|PIC1|The Stop the Traffik Tour, which kicked off last Saturday, will tour throughout the UK until 9 February to raise awareness of human trafficking. In partnership with the Stop the Traffik Global Coalition, Compassion and Cargo, the tour will hit ten cities.

Presentations given will include songs from the acclaimed composer, songwriter, and singer Paul Field who has written Cargo 'The fight for freedom past and present' which uses words, music, dance and images to tell the story of the abolitionists and also to raise awareness of contemporary slavery and its links with poverty and fair trade.

Marion White, organiser of the Stop the Traffik tour, said. "While 2007 is the year in which we commemorate and celebrate the anniversary of the end of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, we want to draw attention to the challenges we face at present in the ongoing travesties such as human trafficking".

In other news, World Vision announced a UK music tour for March in support of Stop the Traffik.

Hosted by national youth speaker Mark Ritchie, each event on the eight-date tour will feature a full rock set from Christian rock band Replenish, support from RPM (the Abundant Life youth band) as well as Sheffield-based act, 'The Gentlemen'.

The events will be music-led but with a serious message: encouraging young people to speak out against human trafficking and the worldwide sale of people.

"The issue of human trafficking is not one that governments can ignore", said World Vision's Philippa Lei. "Human trafficking is a global problem that demands a global solution. At least 600,000 people are trafficked internationally each year and many more are trafficked within country borders. A large number of these are children. Governments across the world must act together now if we are to see an end to this 21st century slave trade."