About

Who we are

The Public Association International Center „La Strada” exists to ensure and promote protection of rights and legal interests of its beneficiaries – socially vulnerable categories – at all levels: individual, legal and executive.

After 17 years of activity, the name of the International Center „La Strada” is well-known not only among the civil society of the Republic of Moldova, but also on the international arena, being part of the European network with the same name La Strada International (LSI), which is working with human trafficking issues, present in 8 countries of origin and destination of human trafficking from Central and Eastern Europe – Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Netherlands, Ukraine – to ensure a world without human trafficking, by promoting respect for human rights. LSI is a member of the Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN), the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW); the OSCE Alliance against Trafficking in Persons, the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) and the EU Fundamental Rights Platform. LSI is also accredited by the European Council.

„La Strada” Program appeared after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, as a result of the political and economic changes, when EU countries became concerned about the proportions of the human trafficking phenomenon in Central and Eastern Europe and in the Community of Independent States (CIS). The Program was launched in the Republic of Moldova in 2001, along with the foundation of the Center itself.

After 15 years of activity, reaching a new level in its evolution, the Center has developed a strategic plan for the next 5 years and decided to change its visual identity – both activities being a real maturity exercise for the organization.

Today, the International Center „La Strada” works and has already built important capacities in four areas: preventing human trafficking, preventing domestic violence, preventing sexual exploitation of children for commercial purposes and online safety of children.

Vision/Mission

La Strada is an organization that aims at contributing to the development of a society in which the human rights are respected, a society which is sensitive to the problems affecting women and children, a society which is capable to contribute to the creation of favorable conditions for those affected.

The mission of La Strada is to ensure the respect of rights and legal interests of women and children of the Republic of Moldova at all levels - individual, legal and executive.

Values

Respect for Human Rights. We believe that human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual exploitation of children for commercial purposes and other forms of abuse towards women and children are severe violations of human rights.

Holistic approach. We treat each case of human trafficking, domestic violence, abuse towards women and children from bottom to top, reaching cooperation at national and international levels, with the aim of eradicating them.

Respect for the right of every person to take his/her own decisions related to private life. We respect the decisions of our beneficiaries related to all the aspects of their private life.

Assistance to victims. We believe that it is essential to provide adequate and in time assistance to persons who suffered as a result of human trafficking, domestic violence or sexual exploitation of children for commercial purposes.

Right to information and training. We believe that our efforts to provide training on human rights are an essential part of our activity.

Right to confidentiality, security and equal treatment. We believe that confidentiality, security, non-victimization and non-discrimination are the main principles in providing assistance to people at risk.

Transparency in all the organization’s activities. We believe that the rights, the interests and the needs of the beneficiaries are crucial for all La Strada’s partners.