8th February – St. Josephine Bakhita Day: International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Trafficking in Persons.

 
 
‘’They are just Children! Not Slaves.’’
On the 17^th of November, 2016, to mark Universal Children’s Day (20^th November), the organisations below, echoed pope Francis’ appeal ‘’…to adopt every possible measure to guarantee the protection and safety of child migrants.’’

• Talitha Kum- Union of Superior Generals (USIG/USG).
• World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO).
• Caritas Internationalis.
• Department for protecting Integral Human Development, Holy See.
• International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC).
• Jesuit Refugee Service.
• Pax Christi International.
• Scalabrinian Missionaries.
• Scalabrini International Migration Network.

This year’s International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Trafficking in Persons (8^th February, Feast Day of St. Bakhita), places a special emphasis on Trafficking in Children and Adolescents. We remember children who have been trafficked and reflect on how we can help them. We remember their families and loved ones who are in pain and suffering.
The following are a sample of activities throughout the RENATE network and available on the    RENATE website and FaceBook.

1. In Albania, the URAT Network share their campaign to mark the 8^th of February, available at http://us12.campaign-archive2.com/?u=8d871d8272fe1798b9fab76e5&id=221d1dd57d
2. Mary Ward Loreto in Albania, invite us to join with them in prayer, on the 8^th of February. http://www.albaniahope.com
3. Our colleagues at Accion Social, CONFER in Spain, have devised a prayer service, which is available at confer.es
4. The RENATE members in France invite us to prayer and have a number of features on St. Bakhita on their recently established website, https://renatefrance.wordpress.com/author/renatefrance/
5. In the Netherlands, 100 sisters of Charity, scmm, attend a special Liturgy to commemorate St. Bakhita and remember all victims of Human Trafficking, especially children.
6. The Medaille Trust staff are walking 10 miles to raise funds for Modern Slavery Victims. medaille-traust.org.uk
7. In Slovakia, on the 8^th February, SKCH are holding a Prayer Service at 19.30 in the Franciscan Church, Bratislava. Full details at http://www.charita.sk/aktuality/skch-tento-rok-sa-budeme-s-celym-svetom-modlit-za-obete-obchodovania-s-ludmi-uz-po-tretikrat.
8. Additional prayers and resources can be found at the Talitha Kum website, under the following:

http://preghieracontrotratta.org/files/documenti/prayerEN.pdf
http://www.caritas.org/2017/02/invitation-pray-victims-human-trafficking/

• The S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking (USCSAHT), share a Prayer Service with us, in addition to a number of resources such as films, poems and books, all of which are helpful in raising awareness about Human Trafficking.
• Text of Pope Francis address can be found at ‘’Pope Francis Message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2017 http://www.catholicbishops.ie/2017/01/09/pope-francis-message-for-world-day-of-migrants-and-refugees-2017/

Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.