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TRAINING SEMINAR
The Prophetic Role of Women Religious in the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons”
SPONSORED BY
THE U.S. EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE
AND
THE ITALIAN UNION OF MAJOR SUPERIORS (USMI)
OCTOBER 15 – 20, 2007
ROME, ITALY
This five-day Training Seminar will mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery by bringing together in Rome, Italy, more than 30 nuns from 29 different congregations already active in the field of human trafficking in 27 countries with the aim of:
1) significantly developing and strengthening networking mechanisms and communications skills among nuns addressing trafficking in persons (TIP) in countries of origin, transit and destination;
2) facilitating occasions for participants to share their best practices and country-specific TIP assessments through delivery of individual Country Reports;
3) developing internet procedures and structures to facilitate dissemination of Best Practices products;
4) strengthening the nuns’ national and international capacities to tackle TIP through multi-disciplinary, political and strategic approaches;
5) providing the women religious with additional training opportunities.
The five-day Training Seminar will include informative lectures by experts and discussion with leading TIP experts from the United States, the Holy See, the Italian government, religious congregations (women and men), and faith-based NGOs. Given the breadth of countries represented, this meeting will represent a unique opportunity for strategic information-sharing and gathering. A critical element of information exchange will be the daily Country Reports, in which each participant will present a 15-minute overview of the status of TIP in her respective country, and the best practices used by women religious to combat it. Each report will highlight evidence of the need for the nuns’ engagement in their respective national and regional contexts, while also arguing for further development and strengthening of a global network comprised of both women and men religious. In order to highlight and solidify results, the final day of the Training Seminar will feature a Public Session, open to members of the Vatican, religious congregations, the Italian government, Vatican media corps, representatives of the Holy See Diplomatic Corps, as well as academic and NGO communities.
Project Rationale:
This project proposal is the result of conversations between the U.S.
Embassy to the Holy See and Sr. Eugenia Bonetti, a Consolata Missionary and National Coordinator of the Counter-Trafficking Office with the Italian Union of Major Superiors (USMI). Sr. Eugenia was acknowledged as a “Woman of Courage” in March 2007 by Paula Dobriansky, U.S. Undersecretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, and as one of six “Heroes Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery” in the 2004 TIP Report published by the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.
A member of the initial leadership team of Embassy Vatican’s 2004 TIP training program (in conjunction with USMI, the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM)), Sr. Eugenia has become a known quantity in the anti-trafficking field. Her years of experience have taught her that while nuns have a natural capacity to address the spiritual and pastoral needs of TIP victims, they need training to effectively deal with victims’ security and day-to-day practical needs (e.g. housing, personal security, restoration of documents, programs of reintegration, healing process, etc.). Sr. Eugenia has identified the need to focus on networking and communications skills, while devising mechanisms which allow the nuns to effectively and broadly exchange best practices and develop capacities and campaigns to raise awareness about the phenomenon and their efforts to eradicate it.
Location Description:
The Training Seminar will be held at the Institute of Maria SS. Bambina in Via Paolo VI, 21, just steps from St. Peter’s Square. The facilities include single and double rooms, dining facilities, one state-of-the art conference/press room, rooms for study groups, a chapel and a terrace with a breathtaking view of St. Peter’s Basilica. For additional information see www.suoredimariabambina.org.
The congregation of “Sisters of Maria Bambina” emerged in Italy in 1832, to respond to deep social, economic and cultural challenges. Today, the Institute Maria SS. Bambina has an international character, operating in Italy and in other European countries, as well as in Asia, North and South America and Africa.
Additional participants and presenters will be lodged at the nearby Casa Mater Ecclesiae of Teatine Sisters in Salita di Monte del Gallo, 25-A, but will have lunch and dinner provided for them at the Maria Bambina convent.
Goals and Measures:
Goal: Significantly develop and strengthen networking mechanisms and communications skills among nuns addressing TIP in countries of origin, transit and destination.
Measure: Upon completion of the Training Seminar each participant will return to her home country/region to network and coordinate the various TIP activities of other religious on a national level.
Measure: Each participant will disseminate information for public awareness campaigns within her own Congregation and Conference (federation of
congregations) of women religious;
Measure: Each participant will continue to raise awareness of TIP by speaking in parishes, schools, with youth and women’s groups, etc.
