s will with the threat of harm or restraint if one does not enter or continue with arrangement
• Labor efforts never truly liquidate debt.
• Involves providing the person little, none or intermittent payments.
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Peonage • Involves holding someone against their will until a debt is paid • Considered a debt-servitude system that most find difficult to exit.
Source: www.coursera.org
Sectors of Labour Trafficking...
Sectors of Labour Trafficking Contd/...
� Migrant agriculture � Sweat shops/factories � Diamond/gold mines Coal mines � Brick kilns � Domestic/childcare � Construction � Restaurants/hotels � Landscaping � Hair braiding
� � � � � � � � � 9
Day laborers Rice mills Fisheries Services Forced marriages Surrogacy Child soldiers Beggars/porters Child athletes Organ donations
FURIOUS WITH YOUR ARTICLE ON FORCED MARRIAGE!
Dear Editor,
Regarding your article on forced marriage, I don’t like it because there is a prejudiced, biased underlying theme. Due to the common stereotype of forced marriage being the epitome of Asian culture, I thought the purpose of BlackBright News was to challenge and awaken peoples’ consciousness on any stereotypes they may hold, and I feel as though this article reinforced that stereotype. Had the article been an informative piece such as ‘arranged marriages are x, forced marriages are y’, it would have created a different experience for the reader, though this was not the case.
HOW MANY KINDS OF CHILD ABUSE? “The first image refers to pedophilia in the Vatican. Second child sexual abuse in tourism in Thailand, and the third refers to the war in Syria. The fourth image refers to the trafficking of organs on the black market, where most of the victims are children from poor countries; the fifth refers to weapons free in the US; and finally the sixth image refers to obesity, blaming the big fast food companies.
The original writer tries to do this in the beginning but it is clear to me, through the way they describe certain scenarios that they don’t have a sound understanding of the different marriage processes. “An arranged marriage is where the parents… arrange a suitor”. This is too general; anyone can arrange a suitor. Traditionally in certain cultures, the parents put forth their recommendations as they are the ones responsible for their child, but a potential spouse doesn’t necessarily always have to come from them. “..Their child has some input.” Correction, their child has all the input.
The new series is by Cuban artist Erik Ravelo was title as “The Untouchables” are photographs of children crucified for his supposed oppressors, each for a different reason and a clear message – seeks to reaffirm the right of children to be protected and report abuse suffered by them, especially in countries such as Brazil, Syria, Thailand, United States and Japan.
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The entire marriage rests on whether the child says yes or no. Let me be clear, I am not criticising the writer for not possessing a sound understanding of the different marriage processes. What I am criticising is that they wrote on a topic that they have no real knowledge. Lacking knowledge is one thing but to then spread prejudice by writing about it, is another.
There are many, many cultures that practice forced marriages, so the fact that the writer singles out Asians for practising it doesn’t necessarily offend me because they are perhaps trying to make this issue relevant to the reader. The Asian community probably practice forced marriages more than any other ethnic minority group in the UK, so maybe that’s why the writer focusses on them. Yet in doing so, the writer does not appear to empathise with the Asian culture. When dealing with another culture, it is absolutely crucial to look at things from that culture’s perspective – if this primary factor is not taken into consideration, one will automatically become biased and develop a sense of ethnocentrism. This writer is eurocentric and is essentially looking down on the Asian culture.
“Forced marriages impact children aged 16-25 years old”. If taken out of cultural context, to the average Westerner ’16-25’ sounds a young age to get married, so it makes the whole situation seem even worse. As mentioned, one cannot comment on another culture unless they see things from that cultures’ perspective. For traditional Asians 16-25 is a normal age to get married. The writer seems to follow subconscious guidelines of what is deemed ‘sensible marriage’ in their culture (16 being too young) and is comparing it to Asian norms and is being implicitly critical. If not, then why was age even mentioned? Or more specifically, that “84% are under 25”. There are no other statistics such as different ethnicities or gender of all the victims. Why age? Because Asians traditionally get married off younger and this ‘abnormal’ practice perfectly fits in with another horror of forced marriage – that the victim is stripped of their youth.
On the contrary, age plays no role in forced marriages. If it were any other type of Asian marriage, the statistics would probably be 84% too because that 16-25 age bracket for marriage is the cultural norm.
