The United Nations anti-crime arm has named acclaimed American painter Ross Bleckner as Goodwill Ambassador to Combat Human Trafficking at the opening of an art exhibition displaying paintings by former child soldiers and abducted girls from Uganda.
Launched in March, the initiative aims to raise awareness about the millions of victims and rally support to combat this modern form of slavery.
The star-studded induction ceremony took place at the UN Headquarters in New York at the opening of the "Welcome to Gulu" exhibition, which Mr. Bleckner curated on behalf of UNODC and the International Criminal Court's Trust Fund for Victims.
Proceeds raised from the sale of the some 200 paintings, as well as some of Mr. Bleckner's own portraits, will benefit children from Gulu in northern Uganda who created the works.
In recent years, Gulu and other areas of northern Uganda, have been plagued by rebel groups snatching, recruiting and conscripting thousands of children, forcing the boys to be killers and girls to be sex slaves.
In January, Mr. Bleckner joined UNODC and the International Criminal Court's Trust Fund for Victims on an official mission to Gulu, assisting in the rehabilitation of former child soldiers and abducted girls through art therapy.
"Art is one of the most powerful advocacy tools to raise awareness and move people to take action," said UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa. "A painting says a thousand words."
Mr. Costa noted that appointing Mr. Bleckner as UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, as well as opening the exhibition at the UN, "provides a unique opportunity to implore others to join us in our fight against conscription of children, and other forms of human trafficking and modern day slavery."
The head of UNODC stressed that Mr. Bleckner's "extraordinary commitment to the plight of trafficking victims will move people to take action against modern day slavery."
News Source: UN News Center
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=30776&Cr=human+trafficking&Cr1=
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