Measure: Each participant having received communications training will return to her home country where she will give regular reports and interviews to church leaders, religious congregations, NGOs and the media.
Goal: Facilitate occasions for participants to share and gather TIP-related information.
Measure: Each participant will deliver a 15-minute Country Report including a country-specific TIP assessment and Best Practices used by her congregation addressing one of the three areas – Prevention, Protection,
Prosecution:
Ø (Prevention) Best Practices for TIP awareness focused on Potential
Victims
Ø (Prevention) Best Practices for TIP awareness focused on Potential
Clients
Ø (Protection) Best Practices for Reintegration of TIP Victims and
Families
Ø (Protection) Best Practices for Leveraging anti-TIP Networks
Ø (Prosecution) Best Practices for Collaborating with Governments,
Organizations and Law Enforcement Agencies to Decriminalize Victims and Seek Just Penalties for the Traffickers
Ø (Prosecution) Best Practices for Lobbying for International TIP
Legislation
Measure: The participants – in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See – will publish the Country Reports (online and hard copy) – with select related material – within 6 months of the Training Seminar.
Goal: Develop internet procedures and structures to facilitate dissemination of Best Practices products.
Measure: Use of the COATNET, (Network of Christian Organizations Against Trafficking in human beings), website as a home base for all Training Seminar materials.
NB: COATNET aims to develop a network and create tools and mechanisms to allow the transfer of information, mutual support, and operational partnership across borders – and seems to be the appropriate partner and home for this project. The COATNET network is under the legal authority of Caritas Europa, is ecumenical and consists of organizations and persons of Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant identities.
Measure: Each participant will make use of the internet, online newsletters, and other means of communications to continue to disseminate information and raise awareness about the phenomenon.
Measure: Each participant will continue to build the network following the Training Seminar, by using various communications tools (e.g. the internet, chat, DVC).
Goal: Strengthen the nuns’ national and international capacities to tackle TIP through multi-disciplinary, political and strategic approaches;
Measure: Each participant will seek to widen and strengthen the regional network.
Measure: Each participant will seek out additional nuns in her home region with an interest and capacity in working with anti-TIP measures, widening the local network and empowering other congregations, individual nuns, etc.
Goal: Provide participants with additional training opportunities.
Measure: The participants will conduct annual regional meetings to continue training, expanding public awareness campaigns, collecting information on the phenomenon in the region – further strengthening and informing the network at the local, national and regional levels;
Measure: Upon completion of the Training Seminar each participant will return to her home country/region to conduct similar training seminars in her own congregation, as well as National Conferences of women and men religious.
Project Participants:
The Training Seminar will bring together 34 women religious from 27 countries severely affected by the phenomenon of trafficking in persons.
Participants will be selected by USMI according to their TIP experience and expertise, as well as their capacity to promote follow-up activities upon their return home. All participants will be required to speak and read at a
3/3 level of English, facilitating effective communication between participants who will be asked to interact with the whole group and deliver Country Reports.
