Positive Runway Joins Call for Migrant Rights at United Nations Meeting in New York

NEW YORK - Oct. 3, 2013 - PRLog -- POSITIVE RUNWAY: Global Catwalk to Stop the Spread and Vidov Salon of New York will stage the NEW YORK GLOBAL CATWALK, a Workshop and Catwalk Show on Embracing Migrants in the wings of the 68^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which convenes its “High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD 2013)” on Thursday 3^rd October 2013.

The New York Global Catwalk is part of the activities of the People’s Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights (PGA), which opened Monday night with participants engaging throughout the week in workshops and plenary sessions focused on priority concerns including migrant workers rights, increased “criminalization” of migrants, trafficking, border militarization, migrant domestic workers and more.

The PGA has convened as a parallel event to the High Level Dialogue involving over 500 participants from around the world.  Representatives from trade unions, migrant organizations, interfaith communities, human and women’s rights advocates and other movements will hold workshops, seminars and other activities to showcase their demands during the UN General Assembly on “High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD 2013),”   being held today during the United Nations General Assembly.

“The Fashion industry employs one sixth of the world population and is riddled with forced migration through human trafficking, while fashion sweat shops are filled with forced labor and child labor.  Through fashion, we have millions of opportunities to impact on the issues of migration, development and human rights.  Positive Runway is delighted to be given an opportunity to utilize our unique approach to highlight the issues being addressed during the High Level Dialogue as we believe that fashion has the power to change the world,” says Justina Mutale, Founder & CEO of POSITIVE RUNWAY: Global Catwalk to Stop the Spread.

The HLD 2013 brings together heads of state, ministers, vice-ministers and senior officials in a series of plenary sessions and four round tables. The theme of this two-day meeting is: “Identifying concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its important links to development, while reducing its negative implications.“

Colin Rajah, coordinator of the Global Coalition on Migration, emphasized the PGA’s significance: "While ambassadors and other government officials debate the fate of migrants, we think it’s important that our voices as migrants from around the world also be heard. Our theme of ‘People, Power, Communities,’ reflects this.”

Speaking to labor’s participation, Ana Avendano, Director of Immigration and Community Action for the AFL-CIO, said, “The American labor movement fights for migrant workers because the cause of migrant workers is not only just, but embodies the shared interests all working people have in fair pay and equal rights on the job. International elites may not want to hear about the plight of migrant workers, but we’re going to force them to listen.”

Organizers are excited to bring the PGA to New York City. According to Monami Maulik, Executive Director of DRUM-Desis Rising Up & Moving and one of the leaders of the New York host committee, the PGA “is a unique opportunity to have the world’s attention here in New York City to raise the demands of migrant workers to end criminalization policies and respect human rights.” She added, “The PGA has been the catalyst for an emerging global migrant rights movement that we need to be a part of from the U.S., particularly at a time when our ‘immigration reform’ bills are moving away from real rights. When it comes to immigration, the local is always global.”

This is the sixth annual convening of the PGA. Previous meetings took place in Brussels, Manila, Athens, Mexico City, and Geneva, held as “parallel” events to the Global Forum on Migration and Development, an intergovernmental initiative that grew out of the first UN High Level Dialogue on Migration in 2006.

POSITIVE RUNWAY: Global Catwalk to Stop the Spread is an award-winning worldwide HIV/AIDS response campaign that aims to bridge the gap in the global efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other scourges affecting 21^st Century society.  The Campaign utilizes innovative and creative mediums such as Fashion and Music, which grab and hold the attention of today’s young generation and society at large, in order to get the message across.  Positive Runway has its own signature Red Ribbon Models all over the world who walk the runway for a purpose and model for a cause.

Not resting on her laurels while visiting the USA, Mutale will also be a keynote speaker at the official opening of the International Women’s Center, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at the Atlanta Metropolitan College.

For more information on POSITIVE RUNWAY: Global Catwalk to Stop the Spread , or Mutale’s work both in the USA or abroad, or to schedule her for a speaking engagement, please contact DOME Consulting LLC at 310.754.9321. She can also be reached on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and through the POSITIVE RUNWAY website at www.positiverunway.org.

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For more information contact:

Denise O’Brien

CEO, DOME Consulting LLC

Public Relations for Justina Mutale &

Positive Runway Global Catwalk

310.754.9321 PST, USA

Denise.NSD@gmail.com

www.PositiveRunway.org