UN.GIFT talks to Philipp Engel, founder of the Red Light Campaign, on our first  @UNGIFTraffick Twinterview

UN.GIFT talks to Philipp Engel, founder of the Red Light Campaign, on our first  @UNGIFTraffick Twinterview

The UN.GIFT.HUB provides a platform for global dialogue and is now introducing The Hub Q & A Blog, a UN.GIFT knowledge product to voice the views and perspectives of those working on the frontlines, of this fight against human trafficking.

The UN.GIFT.HUB provides a platform for global dialogue and is now introducing The Hub Q & A Blog, a UN.GIFT knowledge product to voice the views and perspectives of those working on the frontlines, of this fight against human trafficking.

Three Austrian friends will be travelling to Sri Lanka to compete in a tuk tuk race. The objective of their journey is not only to become the fastest motorised riksha drivers across Sri Lankan beaches and jungles, but to raise funds for programmes against human trafficking.

Three Austrian friends will be travelling to Sri Lanka to compete in a tuk tuk race. The objective of their journey is not only to become the fastest motorised riksha drivers across Sri Lankan beaches and jungles, but to raise funds for programmes against human trafficking.

Three Austrian friends will be travelling to Sri Lanka to compete in a tuk tuk race. The objective of their journey is not only to become the fastest motorised riksha drivers across Sri Lankan beaches and jungles, but to raise funds for programmes against human trafficking.

Three Austrian friends will be travelling to Sri Lanka to compete in a tuk tuk race. The objective of their journey is not only to become the fastest motorised riksha drivers across Sri Lankan beaches and jungles, but to raise funds for programmes against human trafficking.

Three Austrian friends will be travelling to Sri Lanka to compete in a tuk tuk race. The objective of their journey is not only to become the fastest motorised riksha drivers across Sri Lankan beaches and jungles, but to raise funds for programmes against human trafficking.

Three Austrian friends will be travelling to Sri Lanka to compete in a tuk tuk race. The objective of their journey is not only to become the fastest motorised riksha drivers across Sri Lankan beaches and jungles, but to raise funds for programmes against human trafficking.

The first time I got into closer contact with the issue of human trafficking was when I met Ihor Hnat. Besides doing social work with mainly excons, his mission is to rescue Ukrainian girls that have been trafficked to Western Europe.

What happens, when nobody feels responsible for a child? Many kids are not growing up in a safe environment, under the watchful eyes of their parents. Millions of children are living on the street, fighting for something to eat and a place to stay every single day.

Since my first working day at UN.GIFT, I read a lot about human trafficking and its different aspects. As I read the Survivor Blog "My name is Jana", I was shocked by her story and the way she became victim to sexual exploitation. The question, why people become victims of such awful crimes started bothering me.

As I disembark from the metro, pass through the metal detectors, and make my way through the electronic gates, I realize it is the last day of my internship at the United Nations in Vienna, and three months has passed. I wait for the elevator and listen to the chatter of languages being spoken around me: Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Russian and English; as it dawns on me, I am going to miss this place-and the reality that I should have learned more languages.

Actions speak louder than words. If you are a company who employs illegal labour at cheap rates do you understand how your profit is built on misery? If you do then you are no better than the criminal gangs who perpetrate such crimes. Actions speak louder than words.

I am a big fan of movie marathons, spending an entire day or weekend watching films with a single theme: vampires, Quentin Tarantino, alien invasions, disasters, espionage and Sandra Bullock-the list could go on. However, when I had my last movie marathon, I found myself all alone, highlighting an issue that I fear many would rather not think about: human trafficking.

I learned a long time ago that within strategy development it was essential to visualise "the bigger picture", to see where an event in one area had an impact in another, complete with a complex range of consequences and repercussions. This is important otherwise it would be like walking along a busy street with your eyes closed

As the summer has faded into autumn, so have I settled into my internship at UN.GIFT. Each day brings new challenges and tasks, and if I need guidance or assistance, which I often do, the UN.GIFT team is accessible and ready to help.

The next morning, I went to an office where I sat down for an interview with a woman.  The interview had lasted about 10 minutes when two men entered the room and dragged me away to a car.  I was screaming and resisting.

Apart from the sheer destructive misery and heartache caused by human trafficking, one of the first and perhaps most striking aspects to be seen by any investigation into trafficking is that it touches so many people in so many towns and cities in so many societies. This is a global problem.

Three invigorating and informative weeks have whirled by since I began my internship at the United Nations in Vienna with UN.GIFT. The energy and motivation of the team has impressed upon me the significance of the work that is being done.

I have never met Jana in person but when one of my colleagues told me about her story I literally got goose bumps. I first heard of Jana when she spoke before  the UN Human Rights Council about how she escaped from human traffickers that had kidnapped her, forced into prostitution and threaten her with hurting her family.

My alarm roused me at 6 a.m., followed by a second alarm strategically placed across the room, guaranteeing that I would really get up for the FIRST day of my much anticipated internship, a three-month internship with the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking also known as UN.GIFT.

Today is an important day for those who work to end human trafficking around the world. The SG's announcement of the Global Plan of Action is an important step that shows the commitment of Member States to end human trafficking and recognizes the role of the UN organizations working against trafficking.

There are some people who have been illegally brought in to be domestic slaves. There are some people who have been illegally brought in or have been enticed into industrial slavery. There are some people who are in slavery due to the extreme form of arranged or forced marriages. There are many who are in sexual slavery - sold on darkened street corners or through dubious advertising sites.

The wait is over and we are all really excited to share this great project with the world. I am a UN.GIFT team member and I will be blogging about UN.GIFT's communications strategies and other media related topics.