Session 4a

The Salvation Army 2014 USA Salvation Army Conference for Social Work and Emergency Disaster Services 25 to 28 March 2014, Orlando, Florida GLOBAL TRACK SESSION 4A

“How can ‘One Army’ develop comprehensive solutions to international problems?”

Major Brad Halse Territorial Government Relations Manager Australia Southern Territory Can we work together as one Army? It’s an interesting question and one which has been asked a multitude of times, certainly within the Army, less often from politicians, the media, academics and the interested public. Why? Because they start with the assumption that of course we work together as one Army. How could it be otherwise?

This notion of working together is much harder to attain than to talk about. Ideology and organisational philosophy, even theology, does not always translate into practice or fundamentally shape policy.

But now, as much as ever, we need to revisit this question. And for a number of reasons, not the least of which are financial and human resource efficiency, and maintaining an organisational ethos that fundamentally reflects Christian faith, theology and spirituality.

Perhaps the primary reason, however, is that our world has changed dramatically in recent decades; our social reality in so many ways has been revolutionised. And to some degree, some of these changes have not yet been integrated into Salvation Army practice globally.

The principle change that should prompt us to tackle this matter is, simply, the globalisation of the world. Economics, communications and organisational structures in both the business and the not for profit world have been globalised. Our environment is different.

There are benefits to this and there are negative outcomes, but regardless of how much we analyse the changes which have happened there is no turning back. The world is not going to return to a federation of independent nations and alliances. We, as part of the Church universal, as a global Army, as a major welfare provider, need to recognise and deal with this reality as a matter of priority.

We are responding in parts of the Army world, and I will briefly share some examples in this paper, but I think it would be a fair comment to say that these examples do not yet typify the way the Army operates.

Let me say why I have doubts regarding the extent which our territories and commands around the world work together. Apart from a natural scepticism born of a journalistic mind, I cite the example of my own nation, Australia.

Australia is an incredibly fortunate nation. We are wealthy by most standards, we enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world, and we enjoy a stable democratic political system which, on the whole, is in pretty good shape.

Within this context we have an Army which comprises two territories, the Australia Southern Territory, from which I hail, headquartered in Melbourne, and the Australian Eastern Territory, headquartered in Sydney. In terms of the Salvation Army world, our two territories are very

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well resourced; to a significant degree we reflect the broader wealth of the Australian society and economy. And yet…

In many areas of social policy and service provision our two territories have always had significant difficulties in working together. Whether we are talking about the service areas of housing and homelessness, or asylum seekers and refugees, or drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, or any number of others, or programmes centred around our evangelical mission activities – we continue to have trouble, at times, working as one Army within Australia.

Those of you at this conference come from vastly different national and geopolitical contexts.

For some of you, like those from our host nation, there are multiple territories in the one country. And that brings its own very significant challenges in working and presenting as one Army.

For others, your Army context may be a territory which comprises two, three or more nations.

Be that in an African context, or a European or Asian one, the challenges for you must be significant. If a wealthy nation like Australia sees an Army, comprising just two territories, having trouble working in a unified manner, then we should not underestimate the challenge in other parts of the world.

However, the imperatives are before us and we have to devise good methods to achieve good outcomes. I want to speak of two examples, briefly, to encourage debate. One looked like being a terrific example of the Army working together, creatively and practically, only to stumble due to external circumstances. The other is up and running and over the next few years will hopefully produce positive outcomes.

The first example comes from Taiwan, and involves that territory seeking to work in partnership with our Indonesian and Philippines territories in direct service provision, and further partnering with the British and Australia Eastern territories in terms of funding support. Finally the partnership was rounded out to be a six-member partnership because of the role which IHQ needed to play in the development of the multi-partnership.

A model was developed involving the Taiwan, Indonesian and Philippine territories to identify, care for and allow the appropriate repatriation to Indonesia and the Philippines of women who had been trafficked to Taiwan for the sex trade and/or domestic servitude. The previous leaders of the Army in Taiwan, Majors Michael and Annette Coleman, from my home territory, worked at length with their counterparts in the other two countries, and with IHQ, to develop a strong working model. The work was further carried forward by their successor as Taiwan Regional Commander, Lieut-Colonel Jennifer Groves.

