MANILA, THE NUSANTARA POST- The training themed Exposing Modern Slavery was carried out by online media Rappler in collaboration with Journalismfund at the Astoria Plaza Hotel, Manila, Philippines on 21-26 November 2022.
Green Press who was invited as a training participant was represented by the CEO of Green Press IGG Maha Adi. The event was also attended by journalists and CSO activists from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand.
Glenda Gloria as Rappler’s executive editor in her opening remarks said that this training aims to reveal various forms of modern slavery that have not or have not received attention from the media and society such as human trafficking within and across borders of forced labor, sex slavery, with various modes and real examples. .
With regard to reporting by the media, Rappler contributor in Berlin Ana P. Santos said that the focus of reporting was only on sex slavery, victims, law enforcement but did not explore aspects of solutions and social conditions that were the background or foreground of this incident, because cases can be very complex .
Ana who once covered Iluminada Panabe, the name of a Filipino woman from a high social class, as perpetrators of human trafficking from the Philippines to Europe.
He revealed that there was a very strong and voluntary desire from the victims to fly and live in Europe at any cost. “They voluntarily pay a fortune of around $8,000-$10,000 to fly to Europe legally by getting a visa.” After the visas are obtained and they are flown, their further fate is completely in their hands, aka they are simply left in a foreign land. The perpetrator Panabe is currently serving the remainder of his sentence in Denmark.
Ana emphasized that it is important for journalists and activists to find the root of the problem and reveal any suitable solutions for the potential victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.
Rappler (www.rappler.com) as the organizer of this training is an online media based in Manila, Philippines, and one of its founders, Maria Ressa, won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in various investigative coverage both within her country and Southeast Asia (IGG Maha Adi)
