VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAC #0876 2911856
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181856Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6282
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000876 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO WHA/BSC, G/IWI BOTTNER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE NOMINATION 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 126072 
 
     ¶B. BA 1921 
 
¶1. (U) Post nominates Ms. Cynthia Bendlin, Consultant to the 
International Organization for Migration (IOM), to serve as 
our nominee for the 2008 Secretary's Award for International 
Women of Courage.  Ms. Bendlin's personal information 
requested in reftel is as follows: 
 
-- Full legal name of nominee:  Cynthia Carolina Bendlin 
Fernandez 
-- Job title / association:  Consultant, International 
Organization for Migration 
-- Date of birth: January 26, 1964 
-- Place of birth:  Asuncion, Paraguay 
-- Citizenship:  Paraguay 
-- Address:  International Organization for Migration, Iturbe 
730 casi Luis Alberto de Herrera, Asuncion, Paraguay 
-- Telephone:  (595-21) 495-870, extension 26 
-- E-mail:  cynthiabendlin@sinergica.com.py 
-- Passport number: 436.393 Paraguay 
 
¶2. (U) Post requests your consideration of Ms. Bendlin for 
this honor.  Ms. Bendlin demonstrated outstanding courage and 
leadership in combatting the trafficking of women and 
promoting women's rights through the IOM's "Prevention of 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in the Tri-Border Area" project 
in Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina.  Her efforts contribute 
to the President's Freedom Agenda; in fact, Ms. Bendlin 
received G/TIP funding in 2006 to finance phase one of the 
projects.  Ms. Bendlin is a leader in women's rights in the 
TBA -- a center for international commerce in female 
prostitution and trafficking of women -- and has defied 
threats of violence in her effort to combat trafficking. 
Following repeated and direct serious threats to herself and 
her family by criminal mafia elements controlling the trade 
in the TBA, Ms Bendlin was forced to relocate for her own 
safety.  She nonetheless has returned to the project and has 
refused to be coerced.  She has done more than persevered. 
Though shunning press attention herself, she actually 
campaigns on behalf of antitrafficking efforts and has 
successfully completed phase I of the TIP project. 
 
¶3. (U) The TIP prevention project featured seminars in Ciudad 
del Este, Paraguay (November 2006), Foz do Iguasu, Brazil 
(February 2007), and Porto Iguasu, Argentina (June 2007). 
Seminar attendees learned about trafficking in persons in the 
TBA, methods for combatting trafficking, and how to work 
together to combat TIP.  Embassy officials, local leaders, 
and government officials from Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil 
attended the seminars.  (NOTE:  Embassy Buenos Aires 
recognized Ms. Bendlin's efforts in reftel.  Her efforts have 
not been recognized by the governments of Paraguay, Brazil, 
or Argentina or by international organizations.  END NOTE.) 
An anti-TIP campaign broadcast by local radio and television 
stations in all three countries accompanying each seminar 
raised local awareness of trafficking and prostitution.  Ms. 
Bendlin plans to capitalize on the progress made at these 
seminars by launching phase two of the project, which will 
focus on increasing multi-national, inter-agency coordination 
and fostering greater awareness of the rights of women and 
children. 
 
¶4. (U) Mr. Michael Edwards is the POC for women's issues. His 
contact information is as follows: edwardsmg@state.gov or 
595-21-213-715 extension 2129. 
 
Please visit us at     http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion 
CASON