Modern Slavery - sometimes, I hate the world in which we live

I hate to do what I don't want. Imagine to be forced to do something against your will, such as prostitution, unpaid work... and other things that I cannot even think about.

You can read here a small part from Trafficking in Persons Report 2008, published by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State. The numbers are big, and the stories from the report paint only a small part of the entire suffering of the trafficked persons. I was shocked to see that one of the stories is about Lila - a 19 years old girl from Romania.

"The Scope and Nature of Modern-Day Slavery
The common denominator of trafficking scenarios is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit a person for profit. A victim can be subjected to labor exploitation, sexual exploitation, or both. Labor exploitation includes traditional chattel slavery, forced labor, and debt bondage. Sexual exploitation typically includes abuse within the commercial sex industry. In other cases, victims are exploited in private homes by individuals who often demand sex as well as work. The use of force or coercion can be direct and violent or psychological.

A wide range of estimates exists on the scope and magnitude of modern-day slavery. The International Labor Organization (ILO)—the United Nations agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues—estimates that there are 12.3 million people in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, and sexual servitude at any given time; other estimates range from 4 million to 27 million.

Annually, according to U.S. Government-sponsored research completed in 2006, approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders, which does not include millions trafficked within their own countries. Approximately 80 percent of transnational victims are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors. The majority of transnational victims are females trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. These numbers do not include millions of female and male victims around the world who are trafficked within their own national borders—the majority for forced or bonded labor.

Human traffickers prey on the vulnerable. Their targets are often children and young women, and their ploys are creative and ruthless, designed to trick, coerce, and win the confidence of potential victims. Very often these ruses involve promises of a better life through employment, educational opportunities, or marriage.

The nationalities of trafficked people are as diverse as the world’s cultures. Some leave developing countries, seeking to improve their lives through low-skilled jobs in more prosperous countries. Others fall victim to forced or bonded labor in their own countries. Women, eager for a better future, are susceptible to promises of jobs abroad as babysitters, housekeepers, waitresses, or models—jobs that traffickers turn into the nightmare of forced prostitution without exit. Some families give children to adults, often relatives, who promise education and opportunity—but sell the children into exploitative situations for money. But poverty alone does not explain this tragedy, which is driven by fraudulent recruiters, employers, and corrupt officials who seek to reap unlawful profits from others’ desperation".

http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/

It's all about trust, money, poverty, dirty desires... and selfishness. It's painful. It hurts and makes me hate all those "no-heart beings" who sell these people and those who pay and use them. And what scares me even more is that just watching a porno movie or eating the cheapest fruits from Africa might transform you/us in "slave masters" too, because we encourage through our decisions/actions/money the slavery!

Unde va grabiti? Si in fata ploua!

Am sa dau vina pe secolul asta, secolul vitezei, in care nimeni nu vrea sa piarda vremea cu nimic. Dar daca e legat de secol, atunci eu sunt din alt timp (si sincer mi-ar fi placut sa traiesc pe la inceputul secolului XX).

Eu ma imprietenesc greu, de indragostit ma indragostesc mai repede, dar nu conteaza ritmul in care ma misc eu, ci cel in care se misca ceilalti. Eu de asa relatii rapide, de orice fel, n-am mai avut parte! Si daca ar fi fost vorba de un singur om, as fi spus ca e din vina aceluia, iar daca toate relatiile mele ar fi fost asa, atunci as fi intors degetul aratator spre mine.

Uneori am impresia ca oamenii sar si peste inceput, se arunca direct in ceea ce numesc prietenie sau relatie amoroasa, se considera prieteni sau iubiti din prima zi, isi spun din primele ore cele mai mari secrete si in cateva luni (daca nu chiar mai repede) dau brusc inapoi. Afiseaza raceala, cu care ar fi trebuit poate sa inceapa, si isi arata nerabdarea de a comunica, de a intreba. Practic ies din sala de cinema inainte sa se termine filmul, doar pentru ca actorul principal a strambat din nas prea tare cand a zis replica X.

