Did you know that people are trafficked into Australia? In this modern
manifestation of slavery people are treated like commodities, and exploited
sexually, or for their labour.
"…
trafficking in human beings - especially women - …flourishes where
opportunities to improve their standard of living or even to survive are
limited. It becomes easy for the trafficker to offer his own "services" to
the victims, who often do not even vaguely suspect what awaits them.
In some cases there are women and girls who are destined to be exploited
almost
like slaves in their work, and not infrequently in the sex industry,
too."
Pope Benedict XVI, World Day of Migrants & Refugees
Message, 2006.
Catholic Social Teaching
Letter
of John Paul II for the international conference "Twenty-First
Century Slavery - the Human Rights Dimension to Trafficking in Human beings" In
2002 John Paul sent this message to the participants in an international conference,
encouraging their work against trafficking in persons.
Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road
These 2007 guidelines for the pastoral care of the road from the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant people include sections on ministry to prostitutes and street children.
51st session of the Commission of the Status of Women
Archbishop Migliore's intervention at the 51st session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in March 2007 highlights the plight of women and girls who suffer from new forms of violence and slavery.
Pastoral Care for Women of the Street
This document sums up the conclusions of an international meeting considering the pastoral care and liberation of 'women of the street' which was held in Rome in 2005.
Intervention at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 2004
This April 2004 intervention on behalf of the Holy See at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights welcomes the entry into force of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and calls for a multilateral approach to combating trafficking in persons.
Stories & Reflections
In
Service of Life: The Response to Human Trafficking This article by Anne
Munley, IHM explains the responses of religious institutes around the world
to the issue of trafficking in persons.
Religious to Combat Trafficking in Persons
In a statement following their national assembly, Catholic Religious Australia committed themselves to the campaign against trafficking in persons, formally endorsing Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans, which has been supported by a substantial number of congregations, individually.
Interview with Cardinal Marchetto
In the run up to the World Cup Championship in Germany in 2006 Archbishop Marchetto red cards the trafficking of women for prostitution during the event.
Women Religious Combat Human Trafficking The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See and the Italian Union of Major Superiors co-sponsored a five-day seminar in Rome titled "Building a Network: The Prophetic Role of Women Religious in the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons." The International Network of Religious Against Trafficking in Persons was launched at the gathering.
Tools For Action
Rebuilding Lives
The international not for profit organization Free the Slaves has taken on the ambitious task of developing a global manual to assist people involved in the rehabilitation of slaves. Click here to download the manual.
Good Chocolate Campaign The chocolate we buy may have been produced using the labour of trafficked children. Visit Stop the Traffik’s chocolate campaign pages for ideas and resources for action.
Children Should not be Bought & Sold Click here to view this one minute video clip from Stop the Traffik.
Stop the Traffik Easter Egg Hunt
Are your Easter eggs made from chocolate produced by Ivory Coast plantations which use the labour of trafficked children? Stop the Traffik have developed action tools for Easter.
Background Information
Traffick Free Chocolate
A-list chocolate producer Royal Verkade, a Dutch household name and subsidiary of United Biscuits, have announced that they will be using 100% Fair Trade cocoa and sugar in their products. Click here for more
Trafficking
in Persons Clearing House This Australian website is a project
of the Good Shepherd Social Justice Network. It provides comprehensive
links to resources, projects and actions aimed at the elimination of trafficking
in persons.
Organisations
The Good Shepherd Social Justice Network
Stop the Traffik
