E-Bulletin No. 10.
Dear friends,
I hope that you have been able to rest over the summer and that the final days of August are filled with fond memories of an enjoyable summer.
The Global Migration Compact takes place early next week, in Austria, Vienna and if any of you are attending, perhaps you might like to contact Sr. Gabriella Bottani, CMS, Co-ordinator of Talitha Kum.
Sr. Gabriella has reached out to invite you to meet with her, as a means of mutual support together and to possibly devise a common statement together, in solidarity at the end of the meeting.
It would also be helpful if you let me know that you are going, then we can share some of the news from this meeting with the other members. Thank you for this.

Given the tight timeframe, you can make direct contact with Sr. Gabriella at the following address:
Uisg.talithakum@gmail.com
 
With every good wish,
Anne.
Communications Person,
RENATE.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.

Now that summer-time travel is at its busiest, UNICEF in the United States of America, alert us to the findings in their Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism, conducted in 2016, specifically,  ‘’offenders include both domestic and international travellers of varying ages, races, and genders.’’
The study reminds us to be alert to the fact that children from all backgrounds and genders are especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation in the context of travel and/or tourism. Indigenous children, displaced children and children living in poverty were found to be especially at risk.  
Full Study is available at http://globalstudysectt.org/global-report/
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
 

The Annual Conference of the National Justice and Peace Network of England and Wales, takes place on 21-23 July at the Hayes Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire, UK. This year’s theme is ‘’A Sabbath for the Earth and the Poor: The Challenge of Pope Francis.’’
The keynote speaker is Fr. Peter Hughes, an Irish Columban priest who has spent five decades as a missionary in Latin America. Fr. Hughes will draw upon his witness there to highlight the symbiotic relationship between combating poverty and protecting the natural world.
The interconnectedness of all our actions, is a central and recurring theme of the Conference and one which is aligned to the Sunday Gospel of 23^rd July, with the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast. In both parables,  the natural agents (seed and yeast) once set in motion,  work away on their own, quietly and oblivious to the other. But through the intervention of human agency (planting and kneading), both agents come fully into their own. Amongst the lessons we learn from the parables is that of the value of inter-dependence. The garden and kitchen settings of the parables remind us that it is in our ordinary, everyday lives, relationships and activities, that we need to be alert to the possibilities of prevention of human trafficking and the exploitation of others.
Workshops to be held during the weekend, include Care for Creation; Sustainable Agriculture; Mining; Indigenous People; Stigmatisation of the Poor; Divestment from Fossil Fuels; Archbishop Romero; Volunteering and much more. There will also be a workshop on Modern Slavery.
For further information: http://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/conference/
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications person.

In a proactive response to an increase in the incidences of modern slavery, Hertsmere Borough Council recently voted to initiate a human trafficking awareness-raising campaign, with a view to helping ‘’…end modern slavery and human trafficking and raise awareness in the community.’’
So far this year, 37 modern slavery cases have been reported to the Hertfordshire constabulary, a significant increase from 26 reported cases in 2016.
Councillors have received training from Operation Tropic, the police anti-trafficking team and are committed to supporting multi-agency actions to collaborate in prevention and awareness-raising.
A series of community awareness events are planned to take place in August and the police anti-trafficking team will be present at a number of the events, where they hope their presence will encourage active engagement and participation from members of the general public.
For more, please see www.hertsmere.gov.uk/modernslavery.
Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person. 
 

Stay Safe from Slavery is a prevention project that focuses on creating and delivering tailored resources to raise awareness of modern slavery amongst people who are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, i.e. the homeless; young people in care and care leavers; refugees and asylum seekers. The aim of the project is to prevent these three target groups becoming victims of modern slavery in the first place. Unchosen is creating three different Stay Safe from Slavery Tool Kits which will be distributed to their partners in the South West of the UK for delivery amongst their local service users.
The project will run from August 2017 to January 2018 and is funded by Avon and Somerset Community Trust and by the Big Lottery Funds, as well as by Rathbone Investments.
For more information or if you want to collaborate with Unchosen please contact staysafe@unchosen.org.uk.
Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.

