Local NGO "Democracy Today" works in close partnership with the UMCOR staff on the hot line and the shelter.

Their activities include:

• Information campaigns and awareness raising through seminars, meetings with communities, distribution of information materials.
• Victim identification, work with the victims and their families.
• Establishment of referrals for victims of trafficking through meetings with other state and non-state agencies and creation of the referral data bank.

DT-NGO developed special announcements that included the hotline number, posting them at various sites, including railway and bus stations, central squares, soup kitchens and refugee dormitories. Leaflets, inserts and announcements with the hotline number were distributed, along with copies of the book "Trafficking." DT-NGO staff also took part in the local TV program "Tsayg" that was devoted to the issue of trafficking.

DT-NGO works closely with vulnerable communities to identify trafficking victims. It conducted seminars for students, who are beneficiaries of UMCOR's Aregak micro-lending program. It conducted similar seminars for participants of the Third Pan-Armenian Youth Forum in Tsakhkadzor. The seminars sensitized youth to trafficking and informed them of the assistance available to victims, including the UMCOR hotline and center.

Trafficking in human beings is the most abhorrent violation of human rights currently in practice today. Though an overwhelming majority of victims are comprised of women and children, there is sufficient evidence of trafficking in men as well. The proliferation of trafficking in Armenia has been driven by a combination of factors: man made and natural disasters, such as war and earthquake; transitional processes that had an impact on the social and economic conditions, creating an increase in unemployment and poverty, making people unprotected and vulnerable; porous borders; weak legislative protection and legal processes. Due to the initiative of the Republic of Armenia and international actors, in a little more than four years an effective counter trafficking policy has been developed, legislative changes have been introduced, and many activities have been implemented.

In order to prevent trafficking in Armenia, as well as to protect and restore the human rights of the victims, trough the provision of complex assistance to victims UNDP and UMCOR in collaboration with Government of Armenia and a local NGO in 2004 launched a new two-year program. UMCOR has signed MoU with RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA), RA Ministry of Health (MoH) and State Department of Migration and Refugees (DMR), created partnership between Consular department of MoFA, Visa agency, National Security Service, Ministry of Justice, Police and international organizations (OSCE and IOM), and is working on development of a mechanism of victim referral to UMCOR shelter.

Currently, using its successful experience in counter trafficking area in other countries, such as Kosovo and Afghanistan, UMCOR-Armenia is implementing the following activities in this project:

Activity 1: Capacity building framework for institutional strengthening and policy development - training for social workers, employment agencies and medical personnel, as well as the preparation of special manuals for the other professionals in these areas.

• Training of social workers
  In collaboration with the MoLSA, UMCOR organized three introductory two-day training sessions for the representatives of Yerevan and regional social and employment agencies. This training increases the capacity of social workers to identify potential victims of trafficking, to assist them in job finding and provide with information on UMCOR hotline.


• Working group on "Social assistance to victims of trafficking"
  As an outcome of the training, the working group on "Social assistance to victims of trafficking" formed. The group has met three times and aims to develop a manual for social workers on social assistance available to victims of trafficking.


• Training of health personnel
  In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, UMCOR organized the first two-day training sessions titled "The Role of the Medical Personnel in Fight against Trafficking in Humans." Thirty-one representatives from the MoH, the regional Health department, as well as international organizations (UNFPA and OSCE) and Armenian Diaspora participated in the training. This training increases the capacity of health personnel to provide appropriate medical services for the victims of trafficking.


• Training of border guards (UMCOR GBGM funding)
  In collaboration with the Department of National Security Service, UMCOR organized four workshops entitled "The Role of the Border Guards in the Fight Against Trafficking in Humans". From the four workshops three were organized for border guards of "Zvartnots" airoport (72 participants) and one at Bagratashen check-point for7 Armenian and 7 Georgian border guards. This training increases the capacity of border guards to identify potential victims and raise their awareness of human trafficking. Moreover, they were trained to provide potential victims with UMCOR hotline information and how to refer potential victims for follow-up assistance.

