Arz

Arz is a social work organization committed to combating trafficking of persons for the purpose of sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation in Goa. The organization works both with the victims of commercial sexual exploitation, and also against those who are perpetrators of this crime. Arz was conceived in 1997 by a group of Development Professionals from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay, with the idea of social work interventions in the area of crime with persons who have been victims of commericial sexual exploitation, those who are perpetrators and those who are vulnerable to both. The organization is registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act (1860), Bombay Trust Act (1950) and U/s 80(G) of the Income Tax Act. Although the organization works primarily in Goa, it also extends services in the form of liasing, to certain districts of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, West Bengal and Orissa which have been identified as chief source states and neighboring countries of Nepal and Bangladesh as chief source countries. Key functioning areas include prevention, protection, rescue, repatriation, rehabilitation, health, after-care, re-integration, prosecution of perpetrators, legal counselling, economic rehabilitation, research, documentation, training and advocacy. The organization has been appointed as the nodal NGO in the Integrated Anti-Human Trafficking Unit which was set up by the Goa Police for the purpose of providing witnesses, conducting rescue operations along with police, training and counseling of rescued persons, assisting in interviews of rescued persons, networking with other NGOs for all activities, empowerment of rescued persons and ensuring their proper rehabilitation. This has given the organization the authority to start working more closely with the system. It has clearly defined the role of Arz in working towards combating trafficking in Goa along with the criminal justice system.