Sr. Viktorija Simic SCSC, has been actively engaged in a variety of initiatives this November, continuing her mission to combat human trafficking and raise awareness among youth and the broader community. Her work has included workshops in schools, interviews, and preparing prayer materials for the Holy Cross Sisters’ global day of reflection on human trafficking.

School Workshops

Sr. Viktorija has been visiting schools in the region to conduct workshops for seventh and eighth-grade students, focusing on awareness and prevention of human trafficking. Highlights of her recent visits include:

• 4 November: A workshop at the primary school in Gradište with 28 eighth-grade students and several teachers.
• 15 November: A session at the primary school in Vrbanja, engaging 25 seventh and eighth-grade students and their form teachers.
• 21 November: Plans to visit the primary school in Drenovci, working with 31 students from the seventh and eighth grades.
• Later this month, Sr. Viktorija will visit another school near the Serbian border, where she will meet with a smaller group of 14 students.

Media Engagement and Publications

Sr. Viktorija’s efforts have also reached broader audiences through media:

• Following her interview on Croatian Catholic Radio on 12 October, a local journalist published an article titled “The Light of Hope and the Voice of the Fight Against Human Trafficking” in Vinkovački list. The piece, also available online (read here), highlighted her anti-trafficking advocacy.
• An interview with the magazine Radosna vijest (The Good News), a publication by the Pope’s Missionary Works, was published earlier this month. In this feature, Sr. Viktorija discussed her ongoing fight against human trafficking.

Parish Outreach

Sr. Viktorija has been invited to give lectures on human trafficking to Confirmation candidates in two parishes within her Archdiocese. These sessions are aimed at engaging young people, typically around 16 years old, in meaningful discussions about this pressing issue. Dates for these lectures are being finalized.

Preparing for Global Day of Prayer and Reflection

Sr. Viktorija is preparing prayer materials for the Holy Cross Sisters in Croatia to mark 25 November, the Congregation’s global day of prayer and reflection on human trafficking. This significant event unites Sisters worldwide in solidarity and advocacy against this grave injustice.

November 2024 was once again a busy month for SOLWODI HUNGARY.

We got an invitation by the Hungarian Women’s Lobby to be member of a panel at
their conference on 12th November 2024 in Budapest, at the Budapest University of
Jewish Studies. The conference was about the 4Ps: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and
Partnership to combat Human Trafficking in Hungary.

The guest speaker of the event was Reem Alsalem, UN Special Reporter on Human
Trafficking/violence against women who talked about her latest findings and her
reports on the violence against women and girls.

During the panel discussion and after during the workshops we could exchange our
views on the current state of human trafficking in Hungary and could share our best
practices with representatives of other anti-trafficking organisations, operators of
national helpline, police and social workers. We have had a very fruitful conversation
of the topic. We came out of the conference with the idea of our next event: an inter-
faith conversation how to prevent and combat trafficking and sexual exploitation.

On 15th November 2024 SOLWODI team visited the Catholic girl school – ‘Patrona
Hungariea’ – in Budapest. This was a reoccurring engagement. It was not the first-
time sr. Klarissza SSND asked SOLWODI HUNGARY to help raise awareness on
trafficking and other issues related to sexual exploitation. The girls between 16-18
were all very constructive during the conversation and asked a lot of questions.
Hopefully our activity will help them to avoid victimisation.

SOLWODI HUNGARY has started to collect our Christmas gift bags for those
women and girls who take part in the street prostitution. Last year, we collected
34 bags of kind gifts: chocolates, home made cakes, hand-written post
cards/messages, warm cloths, hats and gloves, candles and other small gifts. Our
aim is to replicate last years success and distribute again the gift bags on the street
for the victims of prostitution.