In developing this cross territory model, specifically titled the Pathway Home Network, these territories identified particular risks. They are worth noting. Not in order of priority they were: financial loss; occupational health and safety issues; potential damage to the Army’s reputation; legal problems; a loss of continuity, particularly as related to personnel changes; a loss of engagement from one of the partner territories; and, finally, the geo-political risks, that is, risks to the cross territorial partnership which come from outside the Army.

These risks are important to consider when establishing working partnerships in the context of “one Army”. In the case of the Pathways Home Network it was the last of the identified risks, the geo-political risk, which brought this promising initiative to a halt. Early in 2013 the Taiwanese government, which was clearly a significant stakeholder in developing the model, 2

changed its mind about a critical element of the model, thereby making it unworkable. From the Army’s perspective it needed to be shelved.

It is a clear example of one of the risks being realised with disappointing results. External stakeholders, not only governments, will have to be seriously considered when developing these types of partnerships, and potential risks must be mitigated as best as possible.

At the very least the Pathways Home experience demonstrates that we must be prepared for failure as well as success. The road to better globalisation within the Army will definitely be littered with casualties. What battle worth fighting has no such landscape?

In speaking with Major Coleman about the experience of developing this partnership model, various challenges were identified which are worth noting for discussion. They are: 1. The actual difficulty in establishing multi-partner relationships should not be under estimated.

2. Funding – both the quantum and the term over which it will be provided is always a 3. challenge.

4. The long preparation time required to develop Memorandums of Understanding.

5. The need to liaise with and through International Headquarters.

6. Developing and maintaining external stakeholder relationships, be they with governments, statutory agencies or other organisations and businesses.

7. Understanding and working with Salvation Army politics between territories and with IHQ. Whilst these challenges, together with the risks identified, may seem confronting they are not insurmountable.

Firstly, we should expect any process aimed at establishing solid, intelligent partnerships to be a challenging one. There is no short cut. Part of the answer to identifying the range of challenges, and the depth of them, is to invest significant time exploring the mutual interests of all stakeholders beforehand, not during the actual programme development phase. It really is a case of investing time rather than spending it, let alone wasting it.

Issues around funding and the time needed to develop Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) need also to be carefully considered. At the end of the day, however, whilst the time taken, particularly in the development of the MOUs can be frustrating, it is a necessity.

It is, however, incumbent upon IHQ if it seeks to walk further down the Global Track to expedite these processes are far as reasonable, without compromising programme design, and to build on already established processes.

This challenge also relates to the identified challenge of understanding and successfully navigating the various political processes and dynamics which come into play when different territories are trying to partner between themselves and with IHQ. The complexity of Salvation Army politics can still surprise us. Perhaps it should not, but at the same time the message may be there to all leaders to remove as many of the barriers to easier inter-territorial relationships, and thereby negate some of the frustrating politics.

Finally, in relation to the challenges, there is the matter of external relationships. Government relationships will always loom large when this dynamic is being explored. From my perspective as the manager of government relations in the Australia Southern Territory, I know well the complex landscape which The Salvation Army needs to walk to try and build worthwhile relationships with governments, both national and regional, without compromising our mission 3

and values. There is simply no alternative but to invest time and energy into the building of these relationships, always keeping our eye on the long term game as distinct from immediate short term outcomes.

The question of government relations is, as our friends discovered with the Pathways Home Network, always going to be sensitive and crucial.

This discussion of the risks and the challenges in forming solid, well planned partnerships, may be seen by some as being too pessimistic. To the contrary.

The work of the European Network of Social Services (ENSS) over recent years in developing multi-territory and multi-nation partnerships to help address major social problems is a shining light in the landscape. To intelligently consider how The Salvation Army may be involved in addressing major social issues like human trafficking and the phenomenon of the Roma people within Europe, a great deal of energy and thinking has been invested in how the Army in Europe can develop programmes which can be responsive and efficient.

Jeroen Hoogteijling, the then Chair of the European Network of Social Services, was very much at the heart of developing the Army’s European strategy, and I acknowledge his input and views to this paper. I also acknowledge the input of Ms Celine van den Berg-Doef, also from the Netherlands Territory.

