4 December 2014

On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, IOM Ukraine opened a public art installation in Mariinskiy Park in Kyiv. The installation titled, Invisible in Plain Sight, seeks to raise awareness about trafficking in human beings and tell the real stories of its victims who live amongst us, but often remain unseen. It will stay in Mariinskyi Park till January 11, 2015 and then travel to other regions of Ukraine throughout 2015.

The one hundred twenty silhouettes represent over 120,000 Ukrainians who have fallen prey to human trafficking since 1991 according to IOM-commissioned research. The twelve stories of human trafficking on the silhouettes are based on the testimonies of trafficking survivors. The silhouettes were produced by a former victim of trafficking, who as part of the IOM reintegration programme started his own furniture and woodwork business.

The exhibition was officially opened by Ms. Natalia Fedorovych, Deputy Minister for Social Policy, H.E. Roman Waschuk, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, Ms. Ann Marie Yastishock, USAID Acting Mission  Director for Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, Mr. Richard Scarborough, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Norway to Ukraine, Mr. Guido Beltrani, Country Director, Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine, and Mr. Manfred Profazi, IOM Ukraine’s Chief of Mission.