On 17th October 2024 in Budapest, like in the previous years before, as part of the
European Union’s Anti-Trafficking Day SOLWODI HUNGARY took part of the
international activity. We have organised an international conference and round table
discussion with the title of: “Pornography: a tool and a path towards human
trafficking”. Our guest speakers were Renate van der Zee, an investigative journalist
from the Netherlands, who has presented her latest findings on the Dutch porn
industry and the women who took part of the content production. Ms van der Zee
explained to the audience that many times women are agreed to work as fashion
models through their agencies but when they arrive to the studio the reality is
different. All form of coercion, violence and fright are used towards them to do
pornographic videos and many times they are subjected to prostitution. Our other
guest speaker was fr Laszlo Tokodi OP from the ‘Saint Jean Paul II Institute’ from
Hungary, who talked from his perspective about pornography, it’s relevance in
society and impact on people especially on young people. We have had a long and
lively round table discussion after the presentations where the two guest speakers
reflected on each other’s findings and views, answering the questions of the
audience. The conclusion was that all form of pornography is a violence against
women, harmful to the person as ‘content producer’ as well as consumer of it, we
should openly say that is simply wrong and should keep working against it and
helping the victims.

Fr Tokodi also talked about the book and it’s manual which was published by their
institute to help children and parents/carers to protect themselves from pornography
and to talk about the issue. It was also on sale at during the conference. The book is
a No1 best seller in Amazon in the USA and can be ordered on this link or the
original publisher can be contacted for copies on different languages:
https://www.defendyoungminds.com/books

The conference was kindly hosted again by the Jesuit community in Budapest, and
we had the opportunity to participate on a holy mass co-celebrated by Szabolcs
Sajgo SJ and Fr Laszlo Tokodi OP for the victims of human trafficking.
On 18 th October 2024 SOLWODI HUNGARY hosted a mini-NGO meeting to faith
based NGOs who work in Hungary against trafficking. The following organisations
were represented on the meeting: Salvation Army, The Baptists, The Anonymous
Ways Foundation, and the Lehetőség Családoknak 2005 NGO – and SOLWODI
HUNGARY as host.

It was decided in 2022 that three times a year we would have as a rotating meeting
and a round table discussion between the faith based NGOs in Hungary where we
can share our best practicies, ideas, problems and solutions. We can identify issues
what we can jointly present tot he Hungarian National Anti-Trafficking NGO round
tablet hat way solutions could be find for problems, and law makers and regulators,
state actors could be aware of problems and many times are happy to bring
solutions to it.

From 13-17 November 2024, 16 RENATE members gathered at Deurne, a small suburb of Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, to learn about Trauma and Mental health of practitioners working in the field of anti-human trafficking. 

The event opened with a presentation by Ivonne van de Kar, RENATE Co-President on the RENATE Europe Network, its Mission, Vision, Values, structures etc.  Ivonne then presented on the nature & scope of human trafficking & sexual violence in the Netherlands and the systems & practices observed in the Netherlands when addressing human trafficking and also when trying to care for the carers.

Professor Antoaneta Mateeva, Associate Professor, New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria drew upon her experience and wisdom, to help us understand trauma –its definition, types and systemic factors. 

Over the days together, Professor Mateeva helped participants realise the depth of impact of life -experiences on each and every one, and how these experiences shape and fashion reactions and decisions in later life, both personal & professional. 

Participants gently explored personal reactions to traumatic situations. They examined early childhood trauma and its effects in the later life.

Throughout, participants considered theories to understand and support people victims of violence and more specifically, those with the lived experience of human trafficking. 

The concept of resilience and the strengths-based model of support was considered as the participants looked at approaches such as Trauma-oriented care and the Mentalization-based model of care. 

With a focus on trauma prevention, policies and practice, Professor Mateeva emphasised the importance of the context of community, culture and work with the local attitudes to people with the lived experience of violence and human trafficking. 

There was an opportunity to explore the notion of structural discrimination as well as an exploration of local service structures and cultures of help in mobilizing the community around the beneficiary. 

Throughout, there was an emphasis on ‘’Caring for the carer,’’ as the discussions centred on acknowledging and understanding how a beneficiary’s trauma actually affects the carer.  Specifically, the AMBIT model of Mentalisation-based work informed the discussions.