The result has been the endorsement last year by all European territorial and command leaders, under the overall oversight of the Under Secretary for Europe from IHQ of the interterritorial model for working together on trafficking and roma issues, in particular. I quote from their strategy document: ”We envisage The Salvation Army as a single seamless organisation responding to the needs of trafficked persons. The Salvation Army will work across borders and boundaries to stop human trafficking through prevention, protection and reintegration restoring hope, freedom and human dignity for all.

“A united and coordinated approach by the various bodies within TSA (e.g. women ministries, corps, social services, international development, family tracing and territories) is needed to fight this global evil and to provide a continuum of care together with partner organizations.”

Much time needed to be invested, over several years, within European territories, and within IHQ, to finally get a strategy articulated and accepted. There were no short cuts. It was the collective experience of the ENSS working with IHQ and the various territories within the European zone. It is a matter of playing the long game.

How well will this new strategy for working with trafficked persons in Europe work? How much will it cost, and can the Army afford it? Will changing leadership at territorial and international headquarters potentially impede progress and outcomes? These are unanswerable questions at this time, and rigorous evaluation processes need to be central to the ongoing assessment.

We should be optimistic about the potential of this type of model, which sees territorial leaders prepared to cede a measure of control and responsibility to others, in specific programme areas, so that prompt and timely responses can occur across territorial and national borders.

What those involved in this project needed to get right, in the first place, was the strategy. It was important to identity the strategy to deal with issues, and then put in place the structure.

Perhaps sometimes we have got that the wrong way round in the Army.

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There is real hope and optimism that this model can and will work. If it can work in the European context, why not in other parts of the globe? Whilst the geographical context is hugely significant in this European example, many of the principles and practices developed can be considered for other parts of the Army world.

We need to watch with great interest as to how this model now unfolds in practice, with a view to perhaps encouraging other territories to replicate the principles and basic structure into different contexts.

One final comment about a sometimes forgotten component in this pursuit of working and serving as one Army, namely the local corps, and within those corps, the local Salvationists.

It is all very well, and necessary, to consider the larger structures of the Army when looking at this issue of ‘One Army’. We consider inter-territorial partnerships, and the roles played by international and territorial headquarters, and by other stakeholders, and by Salvation Army networks of social programmes, the list goes on. But at the heart of The Salvation Army are local corps, and the people who constitute those corps. And these corps and soldiers can be, and should be, absolutely integral to helping The Salvation Army to serve as one Army.

In both the European model which we looked at, and the Taiwanese one, the programme designers saw the incredible value of people at a local level being integrated into the outworking of these services. It is about, to a significant degree, there being a strong utilisation of committed people at ground level. This should never be underestimated. The professionalization of the Army and its services has sometimes led to a devaluation of the importance of the local corps.

I close on a note of optimism, despite my journalistic cynicism and my Australian experience!

The world expects us to work as one Army, to be a global Army. Without resorting to naivety and jingoism, we really need to respond. Such a response should not require us to forget that the strongest military forces of history have always had different regional commands and leaders; they have not been seamless. Nevertheless, the imperative to action is before us.

There is much to be done in this area.

A response by Mr Bram Bailey SAWSO, USA National Headquarters Consider the Cost Major Brad Halse quotes the strategy paper endorsed by European Territories: “We envisage The Salvation Army as a single seamless organization responding to the needs of trafficked persons … A united and coordinated approach by the various bodies within The Salvation Army (e.g. women ministries, corps, social services, international development, family tracing and territories) is needed to fight this global evil and to provide a continuum of care together with partner organizations.”

The issues that The Salvation Army is called to address are indeed complex and the solutions will require cooperation within The Salvation Army as well as with government agencies, NGOs, and the affected people. We can probably all agree that a seamless, united, coordinated approach to the issues is ideal. To work together in this way, however, calls on those involved 5

to be willing to give up autonomy in order to come to agreement. Particularly in a hierarchical organization such as The Salvation Army, this is difficult, although not impossible.