Participants will come from the following countries:
Eastern Europe: (6 countries, 6 participants)
Albania – Croatia – Poland – Romania – Slovenia – Ucraine
Western Europe: (7 countries, 10 participants)
Belgium – France – Germany – Spain – The Netherlands – Italy (3
participants) UK (2)
N. America: (3 countries, 5 participants)
Canada (2) Mexico – United States (2)
S. America: (3 countries, 3 participants)
Colombia – Peru
Africa: (4 countries, 6 participants)
Ghana – Nigeria (2) South Africa – Kenya (2)
Asia: (4 countries, 4 participants)
Australia – India – Indonesia – Thailand
Total Countries represented: 26 Total Participants:
33
Draft Training Seminar Programme:
Monday, October 15
Throughout the day: Arrival at the Institute of Maria SS. Bambina, via Paolo VI, 21
14:00 Registration opens / tour of the
facilities
16:00 General Meeting: Welcome, Opening Prayer,
Introductions, Presentation of Program Schedule, Overview of Goals
18: 00 Departure for Villa Taverna
18:30 - 19:30 Welcome Reception hosted by Mrs. Giorgia
Spogli, wife of Ronald Spogli, U.S. Ambassador to Italy
20:00 Return to Maria SS. Bambina
Tuesday, October 16
7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Opening Prayer led by Sr. Eugenia
Bonetti MC
09:00 – 10:30 Closed Session One:
Mother Camilla Burns, SND, “A Theological – Biblical – Pastoral Reflection on Human Rights and Dignity”
Questions & Answers, Overview of Goals
10:30 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 13:00 Country Reports (6)
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 16:00 Closed Session Two:
Dr. Esohe Agathise, “The Strength of Networking Between Countries of Origin, Transit, and Destination”
Questions & Answers, Overview of Goals
16:00 – 17:30 Country Reports (5)
17:30- 18:00 Break
18:00 -20:00 Outline of International Pastoral Plan - Network
Vision/Mission Statement, Network Management (Evaluation of the day)
20:00 Dinner at Institute of Maria SS. Bambina
Evening Optional Activities
Wednesday, October 17
7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 – 9:30 Eucharistic Celebration at the Church of
the Divine Mercy of St. Faustina, Celebrant: Fr. Peter Smutelovic, SJ
9:30 – 13:00 (TBC) Papal General Audience
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 16:00 Closed Session Three:
Mr. Sebastien Dechamps, Caritas Internationalis, “The Strength of Networking Between Faith-Based Organizations”
Questions & Answers, Overview of Goals
16:00 – 17:30 Country Reports (5)
17:30 – 18:00 Break
18:00 – 20:00 Break-out Group Discussions by Region (evaluation of
the day)
20:00 Dinner
21:00 – 22:00 Cultural Evening and Gift Exchange
Thursday, October 18
NB: Thursday, October 18, 2007, has been pronounced by the European Union
(EU) as Anti-Trafficking in Persons day throughout Europe.
7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Opening Prayer
9:00 – 10:30 Closed Session Four:
Sr. Eugenia Bonetti, USMI, “The Strength of Networking Between Religious
Congregations: The Prophetic Role of Women Religious”
Questions & Answers, Overview of Goals
10:30 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 13:00 Country Reports (6)
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 16:00 Closed Session Five:
Eleanor Kennelly Gaetan, G/TIP Senior Coordinator for Public Outreach, “Communicating Your Network Efforts: Sharing a Pastoral Plan and Commitment”
Questions & Answers, Overview of Goals
16:00 – 17:30 Country Reports (5)
17:30 – 18:00 Break
18:00 – 20:00 Break-out Group Discussions by Region (Evaluation of
the day)
20:00 Dinner
Evening Optional Activities
Friday, October 19
7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Opening Prayer
9:00 – 10:30 Closed Session Six:
Magistrate Maria Grazie Giammarinaro, “An Overview of European TIP Legislation and Techniques for Networking for a Common Legislation Addressing Prevention, Protection and Prosecution”
Questions & Answers, Overview of Goals
10:30 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 12:00 Closed Session Seven:
Eleanor Kennelly Gaetan, G/TIP Senior Coordinator for Public Outreach, “Building Your Network: Picking the Right Tools for the Job”
Questions & Answers, Overview of Goals
12:00 – 13:00 Final Discussion of International Pastoral Plan of
Action
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 16:00 Comprehensive Evaluation and Ratification of
International Pastoral Plan
16:00 – 16:30 Break / Welcome Guests
16:30 – 18:00 Public Session:
Attendees will include representatives of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, the Vatican, Vatican media, members of the Holy See Diplomatic Corps and of the Italian Government, USMI, UISG, representatives of NGOs, and other invited guests and media
18:00 – 19:00 Official Reception sponsored by the U.S. Embassy to
the Holy See, held on conference premises.
20:00 Closing Dinner Celebration at Gianicolo
Restaurant, hosted by USMI with participants and invited guests
Saturday, October 20
7:15 Closing Eucharistic Celebration at the Tomb of
Pope John Paul II; Celebrant: Fr. Pietro Trabucco, U.S.G. Secretary General
8:00 Breakfast
AM Departure of participants
Contact: Amy Elizabeth Roth, RothTurnleyAE@state.gov.
Sr. Eugenia Bonetti, ebonettimc@pcn.net
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