Sharing of trainees’ personal experience from their professional roles played a central and invaluable part of the time together.

At the end of the day, it was agreed that the most important component of recovery and resilience is ‘’forgiveness.’’ 

Great gratitude was expressed to Professor Mateeva, for not only sharing her expertise but also for the gentle and sensitive approach she employed throughout the days together. 

 Comments from the participants:

 Thanks for the methodology where you included our own individual perspectives and these in turn brought attention to the wider context in which we work. 

Like the combination of theory, knowledge & practical exercises. 

Valuable opportunities for us to learn from one another and note the occasional differences between east & west, in terms of approaches & perspectives. 

I am grateful for the information on Mentalisation, which I am going to implement in my working life once I go back to my own country. 

Good to have government representatives present on these trainings as we are not working in a vacuum, they need to know what we do and how we work. 

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences & perspectives.

Eye-opening to hear some of the problems and realities others around the room experience. 

Thank you to each & everyone for our sharing, I felt like I was with family. 

RENATE is proud to share the remarkable achievement of our member organization, Caritas Slovakia, whose efforts have culminated in a landmark victory for human rights and justice.

On 24 October 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a unanimous judgment in the case of B.B. v. Slovakia (Application no. 48587/21), declaring that the Slovak Republic violated Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits slavery and forced labor.

The case originated from the failure of Slovak authorities to conduct a sufficient investigation into a credible allegation of human trafficking. Ms. B.B., a highly vulnerable individual, was trafficked to the United Kingdom in 2010, where she was forced to work as a prostitute for over a year. While a perpetrator was convicted of pimping, the authorities limited their investigation to this charge, neglecting to address the larger context of human trafficking.

Thanks to the dedicated advocacy of Caritas Slovakia, through its Stop Human Trafficking project, and the legal representation of renowned human rights lawyer Parosha Chandran, the Court found that the Slovak authorities failed in their obligation to thoroughly investigate this plausible accusation of trafficking.

This judgment not only underscores the systemic shortcomings in addressing human trafficking but also emphasizes the need for robust legal and social support for survivors. It is a victory for Ms. B.B. and a testament to the life-changing impact of providing victims with access to justice.

RENATE congratulates Caritas Slovakia and all involved in achieving this milestone. This case reaffirms the importance of our collective mission to combat human trafficking and advocate for the rights of survivors.

The Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation (RENATE) is pleased to present the recording of the online launch for a groundbreaking research report, following 18 months of dedicated work by the RENATE Law Task Group. RENATE commissioned this report through The Bakhita Centre for Research on Slavery, Exploitation and Abuse at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, to examine the specific gaps in training and resources for legal practitioners assisting victims of human trafficking in five European countries.

Access the recording(s) here.

The launch, moderated by Anne Kelleher from RENATE Communications, highlights findings that expand on RENATE’s earlier 2021 research, which focused on legal support for trafficking victims in these same countries.

This latest research strengthens RENATE’s resolve to advocate for improved conditions and resources, not only for trafficking survivors, who are among society’s most marginalized, but also for the legal professionals supporting them. RENATE’s commitment to “leave no one behind” is reflected in its dedication to advancing protections and services for these individuals.

The research supports RENATE’s collaboration with Church, State, and Civil Society partners, all sharing a commitment to end human trafficking, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. RENATE urges judicial and civil authorities to adopt and enforce legislation that empowers lawyers to protect victims, prosecute traffickers, seize criminal assets, and ensure these resources contribute to survivors’ recovery and empowerment.

The report includes detailed country-specific recommendations, as well as specific action items for RENATE. Many of RENATE’s Task Groups will be actively pursuing these recommendations.

For any inquiries, please contact:

Brian O’Toole
RENATE Law Task Group
Email: presinterprovjustice@gmail.com

Access the recording(s) here.

On October 18th, Sr. Margaret Gonzi, along with RENATE members in Malta gathered with the residents of Dar Merhba Bik shelter for a special Mass, followed by prayers led by the residents. This time of reflection and unity provided an opportunity for shared spiritual connection and moments of personal prayer. Gatherings like these strengthen the bonds within the community and highlight the hope that emerges when people come together in faith.