An prominent misconception in both the original and improved article is the notion that forced mar- 11
(individualist) it is deemed more important to take care of fellow members. The people who call the shots, so to speak, are those who are seen as important members of the group and therefore possess power (e.g. parents, teachers, etc.) which thus creates power relations and these people are to be respected at all times. Over here it’s ‘cool’ to answer back to the teacher; it’s ‘cool’ to be rebellious, however, in an Indian classroom for example, answering back/being rude to the teacher is seen as something extremely dishonourable. A teacher is to be respected like a mother.
riages, mainly or only affect girls. That is so untrue. For every girl who is forced into marriage, there is usually a boy getting forced alongside her. Think about it, if she’s not in love with him, why would he possibly be in love with her? The mainstream media intentionally focusses on the female side of the story for a very special reason – and that is because in doing so, it further promotes the Asian culture to be backward, oppressive and misogynistic.
Speaking of parents (I don’t know if you’ve noticed this) but Asians children generally tend to do as they are told and rarely answer back to their parents. In a traditional household, to answer back/be rude/disobey one’s parents is deemed an extremely disrespectful and shameful act. Elders are always to be respected, even when they are in the wrong (such as the case with force marriage).
The British mainstream media often depict Asian men as chauvinistic bullies, who use intimidation and other scare/guilt tactics to keep their women on a leash. The media do this by producing articles/shows which illustrate grizzly Asian men and oppressed, timid Asian women who desire to be ‘freed’. All I can say is that there are plenty of ‘free’ Asian women, so if it were really that bad, would there not be an ‘honour killing’ everyday? In short, the media lies. But they don’t lie by simply ‘lying’…no! no! no! They lie by taking something particular with something else particular, so you put the two and two together and you come to that conclusion.
This ties in with what Western academics refer to as the concept of ‘face’ or status. When an Asian adolescent is disobedient, not only does this upset the parent greatly, but the parent also ‘looks bad’ (loses ‘face’) in front of other Asian parents because the other parents will be critical of them for producing a child who did the most absolute, unthinkable crime (i.e. broke the Golden Rule.) So in essence, that is a brief summary of how having a rebellious child generally brings ‘shame’ on the family because it makes both the parent and the child lose face, which in turn makes the whole family lose face. I suppose with all the time, effort and hard work that goes into raising a child, to give the parents, respect and obedience is the least a child can do.
The point I am making, is that forced marriage has little to do with male chauvinism – as the article implies. The media have misled non-Asians to believe that every Asian crime committed against a woman is due to misogyny, it’s not! The media hardly mention how forced marriages affect men as well, because the Asian culture has already been written off as a backward and maledriven one. The truth is, forced marriages occur in the Asian culture because of power relations and the unconditional respect the child has for their parent. (This goes back to ‘seeing things from the others’ perspective’.)
The Asian culture is collectivist and most things are either decided or conducted collectively as a group. So instead of taking care of one’s own self
Although, unfortunately, Forced Marriage exists, forced marriages are not as common as they once were, and it is not only important for us to support the victims, but also equally important to educate those who see no crime in such actions.
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www.positiverootsconsultancy.co.uk
07591 165870
BOOKS WRITTEN BY MYRNA LOY
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tively.
A Couple Kept the Vulnerable as Slaves in Bedfordshire
James John, 34, and Josie Connors, 31, who are cousins, were convicted of controlling, exploiting and abusing the men for financial gain at a caravan site near Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire.
Cousins James John, 34, and Josie Connors, 31, jailed for 11 and four years Judge: ‘They were not Good Samaritans but violent, cold, hard exploiters’
Sentencing them at Luton Crown Court, Judge Michael Kay QC said: ‘The way they brutally manipulated and exploited men is pure evil. It is at odds with the moral code of the religion they profess to hold.
Four Connors family members found guilty of controlling and abusing men Police believe they made millions in block-paving and scrap-metal businesses
‘Their disdain for the dignity of others is shocking. They were not Good Samaritans but violent, cold, hard exploiters.’
Victims were made to work for 19 hours a day for little or no money They slept in horse boxes and caravans on Greenacres site in Bedfordshire
The pair and two other members of the Connor family were convicted of keeping ‘modern-day slaves’ in the first case of its kind for more than 200 years.
Workers had broken ribs, scars and wounds, and one even had scurvy Jury fails to agree verdicts on charges against other family members
The couple had both denied two counts of holding a person in servitude and two counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour.
They will face a retrial and have been remanded in custody A husband and wife who ‘brutally manipulated and exploited’ destitute men by forcing them into servitude were today jailed for 11 years and four years respec-
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Caprecon
Black-Bright News
Six women and a child rescued in trafficking raids in Luton (Source: www.lutontoday.co.uk)
sess the needs of the victims and ensure that they have access to accommodation and support at safe houses if needed.
20 November 2014, six women and a child were rescued after police raided four premises in Luton according to Luton Today, it stated.
“The raids, at around 7am, were in connection with prostitution, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Nine people have been arrested in relation to human trafficking and prostitution offences.
