The European Freedom Network, formed by more than 200 partner organisations, becomes a legal entity. Experts, survivors, campaigners and other Christian workers shared resources and expertise at the 2017 “Bridge” conference.
European Freedom Network (EFN) annual “Bridge” conference was held in a Baptist church in Germany’s capital city.
After a first meeting in 2011 (Stockholm) attended by ten people, this open platform to fight one of the main social issues the continent has grown to 206 organisations and 451 people (more than one hundred new partners only in 2017) from 42 countries. All of them share a desire for justice and a common Christian worldview.
This year’s gathering focused on “learning how to become media savvy, work together to make our collective voice heard as well as helping survivors to speak out for themselves”.
About 200 women and men met in Berlin – one of the European cities with the highest number of prostituted women – from 16-19 October to discuss human trafficking and sexual slavery in Europe.
The “WE KNOW THE STORIES”
In the “Bridge” opening night, Leanne Rhodes, member of the EFN core team, said the gathering is “not just a professional conference”, but a place in which people share not only their knowledge and expertise but also a common passion to serve trafficked and enslaved women. “We know the stories and we have cried tears and have had others crying tears on our shoulders”, she said. The network is very much based on personal relationships and has “action groups” in areas such as education, health, voice, research, refugees, prayer, pornography, etc. The purpose of this issue is to create contents and initiatives which, combined, help the EFN “speak into institutions like the European Union, the United Nations and the media with one voice”, Jennifer Roemhildt Tunehag, chair of the team, explained.WORKSHOPS, “ACTION GROUPS”, PLENARIES…
A Bible plenary and time of musical worship opened every day. Issues of identity, leadership and a simple lifestyle according to the examples of Jesus, Esther, Dorcas and Anna where presented by Sheila and Viv Thomas. Throughout the week, workshops on topics like “Good practice in refugee care”, “Trauma recovery and care key steps”, “Working with key players outside the Christian arena”, “Campaigning with an effective voice”. An evaluation of the situation in every country was also on the schedule in two of the afternoons. Organisations working in countries like Austria, Romania, Germany and the USA shared their resources in an exhibitor’s zone. Some of the projects they presented where textbooks for teenagers educating them to avoid the traps of human traffickers, special podcasts targeting prostituted women in several languages, prayer bracelets, and leather products made by trafficking survivors. Meanwhile, several prayer initiatives were held during the conference, and an art exhibition denounced the trafficking of children to the UK to work in illegal cannabis plantations in closed buildings.PRESS CONFERENCE
In a press conference (video below), local CDU parliamentarian and chair of the German group ‘Together against Human Trafficking’, Frank Heinrich, introduced four women who work in different contexts. Jennifer Roemhildt Tunehag (Sweden) explained the aims of EFN and the significance of gatherings like “Bridge”. Karina Hristova (Bulgaria) gave details about how many girls fall into traps of human trafficking in Eastern European countries success in life too many times is closely tied to financial income. Anne Abok (Nigeria) expanded on the causes that lead African women to be exploited in Europe and explained her work as a film-maker aiming to help understand the traps and realities of sexual slavery. Rebecca Bender (USA) explained her work as an activist campaigning against forced prostitution and training FBI and police officers based on her own experience as survivor of sex trafficking. Watch the video “Press Conference”:European Freedom Network “Bridge 2017” press conference: human trafficking, sexual slavery. Posted by Evangelical Focus on Tuesday, 17 October 2017