At the #EndPovertyDay gathering on October 17, 2024, at Dublin’s Famine Stone along the quays, members of RENATE and APT Ireland, including Brian O’Toole from the Presentation Sisters Justice Desk for Ireland & England, and Sr. Eilis Coe, RSC, addressed the profound connection between poverty and human trafficking. Sr. Eilis was one of eight speakers who shared testimonies of their lived experiences with poverty in Ireland, touching on issues of homelessness, addiction, and discrimination. Among the voices were migrants, Travellers, individuals in Direct Provision, and a Palestinian national.

Speaking on behalf of those impacted by human trafficking, Sr. Eilis highlighted that survivors often remain hidden in plain sight due to the trauma they’ve endured and the constant fear they live under. She noted the unique position of trafficking victims, unable to speak publicly about their experiences. Addressing the crowd, she emphasized the role of demand in perpetuating trafficking and spoke directly to the young attendees, urging them to be vigilant against manipulative tactics such as gifts, flattery, and attention. Her testimony underscored the urgency of standing up for those who cannot voice their experiences publicly.

Sr. Eilis’s powerful words resonated with attendees, many of whom were surprised to learn of the hidden realities of child trafficking in Ireland. Her message was clear: victims of human trafficking are among the most marginalized and vulnerable, often left furthest behind in society’s fight against poverty and exploitation.

The STOP Human Trafficking project team has been actively engaged in efforts to support victims and prevent exploitation. Recently, the team has focused on providing specialized care for minor children and adult clients affected by trafficking, creating a supportive environment that enables individuals to rebuild their lives with dignity and stability. The helpline remains a critical lifeline, offering immediate crisis intervention for those in urgent need. Recent cases have highlighted the importance of timely support, connecting individuals with essential resources during moments of crisis. To ensure victims of trafficking receive the justice they deserve, the team also provides legal aid and accompanies clients to court hearings. This support helps victims navigate complex legal proceedings, advocating for their rights and ensuring their voices are heard. Recognizing the increased risks faced by vulnerable populations, the team conducted a preventive discussion at a local shelter for homeless individuals. The session addressed the heightened risks of exploitation, aiming to raise awareness, offer guidance, and equip at-risk individuals with tools and resources to protect themselves.

Thanks to a grant from the foundation, the quality of accommodation for victims has improved, with new furniture purchased to create a more comfortable living space. Photos attached capture the team preparing, cleaning, and furnishing the rooms, helping to establish a welcoming environment that reflects the dignity and care offered to clients. These recent efforts showcase the STOP Human Trafficking project’s ongoing commitment to preventing exploitation, advocating for victims, and creating a safer and more supportive environment for all affected.

On October 18, in observance of the European Day Against Trafficking in Persons, a significant awareness-raising event was held in Shkodra Albania, as part of the anti-trafficking month. Organized by the Ministry of the Interior in collaboration with the URAT Network and key institutions at both central and local levels, this initiative is aligned with the National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons for 2024-2025. The event welcomed a diverse group of participants, including representatives from public institutions, members of the National Referral Mechanism, national and international organizations, civil society activists, high school students, media representatives, and members of the private sector. This year’s slogan, “From Awareness to Action: Join the Fight Against Trafficking,” along with the message from the national hotline, “I hear you! I believe in you!” encouraged all attendees to actively engage in the fight against trafficking.

Highlights of the event included addresses from the Vice Mayor of Shkodra, representatives from the British and American Embassies, and the Minister of the Interior, all delivering powerful messages aimed at raising awareness. The event also featured the inauguration of the Blue Heart art installation, which conveyed a strong message about the need for protection and assistance for victims of trafficking. Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to visit a fair showcasing various organizations and institutions committed to this important cause. The event was attended by numerous RENATE members, from organisations such as Different and Equal, Qendra Psiko-Sociale “Vatra,” Mary Ward Loreto, Shkej and Medaille Trust.