Strategy and Structure – Form Following Function Major Halse noted the need “to identify the strategy to deal with issues, and then put in place the structure.” We do not fully have that option because The Salvation Army structure, through which we accomplish our mission, has been in place for 150 years. To be successful, we need to use the strengths of the structure while working to develop united approaches to the complex issues we are called to address.

For example, the Philippines Territory mobilized to meet the needs of the many affected by the Super Typhoon that hit in November. It reached out for funding and personnel to International Emergency Services and territories in the US, Canada, Hong Kong and Europe. Although still in the emergency response phase, the Philippines Territory recently brought together representatives from the various territories for a long-term strategy meeting. This is an example of successfully working together and using the strengths of our Army system. We need to learn from these successes and use the lessons learned to address more complex issues.

Globalization Lastly, Major Halse refers to globalization as an accomplished fact with which we must deal, rather than an ongoing process. He states, “The world is not going to return to a federation of independent nations and alliances.” Yet, that is what we still are and, for many reasons, what we should remain. I agree with H. Schiller who wrote: “A standard complaint about globalization is that it leads to cultural homogeneity: interaction and integration diminish differences; global norms, ideas or practices overtake local mores; many cultural flows, such as news, reflect exclusively Western interests and control; and the cultural imperialism of the United States leads to the global spread of American symbols and popular culture” (Mass Communication and American Empire, 1969).

Yes, the world is a smaller, more connected place than it was decades ago. Yes, we need to take these changes into account. One of The Salvation Army’s greatest strengths, however, is the combination of internationalism – our identity as one Army – with our diversity – the various cultural expressions of that one Army. In fact, one of the reasons donor organizations want to work with The Salvation Army is because we have both an overarching international identity combined with a strong local presence in communities around the globe. Our current way of working–with IHQ focused on giving broad overarching direction and leaving it to territories and commands to develop context-and-culture specific ways of implementing the direction at the field level must be maintained.

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The Salvation Army 2014 USA Salvation Army Conference for Social Work and Emergency Disaster Services 25 to 28 March 2014, Orlando, Florida GLOBAL TRACK SESSION 4A

“How can ‘One Army’ develop comprehensive solutions to international problems?”

Lt Colonel Marieke Venter Command President of Women’s Ministries Bangladesh Command This paper will deal exclusively with the international problem of human trafficking which is defined as: “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.”1 Introduction: Let me tell you a story2 to introduce the reality of human trafficking: Julia, a Salvationist, was on her way to the bank in downtown Johannesburg, when she spotted some women in conversation with a small girl who seemed to be the centre of their attention. Julia stopped to ask if anything was wrong. She discovered that Maria, aged 7, had been found alone outside a shop. Maria was from a remote village in Mozambique, and had been brought to Johannesburg by a “friend” of the family, who had told her that her mother had said she should go with her.

Maria had told the women about her journey including climbing through fences and hiding in the back of a lorry.

Julia remembered a short informative talk she had heard in her corps the previous Sunday, about human trafficking, and what The Salvation Army is doing to prevent it. She didn’t go to the bank that day after all. She called her corps officer and stayed with the child until someone from the anti-human trafficking task team arrived.

The Salvation Army Children’s Home agreed to take Maria and undertook to deal with the necessary formalities. Maria stayed there for several months while efforts were made to get her home. Working with her embassy and the international social welfare networks were slow.

Until one day, when THQ Southern Africa made a call to THQ Mozambique. Could The Salvation Army try to find and visit Maria’s home? Could we try from both sides of the border to untangle the bureaucratic red tape? As it turned out, there was a Salvation Army Corps quite near Maria’s village. Things started moving for Maria and soon she was at home with her family, unharmed and safe. We never discovered the purpose of her removal from her family.

This story illustrates the multi-dimensional Salvation Army response to a probable case of human trafficking: The corps raised basic awareness; a soldier applied her knowledge and took 1 Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs (UN Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons… Year) 2 All names in this story have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals concerned.

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responsibility; an Army institution provided shelter and administrative support; THQs worked together; another corps responded by arranging an investigative visit with the family which continues to monitor Maria’s progress.

