The VIVAT Indonesia foundation held seminar and journalism training to the high school/vocational school students in Lembata-Flores. Before starting the training, the students was strengthened their understanding about human trafficking in the seminar. The agenda was held in the CIJ Sisters hall in Lewoleba, Lembata regency on Friday, November 4, 2022. The agenda was attended by the assistant of regional secretariat of Lembata, Mans Wutun, Chair of the Lembata local parliament, Petrus Gero and several school principals in Lembata (who were invited).
In order to strength the participants’ understanding of human trafficking, the VIVAT Indonesia presented Pastor Paoina Bara from GMIT who has experience in advocating human trafficking issues. Besides, the agenda was also attended by migrant workers activist from East Flores, Benedikta da Silva. She told about her experiences in dealing human trafficking issues so far.
The director of the VIVAT Indonesia Foundation, Sister Genobeba Dc Amaral, SSpS explained that the VIVAT Indonesia wants to invite students to become vanguards in fighting against human trafficking issues. By the social media, they are expected to advocate the victims of human trafficking around them which still happen and many victims in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
The perpetrators of the human trafficking do their action by using social media. There are many cases start with the interaction on the social media /online. Therefore, the VIVAT Indonesia reminds them to be careful in using social media. Sister Genobeba explained.
She also hoped that the students (as the participants) are able to continue to write about the human trafficking issues and publish them on the social media.
Filoma Loe from the Atambu Women’s Network said that since 2017 the NTT province has been defined as the red zone of the human trafficking issues in Indonesia (which is the largest amount of the victims). Unfortunately, the effort of fighting against or to eradicate the issues is still not maximum.
It is proven as the data which reported by the UPTD BP2MI Kupang that in 2021 the NTT province had received 114 corpses of the migrant workers. Those corpses were the migrant workers without legal documents so that they were stated as the human trafficking victims.
According to Filomena, the local government of NTT province had issued a Moratorium policy in 2018 (temporary suspension) on sending migrant workers abroad but the policy was not balanced with the fulfillment of worker’s rights such as job placement and protection so that there are still many illegal migrant workers have been found since the regulation was issued.
It is needed the mass media such as social media must share new about the human trafficking intensively.
Realizing that the media has influence in exposing and uncovering human trafficking cases. So journalists must continue the news until the cases are finished.
Orang selalu melibatkan pihak lain atau jaringan. Jurnalisme bukan saja untuk wartawan tetapi harus diperluas untuk berbagai jenjang termasuk media di sekolah-sekolah.
This seminar was continued by the journalism training. The training was for the students and media managers of the schools (senior high school and vocational school) in Lembata regency. The seminar was facilitated by the chairman of the Indonesia Journalist association (PWI), NNT province, Ferry Jahang.
Ferry shared basic material of journalism to the participants and he also asked the participant to practice of being good journalists in the training. He as the senior journalist of the Harian Umum Pos Kupang expected the participants are able to write and to inform the phenomenon of human trafficking around them. Harian Umum Pos Kupang He as the senior journalist of the Harian Umum Pos Kupang expected the participants are able to write and to inform the phenomenon of human trafficking around them.
He said at least the participants are able to give information about the human trafficking to the society.
This training was one of several efforts to prevent the criminal act of human trafficking in Lembata regency. (Isabela) (Isabela)