The 18th October is now Anti-Slavery Day in the UK. The Human Trafficking Foundation wanted to get the date and the week firmly stuck in the minds and the calendars of the public, parliamentarians and the media.
I came up with the concept of an annual media awards ceremony. This strategy was aimed at motivating those who work in the media and celebrating their work in the fight against Trafficking. We want to increase the volume and investigative quality of the work done by the media who play a huge role in influencing politicians.
Retained bty the Human Trafficking Foundation to turn the concept into reality, I formulated the judging criteria (the most dominant of which was the IMPACT of the nomination), decided on the award categories (which foused on investigative journalism) and was a member of the Awards Committee which was outsourced to, and set up, by Anti Slavery International.
Discussing the awards with Damian Green MP, Minister for Immigration, and Anthony Steen, Chairman of the Human Trafficking Foundation
A few months later, on the 17th October 2011, the Human Trafficking Foundation held its Inaugural Media Awards Ceremony - with 7 awards presented for outstanding work in the fight against camapaigning.
Here are a small selection of pictures from the event.
Peter,
Thank you! I thought it was a tremendous event, brilliant turnout and fantastic location. And what an award, it's massive and a real honour to have been nominated never mind win so thank you again for organising such a great initiative.
Regards, Mark
Mark Townsend
Home Affairs Editor, The Observer
Thanks Peter.
It was a very enjoyable and well-organised event...
... Keep in touch.
Jonathan.
Jonathan Ungoed-Thomas
Chief Reporter, Sunday Times
Newspaper articles covering the awards:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/oct/18/observer-human-trafficking-foundation-award
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gnm-press-office/observer-editor-htf-media-awards-2011
More...
The Human Trafficking Foundation (HTF) is a UK-based charity, set up in 2010, that grew out of the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking. The Foundation was created in order to support and add value to the work of the many charities and agencies operating to combat human trafficking in the UK.
The Foundation uses its extensive network of contacts to progress anti-trafficking action in the UK. Its trustees are: Chairman Anthony Steen (former MP), Vice-Chairman Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss GBE, Vice-Chairman Rt Hon Clare Short and Treasurer Paul Jackson. The Foundation's advisory group is made up of the largest NGOs from around the UK tackling the issue of trafficking, whilst it is also embarking on a European project to build up a network of paraliamentarians across the continent to combat the problem.
Chairman Anthony Steen passed a Private Members' Bill through Parliament in 2010 establishing 18 October as an annual opportunity to highlight the UK's hostility to human trafficking, and in 2011 the largest programme of events to mark the day took place across the country. Prime Minister David Cameron hosted the first-ever reception at 10 Downing Street to mark Anti-Slavery Day 2011, whilst other events included the inaugural Human Trafficking Foundation Media Awards (held at the House of Lords), the installation of a giant upside down trolley in Trafalgar Square (to encourage consumers to buy sensibly) and a major event in Russell Square, emceed by The Big Issue founder John Bird.
You can visit the Human Trafficking Foundation website here - a website project that I managed and for which I provided the copy.
