According to research recently published by the Alliance8.7 (comprising the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Walk Free Foundation in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, (IOM), in 2016 more than 40. 3 million women, men and children globally, were victims of modern slavery. Of these people, 24.9 million were in forced labour and 15.4 million were in forced marriage.
The 2017 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery and Child Labour are presented as a contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular to Target 8.7, which calls for effective measures to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking as well as child labour in all its forms.
A series of matrices and statistical data is presented in both publications and summarised in the following link: 2017 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery and Child Labour.
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person. 
  

UK independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, H.E. Kevin Hyland, OBE has called for tighter regulation of the nail-bar industry in the UK, in an effort to address the exploitation of girls and women trafficked from Vietnam.
Citing a report commissioned by his office to highlight the criminality in this area, ‘’Combating modern slavery experienced by Vietnamese nationals en route to and within, the UK,’’ Vietnam consistently ranks as one of the top three source-countries for potential victims of modern slavery in Britain.
While most of the victims trafficked from Vietnam are exploited for labour purposes in cannabis cultivation and nail bars, many are sexually exploited. Data suggests that over half of the victims are children.
You can access the full report at:
http://www.antislaverycommissioner.co.uk/news-insights/exclusive-report-on-combating-modern-slavery-experienced-by-vietnamese-nationals/
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.

Legislation that is open to interpretation, has led to a complex and unjust situation for migrant workers in the fashion sector in California. Unable to secure status, many workers accept less than the minimum wage and work in pitiful conditions, to manufacture trendy clothing that retails at exorbitant prices.
 
In an article in the Los Angeles Times of 31 August, 2017, Natalie Kitroeff and Victoria Kim write that ‘’…sweatshop wages are the hidden cost of the bargains that make …stores impossible to resist.’’  
In our demand for cheap clothes, cheap shoes and cheap goods, we overlook the harsh reality of life for those slaving away for little or no wages, in order to feed our consumption.
For more on that reality, please see: http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-forever-21-factory-workers/
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.
 

The Scottish government has launched a new awareness campaign to challenge the perception that human trafficking is confined to Scotland’s major towns and cities.
Even the most remote and rural areas of Scotland, are not exempt from trafficking, as indicated by recently published information from the Scottish government, identifying areas in the country where victims of trafficking had been located over the past five years. The information illustrates how close to home the issue can be.
All of Scotland’s major cities feature on the list, alongside smaller towns.
Justice secretary Michael Matheson said human trafficking was “an appalling abuse of human rights”.
Research published earlier in 2017 showed that 54% of people did not think it was an issue in their local area, but victims have been identified in 27 out of Scotland’s 32 local authorities over the last five years.
For more: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-41075042
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.
 

E-Bulletin No. 13.    September 2017.
Dear friends,
Imelda Poole, IBVM, RENATE President wishes to bring the following opportunity to your attention.
As RENATE is one of the Porticus partner organisations, an opportunity has arisen whereby you can apply to participate in the ERSTE Foundation NGO Academy Regional Programme 2017/2018. But you need to act quickly as time is brief!
For a selection of the respective workshops as well as the opportunity to register, please click here:
 https://moodle.ngoacademy.at/course/view.php?id=163
It is likely that you will have to register to the moodle-platform first of all, if you don’t already have an existing account.
As the registration is already open, you need to act quickly to select one or more of the workshops.
Please be careful to only apply for a course in which you have a real interest, as course-places are at a premium.
Information is available in several local languages, as follows:
Further information in Czech: https://moodle.ngoacademy.at/course/view.php?id=166
Further information in German: https://moodle.ngoacademy.at/course/view.php?id=164
Further information in Hungarian: https://moodle.ngoacademy.at/course/view.php?id=169
Further information in Romanian: https://moodle.ngoacademy.at/course/view.php?id=167
Further information in Serbian: https://moodle.ngoacademy.at/course/view.php?id=165
We hope that you can avail of this valuable opportunity.  
With every good wish,
Anne.
RENATE Communications Person.

E-Bulletin No. 12.    September 2017.
‘’Dear Sisters:
It is a pleasure for me to invite you to our Anniversary party on September 19th. We will celebrate 10 years of the AMARANTA SOLIDARITY FOUNDATION, on a path that did not start here, but began with the our congregation.
We want this to be a space of thanksgiving for this congregational initiative to respond to the realities of exclusion, violence and lack of rights for women, in a world of ever-changing structures. Ten years of searching for a new way of being in society as Sister Adorers.
The illusion of taking the history and the life of Micaela very far has encouraged us. We have tried to learn from their passion and courage “for them everything is little done to me”. So step by step we have reached this time.
WOMEN WHO NEVER GIVE UP, was the motto we gave to our Foundation. Sisters Adorers on the way and walking. Without pause.
For all this I invite you to be present, physically, mentally or spiritually, in any way you can. Yes, have us in your heart and in your prayers. 
We wait for you. An affectionate hug.
 Pilar Casas Navarro.’’

Andante, the European Alliance of Catholic Women’s Organisations, will hold Study Days about “Migration in and to Europe from a woman’s perspective” in Strasbourg, on April 20-24th 2018.
Andante have two aims for the study days, which promise to be most interesting:
Firstly, we will talk about the impact of migration on the lives of women. Is migration threatening to us? In what ways does it touch our soul? 
The second aim refers to Andante’s representation at the Conference of International NGO’s of the Council of Europe.  The study days will be an opportunity to experience the work of Andante at the Council of Europe, especially on the subject of migration.
All participants will have the opportunity to visit the council of Europe. If they want, they can arrange to meet their government’s representatives or the parliamentary representatives of their country at the Council of Europe, or to attend the debates of the Council of Europe, subject to local arrangements at the Council of Europe building, which is due to undergo structural works in the spring of 2018.
Check out  http://www.andante-europa.net/index.php/en/news-en/   for notification of registration, which begins in autumn 2017.
Save the date!
Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.
Religious in Europe Networking against Trafficking and Exploitation.
 

 

Commenced in 2015, Pope Francis called on Catholics to join in the World Day of Prayer for Creation on the 1^st of September, a day first proclaimed by the Orthodox Church and now celebrated by many denominations.
In the 2016 Papal letter for the Day of Prayer for Creation, Pope Francis talked about a “Time of Creation” or Season of Creation, the five weeks between the Day of Prayer on the 1^st of September and the Feast of St. Francis on the 4^th of October, each year onwards. .
The congregation of sisters of Mercy (Mercy International Association) have kindly shared with us their beautiful calendar to mark this very special time. It contains both an image and a reflection for each day, beginning on the 1 of September.
Let’s join Pope Francis and a world-wide network, in praying with and for creation during this special time!
Season of Creation Calendar 2017.
Season of Creation Calendar 2017, Spanish.
For more, www.seasonofcreation.org
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.
Religious in Europe Networking against Trafficking and Exploitation.