Si nu cred ca ma deranjeaza atat de tare iesitul din sala inainte de THE END, ci mai degraba faptul ca odata ajunsi in hol se poarta de parca nu ar fi vazut nimic din acel film, de parca nu ar fi fost ei cei care au hotarat sa vada acel film. Ma deranjeaza ca la ora 8 pm, dupa cateva luni de apropiere totala, imi spun ca tin la mine si imi arata afectiune si la 4 am se uita la mine si imi vorbesc ca unui strain, in conditiile in care eu in intervalul acela mi-am pastrat atitudinea si sentimentele si n-am intreprins nici o actiune care ar putea duce la aceasta "reactiune".

Unde a inceput minciuna? Sau unde au calcat acceleratia si eu, fara sa imi dau seama, am ramas in drum, cu parul in vant si cu ochii in soare?

Romania cu batic, sa nu o traga curentul european

Ma uitam la stiri pe ProTV, ceea ce nu am mai facut demult. Era un material din capitala. Sorin Oprescu pornise la picior in mahala, in sectorul 5, sa vada cum o mai duce lumea. Nu mi s-a parut nimic interesant pana nu au aparut in fata camerelor doua femei, care purtau batic si care se plangeau ca nu au apa, ca nu au canalizare, ca nu au una, ca nu au cealalta.

Prima reactie: le-am dat dreptate "doamnelor" din mahala. Oras european, capitala de stat european, si sa nu ai apa, sa mergi pe drum prafuit de tara, la doar cativa km de Casa Poporului! Cine a mai pomenit?! Imediat dupa acest material, cei de la ProTV au bagat o stire de la Cluj si Timisoara unde occidentul si-a intrat in drepturi cu terase sofisticate ocupate de turisti straini. Mi-a crescut sufletul de ardeleanca, dar dupa nici 5 minute de mandrie mai domoala, specifica noua ardelenilor (no, ase ma, v-am aratat cum tre' sa shie in Occident!), mi-am dat seama ca cel mai tare m-a deranjat baticul doamnelor.

Femeile alea, ca multi alti oameni pe care i-am vazut in Romania, chiar si in Clujul "occidental", sunt din alt timp si din alt film. Fonduri structurale peste fonduri structurale pot sa treaca peste tantile alea, campanii de informare si educare peste campanii, vizite peste vizite la mall-uri, Andreea Marin sau alte femei din reclame pot sa vina la ele, poate sa le bage si apa si sa le faca si drumul cu linie galbena pe mijloc, eu pun pariu ca nu o sa isi dea jos baticul nici in ruptul capului.

P.S. Am invatat eu mai demult, la un curs de istorie a mentalitatilor (a folosit si ala la ceva pana la urma) ca trebuie sa treaca vreo 40 de ani pana cand se schimba mentalitatea unei generatii. Si cica si Moise i-a plimbat pe evrei prin desert 40 de ani, ca sa ii vindece de mentalitatea de sclavi. Nu stiu daca m-am exprimat si am retinut bine, dar concluzia este ca trebuie sa avem rabdare si sa asteptam ca Romania sa isi dea jos baticul!

M-am intors la cheesecake-ul romanesc

Ultimul post/articol inaintea astuia a fost pe 23 mai. Urmatorul post dupa asta va fi 3 august. Ce am facut intre timp? Am trait. Cum? Agitat, frumos, trist, fericit, provocator, in alb, in negru, in romana, in engleza, in fata oceanului, in aeroport, in New York, in Cluj, la Oceanul Atlantic, la Oradea, la Cimpia Turzii, pe terasa, pe podium, la martini, la un cheesecake la Quo Vadis, la telefon (foarte mult la telefon), pe skype, pe yahoo mail/messenger, la primarie, pe Rene Descartes si inca nu am ajuns in Parcul Mare din Cluj, dar am fost la Marisel.

Pentru detalii, ma puteti contacta la acelasi numar de telefon si la aceeasi adresa de email sau la cafeneaua mea preferata din Cluj. Cu alte cuvinte, m-am intors.