Human Rights Festival
Saturday 25th November, Milan
The human rights festival, with the collaboration of ”WeWorld onlus” within the range of the 8th edition of the ”WeWorld” festival dedicated to women rights, organizes, on Saturday 25th of November in Milan, at the UniCredit pavilion the debate ”The weakest link of migration: women”. With the intervention of Princess Inyang Okokon, Lireta Katiaj and Don Mussie Zerai, and the lead of Danilo De Biasio, journalist and director of the Human Rights Festival in Milan.
Is it possible to break the link between migration ad prostitution? Yes, feel free to remove the question mark:it is possible. But it’s hard, because the economic interests are strong and the connections with criminality are widespread. The Human Rights Festival in Milan, by welcoming the invitation of ”WeWorld”onlus, wants to increase the attention on this theme, wich involves young foreign women (as victims) but, maybe, also our neighbour (as a customer). The protagonists of the meeting are Princess Inyang Okokon, whom with her association ”PIAM”, is involved in rescuing prostitutes from the streets by offering them a working perspective and vocational training; Lireta Katiaj, who told the story of how she avoided the prostitution racket; Don Mussie Zerai, catholic priest and point of reference for migrants escaping wars and shortage; Danilo De Biasio, journalist and director of the Human Rights Festival in Milan.
Afterwards the awarding of the ”Reset-Diritti Umani” prize to Princess Inyang Okokon.
Motivations of the prize: The ”Reset-Diritti Umani” association rewards Princess Inyang Okokon because she is a beautifull example of redemption and commitment. Princess Inyang Okokon has healed her wounds as victim of human trafficking by concretely taking care of prostitutes by building the conditions for an alternative life for those who are still on the streets and by investing in prevention directly in their origin countries.
This praise-worthy activity, wich has worked in hundreds of cases, was possible cause the association PIAM, established by Princess and her husband Alberto Mossino, had the capability to form positive relationships with local and national istitutions and civil society.
For this reasons the association ”Reset-Diritti Umani” rewards the journey of Princess Inyang Okokon: for the high human value of her actions to be known, honored and taken as an example.
Biographies:
PRINCESS INYANG OKOKON
Princess Okokon, president of ”Piam Onlus”, an association wich works in Italy and abroad to “steal” women from human trafficking, has moved from Nigeria to come and work in italy. After been abducted, she ended in the prostitution racket in Torino.
LIRETA KATIAJ
Lireta Katiaj is an albanian woman, whom to escape a patriarchal system , that wanted her illiterate and married to a much older man, has escaped from her country and then ended up in the prostitution racket from wich she got away just by chance, her jailor was her primary school mate. She has told her story in the book ” Lireta non cede. Diario di una ragazza albanese”, that has also became a theathral show.
Don MUSSIE ZERAI
“The refugees angel”. Don Mussie Zerai has earned this nickname, on the international press, in the years of activity in defense of the rights and the life of asylum seekers and migrants escaping from the horn of Africa and sub-saharian countries to Europe or Israel, considered an outpost of the west: thousands of young people, men and women, whole families with children, kids left alone, desperates that try to escape from shortage and famine, wars and persecutions.
