Part of Just Festival, discussions are being held in St John's Church throughout the course of the month, targeting important, interesting and sometimes controversial matters under the name of Just Conversations. I attended 'Does Slavery Exist in Scotland Today?' which approached the dark matter of human trafficking in our community.
The meeting was led by a number of esteemed professionals; chair of the discussion was Sheriff Rita E A Rae, with guest speakers Detective Chief Supt Gillian Imery and Jeremy Alford of the charity Hope for Justice, which deals specifically with survivors of human trafficking. With authorities on the procedure of the Scottish legal system and its attendant law enforcement agencies alongside Alford's wider perspective upon the issue from around the UK, the discussion was highly informative and engaging. We explored the lengths to which trafficking is present, what signs to look for, and what aftercare is available to those caught in the middle. What garnered much interest was the widespread ignorance of this problem among the employers of those victims of trafficking themselves. Overall, this proved an interesting and enlightening event.
Of course, with such a vast variety of topics for discussion each day, no review can truly encapsulate the experience of Just Conversations. Addressing the issue of human trafficking proved less of a debate, more an opportunity to raise awareness. In contrast, one of the previous debates, entitled 'A World Without Religion', brought together representatives of Christianity, Humanism and Atheism in healthy discussion (whilst also selling out within the first week of the festival). The program of topics to be discussed each day can be found on the website and so if something does catch your eye, do book in advance.
This is an excellent chance to engage with hot topics, with a whole host of professionals who are authorities on the subject put at your disposal for 90 minutes. There is also ample opportunity to ask questions, as the seminar is fairly small.
