Whether from the point of view of a corporate or private citizen, we are witness and constantly need to be reminded of the issues and challenges facing humanity and our impact on the natural world. We are all consumers and influencers that should share a core belief and ethos that we can lead positive change by example.
At Airways Aviation we are cognisant of the fact that we can have a positive influence and effect on the thousands of students we train to not only become the best aviation industry professionals available but also to be the best global citizens possible.
The categories of challenges the world faces are clearly articulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG’s) and as a whole we understand and will engage at individual and corporate levels to make a meaningful impact wherever and whenever possible. We are particularly focused on SDG 8.7 and have been involved with and sponsored various projects in this category.
Our Charitable Activities historically have been aimed at providing immediate responses to situations that may require urgent support including rescue and relief whereas our Philanthropic Activities are about taking a longer-term strategic approach in creating or engaging in the development of solutions around some of the larger and more pressing challenges.
Time is always of the essence and we should all feel the imperative to act now for the benefit of our children, our global communities, our students, our education and industry partners, our staff and management and of-course the natural world (with all its plants and animals) for now and for future generations.
We can’t be all things to all people at all times but can certainly be some things to some people some of the time and with a little collective consciousness and awareness we may help alleviate some of the burden that others bare.
Through direct engagement in charitable and philanthropic activities, we hope to positively influence the thinking of our staff, management, students, industry and academic partners and have them engage in their own or join us in our future charitable programs.
Romy Hawatt
Founder and Chairman
Airways Aviation Group
Airways Aviation and its parent Riana Group in partnership with Inter Press Services (IPS) and The Global Sustainability Network (GSN) has been funding / sponsoring a growing group of investigative journalists from across the world to seek and develop stories around crimes against humanity.
We have placed a special focus on exposing modern day human slavery and human organ traffickers (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8.7) wherever it may be. The articles we publish are designed to expose the traffickers and likewise educate the largely unaware general public on what sometimes happens right under their noses.
Modern day slavery, human and human organ trafficking are amongst the most abhorrent of crimes against humanity and must be stopped. Every year, millions of men, women, and children (some children as young as 6 years old) are literally sold into the sex industry, made to work as laborers, etc... or are abducted and often murdered for their organs.
There are an estimated 40+ million people in the world today that are affected by this illicit trade. Thus, the management and staff of Airways Aviation and related entities and partners have mobilized and engaged to help end this abuse of human beings.
“Whatever the cause and whatever the thinking, the fact of the matter is that modern day slavery and human and human organ trafficking is now far more prevalent in the developed world than was previously thought.
Sadder is the fact that even with the best intent matched with state of the art resources, the law enforcement agencies do not appear to be able to keep up with the growing size and scale of this illicit and abhorrent trade. Given these facts and circumstances, there has never been a greater need for cooperation and action at all levels of society in addressing this problem.” says Romy Hawatt, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Airways Aviation Group and Founding Member of the Global Sustainability Network (GSN).
These articles are part of a series of features from across the globe on human trafficking. IPS coverage is funded and supported by the Airways Aviation Group.
Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation
https://www.ipsnews.net/2022/04/breaking-vicious-cycle-trafficking-sexual-exploitation/
Road to European Dream Paved by Extortion and Exploitation
https://www.ipsnews.net/2022/04/road-european-dream-paved-extortion-exploitation/
Kenya’s Ticking Bomb as Unemployed Youth Lured into Traffickers’ Dens
https://www.ipsnews.net/2022/04/kenyas-ticking-bomb-unemployed-youth-lured-traffickers-dens/
Women, Children Fleeing Ukraine Vulnerable to Human Trafficking
https://www.ipsnews.net/2022/03/ukrainian-women-children-fleeing-war-vulnerable-human-trafficking/
Why Rehabilitation is as Vital as Rescue for Child Trafficking Survivors
http://www.ipsnews.net/2021/03/why-rehabilitation-is-as-vital-as-rescue-for-child-trafficking-survivors/
Indonesia's Laws Ineffective against Human Trafficking
http://www.ipsnews.net/2020/03/indonesias-laws-ineffective-human-trafficking/
Zimbabwe's Thin Line Child Smuggling Child Trafficking
http://www.ipsnews.net/2020/02/zimbabwes-thin-line-child-smuggling-child-trafficking/
Nigeria's trafficked kids
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/12/recognise-nigerias-trafficked-kids/
Nigeria trafficked children never schooled
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/10/locked-nigerias-trafficked-children-never-school/
Nigeria's poor prosecution of human traffickers
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/09/why-prosecuting-human-traffickers-nigeria-poor-prosecution-of-human-traffickers/
Widespread Human Trafficking
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/07/widespread-human-trafficking-us/
Sex Trafficking Canada
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/07/hidden-plain-sight-sex-trafficking-canada/
West Africa's Fine Line Between Cultural Norms and Child Trafficking
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/05/west-africas-fine-line-cultural-norms-child-trafficking/
Myanmar and China's Bride Trafficking Problem
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/03/myanmar-chinas-bride-trafficking-problem/
Human trafficking hidden in plain sight
http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/12/human-trafficking-hidden-plain-sight/
Trafficking organs ending the abuse of the poor
http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/04/human-trafficking-organs-ending-abuse-poorest/
These articles are part of a series of features from across the globe on human trafficking. IPS coverage is funded and supported by the Airways Aviation Group.
Power of Connection and Collaborations to Fight Modern day Slavery
https://www.ipsnews.net/2022/02/power-connection-collaborations-fight-modern-day-slavery/
Kashmir marriage equates to sexual slavery
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/10/kashmir-marriage-equates-sexual-slavery/
Jobs end slavery
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/09/search-jobs-ends-slavery/
Migrant farm workers are main victims of slave labour in Mexico
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/04/migrant-farm-workers-main-victims-slave-labour-mexico/
Slavery is Not a Thing of the Past, It Still Exists Today Affecting Millions
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/02/slavery-not-thing-past-still-exists-today-affecting-millions/
Was Slavery the World's First Human Rights Violation?
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/03/slavery-worlds-first-human-rights-violation/
Main victims of slave labour Mexico
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/04/migrant-farm-workers-main-victims-slave-labour-mexico/
Girls the spoils of war
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/04/women-girls-preyed-spoils-war/
Fighting the World's Largest Criminal Industry: Modern Slavery
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/03/fighting-the-worlds-largest-criminal-industry-modern-slavery/
Was Slavery the World's First Human Rights Violation?
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/03/slavery-worlds-first-human-rights-violation/
Fighting the World's Largest Criminal Industry: Modern Slavery
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/03/fighting-the-worlds-largest-criminal-industry-modern-slavery/
Slavery is Not a Thing of the Past, It Still Exists Today Affecting Millions
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/02/slavery-not-thing-past-still-exists-today-affecting-millions/
Modern Day Slavery Rated World's Largest Single Crime Industry
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/02/modern-day-slavery-rated-worlds-largest-single-crime-industry/
These articles are part of a series of features from across the globe on human trafficking. IPS coverage is funded and supported by the Airways Aviation Group.
Beaten tortured and ransomed
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/10/beaten-tortured-ransom-lured-promise-livelihood/
As Fathers Die, Kashmir's Children Become Breadwinners
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/05/fathers-die-kashmirs-children-become-breadwinners/
Care for Children and Elders’ Lives Association (CCELA ) ccela-orphanage.com is a not-for-profit association providing a quality, family-oriented home for orphaned children as well as support for vulnerable elderly members of the community in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Airways Aviation is committed to helping alleviate some of the financial burdens of the organization and has pledged to cover the cost of the rent of the orphanage for 2020.
In the longer term, Airways Aviation intends to support CCELA in raising funding to ultimately own its own premises and thus ensure the ongoing viability, security, and expansion of the home for the orphans and the CCELA operations.
The Airways Aviation Group is partnering with the Woodland Trust, woodlandtrust.org.uk, on a Carbon Offset Program which tackles CO2 emissions through reforestation.
Trees are one of nature’s most effective tools in helping us to naturally absorb harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the atmosphere, store that carbon, and cleanse and purify the air whilst simultaneously acting to cool down our planet.
