EUROPEAN WEEK 1999 IN ROSTOCK

UBC Commission on Health & Social Affairs continued its public work especially for children and their teachers during the European week. Together with the Local Agenda 21 Office and the EU Information Centre in Rostock, an information day was organised in the largest 'Children's Activity Centre' in the city. 
During an exhibition, on large boards and stands, information about the UBC, twin cities of Rostock, LA 21 and EU was presented. Our office provided a description about the aims, structure, commissions and activities of the UBC. In children's project of that Centre a map of the Baltic Sea States has been painted where all UBC member cities are named and marked. All distributed material about UBC was in German language. In order to attract attention of children a written quiz with questions related to UBC, twin cities and Local Agenda 21 was organised. The answers could be found in the exhibited materials. With a little guidance and talks about those subjects most of the children aged between 8 and 16 were able to find the right answers. Between all correct answers the prizewinners was chosen on Saturday at the end of the European week. 
Another activity was to start collecting money for a children's and orphanage house in Kaliningrad, which will be continued in the following weeks up to the international Children's Day. We have also organised the contact to the head of that house by translating his letter and appeal for help and giving it to the press to be published. 
We had informative and interesting talks not only with children but also with many teachers, social workers and visitors during this week.

It has been said the major drawback with the fall of the Iron Curtain is the big problem with trafficking. Many tens of thousands of young women from East Europe, including the UBC member cities, are forced to stay in the big cities of western Europe as prostitutes in conditions that resemble white slave trade. 
After discussions with the European Comission, UBC has initiated a project to combat traffiking by producing information material for young women in UBC member cities in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. The aim is to warn about the dangers of beeing trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation and abuse in Western European countries. 
This information material will be printed in Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish and Russian languages. The material will show what methods traffickers use and how easy it is to become a victim of deceit, blackmail, debt-bondage, deprivation of freedom of movement, abuse and violation of human rights and of course also to get health problems. 
The information material will also show ways to find help for suffering young women in Western cities and how to return home and find help in the home countries. 
The second aim is to produce information material intended for city leaders, teachers, social workers, youth leaders, police and media in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 

Poland and Russia. It will contain information about the problem as such and how to use the information material produced for the potential victims. 
We will try to encourage local NGOs by lectures and training. Public awareness will be raised by involvement of city representatives and press conferences. 
The third purpose is to distribute the information material to local authorities, regional NGOs, international organisations and EU institutions via: -UBC network in the Baltic Sea Region and the UBC member cities -NGOs in the countries and connected to Kvinnoforum and UBC -press releases of UBC and Kvinnoforum -links to existing databases and homepages 
Only NGOs are entitled to support from Daphne, so the main applicant will be Women help Women, Rostok. The UBC/Commission on Health and Social Affairs will administer the project. Other participants are the UBC Women's Network, Kvinnoforum, Stockholm, and NGOs in Member Cities in Poland, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia dealing with prevention and health care.