“The Salvation Army operates a Government contract to provide vital help and support to adult victims of this pitiless exploitation which gives them the very best chance to try and recover through the comprehensive specialised services we can offer working with our partners.”
The women and the child have been identified and taken to safety. The process of closing down three locations in relation to brothel activity is currently underway.
“The safety of victims and support for the Police in successfully prosecuting the perpetrators of this horrific crime are our key priorities. It is therefore not appropriate at this stage to disclose any further details about the victims or the nature of this crime.”
Detective Inspector Rob Regan said: “Today’s enforcement operation is the result of a long running investigation into organised criminal gangs bringing young women into the country for sexual exploitation and prostitution.
Anyone with information or concerns about human trafficking or prostitution should call Bedfordshire police, in confidence, at Bedfordshire Police on 101, or text information to 07786 200011. Alternatively you can contact the independent crime fighting charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111”
“The warrants were executed simultaneously and searches of those properties continue during the morning. The operation is about alleviating the suffering of the victims and tackling the human cost this type of criminality creates as well as bringing offenders to justice.”
To illustrate Sexual Exploitation/Human Trafficking prevails in Luton, other headlines include ‘Sexual exploitation is about criminality not ethnicity’
Following the police operation The Salvation Army worked with the victims and provided practical and emotional support as needed at a reception centre. Major Anne Read, The Salvation Army’s Anti-Trafficking Response Co-coordinator, said: “The Salvation Army is working with Bedfordshire Police to rescue and support potential victims of trafficking. It is vital that victims of trafficking receive immediate access to specialised support. Our team has been working to as-
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[Source Luton Online, Dec 2014] Chief Executor Trevor Holden, and Corporate Director, Sally Rowe presented to councillors about the lessons that are being learned following recent high profile cases such as Rotherham, and to raise awareness about what is being done to tackle the issue in Luton. Ofsted Thematic Survey reveals that [Luton] Council is not responding to child sex exploitation ‘consistently well’ According to Luton Today (27 November), Inspectors found that Luton, as well as well as other 7 councils had people known to be at risk of sexual exploitation being supported as children in need.
Blackbright Community Services Limited An Out of Hours Social Enterprise serving the Under-Represented & Disadvantaged, and those vulnerable to Abuse of Power in Luton
07957 540 899 Email: BBCS4Luton@aol.com
ADVERTISING Black-Bright is the only magazine dedicated to the under-represented, disadvantaged and those who are vulnerable to abuse of power in Luton. It is the perfect vehicle for reaching this growing audience. Black-Bright is A4 size printed in full colour on high quality paper. Links from advertisements to advertisers’ website can be accommodated in the PDF version of the magazine. DISPLAY RATES Back Cover Inside Front Cover Inside Back Cover Inside Page Inside Half Page
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WHO WE ARE: Myrna Loy, Kempton Stewart & Dollin Holt have formed an out of hours Social Enterprise called Blackbright Community Services Limited (aka BBCS4Luton) to help combat abuse of power and trust, and were awarded a Grant from Awards for All to help raise awareness of human trafficking in an endeavour to prevent it from taking a foothold in Luton and surrounding areas
MYRNA LOY, PRESIDENT, CEO & FOUNDER Myrna Loy (left) is a qualified counsellor, a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language, and is PTLLS qualified (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector). Myrna is also the Founder & Publisher of Blackbright News. Myrna spent 11 years in the United States where she worked for the United Nations Development Fund in New York; She elected to spend a year on a peacekeeping mission in Angola and returned to the UK in October 2000. Myrna has always had compassion for the vulnerable and seeks to support victims of abuse in its many forms.
KEMPTON STEWART, DIRECTOR Kempton Stewart (left) has served in both the military and paramilitary forces and was promoted to serve at the Prime Minister’s residence in Kalkuni, Guyana. Kempton currently works for the Royal Mail and has spent most of his life in either a caring or serving profession. Kempton has a Diploma in Management Studies.
DOLLIN HOLT, COMPANY SECRETARY Dollin Holt (left) graduated from the Universities of East London and Bedfordshire with post-graduate degrees in Forced Migration and Refugee Studies (MA), International Human Rights Law (LLM) and Media Representation (MA) by Research. Dollin’s passion lies in helping those who are disenfranchised, dis-empowered and disadvantaged everywhere. Dollin Holt is also the Director of Caprecon, a humanitarian charitable organisation
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Our aim is stop human trafficking from getting a foothold in Luton and to raise awareness to help prevent vulnerable persons fleeing from the perpetrator into the hands of the trafficker. BBCS4Luton aims to prevent human trafficking in Luton by raising awareness of the unacceptable practices involved in the trafficking trade and will work in partnership and in collaboration with existing agencies/ services to expose those who prey on vulnerable persons.
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