By the Airways Aviation Group investing in the Woodland Carbon project along with other planned initiatives, we intend to mitigate the impact of our aviation business activities on our environment and become a completely carbon neutral organization by the end of 2026.
Funding provided by the Airways Aviation Group has initially seen the planting of new native woodland, such as oak and beech trees, and see significant quantities of CO2 emissions absorbed from our atmosphere as these trees grow.
This equals a cleaner and greener environment for the current and future generations.
Airways Aviation has donated bedding, mattresses, and water tanks to the Mara-Rianta – Masai Mara community school to support the needs of its children. The school population of approximately 250 Masi-tribal kids are aged between 7 and 16. Up to 140 kids from remote villages board at the school due to the vast walking / commuting distances between their villages and the school.
The children boarding at the school had previously slept on the earth or rough floors.
The delivery and installation in February 2020 consisted of the purchase of 47 triple decker/bunk beds properly constructed with a good base along with 141 foam mattresses of reasonable firm quality foam sized for the beds, 3 mattresses per triple bunk bed.
Also the purchase and installation of 3 x 10,000 liter water tanks now supplements the existing (inadequate) school water tanks in an area that suffers chronic drinking water shortages for much of the year.
Football for Peace (FfP) is a grassroots football movement with diplomatic impact, championing the power of the beautiful game to bring people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds together whilst fostering understanding and tolerance.
Supported by international personalities and Patrons including Ronaldinho and HRH Prince William, The Prince of Whales, Football for Peace promotes and undertakes numerous initiatives around bringing people and communities together in peace.
Activities include organizing Peace Matches, one-off football matches held annually around the world to raise awareness for football diplomacy and promote a message of equality and peace. FfP also provides football and leadership training for youth from different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds through a local community program, Cities for Peace.
Futbol Por La Paz (Football for Peace) was established in 2006 by FIFA and Chilean legend Elias Figueroa and co-founded Internationally in 2013 by British South Asian International Footballer, Kashif Siddiqi. For more information, visit footballforpeaceglobal.org.
In January 2020, Airways Aviation in partnership with Football for Peace (FfP), footballforpeaceglobal.org, and One World Play Project, oneworldplayproject.com, provided the kit the team needed for all 18 members of Lalibela Football Club including, jerseys, shorts, and a number of new technologies such as One World Football’s virtually indestructible footballs.
The Lalibela Football Club previously had one plastic ball and had been fundraising to buy one proper football. This demonstrates how poor and yet how passionate the community youth are to play football.
“Businesses and governments alike carry a joint and several responsibilities to help create safe, tolerant, and sustainable societies for the benefit of present and future generations. Worthy initiatives like #FootballSavesLives that contribute towards the empowerment of our youth, the promotion of self-determination, the encouragement of a peaceful community dialogue, and the seeking of common ground between us through initiatives like #FootballSavesLives has our commendation and complete support”.
Romy Hawatt, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Airways Aviation Group and Founding Member of the Global Sustainability Network ( GSN )
Hundreds of thousands of refugees fled their homes from war and destruction to find a safer and better future for themselves and their families. Instead, what they found was trafficking, kidnappings, detention, homelessness, abuse, and death.
Over 30,000 children have disappeared between 2014-2017 alone in Europe according to the European Migration Network, with numbers increasing drastically over the years. Many feared they have fallen as victims to trafficking gangs.
Running emergency anti-trafficking protection projects for the most vulnerable refugees, Goodwill Caravan supports thousands of refugees make the journey to a better life. We focus particularly on refugee families, orphans, and detained and unaccompanied children who are at the highest risk of organ trade, trafficking, and kidnappings. Goodwill Caravan is a non-profit humanitarian charity that runs refugee protection projects including emergency shelter, emergency aid, legal aid, detention release cases, educational/vocational training, transportation services, and medical support in the UK and Greece.
Goodwill Caravan looks after the families they support and helps empower them by helping the refugees learn skills that will help them become functional members of society in Greece or the countries they are relocating to.
So far, we have supported over 40,000 refugees. We believe that every child deserves hope for a better future. Do you want to be a part of this movement?