Comics “On the Edge”: for students about human trafficking without jokes

An unusual comic book exhibition “On the Edge” has been opened at the Chernihiv National Pedagogical University. The purpose of the exhibition is to deepen the acquaintance of students with the problem of human trafficking in Ukraine.

Chernihiv National Pedagogical University named after T.G. Shevchenko has long been cooperating with the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, so on February 23, 2015, an unusual comic book exhibition “On the Edge” was opened at the educational institution.

The purpose of the event is to show students in comics seven real stories from the lives of people who have suffered from human trafficking.

“Traditionally, Ukrainians go to work in Russia because there are no language problems. Accordingly, most of our citizens suffer from the problem of human trafficking in this country,” said Nataliya Piddubna, head of the legal reception of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, lawyer, human rights activist.

According to the International Organization for Migration, over the years of independence, more than 120 thousand people who sought a better fate abroad have suffered.

Ukraine more often acts as a transit country or as a country from which citizens leave.

However, there are isolated cases when Ukrainians themselves exploit citizens of other countries or traffic people in neighboring countries.

For reference: crimes related to human trafficking are punishable by imprisonment for a term of 3 to 15 years (Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

On the Edge

tells seven stories about human trafficking, based on the testimonies of participants in real events.

The project “On the Edge” was born out of the collaboration between Olga Trusova, who researched human trafficking in Ukraine under the Fulbright program in 2009-2010, and American illustrator and writer Dan Archer, together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Ukraine. They set out to educate the public about the dangers of human trafficking by telling the stories of victims in a new way that helps the audience to empathize with those affected by modern slavery and to make their own decisions more carefully…

“From the baker in Warsaw to the waitress in Istanbul, the underground world of human trafficking touches every aspect of modern life, often suddenly and completely unexpectedly,” the authors warn. “As readers piece together these stories, one by one, panel by panel, they will increasingly feel like they are in the shoes of the characters in these stories, and this will help them to appreciate the problem from a different, more immediate perspective.”