The blog encompassing the following areas, with a brief synopsis relating to each.
Access the full Blog at: https://renatefrance.wordpress.com/2019/04/16/la-feuille-de-route-du-saint-siege-contre-la-traite-humaine/
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
This interactive map offers information on initiatives and organisations engaging with the private sector to combat human trafficking, child labour, forced labour and modern slavery.
Sponsored and supported by the ILO, the UN Global Compact, the IOM UN Migration, GBCAT and the Global Initiative against Transnational organised Crime, the app invites the user to choose from a number of relevant categories where one can search for organisations according to the type of institution, their geographical focus, the issue(s) they work on (Child Labour, Forced Labour, Organ Removal etc.) and their industry of focus.
For full access: https://clicktime.symantec.com/344f5LKJWvwMRYoxuHrx4AG7Vc?u=http%3A%2F
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
Pope Francis has asked Bonetti, a long-time activist in the fight against human trafficking, to write the meditations for his celebration of the Good Friday Way of the Cross prayer service at Rome’s Colosseum 19 April, 2019 (Credit: CNS.).
Responding to an invitation from Pope Francis which she could not refuse, RENATE member Sr. Eugenia Bonetti is honoured to reflect upon her lifetime’s work dedicated to rescuing women from human trafficking and sex slavery in order to write the meditations for his celebration of the Good Friday Way of the Cross Prayer Service at Rome’s Colosseum on 19 April 2019.
Sr. Eugenia has said it is an opportunity to give expression to what she has been “doing, listening, and suffering” for more than twenty years in the area of anti-human trafficking work and to raise awareness to the fact that the slave trade needs our urgent attention as it continues to thrive in contemporary times.
Sr. Eugenia will draw parallels between Christ’s suffering along the Way of the Cross and on Calvary and that of trafficked girls, who similarly endure suffering on their own ‘’Way of the Cross.’’
Pope Francis Good Friday Prayer Service will be available at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
RENATE is privileged to have a seat at the Conference of INGOs (Council of Europe) where we are represented by RENATE member Marie Hélène Halligon, olcgs.
Following many months of consultations and reflections, the Conference of INGOs have arrived at the following seven resolutions, all of which directly and indirectly reflect a commitment to ensuring the safeguarding of democratic institutions in order to protect citizen’s human rights. Inherent in these resolutions will be the opportunity to promote and support the combatting of human trafficking and the protection of the dignity of the human person.
‘’The Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe:
For more on the CoE: https://www.coe.int/en/web/ingo/home?desktop=true
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
Dedicated to raising awareness and fundraising for PoMOC Association, Poland which runs a shelter for women and children (victims of trafficking, exploitation and violence), Sonia and her five fellow-cyclists are currently gearing up for their roadshow, showcasing their bike trip to Iran at various venues in Poland. The roadshow is a novel opportunity to raise awareness about human trafficking and the necessity to contribute funding to the support systems run by the Religious in Poland working against Human Trafficking.
More at: https://www.facebook.com/BigHeartBike/about/
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
Pope Francis declared that: “Human trafficking a crime of the “commercialization of the other”
RENATE President Imelda Poole (IBVM), Sr Maria Luisa Puglisi AASC, (RENATE Member and elected Core group Member), director of the Fundación Amaranta, and RENATE Communications Person, Anne Kelleher and Caritas Albania, among 200 participants, attended the private audience with Pope Francis.
Pope Francis condemned trafficking in human beings as one of the most dramatic manifestations of the “commercialization of the other”, a crime against humanity that disfigures both the victims as well as those who carry it out.
Please read the full article written by Vatican News:
In English Language https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-04/pope-francis-trafficking-persons-crime-commercialization.html
In Albanian language: https://www.vaticannews.va/sq/papa/news/2019-04/papa-trafiku-eshte-krim-kunder-njerezimit-dhe-e-kthen-njeriun.html?fbclid=IwAR1Ckaj16sf-n3yKISRe2eG3X6oe2TiZaKrKJG6BE8MrUdZYScsFRzQxDzY
RENATE President Imelda Poole, Sr Maria Luisa Puglisi AASC, director of the Fundación Amaranta, and RENATE Communications Person, Anne Kelleher, were amongst approximately 200 delegates gathered at Fraterna Domus, in Sacrofino, near Rome to look concretely, pastorally and practically at the Church’s implementation of the POHT, favouring a deep appropriation and our working better in concert. It was a time of open and deep sharing and reflecting on how best to implement the Pastoral Orientations on Human Trafficking document, produced by the Vatican 17 January 2019.