Activity 2: Awareness raising - publication of information booklets, posters, demonstration of Public Service Announcements on local TV and the organization of seminars and information campaigns.

• Distribution of information materials
  • Developed a special document called "Information Note," which contains general information on trafficking, the extent of the problem and existing counter-trafficking activities in Armenia, as well as detailed information about UMCOR's activities carried out in the framework of the project.
  • Provided consular department of MFA with posters and passport inserts for dissemination through embassies and consular departments of Armenia in other countries.
  • Provided inserts to border guards so they could put them into the passports of people passing the green border with Georgia.
  • Provided inserts to ARMAVIA Company to distribute during the registration of flights going into Turkey, UAE, Greece and Russia—all destination countries for Armenian trafficking victims.
  • Provided informational materials to all central and regional social and employment agencies.


• Mass media
  • Posted information in various local newspapers about the hotline and the free services provided through this UMCOR project.
  • Created Armenian versions of four UNODC video clips with anti-trafficking content and since October 2004 aired them on the biggest national Armenian TV channel (H1), as well as "Kentron" and "Erkir Media" TV channels.
  • Provided information about the project hotline and related services as a creeping line across "Kentron" and "Shant" TV channels.
  • Sponsored broadcasts of Armenian and Russian public service announcements on two radio stations (VAN and Russian Radio).
  • In collaboration with MoH and Shoghakat TV and working with the sub-contractor Democracy Today NGO, UMCOR prepared three 20-minute films about its Anti-trafficking program activities in Armenia.

Activity 3: Victims assistance - operation of hot line and counseling center, as well as the reintegration of victims into society through legal, medical, psychological, employment and other types of counseling provided in our Rehabilitation and Assistance Center (shelter). The stay of victims in the shelter depends on the psychological and physical recovery of a victim and the time necessary to create a base for reintegration of the person into society (this work is done by the program staff in collaboration with the contracted local NGO). Ongoing contact with the victims and their families will be established in order to support and counsel them in the future.

Drop-in/counseling center includes telephone hotline services. The hotline started operating on 21st of July 2004. It operates every day from 9 PM to 11 AM. Hotline operators provide psychological, medical and legal consultations. Additionally operators provide information about trafficking, in general, and the UMCOR project, in particular. Psychological, medical and legal consultations are provided regardless of whether victims stay in the shelter or not. Since February 2005, the UMCOR hotline received 887 calls. Of them, 56% were women and 44% were men. The majority (55%) of callers was 30 to 50 years old, 23% were 16 to 29 years old and 21% were 51 and older.

The safe, confidential shelter is a small, two-floor, furnished facility providing medical, psychological, employment and legal counseling, as well as reintegration services for victims of trafficking. The Rehabilitation and Assistance Center offers victims a safe place in which to recover. It can house 8 to 10 victims and it organizes various social activities.

• Medical services: Victims receive a general medical examination, which includes anonymous and consensual HIV/AIDS screening.
• Psychosocial support : Psychological counseling helps victims of trafficking to free themselves from anxiety and depression and help rebuild their self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Legal counseling: Victims receive basic information about their rights.
• Reintegration services: DT-NGO staff conducts English lessons providing basic language knowledge to all victims, as well as organizes special training for center beneficiaries aimed at preventing their re-trafficking and UMCOR staff conducts trainings on health related issues (Prevention of HIV/AIDS and STIs; reproductive health, etc.). Due to UMCOR-GBGM funding, it became possible to provide project beneficiaries vocational skills trainings (such as computer and hairdressing courses) and cover their living expenses until they would be able to earn money themselves. Reintegration services include also employment counseling, which refers victims to exsting resources such as governmental programs or projects of local and international NGOs for employment or vocational training. For those with strong skills and an interest in obtaining a loan to start a business, UMCOR's micro-lending program AREGAK provides collateral-free loans.