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A Few Words about GAATW and Kolkata-Sanved
The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) is an Alliance of more than 100 non-governmental organisations from Africa, Asia, Europe, LAC and North America. The GAATW International Secretariat is based in Bangkok, Thailand and co-ordinates the activities of the Alliance, collects and disseminates information, advocates on behalf of the Alliance at regional and international levels.
GAATW promotes rights of women migrant workers and trafficked persons and believes that ensuring safe migration and fair work places should be at the core of all anti-trafficking efforts. GAATW advocate for living and working conditions that provide women with more alternatives in their countries of origin, and to develop and disseminate information to women about migration, working conditions and their rights.
GAATW currently has 63 member organisations in Asia most of whom work directly with trafficked women and/or abused women migrant workers.
For more information visit www.gaatw.org, Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Kolkata Sanved has pioneered the use of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) as an effective, alternative approach to recovery and rehabilitation for survivors of human trafficking and violence; HIV/AIDS patients and people living with psychosocial disabilities. Breaking through barriers of traditional counseling and therapy, Kolkata Sanved uses movement and dance to enable individuals to reclaim their physical selves and their souls through a newfound sense of freedom, peace and confidence. The organization was awarded the prestigious Beyond Sport Award for Best Health Project in 2009, Dian Von Furstenberg Award for transforming other women’s lives in 2011 and Newsmaker 2012 for outstanding achievement and inspiration.
Kolkata Sanved believes that all individuals, from marginalized and mainstream populations, should live with dignity and self-respect. This basic sense of empowerment and integrity can be achieved through dance movement therapy (DMT).
The uniqueness of Kolkata Sanved’s programme lies in the fact that it harnesses the power of dance in two distinct yet interrelated ways: dance as an art form and dance as expressive movement therapy focused on self empowerment. DMT can be very alienated from the arts, and seen merely as a means of therapy only. But essentially as with any creative art form or practitioner, it is nurturing and developing the body, mind, thinking and creativity of the individual; that is what art does.
For more information visit http://www.kolkatasanved.org/
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4Gy7SgN280
Filmed during the Transforming Steps project in Kolkata, India, this clip shows choreographer Mafalda Deville working with women from Kolkata Sanved (www.kolkatasanved.org). The piece they're developing will be performed at Sadler's Wells, London in March 2012 to raise awareness of the global problem of human trafficking.
“I saw that some survivors have tremendous artistic skills and they really want to be artists. I started training survivors to do dance therapy.” Sohini, Kolkata Sanved
“Why didn’t GAATW-IS organize this workshop for us before? This is extremely useful for us” - Participants at the Shakti Samuha Workshop
My week with everyone at Kampung Damai, the place where we all came together for DMT, was a magical time. Since then I have used DMT as self-care for many groups. Most recently with the LGBT groups in south east Asia. – Dewi Nova, Participant at the Indonesia Workshop