Present were:
(POHT) The POHT is the fruit of consultation with international Catholic organizations, religious congregations and Bishops’ Conference from all regions of the world. The document was approved by the Holy Father and has been signed by the two Under-Secretaries of the Migrants & Refugees Section.
The Conference planners and sponsors, chaired by the Migrant and Refugees Section, included Caritas Internationalis, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the International Catholic Migration Commission, Talitha Kum, the Santa Marta Group, and the Apostolate of the Sea. Each of these organisations played significant roles throughout the three days of the conference.
In terms of process, seven thematic sessions corresponding with the major topics treated in the POHT, were considered over the three days. Each of the seven sessions was introduced by two speakers, 15-minuteseach, providing background to the topic and questions for the discussion of 60 minutes. The themes were as follows:
Everyone agreed that at the end of the three days, we gained a greater appreciation of the Church’s teaching and ministry in terms of strengths, weaknesses, policy options as well as enhanced coordination worldwide.
We also had a deeper appreciation for our understanding of ‘Church’ not as an institution but more so as a communion of souls together, working together to ensure the dignity of the human person and in honour of the Gospel.
It was a hugely valuable time of reflection and hard work, underpinned by mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s contributions. We had great possibilities to build and forge links and understandings, which will support us in our future work together towards the implementation of the POHT over time.
By 11 April, we had collectively devised 500+ recommendations, which will be further refined and condensed before taking them further in terms of implementation at local parish and community levels.
The highlight of the work was the Papal audience on 11 April, where Pope Francis not only affirmed us in our work but encouraged us to ‘’…persevere in the mission – often risky and anonymous, but precisely because of this , irrefutable proof of your selfless generosity.’’ view more.
Full report and recommendations will be available in the coming weeks.
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
In Northern Ireland, since January 2018, we have not had statutory events or discussion meetings concerning the overall work undertaken in relation to trafficking of women for sexual exploitation or, as has been prevalent here migrant workers trafficked for economic exploitation. Both these problems are still part of our reality and the dearth of focus or sharing of supports in place is probably due to the absence of our Executive functioning.
Two slender signs of positive energy being focussed and expended are –
Clare O’Mahony.
Pastoral Outreach.
RENATE members Ana Stakaj and Annie Bannister represented RENATE at the OSCE conference where the focus was on improving our understanding of how technology is being misused to facilitate human trafficking and exploitation so that we can build better responses and exploring how technology can be adopted to help combat all forms of human trafficking.
The Secretary General stated that regrettably, it is a fact of life that technology and the internet are enabling the market for human trafficking. Anonymity contributes to the global increase of this crime and the associated illegal proceeds which human trafficking includes. It was agreed at the conference that our task should be to harness technology as an asset. The following were emphasised:
Technology can be deployed to deter the criminal operations of traffickers in the virtual space and disrupt the human trafficking marketplace by carrying out innovative, targeted and large-scale interventions. The Alliance conference heightened awareness about practices and participants had an opportunity to discuss how national legal and institutional frameworks could be adjusted to allow replicating these best practices on a wider scale.
It was agreed that Information and Communication Technologies can also help victims of Human Trafficking by enabling them to report their exploitation, seek shelter and assistance and engage in rehabilitation programmes.
The world’s leading anti-trafficking experts attended the conference, which also heard form survivors, NGOs and representatives from tech. companies involved in the development of new technology tools addressing this crime, e.g. Microsoft, Nokia, Thorn and British Telecom (BT), who showcased their latest developments at the Conference.
It was particularly beneficial for RENATE to be represented at this year’s conference as the RENATE website has been newly reconstructed with a view to enhanced capacities to use technologies to support the work of the network, as well as support survivors who may wish to access the website.
The Conference was streamed live at : www.osce.org/live and may still be available at this link.
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
On the speaker panel was Prof. Roland Dodani, Dean of the Faculty of Law University of Shkodra; Mr. Engjell Gjugja, Coordinator of the Youth Center Atelie; Mr. Dode Mehmetaj, representative of DRFPP Shkoder; Mimoza Kallaqi, Representative of the Shkoder office; Mr. Ndoc Mulaj, Head of the Centre Association Aple; Mr. Denis Mema, Immigration Expert and Sr. Imelda Poole President of Mary Ward Loreto Foundation/President of RENATE Europe.
During the meeting, community activists and attendees discussed the work being done to combat illegal and unsafe migration. The dialogue was positive, dynamic, and was an exchange of ideas and reflections related to the consequences in their community.
This forum will serve as a starting point for other local initiatives to improve legislation and work with institutions dealing with immigration and anti-trafficking work.
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