In 2013 the United Nations General Assembly designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. This was an action taken following review of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Person adopted in 2010. The Global Plan of Action is scheduled to be reviewed in 2017. Will we see political will and action commensurate with ‘the bold and transformative steps …needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path’ when member states ‘pledged that no one will be left behind.’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Targets within Goal 5, 16 and 8 address human trafficking.
Maria Grazia Giammarinaro,the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children in Geneva on June 30, 2015 said “Today, we should look at trafficking as an economic and social issue, linked with global trends including migration. Therefore prevention is key. …in the current situation, people fleeing persecution, war or other emergencies are amongst the most vulnerable, often exposed to the risk of trafficking, including children traveling alone, women and girls who are raped during the journey and exploited in prostitution at destination, men, women and children obliged to accept inhuman working conditions to survive.”
The Special Rapporteur ended her address with the following “Trafficking takes place because enormous economic interests lie behind exploitation of the global poor. However, this can be stopped, if people of good will – both powerful people and simple citizens – feel that trafficking is morally and socially unacceptable, and take action against exploitation, injustice, and human rights violations.”
On 13 July 2016 during the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See, in cooperation with the NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons, the Salesian Missions, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and ECPAT-USA organized a panel on Eliminating the Trafficking of Children and Youth See the July 13 Poster Eliminating Child Trafficking Angela Reed, Mercy Sister was one of the panelists proposing a human rights based life-course approach to end human trafficking.
“A child of God, sold on the market as a goat, I will never accept that!” St Mary Euphrasia.
This month the prayer is on the theme of Human Trafficking and available in three languages English French Spanish
The Spirituality Center has distributed a reflection paper on the occasion of the 220th year of the birth of St Mary Euphrasia. Check HERE as a way of integrating justice peace, ministry and spirituality.
Human trafficking is crime that human nature assumes and turns head down but if only it happens to a biogical relation then an alarm may be raised.
It is a multi-layered crime motivated by profit, greed, lust, patriarchical mindsets and violence perpetrated against the most vulnerable members in society …combatting human trafficking is no easy task … Often relatives of persons trafficked think they are safe, being educated, having good opportunities etc and are not concerned. Blessings for your response …