1. One Army – our strengths.

One of The Salvation Army’s greatest strengths is our presence. We are present in cities, suburbs, towns and villages, extending to some of the remotest places around the world. We are not confined to offices, but are found at grassroots level, within communities on all levels of society. If something happens in a community no matter how large or small, local Salvationists will know about it.

How is this possible? Not necessarily, and certainly not only because of our officers or professional staff members, but also because of our soldiers, junior soldiers and adherents. This “presence of people” is a double asset which we often undervalue. I use the term “double asset” for this reason: Firstly, every soldier, junior soldier, adherent and employee has a home, a family, a community.

Each one has knowledge. Each one witnesses what happens in his or her small part of the world. This knowledge, if heard, shared and understood, is powerful.

Secondly, not only does each individual have knowledge, but each individual also has influence.

Some are in high offices like government, law enforcement, justice, business. Some are children or students or unemployed or retired people. They all have influence in some way in their own community. This influence of more than 1.7 million people3 should not be underestimated.

Julia went into the city with knowledge of her own city and what was going on in its streets, and some very basic knowledge about human trafficking which was shared from the platform that Sunday. She also carried with her some influence. When she asked for information, she received it. When she said “I am a Salvationist – we can help you” – she was believed.

This leads me to a second strength that we have – a good name. People believe that The Salvation Army can make a difference. They believe it because we proved it in the past. They believe it because we are still telling them that today – through our advertising, through our public relations. It is my firm belief and experience that people (the public) think of us more highly than we think of ourselves!

We are one Army, present almost everywhere, in all levels of society, with knowledge and with influence. And whether people know us as musicians or medical experts or disaster experts or feeders of the hungry or preachers of the Gospel or ringers of bells, we have one reputation – and it is, thus far, a good one.

A strength we should never take for granted is that we have the approval of heaven. I agree with Danielle Strickland, who, in her address to the Canadian parliament, expressed her “strong conviction that light is more powerful than darkness, and God is on our side.” 4 We are one Army and hold a privileged position and what a position of strength!

However, when it comes to a challenge like human trafficking, let us not be too quick in patting ourselves on the back as bringers of the solution. When we stand against human trafficking, we stand against the very kingdom and armies of Satan himself. Its source is the most evil kind of 3 The Salvation Army Year Book 2013:20 – international statistics of Soldiers, adherents and Junior Soldiers.

4 Strickland 2006.

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greed and cruelty. It involves not just petty criminals, but international masterminds and syndicates. We are up against forces of evil who will stop at nothing and respect no one. “They” are legions, and we are what we are – one Army.

2. One Army – our limitations and challenges During our 149 year battle against all kinds of evil, The Salvation Army has gathered masses of knowledge, experience, expertise, skills and resources. We have become experts and authorities in many fields. We could almost say: “We have mastered it all”. Almost – but not quite.

Human Trafficking is highly organised, violent, secretive, hidden, and deeply evil. We, as one Army, can fight against human trafficking and God is on our side. But we are not equipped, nor can we be expected to, nor would it be wise to try to deal with it on our own. Human trafficking is bigger than us. It’s not bigger than God, but it is bigger than The Salvation Army alone. To fight human trafficking requires all the many skills we have, and also some which we do not have. We can raise awareness, educate, train, advocate, care for victims and survivors, support families and do a host of other things. But we do not do law making, law enforcement, border control, criminal investigations, arrests, trials, sentencing, international negotiations and many other specialised activities surrounding this crime.

Our earliest encounter with human trafficking, we know now, was the adventure of the Maiden Tribute5. An adventure which cannot be detailed in this paper, but which involved the confrontation of the sale of young girls into forced prostitution in 19 th Century England, and ended with the exposure of slavery and the raising of the age of consent as a result of a partnership between Bramwell Booth, journalist W T Stead, and a Mrs Josephine Butler. The point I wish to make in referring to this is that even in those early days, The Salvation Army did not approach the issue alone, but in a relationship of cooperation and interdependence with likeminded individuals.

We return briefly to Maria’s story. Even the 6 “levels” of Salvation Army involvement were not sufficient to ensure her safe return home. A medical examination was required at a special children’s clinic. National and International Child Welfare had to be involved. The embassy had to do its part. A police report had to be filed. And Maria’s case was probably by no means the most complicated case The Salvation Army ever came up against relating to human trafficking.