 
On the 20 of March 2017, I shared some time with the students of Our Lady of Good Council in Elbasan. The objective of this meeting was to inform the students about the reality of Human Trafficking, a sad reality which does not seem to be so real, but the figures show quite the contrary.
The first part of the meeting was simple brainstorming, with questions to find out what they know already about this subject and the extent of their knowledge about a particular kind of human trafficking. They seemed to be aware of trafficking into the sex industry and trafficked children for organs. The sad part is that a few of them think only about the causes, the supply and demand. There is a mentality that girls and the poor are intended for human trafficking: to be sold and bought unless she is not my sister.
The second part of the meeting focused more on sharing figures and statistics and giving as much information as possible about Human Trafficking in all its forms: for sex, forced labour, organ trafficking, child trafficking for labour, sex and as child soldiers. 
During the third part, we shared two stories of two girls forced into sex trafficking. Two of the students read these stories. This led to the development of a close atmosphere as the stories were told. We entered into their sufferings, we were getting to know something more about them, they were no longer a statistic, but a reality.
We hope that by sharing information we can contribute to changing the mentality, developing a greater sensitivity and empathy for the victims of Human Trafficking. One day we hope we will wake up to thinking about them, and possibly act, to protect the victims and the most vulnerable people, who are potential victims.
 
 
 
 

 
A few remaining places are still available to attend the 2^nd Annual Cambridge Counter-Trafficking Summer School & Senior Symposium, at Cambridge University in the UK, 17-21 July 2017.
Facilitating a multi-agency, cross-departmental and inter-university research effort to respond to the multiple challenges of human trafficking, the symposium will progress our understandings of human trafficking and emerging best practice in efforts to prevent and bring an end to this crime against humanity.
The summer symposium is being led by Dr. Carrie Pemberton Ford, Director of CCARHT and recently appointed UNITAR Fellow for the UN Training and Research Institute, working on Peace and Security Capacity building.
Dr. Pemberton Ford is currently commissioned by RENATE to conduct research on the extent of Trafficking in Children, in a selection of RENATE member countries, with an anticipated completion date of October 2017.
For information on this year’s Summer Symposium: http://www.ccarht.org/site/summer-school/
 Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.

Council of Europe OING Conference Summer Session June 2017. With ANDANTE Members Mary McHugh & Sybille Bader.
 

 
I was honored to represent RENATE under the umbrella of ANDANTE, the European Alliance of Catholic Women’s organizations, on my first attendance at the Council of Europe Conference of OING during the last week of June, 2017. 
Thanks to Mary McHugh, ANDANTE President and Sybille Bader, ANDANTE representative, the week has been a great experience, affording us an opportunity to be involved in Civil Society efforts on the improvement of participative democracy. Please click here to read the report.
Marie Hélène Halligon. 
 
 

In Spring 2017, Ten Ten Theatre was asked by TRAC- a group of 16 Religious congregations of sisters from across the UK- to consider producing a new piece of work which helps young people to explore:
The issue of Modern Slavery;
The problem with pornography;
The dignity of the human person.
Following a meeting between Sister Patricia Mulhall (a founding member of TRAC), Martin O’ Brien (the Artistic Director of Ten Ten) and representatives of all the Religious Orders involved in TRAC, it was decided that Ten Ten would aim to produce a new theatre play for schools, following the huge success of their production of ‘’This is My Body.’’
This new play, provisionally titled ‘’Grace,’’ would differ from ‘’This is My Body’’ in the following ways:
It would tell a story about trafficking within the UK;
It would not focus on the victim but on the fight against slavery, making it more empowering for the audience;
It would be appropriate for young people aged 14+;
It would be easier and cheaper to stage.
Please consider helping The Ten Ten Charitable Trust to support this important project. To take this production to 25 Secondary schools in Spring 2018 will cost £15,000. Ten Ten has already generated £5,562.50 plus it is anticipated that £6,875 will be raised through fees charged. Therefore, our current fundraising target is £2,562.50. We aim to raise this by August 2017 in order to enable the project.
For more information see:
www.tentencharitabletrust.co.uk/current/
To make a donation, see
www.tentencharitabletrust.co.uk/donate/   
 Patricia Mulhall, csb.

In an interview with Manx radio on 18 June 2017, Imelda speaks of her experiences as a Catholic Religious sister, working on the margins in Albania with the most deprived women and children, amongst beautiful people who struggle to secure a better quality of life. 
The interview is on the ‘’Praise’’ morning show, at approx. 0:08.52 on the metre.
http://www.manxradio.com/radioplayer/od/7898/
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.