Radio Catholique France  (ECF) runs a series of recorded interviews on the issue of Human Trafficking. Podcasts of those interviews are available  at https://rcf.fr/

RENATE member Marie Helene Halligon, sends us news of the recording last month, on the issue of Child Trafficking Worldwide and discussions on the report  entitle “Invisible children / an unpunished crime: Taking action against the exploitation and trafficking of children” published by Secours Catholique.

To access the podcast:     https://rcf.fr/la-matinale/la-traite-des-enfants-l-echelle-mondiale

In 2014 a small group of religious sisters and lay women initiated a prayer event in the Sacred Heart Jesuit Church in Budapest for trafficked people on the feast of St. Bakhita Josephine.

On 7th February 2020- the vigil of St. Bakhita’s feast- SOLWODI Hungary Association invited the religious from Budapest for the 7th time to pray for the victims of human trafficking, through the intercession of St. Josephine Bakhita.

The Holy Mass was celebrated by H. E. Dr Ferenc Cserháti, Bishop of Hungarians living abroad. The prayers of the Faithful were inspired by the prayer of a Hungarian lady, a survivor of human trafficking.

The Holy Mass was preceded by a pilot project of SOLWODI Hungary Association in collaboration with ORFK (Hungarian Police) and the House of Dialogue – the Jesuit Cultural and Spiritual Centre in Budapest.

The project aims to give information about the phenomenon of human trafficking, focussed on the Hungarian reality. The project also offers an insight into possible ways of prevention and restoration.

SOLWODI Hungary plan to bring this workshop to the Hungarian dioceses where it is requested. Hopefully, the 2020 SOLWODI Event on the European Day Against Human Trafficking will take place in one of the most affected counties, Baranya – with the collaboration of the local Catholic Church leaders.

Gabriella Mezinger, SJC & Gabriella Legradi, SJC.

https://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/1/1355/st-josephine-bakhita-and-the-fight-against-trafficking

On 8 February 2020, we mark the 6th World Day o Awareness and Prayer against Human Trafficking.  Join us in Prayer, Action, and Advocacy to prevent and end Human Trafficking & Exploitation.

A number of resources to assist our work together are available as follows:

1. The Talitha Kum Prayer Vigil ”Together against Human Trafficking,” is accessible at:

https://preghieracontrotratta.org/files/documenti/ENG_Vigil-of-prayer__GMPT-2020_fzeKQIr.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=4fc45db8-3f97-4d68-bcd5-39c806fb9e2c

2. The 2020 National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention month & Day of Prayer Toolkit created by the US Catholic Bishop’s Conference, is available at:

http://www.usccb.org/about/anti-trafficking-program/upload/Anti-Trafficking-Toolkit-2020.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=4fc45db8-3f97-4d68-bcd5-39c806fb9e2c

3. The US Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking Newsletter is available at:

http://www.sistersagainsttrafficking.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-02-Stop-Trafficking.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=4fc45db8-3f97-4d68-bcd5-39c806fb9e2c

8 Feb 2020 Twitter Storm for Feast of St. Bakhita

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RENATE members at Mary Ward Loreto Albania send us news of celebrations held on 29 January 2020, to honour the work of the pilot project “Lezha’s cultural and tourism pride.”

Through the project, one could really see that social change starts from grassroots and community organization. This project marks the beginning of a sustainable approach taken from the Municipality.

By investing resources and building capacity amongst the local community, greater understandings and appreciation has been arrived at. Through such understandings and appreciation, it is hoped that youths will realise the truth in the phrase ‘bloom where you are planted,’ and that ‘the grass is not always greener on the other side!’

Thanks to UNDP and the Lezha Municipality for entrusting MWL with this initiative and all the actors involved, especially the director of Gjader school for helping with the beautiful “Oda e zadrimes”. This programme is financed from EU Delegation in Albania.  #Reload #UNDP #MWL #bashkiaLezhe #LezhaMuniciality #joinedApproach #tourismDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment #EUdelegation #Albania

RENATE members at Mary Ward Loreto Albania send us news of celebrations held on 29 January 2020, to honour the work of the pilot project “Lezha’s cultural and tourism pride.”

Through the project, one could really see that social change starts from grassroots and community organization. This project marks the beginning of a sustainable approach taken from the Municipality.

By investing resources and building capacity amongst the local community, greater understandings and appreciation has been arrived at. Through such understandings and appreciation, it is hoped that youths will realise the truth in the phrase ‘bloom where you are planted,’ and that ‘the grass is not always greener on the other side!’

Thanks to UNDP and the Lezha Municipality for entrusting MWL with this initiative and all the actors involved, especially the director of Gjader school for helping with the beautiful “Oda e zadrimes”. This programme is financed from EU Delegation in Albania.  #Reload #UNDP #MWL #bashkiaLezhe #LezhaMuniciality #joinedApproach #tourismDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment #EUdelegation #Albania

Sustaining one another through the demanding work of anti-human trafficking, is of paramount importance. In this regard, our colleagues at Different and Equal send us news  about TIP.Childhub, the regional platform for the protection of victims of human trafficking.

TIP.Childhub provides  all professionals working against human trafficking in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and north Macedonia with a common space for learning through shared experiences and best practice. The overarching aim is to improve the provision of services and awareness to combat Trafficking of Persons in the Balkans- Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and north Macedonia.

Comprising online library availability, professional training opportunities, webinars, videos and much more, the hub is quickly becoming a forum for professionals from the four countries referenced and many more countries are linking in now.

TIP.Childhub is a joint initiative of Terre des Hommes Mission in Albania and Kosovo, involving six local partners in each country – the initiative for Social Change, ARSIS; Different & Equal; Open Gate/La Strada; SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence; Hope and Homes for Children; The Centre for the Protection of Victims and Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings (PVPT).

More at:   https://tip.childhub.org/en/series-of-child-protection-materials/trafficking-person

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in partnership with the Vaclav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation, has today issued a call for nominations for the 2019 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

The Prize, created in 2013, aims to reward outstanding civil society action in defending human rights in Europe and beyond. Candidates should have made a real difference to the human rights situation of a given group, been instrumental in uncovering large-scale systemic violations, or have successfully mobilised public opinion or the international community for a cause.

RENATE members may very well know someone worthy of a nomination! 

The deadline for submitting nominations is 30 April 2019.

Full details are available at the Press Release below.

Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.