Maria’s story taught us many things, including the importance of networking.

I am fascinated by the way construction is done in my current country, Bangladesh. The framework goes up using steel rods, and as the concrete floors of the multi-storeyed buildings are put in place, they are supported by hundreds of bamboo stems placed about one foot apart from each other. Each cut to the same length, each helping to carry the weight of the next level until the walls are in place. To construct a fortress against something as big as the human trafficking industry, will take many “bamboo stems” if you like.

Working as part of a team brings advantages and a better chance of success, but let us be warned – it also brings frustrations. As part of a network of any kind we are expected to keep the rules – but we do not always make the rules or agree with the rules. Recently a project with great potential of multi-country success had to be shelved because of a government rule which would impair its success significantly.

5 Coutts (1981:104, 105)

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3. One Army – our contribution As one Army, we have been “team members” for justice on this issue for years. In fact, we have been team leaders in many ways, having spearheaded the fight against human trafficking in some territories. I acknowledge the work of Commissioner Helen Clifton, and the establishment of the Faith Alliance against Trafficking and Slavery of which The Salvation Army was a founding member, as well as the leadership of The Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission, to name but a few ground-breakers. Our international positional statement on human trafficking reads: “The Salvation Army is deeply committed to fighting human trafficking however it may be manifested. We seek to exercise care in restoring the freedom and dignity of those affected6.”

I offer the following thoughts in answer to the question: “How can ‘One Army’ develop comprehensive solutions to international problems?"

1. Cooperation is vital for any effective response: Cooperation between territories, and between ourselves and our partners.

2. We must continue to increase knowledge and awareness. All our units and members can and should be informed about the issue of human trafficking. We should proclaim the Gospel message which includes freedom from exploitation, from our platforms, in Sunday Schools, youth groups, boardrooms and communities.

3. Conducting and sharing of on-going research and documentation. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime names lack of knowledge the number one challenge in the implementation of comprehensive responses to trafficking in persons: “Lack of knowledge hinders effective implementation of anti-trafficking policies and strategies, since often they are based on political, social and economic agendas rather than actual facts. However, it should be kept in mind that data collection on trafficking in persons is a challenging task which requires focused and continuous efforts to keep the knowledge base updated7”.

This may include creating a databank of resources , including knowledge, information, skills, and experience, as well as reference to the multitude of specialised training materials and manuals dealing with trafficking which have been developed by national and international agencies.

4. Membership on national and international bodies should be prioritised. The following message comes from a combined research project in South Africa: Government departments and NGOs that undertake membership of the (national) task-team should also commit themselves in terms of allocating the required resources and ensuring that representatives are of sufficient seniority to act with authority. Continuity of representation is important8.

6 ISJC 2010.

7 UNODC 2012:90 8 HRSC 2010:171

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5. It is important to continue to offer a survivor focused response. “Every single occurrence of modern slavery is happening to a person—someone’s sister, mother, brother, father, daughter, or son9.”To be ethical in our methods of recovery, rehabilitation models should preferably be self-determined and individually tailored, though this is costly and time consuming. The model I referred to earlier (p3) would have been a great example.

It is recommended that rehabilitation should take place in the country of origin where language and cultural barriers are minimised, although it is recognised that this is not always possible.

6. There is an urgent need for monitoring and evaluation, and for answering the following questions: ⋅ Are preventive efforts helping to decrease the number of victims of trafficking in persons? ⋅ Is the provision of training sustainable and is it increasing the capacity for action? ⋅ Are the protective initiatives ensuring safety and strengthening the rights of victims? ⋅ How can it be ensured that awareness-raising campaigns are appropriately targeted to have a positive impact?10” 7. The Salvation Army should continue to do what we do well – address the root causes of human trafficking. Poverty and the lack of social and economic security are major factors that push people into migration and into situations of vulnerability. Let us continue to work for economic development, and promote education (especially for girls). Contrary to popular trends of donors, there is still a need for schools in many places. Let us also continue building capacity of the poorest communities. As one Army, we continue to gratefully accept the financial resources of some territories to fight poverty and thus prevent trafficking in other territories.

