There are a variety of ways in which we each work to raise awareness about Human Trafficking and bring about its demise. One of the simplest ways to do this is to add our voice to international campaigns such as Thunderclaps, Petitions and other similar forms of campaigns open to support from people worldwide.
Freedom United have a series of continuing campaigns which you might like to add your support to. For the month of March, they are running the Celebrate Women’s History month, highlighting particular women’s stories.  Many of these stories relate to women trafficked from Europe.
Please log on to the link below for more information.
https://www.freedomunited.org/womens-rights/

The latest news from Talitha KUM UISG:

Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.

 

 
Directed by Jan Husar, this documentary records the testimony of Ivan, a client of Caritas Slovakia as a result of being a victim of human trafficking.
Sadly, Ivan passed away on the eve of the feast of St. Bakhita, two years ago.
You can view the film at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrOXHn-gj84&feature=youtu.be
 Unchosen is a UK charity that uses film to inform others about Modern Slavery in the UK. Their methodologies include campaigns, events, training and film packages.
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.
 

Trafficking of women and girls is a form of gender-based violence, based on inequality, said participants at an event organized on 15 March 2018  by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the side-lines of the 62nd meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, in New York, (CSW62).  
The event, which focused on the need to take the experiences of survivors into account when developing responses, was co-organized with UNODC, UN Women, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Equality Now.
The event also featured a presentation of the photo project The New Abolitionists(www.newyorksnewabolitionists.com), dedicated to raising awareness about slavery and trafficking in human beings by documenting the dedication of doctors, judges, social workers, politicians, actors, and community leaders, some of whom are survivors themselves.

 
The Good Shepherd International Foundation (GSSI Foundation) releases their latest documentary, ‘’Mahila: a Women’s Movement Rising,’’ today, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
This film celebrates the power of women helping each other and to support a movement of women walking together to enforce their rights.
The film tells three stories of empowerment in India’s rural Dalit Communities. For ages, Dalit women have suffered from triple oppression- discrimination based on gender, caste and impoverished economic status.
Through education, access to credit, training in business formation and awareness of their rights as citizens, the women in the film ‘’Mahila’’ have found a rare voice and an important standing in their communities and in the wider India.
Watch the film here:  https://youtu.be/Nsd8JQDMkK4
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.

Hear Imelda Poole, IBVM, RENATE President, interviewed on ABC Albania today as she joined in solidarity with Civil Society groups and NGO MWL (Mary Ward Loreto) in a peaceful march in Tirana to raise awareness about the plight of women, girls, boys and men who have fallen victim to human trafficking and exploitation.
The interview is conducted in Albanian but you can access Imelda’s clip at 02.17 on the link below. Although unexpected and undeterred by heavy rainfall, the interview was a wonderful opportunity to speak out against injustice.
Please see link:
http://abcnews.al/8-marsi-marshim-i-grave-ne-bulevard-mesazhe-kunder-dhunes/
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.

On 7 March last, RENATE member, Adina Balan, cj, presented on RENATE at UCESM’s 18^th General Assembly, which takes place in the Carmelite Monastery, Snagov, Romania, from Monday 5 March 2018 to Saturday 10 March 2018.
This year’s Assembly theme is “Widen the space of your tent” (Is 54.2), particularly relevant to contemporary times as the Assembly delegates directly address issues of migration and integration, both in Religious communities and in society in general. 
Adina shared RENATE’s Vision and Mission with the Assembly delegates and the various activities underway in the areas of awareness-raising, education, prevention, support to survivors, life-skills training and more.
In sharing information about RENATE, Adina distributed the latest edition of the RENATE flyer and invited the delegates to sign-up for receipt of the RENATE Newsletter. It was a wonderful opportunity to invite the    delegates to join RENATE’s Mission and our network.  
All present showed interest in the areas of Human Trafficking and Exploitation. Some of the Religious Superiors present have a long history in dealing with this issue whereas for others, this was a new challenge for consideration as they plan further missions in their specific communities/congregations.
Prepared by Adina Balan, cj.  

APT Ireland (Act to Prevent Trafficking) share with us a reflection based on the Stations of the Cross, devised by  Mary O’Malley, MMM, who raises awareness about Human Trafficking and assists victims in Nairobi, Kenya.
For each of the fourteen Stations, Mary has composed a brief reflection, based on the personal story of fourteen people, nine of whom have been trafficked for labour exploitation and the remaining five have been trafficked for sexual exploitation.
The reflections are available below, in both page-by-page or booklet format. May they inspire us in our work to bring an end to this modern-day injustice and crime against humanity.
Page by page:
http://mmmworldwide.org/images/PDF/The%20Way%20of%20The%20Cross%20Online.pdf
As booklet:
http://mmmworldwide.org/images/PDF/xThe%20Way%20of%20The%20Cross%20-%20FINAL%202016%20A5-website.pdf
Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.

At the RENATE assembly in Rome in 2016, Dr. Anna Rowlands presented us daily with Theological Reflections, rich in content and profound in making their mark as each day’s presentation remained with us, to ponder over and reflect upon.
As war continues in Syria and the lives of innocent people are forever traumatised and changed, Anna again presents us with much food for thought in her article entitled ‘’Turkey- Crossroads for the Displaced.’’
The poignancy of her interview with Mohammed allied to the fragile economic profile of a country playing ‘host’ to refugees, is made all the more so as the final paragraph does not yield any closure.
Full article at: http://www.thetablet.co.uk/features/2/12579/turkey-crossroads-for-the-displaced
Anna is Associate Professor in Catholic Social Thought and Practice at Durham University. Her research is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Economic and Social Research Council. Further details, including a project blog, can be found at Refugee Hosts. Follow her on Twitter @AnnaRowlands1.
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.
 

This year’s Prayer Guide features 31 days of prayers, from contributors across six continents. In addressing themes such as Human Trafficking, Child Marriage, Gender Discrimination, Gender-Based Violence, the prayers seek to the good health, empowerment, safety and well-being of women and girls worldwide.
Download the Prayer Guide here (32 pps, PDF). (Published by the Lott Carey Global Christian Missionary Community, MD, USA).  
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.