8. We should continue to support Fairtrade and ethical trading models, and continue to raise awareness on exploitation of people on farms and in factories.

Conclusion As stated in a US Department of State report: “A new generation of informed and interested citizens is beginning to look inward and making the choice to reject lifestyles sustained by exploitation. For all those who continue to live in bondage, this moment could not have come too soon11.”

The new abolitionist movement has started. As one Army, we are part of it. Our mission is the mission of Jesus, who said in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of

9 USA Dept of State 2012:10 10 UNODC 2012:111 11 USA Department of State 2012:7

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the Lord’s favour12.”

Bibliography 1. Coutts F 1981. No Discharge in this War: A One Volume History of The Salvation Army.

London, UK: Hodder and Stoughton.

2. Human Sciences Research Council (RSA) 2010. Tsireledzani: South Africa Against Human Trafficking. Pretoria, South Africa: HRSC. 3. Parliament of Canada 2006. Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Accessed from http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication on 5/11/2013.

4. The Salvation Army 2013. The Salvation Army Year Book 2013. London, UK: Salvation Books.

5. The Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission 2010. Positional Statement on Human Trafficking. Accessed from http://salvationarmy.org/isjc on 5/11/2013.

6. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2012. Trafficking in Persons Report 2012.

Accessed from http://www.unodc.org/documents on 5/11/2013.

7. United States of America Department of State 2012. Trafficking in Persons Report 2012.

USA, Department of State Publication.

A response by Celine van den Berg-Doef Netherlands & Czech Republic Territory Lt-Colonel Venter’s paper starts off by defining human trafficking and introduces this topic as the core of her paper. Based on the magnitude of this problem in the developed and developing world, I fully support the importance of a joint response to this international issue.

However the variety of issues originating and symptomatic in different countries and encountered by the Salvation Army on a daily basis, urges me to broaden “international problems” to encompass other issues such as seasonal workers, displaced and asylum seekers, travelling populations (Roma, Sinti, Travellers, ) etc.

Although the reasons for which they have left their countries often vary, all of these target groups face similar problems: vulnerability, exclusion, exploitation, lack of access to basic services, etc. In most countries where we work The Salvation Army meets them in our corps, centres and communities.

Finding ways for The Salvation Army to effectively serve these populations in a comprehensive and sustainable way is of utmost importance. There are only a handful of international organisations with a grass root presence in over 126 countries. Therefore the question rightly is “How can we do this?” and not “Can we do it?” Lt Colonel Venter gives some suggestions which I all support but also would like to add the following comments: 1) Internal co-operation: Many existing Salvation Army structures can enable a comprehensive approach, such as the IHQ Zonal structure. We can develop and pilot comprehensive approaches within one Zone, as

12 Holy Bible: New International Version

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in the example we heard from Mozambique and South Africa; or such as currently being developed in the Europe Zone. This provides various benefits: i. The zonal office at IHQ can provide an invaluable co-ordinating and supporting role to various Territories working together. ii. It can be assumed that a joint basic understanding of the contexts of “receiving i” and “sending” countries in which is being worked exists or can easily be acquired within zonal working groups. iii.

Comprehensive “reconnectionii” programmes can be a Zonal priority not leaving it up to the priority of a Territory only. iv. Limited distances can enable monitoring and evaluation activities of reconnection programmes (learning from the success of individual cases is vital to effective future programmes) 2) External co-operation: Let us actively search for external partners that share the same concerns for the target groups but apply different strategies to approach the problem (lobby & advocacy, strengthening civil society, etc) We need more complimentary partnership.

3) Root causes: Some of the root causes remain insufficiently addressed by us due to lack of knowledge or experience. The Salvation Army could develop more: o In depth knowledge of local contexts (context analysis) o Understanding and knowledge of causes and effects of international problems and how they can effectively be addressed. o Programmes aimed creating local opportunities for income generation (livelihoods programmes) Thank you to both our speakers and their contribution to this important topic!

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i “Receiving” countries are countries of destination and “sending” countries are those of origin. ii A “reconnection” program can provide any of the above target groups with the possibility to return safely to the country of origin, restore local relationships and develop new livelihoods.